The formal telling of the story of Passover is framed as a discussion with lots of questions and answers. The tradition that the youngest person asks the questions reflects the centrality of involving everyone in the seder. The rabbis who created the set format for the seder gave us the Four Questions to help break the ice in case no one had their own questions. Asking questions is a core tradition in Jewish life.

Tonight we honor this tradition by encouraging you to ask questions of your own--about anything. Ask them of yourselves and of each other.

Can we be humble enough to admit when we do not know something, rather than pretending to have the answer?
Can we be gracious enough to answer another’s question without shaming them for not knowing?
Can we be brave enough to inquire within, and ask ourselves our own hard questions?
Can we open our hearts to the love that wants to come in, if only we will release our clever defenses?

We make space for this tonight.


haggadah Section: -- Four Questions