Post by Rabbi Neil on Jan 24, 2018 19:16:24 GMT
There are times when a Jewish tradition can be particularly perceptive, and there are times when it can miss the point. One custom that Jews traditionally have over the Seder table is the four children, one of whom is described as wicked. This child, interestingly, was traditionally depicted in artwork in haggadot as carrying a sword, because he was often take to be a symbol for the oppressive Roman empire. Someone once bought me a Haggadah that took him a little further, and instead of just having a sword by his side, represented the wicked child as a homicidal axe-wielding maniac!
But is this child really wicked? While the Rabbis who created and developed the Haggadah clearly thought so, this characterization is actually rather disturbing, especially when we consider what the wicked son says. His question comes from this week’s Torah portion – Bo – Exodus 12:16, where Torah says,
Vehaya ki yomru aleichem beneichem, Ma ha’avodah hazot lachem?
And it shall be when your children say to you, “What does this service mean to you?”
At no point does Torah talk of a wicked child, in fact, it assumes that this will be the question of all the children, because it uses the plural word b’neichem, meaning your children. It also uses the plural form for “you,” which is something to which I’ll return shortly. So, the Haggadah states that this question - “What does this service mean to you?” – is wicked, but Torah clearly doesn’t think it is. In fact, Torah clearly believes it is a perfectly normal question! When it writes ki yomru – WHEN they say, it seems as though the Torah expects this question to be asked – “What does this service mean to you?” The Torah doesn’t seem to have a problem with the question, and it instructs the parent to give the answer
Zevach pesach hu ladonai…
This is the Passover sacrifice for the Eternal One…
…and then it continues to explain why we eat from the Paschal sacrifice.
And this is where I am certan that the Haggadah completely misses the point of the question presented in Torah. It’s not the question that is put in the mouth of the Simple child, which we also read in chapter 13, verse 14 – Ma Zot – what is this? If anything, the Haggadah seems to have understood this question correctly – it conveys a simple child-like questioning, as though walking round the world holding onto the parent’s hand and asking, “What’s this? What’s this?” The answer for this simplistic question is to include the questioner – “This is for us.”
But it is the question of the so-called wicked child that intrigues me. Ma ha’avodah hazot lachem? What is this service to YOU? The Haggadah tells us that the parent answering must say, as though out of spite, “It is because of what God did for ME” – stressing the ME because the Haggadah claims that by phrasing the question as the child did, the child has separated themselves from the answer. The Haggadah goes even further, though, justifying this response because “had he been there, he would not have been redeemed.” This is quite extraordinary, particularly because the question occurs in Torah at the point of the Exodus from Egypt and clearly in no way invalidates anyone from being included in the Exodus!
The answer the Torah gives to the question mentions the Paschal sacrifice, talks about the Exodus itself – it is in general a fact-filled answer. This means that when faced with the question, “What is this… to YOU?” our tradition presents us with two possible answers, one of which is a long, fact-filled answer and the other assumes the child asking the question is a terrible Jew. Both responses, I feel, are problematic.
I think the core to education, particularly between parents and children, but also between all members of a community and the children of that community, is personal ownership. If Judaism means nothing to the educator, then the answers will either sound like a long list of dull facts, or will come out quite negatively. I actually think the question “What is this service to you?” is brilliant – I don’t think there’s anything wicked about it at all. I think it’s the ultimate question that every child should be encouraged to ask of every teacher, every parent, and of every member of their community. Because what they’re asking is “What does it mean to you?” So you come to shul, you pray the prayers, but why? What does it mean to you? What does it do to your soul? You light the candles, but why? You recite blessing, but why? What does it mean to you? Don’t just tell me what the Torah says, or what tradition dictates, but inflame my soul by showing me how Judaism inflames your soul. You’re an adult, you understand the world more than I do, so teach me why this is important to a person’s being.” That is true education. It is bringing the child to the point where they ask a question not just of the educator’s knowledge, but also of their soul. And every teacher, every parent, and every member of a community has a responsibility to every youngster to know their own answer.
This, I believe, is the key to a successful community and to an assured continuation of Judaism throughout the ages. So when a youngster asks, “Why do we do this?” or even “Why do you do this?” the answer isn’t just, “Because the Torah tells us to,” or “because it’s tradition.” It’s a question of why that particular thing has spiritual worth. Apart from the basic facts, which are obviously important to teach, they also want to know how performing that action moves you, in the hope that it can move them in the same way.
And that might just be why the Torah says, “Your children,” both plural for the children but also for “you” - because it’s also a call to every member of a community to take note of all of the youngsters. These are our children, and we are all responsible for their growth, and for the continuation of Judaism through them. If we just tell them facts, they’ll just become walking libraries. They need to be told the spiritual, emotional or intellectual value behind everything Jewish. They need to be inspired by us. They need to see that Judaism inspires us. They need to be shown that education doesn’t just come from the wonderful professional teachers that we have here, but it comes from the entire community.
Judaism is not a dead religion, it is not a topic to be studied by Jews and non-Jews who can accumulate facts and discuss what is accurate. Judaism is a way of life. It is a path that moves the soul, that improves a person. We advance the work of our Religious School by showing children that Judaism is a way of life, not a series of stale do’s and don’ts accompanied by obscure prayers. We need to show our children the passion that Judaism must have to survive, which means showing them in the home, in the synagogue, in the street, in the morning, afternoon and evening – showing them that Judaism is something that moves us to the core. And when they ask us all the question, “What does this mean to you?”, know your answer. And for that, we all have to constantly ask the question of ourselves, “What does this mean to me?” May such a question bring us powerful answers, meaningful responses, and may Judaism thrive through our living of the responses, and let us say, Amen!
