40 Across

NYT Daily • August 1, 2025

Meals at which Elijah's cup is poured

Answer:

SEDERS

Hint:

["Here’s a helpful hint for the clue:\n\n*\"Passover gatherings with symbolic wine cups\"*\n\nThis hint:\n- Narrows the context to **Passover**, a well-known Jewish holiday.\n- References the **symbolic wine cups**, which ties back to Elijah’s cup without repeating the clue.\n- Uses \"gatherings\" to suggest the plural form (**SEDERS**).\n- Avoids giving away the answer directly while making it easier than the original clue."]

Explanation:

The clue **"Meals at which Elijah's cup is poured"** leads to the answer **"SEDERS"** through the following reasoning: 1. **Cultural Reference**: The clue refers to a Jewish tradition during **Passover**, a significant holiday in Judaism. A key ritual of the Passover **Seder** (a ceremonial meal) is the pouring of a cup of wine for the prophet **Elijah**, symbolizing hope for the future and the coming of the Messiah. 2. **Direct Connection**: The word **"meals"** in the clue hints at the **Seder**, which is a ritual feast. The mention of **Elijah's cup** specifically points to the Passover Seder, as this is the only context in which this tradition occurs. 3. **Plural Form**: The answer is **"SEDERS"** (plural) rather than "Seder" because the clue uses **"meals"**, implying multiple instances of the ritual meal. Thus, the clue cleverly combines a religious reference with a direct description of the event to lead to the answer.

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