The Four Sons
Leader: The Torah tells us that there are four kinds of children to whom the story of Pesach must be told in four different ways.
The wicked child asks: “Why keep this old fashioned custom? What does it mean to you? To you, not to him.” Because this child takes himself out of the collective body, this child does not feel himself part of the community. We will tell him:
Cong: “It is because of what God did for me when we went out of Egypt. That is for me and not for him; for had he been there, he would not have been thought worthy to be redeemed.”
Leader: The shy child asks: “What is this all about?” This child would very much like to know the meaning of Pesach but does not know how to ask about it. We will tell him:
Cong: “The Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the state of slavery.”
Leader: The indifferent child does not realize that anything unusual is going on and does not ask any questions. We will tell him, though he does not ask:
Cong: “I am conducting this Seder to remember what God did for me when I went out of Egypt.”
Leader: The wise child wants to celebrate Pesach as it should be celebrated. He is eager to know all there is to know about it. He asks: “What is the story of Pesach? What happened in Egypt so important that we recall it year-after-year.” We tell him the story of Passover.
Question for discussion: Are the different ways to teach people?
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