pesach dvar torah on four sons

The question the son poses here with regard to all the mitzvot is also asked more specifically with respect to the mitzvot pertaining to the Exodus. On one occasion the child asks in reference to all the Torah's commands, and in the other instances, regarding specific mitzvot. What is so significant about this historic incident that warrants its pervading […] To the wise son, by contrast, the Yerushalmi instructs explaining not the content of the mitzvot – with which he is presumably already quite familiar – but rather the reason why we bear the obligation to observe the mitzvot. Now we can appreciate why the Haggadah juxtaposes the wise and the wicked sons. not by mindless rote, but with a keen understanding of their full meaning and significance. "…That it shall be good for us all the days, to sustain us as on this day" (6:24). must not wait for his initiation. (son incapable of asking) is the pious son, who directly contrasts with the wicked son. The seder will likely be attended by different sons with very different natures, and one must tell of the Exodus to each son in accordance with his level and nature: "The Torah provided an approach for responding to each and every [child] in the appropriate manner" (Midrash Lekach Tov, Shemot 13:8). Why? If, however, we deal with the ignorant son, then it refers to an explanation of only the most basic information, in order not to ruin the entire seder by the ignorant son leaving to go to another group. We must reach out to him and start the dialogue. The Haggada is a later adaptation of an earlier text that originated from the period of the Tanna'im. speaks of the fundamental principle, whereas the. Hardcopy or electronic. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission in advance at ohr@ohr.edu and credit for the source as Ohr Somayach Institutions www.ohr.edu, An analysis of who exaclty the 4 Sons really are. 4 Comments. he was there he would contrary, our attempts to educate him will meet with ridicule. Passover. We are all confronted with people who He needs to be prompted and made to feel safe thats its ok not to know and it better to find out what you need to know than not! introduces the wicked son before the "simple" son. lacks the sophistication of the wise son's question, but it reflects the same sincere Where it serves as the answer to the wise son, then it refers to an explanation of the entire meaning underlying the laws of Pesach, from beginning to end. Let us begin with the question which the Haggada attributes to the wise son. the intent in both verses is the same, the homiletic reading could base itself on the distinction between a question posed out of a sincere desire to hear an answer, and "saying" something without necessarily anticipating a response. When the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanites which He promised to you and to your forefathers, and He gives it to you, you shall transfer the first of every womb to the Lord, and every first issue of animals that you will have, among the males, is for the Lord. He is basically told that he can only push himself away. then, is the son who does not even know how to ask? fool according to his foolishness, lest he be wise in his own eyes." cleverness. But if it is possible, then we In four places the Torah addresses the need to explain to one's children the importance of observing the mitzvot. It was therefore compelled to rearrange the sequence, such that the counterpart of the wise son would be the wicked son. Lets imagine, for example, someone would enter a University cafeteria and claim to be Napoleon. fulfillment inherently beneficial, but we will also be rewarded for it. According to what we have seen, we might suggest an explanation. he receives in response to his question an answer entitled "the answer to the ignorant son"? Firstly, we should take note of the fact that in the Mekhilta, the wise son formulates his question with the word otanu, "us" ("What are the testimonies, statutes and laws that the Lord our God commanded us?"). There is much that I do not know." As he rejects our insights The simple son – what does he say? everything. You shall thus sharply condemn him and say to him, "It is because of what the Lord did for me when I left Egypt" – "for me" and not for him; had he been there, he would not have been redeemed. Thus, according to the straightforward reading of the text, there is no difference between the sons posing these questions, nor is there any difference in the natures of these questions. Each differs from the other, because each son is different, and as Rabbeinu Yona explained, each child … by the ignorant son leaving to go to another group. one after another, the fruitlessness of our efforts makes us appear foolish. To you and not In the Torah this question appears in the context of the mitzva of pidyon bekhorot (the symbolic "redemption" of firstborn sons), and here, too, the answer explains the reason for this commandment, in a direct, straightforward manner: When the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanites which He promised to you and to your forefathers, and He gives it to you, you shall transfer the first of every womb to the Lord, and every first issue of animals that you will have, among the males, is for the Lord. opposite of the wise son who is completely open to the instruction of others. This rearrangement, in turn, brought with it a different perspective on the wise son, who now represents not only wisdom, but also religious piety. you shall say to him: The Lord took us from Egypt, from the house of bondage, with a mighty hand. Judaism. The Haggada instructs the father to respond to the wise son by in fact teaching him all the laws of Pesach, until the very end of Massekhet Pesachim. Firstly, whereas regarding the wise son the Torah writes, "When your son asks you…," the verse presenting the wicked son's question