The Four Sons Near the beginning of the section of the Haggada entitled ‘ Magid’ the author of the Haggada writes about four sons: a wise son, a wicked son, a simple son, and a son who does not know how to ask. The wise son proceeds to ask “What are these laws which G-d has commanded you?” The appropriate response to such a question, the author of the Haggada tells us, is to teach him the laws of Pesach. The wicked son then follows with his own question, “What is the purpose of this service for you?” The correct response to this question is firstly to knock out his teeth and then to answer him by saying “On account of this (Pesach, Matzah, Maror), G-d took me out of Eygpt”.
There are a few questions which may be asked:
(1) If the wise son were indeed wise, then he should already know about the laws of Pesach. He should be the one answering the questions, not asking them!
(2) Why did the author of the Haggadah choose to place the question of the wicked son directly after that of the wise son?
(3) The Beis Halevi asks: if one looks at the questions asked by both the wise son and the wicked son, they appear very similar. What then is the difference between the two questions? If ignorance is the sin, why is the wise son also not punished with having his teeth knocked out? In addition, what precisely is the answer of the Magid to the wicked son?
The Beis Halevi, in his commentary on Parshas Bo, sets out to answer the difference between the questions asked by both the sons. With this principle he suggests, all three questions can be answered.
The Beis Halevi says that the wicked son is not wicked by virtue of his ignorance, but by virtue of his knowledge. The wicked son is representative of an individual who knows about the exodus from Egypt. He knows about the miracles that took place, and even knows the laws of Pesach. The problem with the wicked son is that he knows all the rules, but refuses to keep them, as he says the reasons for the mitzvahs are no longer applicable today.
It seems clear from the Midrashim and the Zohar, the Beis Halevi says, that the reason for the bringing of the Korban Pesach before the Jews left Egypt was to show the Jews’ rejection of the Egyptian god, The Sheep. This was to be an open rejection of the avoda zara that was being performed in Egypt. Even the wicked son would agree that such a service should be performed as long as such an avoda zara exists. However, nowadays when no one worships this avoda zara, there is no need for an open rejection by the Jews of the Eygptian god. This is precisely the point of the wicked son. He says, “What is this service (the sacrifice of the Korban Pesach) for you?” meaning “what is the point of this service that you are doing for yourself, which G-d no longer requires of you?” i.e. it only has meaning to you, not to G-d, since the reason for the mitzvah has already expired.
The answer to his question is that to every mitzvah there are two elements: (1) the known reasons and (2) the unknown reasons. The known reason for the performance of the mitzvah is not the only reason for the mitzvah. The answer of the Magid can now be understood “On account of this (Pesach, Matzo, Maror), G-d took me out of Egypt”.
It is not on account of the Exodus that we have the mitzvahs, rather the opposite. The mitzvahs existed even before we left Egypt and the reason we left Egypt in such a way was to give us a reason for the mitzvahs, and therefore “On account of the mitzvahs, G-d took us out of Egypt” and therefore the mitzvahs are still applicable today even though the reason we understand for the mitzvah no longer applies.
The first question can now be answered. The Mishnah in Pirkei Avos states “Who is the wise person? One who learns from everyone.” Wisdom is not dependent on the amount one knows rather on one’s willingness to learn. This was the approach of the wise son. He asks “What are these laws that G-d has commanded you?” He wants to know the laws in order to be able to perform them, even though he does not know the reason. The reason the wicked son is placed directly after the wise son is to show the contrast between the two. The wicked son states “What is the point of the mitzvah?” since the reason no longer applies. He is not interested in learning. He uses the little knowledge which he has to state that the mitzvahs are no longer applicable. From here we see how a little knowledge is dangerous. The wicked son knows more than the wise son, yet he understands less. We should all learn the lesson of the wise son. |
