Each Passover, we join together to drink four cups of wine to represent the promises of freedom that God made to the Israelites in Egypt. This Passover we will make four new promises: to mitigate, adapt, protect, and conserve. As we welcome Elijah for a fifth cup of wine, we will also welcome a commitment to climate action and environmental justice, in order to promote the health of our earth and all its inhabitants.
The First Cup: Climate Change Mitigation
There is hope for the future of our planet, for our children and our children’s children, to inherit a healthy, habitable earth. We are already seeing the emergence of a green economy. Renewable energy sources like solar and wind power are becoming more accessible and affordable.
Climate change is not unstoppable or unsolvable; we have solutions at our fingertips. Together, we can cut carbon emissions and transform our economy. Our first cup of wine is our first promise: We will, as individuals, families, and communities, transition to renewable energy sources and advocate for a clean energy future.
Together, we recite:
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
The Second Cup: Climate Change Adaptation
Our climate is changing at an accelerating rate. As global sea levels, temperatures, and the frequency of extreme weather events rise, our national and international community must join together to help people already confronting the devastating effects of climate change.
Our second cup of wine is our second promise: We will provide the communities most vulnerable to the effects of climate change with the information and resources necessary to build resilience. We will support frontline communities who bear the brunt of the burdens of climate change, both at home and around the globe. We will work to protect women and girls who face the greatest risks from climate impact.
Together, we recite:
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine
The Third Cup: Clean Air and Water for All
As we begin our Passover seder and prepare to drink this first cup of wine, we must remember that, while we drink wine, many in the United States and around the world do not have access to clean water and air.
A healthy, livable environment is not a privilege; it is a basic human right. One in ten people lack access to clean water. That’s nearly 1 billion people in the world without clean, safe drinking water. Almost 3.5 million people die every year because of inadequate water supply. Sanitation, hygiene, and handwashing alone can reduce this number by 35 percent. More than 90 percent of the world’s population is exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution, killing an estimated 7 million people each year.
In the United States, air and water pollution are racial justice issues. Black and Latinx Americans are much more likely to live in highly polluted areas, and they suffer from asthma at far higher rates than white Americans. From Flint, MI, to Jackson, MS, to many Indigenous communities, lack of access to clean water is a public health crisis. This need not be the case. Our third cup of wine is our third promise: We will work to ensure that everyone has equal access to clean air and water, free from pollution.
Together, we recite:
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
The Fourth Cup: Conservation
Jewish tradition teaches us that “even those things that you regard as completely superfluous to Creation – such as fleas, gnats and flies – even they were included in Creation; and God’s purpose is carried through everything” (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 10:7).
Today, we continue to be entrusted with protecting all of the creatures that share our earth and the natural resources that they need to survive. Forests and wetlands are also natural buffers for climate change, so protecting nature is an important component of climate action. Our fourth cup of wine is our fourth promise: We will celebrate and protect all the species and natural resources of our earth.
Together, we recite:
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Elijah’s Cup: Taking Action
For the majority of the seder, the focus is to remember, retell, discuss, and experience history. As we pour this fifth and final glass of wine, our focus changes from the past to the future. This final cup is only for Elijah.
We don’t share in this ceremonious final cup of wine with the prophet Elijah because our history is not yet complete. We still have a chance to write our future. The final cup represents a change in the focus of the seder, from our history to our hopes.
As we open the door for Elijah, our guest, we open the door for collaboration and new possibilities as we work to solve climate change and environmental injustice. This open door is an opportunity, for every individual to make a commitment this year to take part in writing our communal environmental future. Here are some actions you can take:
- Advocacy: Visit rac.org/climatechange to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to take action. You are the constituent; they want to hear from you. Share with them why this particular issue is important to you.
- Education: Host an environmental film screening or propose reading an environmentally related book for a book club.
- Engagement: Find a local environmental organization or campaign in your community and get involved.
- Greening: Be more conscious about the energy and water you use and try to reduce it.
- Community: Meet the members of your community living in areas that are environmentally unsafe, hear their story, and get involved in solution building by engaging in greening projects and advocacy efforts.
What commitment can you make to take environmental action in this coming year? Share with the community around you as you welcome in Elijah.
Together, we sing:
Eliyahu haNavi, Eliyahu haTishbi, Eliyahu Eliyahu, Eliyahu haGiladi, Bimheirah v’yameinu, Yavo eileinu, Im mashiach ben David
May Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah of Gilead, quickly in our day come to us heralding redemption.
This piece, updated before Passover 2021, is adapted from a seder insert originally compiled by the staff of the following organizations: Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; Coalition on Environment and Jewish Life; AVODAH; Interfaith Power and Light; and Lutheran Volunteer Corps.
For more on this topic for your Passover seder, see “The Four Children of Climate Change: A Passover Haggadah Insert.” Delve deeper by visiting the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism’s environmental justice issue page.
