Page 52 - HaMizrachi #28 Pesach USA 2021

GENERAL INTEREST PARENTING

Rabbi Elisha Aviner

The Wise and the Wicked

he Torah speaks of four sons: “The L-rd commanded us to observe Sometimes, the attitude of the wicked
the wise, the wicked, the simple, all these laws, to revere the L-rd our son is so extreme that we have no way
Tand the one who does not know G-d, for our lasting good and for our of communicating with him. There is
how to ask. From time immemorial, survival.” no point in continuing the conversation.
archetypes of these sons have been Therefore, there were some (the Gra, for
asking questions in every generation, Meaning: the Torah is life – “for our example) who wrote that the response
sometimes old ones, sometimes new good… for our survival” – and there- to the wicked son is not addressed to
ones. The wise and the wicked of one fore, it would have been worthy to keep him but to the rest of the sons – “had he
generation are not necessarily the same the mitzvot regardless of having been not been there, he would not have been
as the wise and the wicked of a different commanded. However, keeping them
generation. Their brothers in the Hag- because of Divine command adds an redeemed” (third person).
gadah, the simple son and the son who important layer: “to revere the L-rd our The opinion of the Chassidic masters
does not know how to ask, also appear G-d.” Command creates fear of and con- differed: the answer to the wicked son
in different guises in different periods. nection to G-d. is addressed to him. Why? Because

In our generation too, the four sons are The big questions the wise sons of our nobody is beyond hope. On the holiday
asking new questions and need fresh generation ask are about the value and of freedom, we believe there is a possi-
answers. Where can we find these meaning of the commandments. If we bility to redeem the wicked one from his
answers? Just as the answers to the orig- don’t understand them, or ‘connect’ wickedness, and to free him from the
inal children’s questions are highlighted to them, why keep them? Wisdom is negative outlook to which he is enslaved.
in the Torah, so too are the answers to interested in holiness, but not neces-
the new questions. If we know where sarily through command, with Divine What is the Haggadah’s response to
to look in Torah and Chazal, we can authority. On Pesach, we declare that the wicked son? “It is because of this
find correct and relevant answers to everything starts from the command- the L-rd did for me.” With the word
questions from every child in every ments, for without them, there is no true “this,” we lay down the historical facts
generation. holiness. (Ramban). We tell him to look at the
historical process of Israel’s redemption.
The Wise Son The Wicked Son The Exodus was not a coincidence; it
carries deep significance. Redemption
The Admor of Sochochov (the Avnei “What is this worship to you?” The is a merit which places obligations
Nezer) explains that the wise son asks wicked son sharply feels the dimension upon us. There is a connection between
why “the L-rd our G-d commanded you.” of obedience in Torah, the avodah, but
Why do we need a command, without doesn’t understand what the point of Jewish history and our destiny on earth.
which man would still be worthy of that avodah is (Sefat Emet and Shem We – and he – are part of something
doing good? The wise son claims that MiShmuel). Why keep the Torah? much greater, and much more signifi-
being commanded harms a person’s What good does it do? He rebels not cant and magically eternal than this or
natural goodness. only against obedience to mitzvot but that particular mitzvah.
Human reason (=wisdom) seeks auton- also against the content of the mitzvot.
omy. It strives for freedom and inde- He doesn’t believe the Torah is benefi-
pendence, and finds it difficult to bend cial to his life. The wicked one himself
to command. It longs for good, but is recognizes he is different, and removes
interested in choosing freely, without an himself from the community. He feels Rabbi Elisha Aviner teaches in yeshivot
external command. The Torah’s answer himself completely alienated from the hesder and founded an organization to
to the wise son’s question is: world of Torah. help parents with adolescent education.

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