Where do the "Four Children" of the
Passover Seder come from?
It would make sense to say, "they come from the Passover Seder," but we actually find children of the seder referenced in Torah
(כ) כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָלְךָ֥ בִנְךָ֛ מָחָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֑ר מָ֣ה הָעֵדֹ֗ת וְהַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֛ה ה' אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ [אוֹתָנוּ*] // אֶתְכֶֽם ׃ (כא) וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ לְבִנְךָ֔ עֲבָדִ֛ים הָיִ֥ינוּ לְפַרְעֹ֖ה בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וַיּוֹצִיאֵ֧נוּ ה' מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם בְּיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃ (כב) וַיִּתֵּ֣ן ה' אוֹתֹ֣ת וּ֠מֹפְתִים גְּדֹלִ֨ים וְרָעִ֧ים ׀ בְּמִצְרַ֛יִם בְּפַרְעֹ֥ה וּבְכָל־בֵּית֖וֹ לְעֵינֵֽינוּ׃ (כג) וְאוֹתָ֖נוּ הוֹצִ֣יא מִשָּׁ֑ם לְמַ֙עַן֙ הָבִ֣יא אֹתָ֔נוּ לָ֤תֶת לָ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַאֲבֹתֵֽינוּ׃
(20) When your son asks you in time to come: ‘What is the meaning of the laws, statutes, and ordinances which A-donai our G-d has commanded [us*] // you (pl)?"
(21) then you shall say to your son: ‘We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt; and G-d brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. (22) G-d showed signs and wonders, great and terrible, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his house, before our eyes. (23) And G-d brought us out from there, in order to bring us in, to give us the land which G-d swore to our ancestors.
*a different version of Deuteronomy said:
"...which A-donai our G-d has commanded us"
(כה) וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִתֵּ֧ן ה' לָכֶ֖ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֵּ֑ר וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הָעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃ (כו) וְהָיָ֕ה כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֥וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּנֵיכֶ֑ם מָ֛ה הָעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לָכֶֽם׃ (כז) וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֡ם זֶֽבַח־פֶּ֨סַח ה֜וּא לַֽה' אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּ֠סַח עַל־בָּתֵּ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם בְּנָגְפּ֥וֹ אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּ֣ינוּ הִצִּ֑יל...
(25) And it shall come to pass, when you come to the land G-d will give you, as promised, that you shall keep this service. (26) And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say to you: What do you (pl) mean by this service? (27) that you shall say: It is the sacrifice of G-d's Passover, for G-d passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when G-d smote the Egyptians, but delivered our houses.’...
(7) Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days but no leavened bread nor leaven shall be seen with you in all your borders. (8) And you shall tell your son in that day: It is because of what G-d did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.
What do the Four Children say?
*See Appendix containing charts from "A Different Night" and Oxford Four Sons Text Study
- What is the message of each of the questions?
- How do you feel about the answers to their questions provided by the text?
- Do you see a difference in any of the questions?
- What do you see in the difference between plural "you" and "we"?
The "Wicked" Child and their Question
*Appendix B - What Does this Avodah Mean To You? by Rabbi Sacks
