The commentaries ask the obvious question. If the Wicked Child excludes himself, is it not also true that the Wise Child excludes himself? The Wicked Child says, "What is this service to you," but the Wise Child also says, "What are these testimonies, statutes, and judgements which the Lord has commanded you." Both speak in terms of "you;" both distance themselves. Actually, though, the difference is very clear. First, the Wise Child includes himself by mentioning Hashem Elokeinu-- the Lord our G-d. Second, he uses the term etchem, which does not imply self exclusion, in contradistinction to the Wicked Child's lachem (to you). The third and most crucial difference lies not so much in what they say but in how they say it. The Wise Child addresses himself to content, asking detailed questions; the Wicked Child challenges the whole ritual, lumping everything into avodah. The Wicked Child sets up a negative relationship between himself and his family. The Wise Child, on the other hand, inquires into the rituals which tie family and nation together. 


haggadah Section: -- Four Children
Source: The Passover Haggadah by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin