Leader:

In our tradition, four children are used as a metaphor to highlight our community’s varying attitudes towards religion and tradition.

Taking turns:

חָכָם

The first child is the chacham, the wise child, who asks, “What are the traditions that we follow on Passover, and what is their meaning?” You must teach this child all that there is to know about the holiday down to the last detail.

רָשָׁע

The second child is the rasha, the rebellious child, who asks, “Why should you follow these Passover rituals?” This child excludes him- or herself from his or her people and denies the religious and cultural significance of tradition. We must help this child to realize that Passover traditions belong to him or her as well, by saying, “If it had not been for the events that we recount tonight, I would not be free.” Remind this child that freedom was meant for him or her as well, including the freedom to practice our rituals and traditions.

תָּם

The third child is the tam, the simple child, who asks, “Passover? Matzah? What is all this?” You should not overwhelm this child with too much information. Instead, respond to this child with a short, impressive answer. "Everything we do tonight is to celebrate the miracle of our freedom from slavery."

שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁאוֹל

The fourth child, she’einu yodea lishol, is the one who listens but is not ready to ask questions. You should be proactive with this child, and anticipate the questions that he or she could have by explaining our Passover traditions as they occur.

Leader:

Let us all consider our relationship to tradition, and how we can build on our traditions to make them as meaningful as possible.


haggadah Section: -- Four Children