According to belief, Eliyahu haNovi (Elijah the Prophet) will appear at the end of days to announce the coming of Moshiach (the Messiah). He also appears from time to time to save Jewish people in trouble and to teach Torah secrets to holy people. At the Passover seder, a special cup is placed on the table for Eliyahu haNovi – the Kos Shel Eliyahu. It is believed that he visits toward the end of the seder and drinks wine from his cup. He can sometimes be seen by those who are pure of heart.
There was once a wealthy couple named Avram and Penina. They were generous to the poor, and their large house was always open to strangers. Their most valued possession was a beautiful Kos Shel Eliyahu that graced their seder table each year at Passover.
The world is like a fountain wheel, the buckets ascend full and descend empty. Who is rich today may not be so tomorrow. (Exodus Rabbah 31:14) And so the wheel of fortune turned for Avram and Penina, and they were forced to sell most of their pos¬sessions to buy food. The only thing of value that they had left was their Kos Shel Eliyahu, which they agreed never to sell, no matter how desperate their situation became.
As Passover approached, they discovered that they did not have enough money to buy matzahs, wine, or food for the seder.
“Dearest Penina,” said Avram with a heavy heart, “I’m afraid we have no choice but to sell the Kos Shel Eliyahu .”
“Never!” replied Penina, and nothing Avram could say would change her mind.
On the day before Passover, Avram went off to study in the beis midrash. It pained him too much to stay at home and see the empty Kos Shel Eliyahu sitting in the middle of a bare table. How sad their Passover would be this year! How could they celebrate this holiday of freedom from slavery without matzah or wine?
While Avram was gone, there was a knock on the door. Penina opened it to find an elderly, well-dressed man standing before her.
“I’m a stranger in this town,” he said. “May I celebrate the seders with you?”
“We have no money to buy anything for a seder this year,” said Penina sadly. “We have nothing at all in the house.”
The man handed her a heavy purse and said, “Take this money and go buy what you need. I’ll return tonight for the seder.”
With a joyful heart, Penina hurried to the market and bought everything that she needed for the seders. Then she ran home and prepared a great feast. When Avram returned, Penina told him what had happened and asked him to bring their guest home with him from the synagogue that evening. Sadly, Avram returned from the synagogue alone. “I looked everywhere,” he explained, “but there was no well-dressed stranger there.”
They decided not to begin the seder until their guest arrived. But it began to grow late, and still there was no sign of him. At eleven o’clock, they could wait no longer, for the afikomen — the matzah eaten at the end of the seder meal — must be eaten before midnight. They recited the first part of the Haggadah and then began the feast. Right after they ate the afikomen, Avram fell asleep. Penina stayed awake, still hop¬ing that the stranger would appear. A short while later, when she opened the door for Eliyahu haNovi, the elderly man walked in.
