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4 Children-- כנגד ארבע בנות??
Contributed by JTL

  • TOP HAGGADAHS FOR 2023

The four sons acts as a key element of the Passover seder-- encouraging and inciting questions and new insights. But after years of the same seder routine, the tale of the four children becomes less and less puzzling. In hopes of once again inspiring people to challenge and investigate, many scholars have offered contemporary and unique interpretations of the story. I chose to include my personal favorite, which can be found in “A Night to Remember: A Haggadah for Contemporary Voices.” In this adaptation, each of the four children expresses a unique path from bondage to freedom on both a national and human scale. The author of this idea chose a woman in Tanach to exemplify each of the four children. They learn from examining their parents’ lives and from the struggles of their nation, while their “parents” (i.e. the world around them) are exposed to new spiritual layers as a result of their daughter’s education.

1. Chacham: what does she say? “Father, your decree is harsher than Pharoah’s.The decree of the wicked Pharaoh may or may not have been fulfilled, but you who are righteous, your decree surely is realized.” According to the Midrash, Miriam persuaded her father Amram not to separate from his wife, Yocheved. Miriam claimed that Pharaoh’s decree only kills boys whereas by refusing to sleep with their wives, the jewish couples were essentially killing both boys and girls. When her mother Yocheved gave birth to a boy, the two worked together to save their new son/brother. Miriam recognized the historical significance of her argument, as she did at the splitting of the Red Sea, and thus led her people to redemption (Talmud Bavli, Sotah 12). The father heeded his daughter, so we also follow in her steps with drums and dancing, spreading her prophecy amongst the nations.

2. Rasha: what does she say?  “Recognize” the ways of enslavement of women by men (referring to her position as a widow and chained to Yehuda’s family). With her deeds, Tamar barricaded herself against her loss of freedom as an imprisoned widow. She eventually achieves the yibum to which she is entitled, and becomes the “founding mother” of the Davidic dynasty. Tamar expresses a rebellion whose result was critical to the continuation of the Jewish people. Although she rebels against authority it is said: She was more righteous than he, and we enjoy no freedom until we have left our unjust ways.

3. Tam: what does she say? “Wherever you go, so shall I go, and where you rest your head so there will I rest mine. Your people are mine, and your God my God” (Ruth, 1:16). Ruth remained true to her mother-in-law Naomi, and her ingenuous loyalty is absolute. This emotional bond that Ruth so adamantly sticks to eventually rescues both of them from poverty and internal bondage.


4. She’eino Yodea Lishol: only her silent weeping is heard, as it says, “and she wept for her father and mother” (Dvarim 21:13),  We will be her mouthpiece and she will be for us a judge. The last daughter, an isha yifat to’ar, lacks sufficient freedom to taste even slightly the redemption and remains weeping in utter slavery. She is a reminder of the reality of silenced bondage, which continues even in modern times. Her silent weeping is a call to action for the cause of freedom and liberty of every man and woman (Leviticus 25:10), born in the image of God, in order to live securely in their homes, among their people and loving family (Song of Songs 3:4).
haggadah Section: -- Four Children
Source: Rachel Rapps

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