It is customary before reciting the Beracha over wine to proclaim, "Sabri Maranan," to which the people listening to the Beracha then respond, "Le’hayim." What is the meaning of this practice?
The word "Sabri" means "pay attention," and thus when the person reciting Kiddush announces, "Sabri Maranan," he is simply calling the people around him to attention (literally, "Pay attention, my masters"). Therefore, a person who recites the Beracha alone does not first announce "Sabri Maranan."
Why must the person reciting the Beracha call the others to attention, and why do they respond "Le’hayim"?
The commentators explain that since wine can be both beneficial and destructive, and can bring both blessing and curse, before we recite the Beracha over wine we formally express our wish that the wine should serve a beneficial purpose. Rav Shlomo Luria (Poland, 16th century) noted that wine is associated with death, as indicated in the Gemara (Sanhedrin) which states that wine was given to a person before execution in order to alleviate his fear. Wine was also customarily given to mourners to help ease their grief. And so when we drink wine on happy occasions, we announce that the wine is being used for a joyous purpose, and not, Heaven forbid, the opposite. Similarly, the tree from which Adam and Hava ate, according to one view, was a vine, and Hava actually prepared wine which she and Adam then drunk. And we know that after the flood Noah drank wine and became inebriated, which resulted in a curse upon one of his sons. We therefore express our wish before drinking wine that it should bring blessing, and not curse. The Shiyureh Keneset Ha’gedola (Rav Haim Banbenishti, Turkey, 1603-1673) notes the story told in Masechet Megilla of Rabba who became inebriated during his Purim celebration and killed Rabbi Zera (though Rabbi Zera was then miraculously brought back to life). This, too, demonstrates the potentially harmful consequences of drinking wine, and we thus proclaim "Le’hayim" to express our wish that only positive outcomes should result from our drinking.
We might also suggest an additional explanation. In Parashat Ki-Tabo, the Torah lists the 98 Kelalot (curses) that would befall the Jewish people in exile, and our nation has indeed suffered these calamities over the course of our four exiles. But in Tehillim, David teaches us that we must "raise a cup of wine" for both happy occasions and the opposite: "Sara Ve’yagon Emsa U’be’Shem Hashem Ekra… Kos Yesu’ot Esa U’be’Shem Hashem Ekra." Both when we’re enduring calamity, and when we celebrate salvation, we call out to Hashem in faith, knowing that everything He does is for the best. And so when we drink wine, the one reciting the Beracha first lifts the cup and asks, "Sabri Maranan" – as if to say, "What do you say about the misfortunes and troubles that we are experiencing?" And then everyone responds, "Le’hayim." The numerical value of "Le’hayim" is 98, alluding to the 98 curses of Parashat Ki-Tabo. The response of "Le’hayim" thus expresses the belief that even these misfortunes are "for life," as they help bring us toward the perfection which we seek.
The exchange of "Sabri Maranan" and "Le’hayim" is thus an exchange about Emuna (faith), as we declare that we "raise our cup" to Hashem in both joy and sorrow, both in good times and bad, resolute in our belief that everything Hashem does is the very best thing for us.
