Thursday, April 5, 2012

The Four Sons

The Four Sons:

The חכם asks - What are these חוקים, these laws. I want to understand. I'm an intellectual and have to understand everything!

We answer אין מפטירין אחר הפסח אפיקומן - After eating the afikoman we are not allowed to eat anything else. Meaning, the taste of the matza must remain in our mouths. טעמו וראו כי טוב השם - Taste and see that Hashem is good. Don't be such an intellectual. Not everything can be comprehended by the intellect. Sometimes we just need to TASTE. [Read "Green Eggs And Ham".]

The רשע asks - What is the point of all of these things your are doing. What does G-d care? We are simple human beings of flesh and blood? He has trouble believing in Hashgacha.

The answer is בעבור זה -because of THIS! Specifically because we are simple human beings of flesh and blood and yet we still serve Hashem, our service is more precious in his eyes than that of the angels.

The תם asks - What's this? What's going on? Hashem gave this תם some spiritual elevation and he begins to feel arrogant to the point where he can say "What's this". In his simpleness he doesn't understand from that his feeling of elevation emanates from Hashem.

We answer him - בחוזק יד הוציאנו השם ממצרים. Hashem took us out of Egypt with a strong hand. It was not in our merit but rather because of Divine favor. We should not be haughty and arrogant as we know that everything is from Above.

The שאינו יודע לשאול doesn't know how to ask because his heart is sealed.

את פתח לו - We open up his heart.

We all have a little of the four sons within us. The word בן comes from the word בנין - building. We are built by our children. The questions of the four sons and the accompanying answers also build us.

[Sfas Emes תרל"ד]