Introducing the Ten Plagues
During the seder, there is a universal custom to “spill” a small drop of wine as each plague is recited. The Midrash tells us that as the Egyptians were meeting their horrible end in the churning waters of the Sea of Reeds (Red Sea), the angels wished to sing out praise to the A-lmighty. God rebuked them and said “My creations are drowning in the sea, and you wish to sing praises?!” (Talmud Megillah 10b). The custom of spilling the wine, explained by Abrabanel (a famous medieval Spanish commentator), is because wine is a sign of rejoicing and one should not rejoice when an enemy falls.
We will spill a total of 16 drops of wine: three for "blood, fire and pillars of smoke," 10 more for the plagues, and another three for Rabbi Yehudah's abbreviation.
The Haggadah elaborates that the prophet Joel foresaw blood, fire, and pillars of smoke as signs of the final redemption. However, it is also understood that when the Nile turned to blood, it boiled and emitted pillars of steam.
As one says the following, drops of wine are spilled from a full cup:
Dam (Blood)
Va’aish (Fire)
V’timrot Ashan (Pillars of Smoke)
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