Today's verses serve as the basis of the tradition to drink four cups of wine at the Passover Seder. Each cup represents one of the four expressions of redemption with which God describes the Exodus from Egypt: Take out, rescue, redeem, take to. A closer reading, however, uncovers that there is a fifth expression, "I shall bring you," found in verse 8. Why then do we not have five cups of wine to reflect all five expressions of redemption? The Sages explain that while the first four expressions of redemption from Egypt have in fact been realized, the fifth expression “I shall bring you TO the Land” has not yet been completely fulfilled. Only when all the Jews return to Israel and the Messiah comes to Jerusalem will we rejoice with a fifth cup.
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