The entire Passover experience is based on the expectation that we will ask questions. Not only do questions appear throughout the Passover seder, but the Torah itself lays out the expectation that future generations will question our ancestors' actions and our own actions.
So, why? Why are questions such a big deal for us? Take a few minutes to think about a few possible reasons. What purpose to questions serve? Why do we ask questions when we already know the answer to some of them? Read through the texts below with your Hevruta and then discuss. After you've done that, THEN answer the questions using the answer sheet on Teams. Each person must turn in their own copy.
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These four verses appear right in the middle of Moses instructing the Israelites to paint their doorposts with lamb's blood after making the Passover sacrifice. The ritual discussed here is the sacrifice itself, but in our times these words have taken on a new meaning.
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה לְחָק־לְךָ֥ וּלְבָנֶ֖יךָ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִתֵּ֧ן ה' לָכֶ֖ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֵּ֑ר וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הָעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃
“You shall observe this as for all time, for you and for your descendants. And when you enter the land that the LORD will give you, as God has promised, you shall observe this ritual.
וְהָיָ֕ה כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֥וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּנֵיכֶ֑ם מָ֛ה הָעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לָכֶֽם׃ וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֡ם זֶֽבַח־פֶּ֨סַח ה֜וּא לַֽה' אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּ֠סַח עַל־בָּתֵּ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם בְּנָגְפּ֥וֹ אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּ֣ינוּ הִצִּ֑יל
And when your children ask you, ‘What do you mean by this ritual?’ you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, because God passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when God smote the Egyptians, but saved our houses.’”
1. Why do you think the Torah expects children to ask about the Passover sacrifice? Is the answer it suggests a good one in your mind, or would you answer the question differently?
Most of the rituals of the Seder that we know today were developed (or written down first) in the Mishnah, around the years 0 - 190 CE, give or take. This section probably looks familiar to you - it's the original set of the "Four Questions." But take a look - they're not quite what you'd expect.
מָזְגוּ לוֹ כוֹס שֵׁנִי, וְכָאן הַבֵּן שׁוֹאֵל אָבִיו, וְאִם אֵין דַּעַת בַּבֵּן, אָבִיו מְלַמְּדוֹ,
מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת, שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻלּוֹ מַצָּה. שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מָרוֹר. שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בָּשָׂר צָלִי, שָׁלוּק, וּמְבֻשָּׁל, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻלּוֹ צָלִי.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין פַּעַם אַחַת, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים. וּלְפִי דַעְתּוֹ שֶׁל בֵּן, אָבִיו מְלַמְּדוֹ.
After the second cup of wine is poured, children question their parents. And if the child does not have the intelligence to ask questions on their own, the parent teaches them the questions. The Mishnah lists the questions:
Why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we eat leavened bread and matza as preferred; on this night all our bread is matza. As on all other nights we eat other vegetables; on this night we eat bitter herbs. As on all other nights we eat either roasted, stewed, or cooked meat, but on this night all the meat is the roasted. As on all other nights we dip the vegetables in a liquid during the meal only once; however, on this night we dip twice. And according to the intelligence and the ability of the child, the parent teaches them.
2. What's different about this set of questions from what you're used to? Why do you think it's different?
3. Lots of people say that there's actually only one question (why is this night different?) with many examples of how the night is different. What do you think?
4. Do we know the answer to these questions? Why do you think we ask the same questions every year?
5. These days the job of asking these questions goes to the youngest child. Why do you think that is?
6. Are there other sections of the seder you can think of that require us to ask questions, or talk about asking questions?
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What do we do if we don't have any kids at the seder or they're too young to ask questions? The Gemara has an answer:
ת"ר חכם בנו שואלו ואם אינו חכם אשתו שואלתו ואם לאו הוא שואל לעצמו ואפילו שני תלמידי חכמים שיודעין בהלכות הפסח שואלין זה לזה
If one's child is wise, the child asks. If the child is not wise, then one's spouse asks. If not, the person asks themselves. Even two Torah scholars who know the laws of Pesach ask each other.
7. Everyone, no matter how smart (or not so smart) they are is required to ask questions on Passover. What lesson about questioning can we take from this?