Page 28 - Passover Sedar

Hebrew for Christians
https://hebrew4christians.com Worthy is the Lamb

The Four Children: Arba’ah Banim

Leader: The Torah commands us four times to teach our children about the Exodus from
Egypt, suggesting their are four kinds of children, each of whom learns in a different way.
Our challenge is to find the best way to respond to each child’s needs....

The Shema
teaches that it is
our duty to teach
the Torah
diligently to our
children...

keneged arba’ah vanim dibrah Torah.
Echad chakham; ve’echad rasha, ve’echad tam,
ve’echad she’eino yode’a lishol.

The Torah speaks of four kinds of sons. One is wise; and one is defiant;
one is simple-minded, and one doesn’t know what to ask.

“Who is wise? The What sort of child
one who learns are you at this
from every seder? Are there
person.” – Ben parts of you which
Zoma are each son?

Does the word 1. The wise son (chakham) wonders why the Jews practice the customs of Passover. He
Torah mean
“law”? Some say asks, what does this mean for us? This son is wise, since he has a thirst for knowledge
there are 613 and wants to know more about the traditions of his people. This seder is for him!
commandments
in the Torah of 2. The defiant son (rasha) wants no part of the seder and asks why the Jewish people - other
Moses. What’s
the difference than him - practice such things. This son spurns his heritage and acts like a stranger at the
between the ideas table. We admonish this child to wake up, to appreciate who he is and to be grateful!
of mitzvah, eidot,
chukim, and 3. The simple son (tam) simply wants to know what is right so that he can please God and
mishpatim? What
does Talmud other people as he should. We take the time to help this child grasp the significance of the
Torah mean? Passover and to help him appreciate his identity as a Jew.

What does the 4. The son who does not know enough to ask (she’eino yod’ea lishol) is a very young child
word “Jew”
mean? who is encouraged to be entertained and carried through the service...

The story of the Four Sons is intended to commend the wise son and to encourage us to
remember the Jewish roots of our faith. We must study Torah and respect the Jewish way
of life, for if we neglect this we have failed in our responsibility to our heritage.

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