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Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Tzav - Shabbat Hagadol Leviticus: 6:1-8:36
By Shlomo Riskin
Efrat, Israel - One of the most delightful parts of the seder is the portion
concerning the four children: the wise child, the wicked child, the simple
or naïve child and the child who does not know what to ask. In my former
life as the Rabbi of a West Side Manhattan Congregation, where I conducted a
community Seder each year, I took what almost bordered on sadistic pleasure
in doling out each of these four reading to choice members of our Synagogue
– and sometimes suffered consequences as a result. At our present family
and extended family seder – children, grand-children, in-law-mahatunim and
students which make for 50 plus participants – I merely ask for volunteers
to explicate the personal or contemporary significance of which ever one of
the four children – questioners, the participant would feel most
comfortable with. To my perennial surprise, the “wicked child” gets the
most raised hands!
Let us explore the question and answer which the author of the Haggadah
ascribes to the “wicked child.” “What does the wicked child say? ‘What
is this service to you?’ – to you, and not to him. And because he has
taken himself out of the category (of Israel), he has denied the basic
principle (of Judaism). You must then soften (with warmth) his sharp teeth
(or tongue), and say to him: ‘Because of this (service) did G-d do (all
these miracles) for me when I came out of Egypt’ –for me and not for
him; Had he been there, he would not have been redeemed!”
It is fascinating to note that although the exact words of this question is
derived from the Biblical text itself, (“And it shall be when you come to
the land (of Israel) … and you observe this service (of the Paschal
Sacrifice), and then, when your children shall say to you, ‘What is this
service to you,’ you shall say to them, ‘It is a Paschal (Passover or
love) Sacrifice to the Lord, who has passed over (or loved) the houses of
the Israelites in Egypt when He brought plague (of the death of the
first-born) upon Egypt, and He saved our homes” (Exodus 12:25,26), the
Bible gives no hint of any pejorative attitude towards the question or the
questioner, and the author of the Haggadah does not cite the Biblical
response to the question in content. Indeed, the answer given in the
Haggadah also appears in the Bible, but only one chapter later: “Why you
shall tell (Vehigadeta, haggadah) to your children on that day (of the
Festival of matzot), “Because of this service did G-d do (all the these
miracles) for me when I came out of Egypt’” (Ex 13:8). Why does the
author of the haggadah cite the question negatively and why does he change
the Biblical response?
Apparently, the author of the Haggadah is struck first and foremost not by
the words of the question – “What is this service to you?” – but
rather by the music! Generally the Bible precedes a question with “And
when your child will ask you” (as in Exodus 13:14); here, however, the
Bible states, “And when your children shall say to you.” The wise child
asks his parents; the wicked child tells, informs, his parents. And if the
music is off, the author of the Haggadah then takes the liberty of
interpreting the words in a negative and even supercilious fashion. This
child is not trying to honestly understand the significance of the Passover
ritual to the parents so that he can internalize and incorporate it into his
own life; he is rather addressing the ritual in a derogatory way, “What
possible meaning can this difficult, detailed and bothersome work have for
you!” (See Jerusalem Talmud, Arvei Pesahim, in which text the wicked child
speaks of tirha – toil – rather than avodah - service).
Hence the author of the Haggadah suggests that parent soften the sharp
cyniscism with the kind of fire which softens the hard edges of iron
(Ecclesiastes 10:10, Kehah), with the warmth of familial love and the
passion of the parents’ personal identification with Jewish history in
general and the exodus from Egypt in particular. And therefore the author of
the Haggadah finds the generic substance of the “telling to the child”
more fitting: “It is because of this ritual, and the lessons it can teach
one about resisting slavery, helping the underdog and striving to form a
free and productive society, that the Lord took me out of Egypt.”
In effect, the Haggadah is teaching the parent how to react to a negative
and cynical child: with love and warmth and with all of the passion and
commitment which marks the Jew who defines his personal and existential
being by the special times and events which have shaped his family –nation.
But then how do we account for the end of that segment, which seems to be so
negative: “Had he (this child) been (in Egypt), he would not have been
redeemed.” In the first instance, it is a fact of Jewish life: those who
see themselves as being outside of the Jewish family, who do not at least
feel part of Jewish people hood, will not be privileged to share in Jewish
destiny.
There is yet one more point, however, which might better explain what appear
to be the closing words of rebuff. A strange change of person appears in the
text of the haggadah: “… And you shall say to him, ‘Because of this
(service) did G-d do (all these miracles) for me…’ – for me, and not
for him; had he been there, he would not have been redeemed.” Now this
last exchange is what the parent is to say to the wicked child; the Haggadah
text ought then read: “And you shall say to him… for me, and not for
you. Had you been there, you would not have been redeemed.” Why does the
author of the Haggadah have the parent speak to the child at the seder in
the third person, as if were not there!?
I would therefore suggest that indeed, the wicked child is not there. He
said his piece and checked out; he spoke and ran – before the main reading
of the Haggadah and before the meal. He couldn’t wait to join his friends
at the local pub or disco. And I would further suggest that this
interpretation sheds new light on our opening of the door for Elijah the
Prophet. If Elijah can make it to every single seder all over the Jewish
world – and many at the very same time – he doesn’t need the door to
be opened for him. I believe that we open the door not to let Elijah in, but
rather to send the parents out. If Elijah’s message is to restore the
hearts of the parents to the children and the hearts of the children to the
parents, then the parents must find the wicked child – wherever he may
have gone – and bring him back into the seder, with warm acceptance and
parental unconditional love.
Shabbat Shalom
Shlomo Riskin
Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone
Chief Rabbi - Efrat Israel
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