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The cup of Elijah holds wine; the cup of Miriam holds water. Wine is more precious until you have no water. Water that flows in our veins water that is the stuff of life for we are made of breath and water, vision and fact. Elijah is the extraordinary; Miriam brings the daily wonders: the joy of a fresh morning like a newly prepared table, a white linen cloth on which nothing has yet spilled. The descent into the heavy waters...

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The olive branch is a universal symbol of peace, associated with the dove in the story of Noah's Ark and the Flood. Olive trees mature slowly, so only when there was an extended time of peace, with agriculture left undisturbed, could the olive tree produce its fruit. In 2008, Jewish Voice for Peace promoted putting an olive on the seder plate as part of its Trees of Reconciliation project, which sought to donate 3,000 olive saplings to Palestinian farmers to replant...

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Along with the cup for the Prophet Elijah, we have on our table a cup for the Prophetess Miriam, who helped lead the Israelites out of Egypt, and provided them with life-sustaining water during their wandering in the desert. Even after her death, the Israelites were sustained by the fresh waters of Miriam's Well. Zot Kos Miryam, kos mayim hayim. Zeikher l'yitziat Mitztrayim. This is the Cup of Miriam, the cup of living waters. Let us remember the Exodus from Egypt....