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April 9, 2004/Nisan 18 5764, Vol. 56, No. 29
We are learners and teachers
Torah study
RABBI ARTHUR LAVINSKY
Chol HaMo'eid Passover/Exodus 33:12-34:26
I once heard a comedian muse about the brevity of his family's seder that went something like this: "We were once slaves. Now we're free. Let's eat." Thankfully, most of us try to make Passover a far more meaningful and spiritual experience by recounting the story of the Exodus from Egypt in greater detail. We all recognize, however, that the capacity to retell the story varies from home to home, as some are far more conversant with Hebrew and with Jewish history than others.
Even the Haggadah itself, in the section that speaks of the Four Sons, points to the fact that people have different levels of interest and understanding. There is one son who is wise, another who is evil, a third son who is simple and the fourth son who doesn't even have the capacity to ask questions.
A colleague of mine taught that the fourth son is really the "worst" of the lot. That is because we are not speaking about someone of limited intellect, but of someone who can hear the remarkable story of our people's salvation but who is not stimulated enough to ask a single question. After all, the purpose of going through the entire seder, full of symbolism, food and religious pageantry, is to elicit inquiry.
Our children and grandchildren usually have the capacity to ask when they want things. They don't shy away from asking for clothing, cars, money or vacations. But where is their interest in the spiritual, the historic and the timeless questions of our faith?
I would like to suggest that our children are most wont to ask us questions about things that we know and care about. For example, if they see us trying to fix something under the hood of our car or looking at stock reports and crunching numbers, they will naturally take an interest in those things which appear to interest us. The same holds true with Jewish law and traditions. They will only be able to ask "ma nishtana" (Why is this night different?) when we appear to appreciate the significance of "avadim hayinu" (We were once slaves).
There is a tendency among today's parents to shift the responsibility of educating their children to the professionals in synagogue life, namely the rabbi and religious school teachers. Yet, as the children ask the four questions at the seder, this should remind the parents that they are the most important teachers in a child's life.
You would be surprised at how much adults could learn if only their children were encouraged to ask them about a variety of Jewish subjects year round. There are so many fine reference books available in the library and at bookstores, and countless Internet resources such as the Web sites com www.myjewishlearning.com, http://learn.jtsa.edu, and www.jewishworldreview.com, that can help anyone to find answers to the questions that you or your loved ones might ask.
But of course if all else fails, call your rabbi. And if you don't yet have one, it's high time to find one. There are dozens of rabbis and congregations in the Valley, and every one of them would welcome the opportunity to bring you closer to Yiddishkeit and to answer your questions. And God willing, once you establish a meaningful bond with your rabbi, I promise that you won't be limited to four questions.
A happy and kosher Pesach to all.
Rabbi Arthur Lavinsky is spiritual leader of Beth El Congregation in Phoenix.
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