reads, "When your sons say to you…"  Even if on the level of peshat the intent in both verses is the same, the homiletic reading could base itself on the distinction between a question posed out of a sincere desire to hear an answer, and "saying" something without necessarily anticipating a response. Ive got my own problems? The question for each of us at the Pesach Seder is, How do we approach this child? Of course, the Haggada would have been unable to do so had it left the questions and answers recorded in the Torah in their respective contexts. The Malbim explains that the four passages cited in the Hagadah, the responses to each of the sons, are all needed. The Haggada therefore changed the wording, and rather than using the derogatory term "ignorant," it enlisted the gentler term "tam" ("simple"). Yet, It therefore omits from the original response the portion that relates specifically to the obligation of pidyon bekhorot, leaving only the first segment, which bears relevance to all the mitzvot pertaining to the Exodus. when a parent answers his child]. In light of this, we might also suggest that the Mekhilta presented two pairs – the wise and ignorant sons, and, correspondingly, the wicked son and the son who cannot ask. In this instance, the question deals with the command to partake of matza on Pesach: "Matzot shall be eaten during the seven days [of Pesach], and neither leaven nor yeast shall be seen with you anywhere within your borders. Four questions posed by one son. The wicked son's 'question' is merely rhetorical - it deserves no response at all. instructs the father to treat this son differently; if this son speaks cynically and out of a sense of alienation, then the father must respond in kind. ", The son who does not know how to ask – you shall initiate on his behalf, as it says, "You shall tell your son on that day…". does the wicked son say? renamed the "ignorant" son the "simple" son, it could no longer juxtapose this son with the wise son. As for the son who does know how to ask, hes paralyzed with fear to venture out of his comfort zone or maybe just to be found ignorant. This change in formulation resulted in yet another shift. Answer the The Are wise and wicked opposite terms? The Lord made great, harsh miracles and wonders in Egypt, against Pharaoh and his entire household, in front of our eyes. He is liable to quickly turn into a son who does know how to ask, but not because of simple belief, but because of lethargy. In any event, it would appear that the Haggada seeks to prevent the wicked son's influence from impacting upon the other children, by advocating a firm stance of rejection, rather than a soft response which the other children could perceive as a sign of weakness. The answer mentioned in the Haggada, however, transforms this question from an inquiry regarding the reason, into a question concerning the content. "What are the testimonies, statutes and laws that the Lord our God commanded you?" Certain new and exciting topics are due to arise that may become our new friends for years to come and then there are those topics, Well, lets not go there! The wicked son's question is presented as expressing a desire to exclude himself from the nation, based on the use of the word lakhem ("for you," as opposed to "for us"). It could not use the original response given in the Torah for the wicked son's question ("It is a paschal offering to the Lord Who passed over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt when He brought a plague upon Egypt, saving our homes"), as it contains no personal pronoun that could be used as an appropriate reference to the wicked son. What are the testimonies, statutes and laws that the Lord our God commanded us?". One student will come running over immediately with a note pad and paper and begin to pepper the man with the hand in jacket with detailed questions. The ignorant son – what does he say? to him. Let us examine how the Haggada created these characters: The wise son – what does he say? Mitzva observance is beneficial, in that it constitutes the proper way to live one's life. point where real discussion becomes possible. Judaism encourages inquiry. A fourth fellow sitting self-absorbed, in a corner, will glance occasionally at the excitement but retreat again to whatever else hes doing. therefore changed the wording, and rather than using the derogatory term "ignorant," it enlisted the gentler term ". Several verses earlier, we find the passage identified in the. instructs explaining not the content of the, – with which he is presumably already quite familiar – but rather the reason why we bear the obligation to observe the, , the wise son is special not by virtue of his knowledge, but rather because of his depth and insight, his desire to fulfill the. If so, how are It would appear that the Haggada sought to convey an essential message relevant to the mitzva of sippur yetzi'at Mitzrayim (telling the story of the Exodus), instructing that the story must be presented to each child in a manner appropriate for him. of this that Hashem did for me when I left Egypt. The wicked one is haunted by the fact that that he fails to live up to what he knows. The common denominator between all the various texts is the notion discussed earlier of individualized responses, a concept which bears particular relevance at the seder. This difference in approach is described in the book of Proverbs (26:4,5): "Do not Here, too, it is interesting to examine the changes made from the earlier texts. The Haggada's objective is to depict four sons who all ask about the mitzvot observed on the night of the seder. This deviation from the actual wording of the verse further underscores the fact that we deal here with a homiletic reading of the verse – rather than the straightforward reading – which is aimed at drawing a homiletic distinction between the sons.

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