But is this child really wicked? While the Rabbis who created and developed the Haggadah clearly thought so, this characterization is actually rather disturbing, especially when we consider what the wicked son says. His question comes from this week’s Torah portion – Bo – Exodus 12:16, where Torah says,
Vehaya ki yomru aleichem beneichem, Ma ha’avodah hazot lachem?
And it shall be when your children say to you, “What does this service mean to you?”
At no point does Torah talk of a wicked child, in fact, it assumes that this will be the question of all the children, because it uses the plural word b’neichem, meaning your children. It also uses the plural form for “you,” which is something to which I’ll return shortly. So, the Haggadah states that this question - “What does this service mean to you?” – is wicked, but Torah clearly doesn’t think it is. In fact, Torah clearly believes it is a perfectly normal question! When it writes ki yomru – WHEN they say, it seems as though the Torah expects this question to be asked – “What does this service mean to you?” The Torah doesn’t seem to have a problem with the question, and it instructs the parent to give the answer
Zevach pesach hu ladonai…
This is the Passover sacrifice for the Eternal One…
…and then it continues to explain why we eat from the Paschal sacrifice.
And this is where I am certan that the Haggadah completely misses the point of the question presented in Torah. It’s not the question that is put in the mouth of the Simple child, which we also read in chapter 13, verse 14 – Ma Zot – what is this? If anything, the Haggadah seems to have understood this question correctly – it conveys a simple child-like questioning, as though walking round the world holding onto the parent’s hand and asking, “What’s this? What’s this?” The answer for this simplistic question is to include the questioner – “This is for us.”
But it is the question of the so-called wicked child that intrigues me. Ma ha’avodah hazot lachem? What is this service to YOU? The Haggadah tells us that the parent answering must say, as though out of spite, “It is because of what God did for ME” – stressing the ME because the Haggadah claims that by phrasing the question as the child did, the child has separated themselves from the answer. The Haggadah goes even further, though, justifying this response because “had he been there, he would not have been redeemed.” This is quite extraordinary, particularly because the question occurs in Torah at the point of the Exodus from Egypt and clearly in no way invalidates anyone from being included in the Exodus!
The answer the Torah gives to the question mentions the Paschal sacrifice, talks about the Exodus itself – it is in general a fact-filled answer. This means that when faced with the question, “What is this… to YOU?” our tradition presents us with two possible answers, one of which is a long, fact-filled answer and the other assumes the child asking the question is a terrible Jew. Both responses, I feel, are problematic.
I think the core to education, particularly between parents and children, but also between all members of a community and the children of that community, is personal ownership. If Judaism means nothing to the educator, then the answers will either sound like a long list of dull facts, or will come out quite negatively. I actually think the question “What is this service to you?” is brilliant – I don’t think there’s anything wicked about it at all. I think it’s the ultimate question that every child should be encouraged to ask of every teacher, every parent, and of every member of their community. Because what they’re asking is “What does it mean to you?” So you come to shul, you pray the prayers, but why? What does it mean to you? What does it do to your soul? You light the candles, but why? You recite blessing, but why? What does it mean to you? Don’t just tell me what the Torah says, or what tradition dictates, but inflame my soul by showing me how Judaism inflames your soul. You’re an adult, you understand the world more than I do, so teach me why this is important to a person’s being.” That is true education. It is bringing the child to the point where they ask a question not just of the educator’s knowledge, but also of their soul. And every teacher, every parent, and every member of a community has a responsibility to every youngster to know their own answer.
This, I believe, is the key to a successful community and to an assured continuation of Judaism throughout the ages. So when a youngster asks, “Why do we do this?” or even “Why do you do this?” the answer isn’t just, “Because the Torah tells us to,” or “because it’s tradition.” It’s a question of why that particular thing has spiritual worth. Apart from the basic facts, which are obviously important to teach, they also want to know how performing that action moves you, in the hope that it can move them in the same way.
And that might just be why the Torah says, “Your children,” both plural for the children but also for “you” - because it’s also a call to every member of a community to take note of all of the youngsters. These are our children, and we are all responsible for their growth, and for the continuation of Judaism through them. If we just tell them facts, they’ll just become walking libraries. They need to be told the spiritual, emotional or intellectual value behind everything Jewish. They need to be inspired by us. They need to see that Judaism inspires us. They need to be shown that education doesn’t just come from the wonderful professional teachers that we have here, but it comes from the entire community.
Judaism is not a dead religion, it is not a topic to be studied by Jews and non-Jews who can accumulate facts and discuss what is accurate. Judaism is a way of life. It is a path that moves the soul, that improves a person. We advance the work of our Religious School by showing children that Judaism is a way of life, not a series of stale do’s and don’ts accompanied by obscure prayers. We need to show our children the passion that Judaism must have to survive, which means showing them in the home, in the synagogue, in the street, in the morning, afternoon and evening – showing them that Judaism is something that moves us to the core. And when they ask us all the question, “What does this mean to you?”, know your answer. And for that, we all have to constantly ask the question of ourselves, “What does this mean to me?” May such a question bring us powerful answers, meaningful responses, and may Judaism thrive through our living of the responses, and let us say, Amen!