The Wicked Son - Hebrew Text, Translation, Thoughts
רָשָׁע מַה הוּא אוֹמֵר? מָה הָעֲבֹדָה הַזֹּאת לָכֶם? לָכֶם ולֹא לוֹ. וּלְפִי שֶׁהוֹצִיא אֶת־עַצְמוֹ מִן הַכְּלָל, כָּפַר בָּעִקָּר. וְאַף אַתָּה הַקְהֵה אֶת־שִׁנָּיו, וֶאֱמָר־לוֹ: בַּעֲבוּר זֶה, עָשָׂה יְיָ לִי, בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרָיִם, לִי וְלֹא־לוֹ. אִלּוּ הָיָה שָׁם, לֹא הָיָה נִגְאָל:
What does the wicked one say? "What is this service to you?" He separates himself from the responsibility. And because he does so, be honest with him and tell him: "This is because of what Adonai has done for me, when he took me out of Egypt." Emphasize you and not him, because even if he had been there, he would not have been worthy to be redeemed.
We're told that we should say to the wicked child that he would not have deserved to be taken out of Egypt, all because he asked the wrong kind of question. But if we re-read the question he asks, it's hard to see the difference between what he is saying and what the wise son says. Both of them say "you" as though to exclude themselves. So why do we get upset with the wicked son and not with the wise son? |
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