Four Children | Passover haggadah by Achvat Amim

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Ma'aseh b'Reb Shmuel, [a story of Reb Shmuel] the factory owner, of Reb Meir the banker, of Reb Zerach the lender, of Reb Tudros the rabbi. How all these fine little men sit down together, drink a glass of good wine... And they too contemplate "yetzias Mitzrayim" [the Exodus from Egypt].

But the story with its simple meaning, they can't stand. What's this! - they say - slaves unite and free themselves! How is it fair, just to unionize themselves like this! Where will then become of us in the world? No, the simple meaning doesn't work for us at all, we must find another interpretation, we must never for a moment let this simple meaning be understood. Thus Reb Shmuel sits back and expounds: "kol ymei chayecho haleilos" [all the days of your life- the nights] - your whole life should only be by night, by day you should be mine, my servant, my slave, you should work for me in the factory and be downtrodden. Reb Tudros the rabbi rises, lifts his eyes towards heaven and pronounces: "kol yemei chayecho - l'havi limois hamoshiach" [all the days of your life - to bring the days of the Messiah] - work little fool, struggle, be downtrodden; so that when the Messiah comes, everything will go your way. You'll have your own bright Garden of Eden.

However, "v'chachomim oimrim," the truly wise people come and say: "ymei chayecho - ho'oilom hazeh." Your life is only in this world, and as long as you live - you should from the world and from yourself know, that it is free. "L'man tizkor es yoim tseseicho me'eretz Mitzrayim kol ymei chayecho" [so you may remember the day you departed from Egypt all the days of your life] - you should remember, that you must free yourself from servitude and you must lead a mentshleche [human] life. Boruch Hamakom. Blessed be the place and blessed be the time, that have given us such wise and honest human beings, who open up our eyes. "kneged arbo bonim divreh toireh" [regarding four sons the Torah speaks] - it addresses four types of people, in four classes: "echod chochom, v'echod roshe, v'echod tam, v'echod she'eino yoidea lishol" [one wise, one wicked, one simple, one who does not know how to ask] Chochom ma hu oimer, what does the wise one say? The wise one asks: "ma ho'eidos v'hachukim v'hamishpotim asher tsivo Hashem eloiheinu eschem?" [What are the testimonies, statutes and laws that God has commanded to you?] What kind of laws are these, that God gave you?? How?? Can a God truly give such laws, that all humankind should be dragged out, labouring and barely having enough to keep themselves going, while a small few should take everything away from them, and squander and indulge and live in a sea of serenity?? Roshe ma hu oimer, the wicked one, the parasite says: "ma ha'avoida hazois lachem" what's this work to you, why shouldn't you work?

A person must indeed work, a person was created to work! Work makes life sweet! Work, work children! "Lachem v'lo loi" [to you, but not to him] - only us does he order to work and become downtrodden, only us, and he himself doesn't even lay a finger in cold water, and lives off our production! And because he removes himself from the collective, he is a "koifer b'iker" [a heretic to the core], he loses the fundamental awareness that all humanity are born equal, and does not believe in the liberation of humanity: therefore we have nothing to do with him. "V'af ato hakacho es shiniui" you should only set his teeth on edge and say: remember, that we've already freed ourselves from the slave-house once, from Egypt, and we will from today's yoke also certainly free ourselves: ourselves and not him, for this slave-master is our true enemy: he does not want the revolution and must surely fall. Tam ma hu oimer, the simple honest person asks: "ma zois?" [What's this?] What's happening here between you? What are you fighting for? Over what are you struggling? Why don't you just resolve this affair in good humour? V'amarto elav, to him you should answer: "bchozek yad," only through violence were we liberated from Egypt, and so too only through violent struggle will we free ourselves today. Ushe'eino yodeia lishol; at pesach loi, when one has no idea what to ask, you should explain to him simply the whole history of our former and present enslavement, and should say to him....

haggadah Section: -- Four Children

Source: Shlomo Jack