Dr Russell Hendel

Presented at Congregation Shomrey Emunah, Apr 15, 2001
Inferences on the 4 sons based on a Database comparison of 4 chapters

FREE DOWNLOAD Compatable with WORD, WordPerfect, WORDPAD THE BIBLICAL TEXT OF THE 4 SONS

Type of Son

Chapter Begins

Chapter Ends

Wicked

Ex12-25

Ex12-28

Apathetic

Ex13-01

Ex13-10

Simple

Ex13-14

Ex13-16

Wise

Dt06-20

Dt06-25

THE BIBLICAL TEXT OF QUESTIONS/ANSWERS^*0

Type of Son

Question:Who asks?

Question Verb

Answer Verb

Answer To whom?

Wicked

When your son

SAYS^*1

SAY^*2

*3

Apathetic

*1

TELL^*2

to your son^*3

Simple

When your son

ASKS

SAY

to him^*3

Wise

When your son

ASKS

SAY

to your son

Comments:
*0 E.g. The first row shows the Biblical text of the son's questions When your son says… The first row also shows the Biblical text of the answer: SAY…. Note e.g. that only the wicked question SAYS his question. The Bible describes the other children as ASKING their questions.
*1 The wicked SAYS his question cynically; the apathetic doesn’t ask.
*2 You tell stories to the Apathetic in a maternal manner; to the other sons you simply SAY your question
*3 To the wicked you STATE your position without confrontation.(SAY but not SAY TO HIM) To the simple son you tell what happened but don’t directly call him YOUR SON---do not yet ask him to carry on the family traditions

Grammatical Observations^*0

Type of Son

Question

Response

Use of FOR YOU^*3

Wicked

Plural^*1

Plural

Absent

Apathetic

Single

Present^*3

Simple

Single

Single^*2

Absent

Wise

Single

Plural

Absent

Comments

*0 The table lists for each son (a) whether the Bible uses the Plural or singular when describing the question (that is do THEY ask they question or does (S)HE ask the question) Similarly the table notes whether the answer is singular or plural
*1 Wickedness happens because of belonging to a gang. The approach to the wicked should be who are you hanging out with
*2 Wicked and Wise must have addressed their standing in the community. To the apathetic and simple we use a personal approach
*3 Use of the verb form combined with for you (e.g and the tefillin will be FOR YOU for a sign on your hand. The for-you verb form indicates personallness. The apathetic son must have a personal approach if (s)he is to be won over.

HOW ARE TORAH OBLIGATIONS DESCRIBED^*0

Type of Son

Biblical Word Used

Wicked

SERVICE/WORK^*1

Apathetic

CHOK--statute

Simple

Wise

CHOK-MITZVAH-CHARITY

COMMENTS

*0 This Table lists the words used by each of the sons in describing the obligations of commandments e.g. Notice how the wicked son uses perjorative words --work
*1 The wicked looks at Torah obligations as a BURDEN/WORK. The apathetic son views commandments as not having reason(CHOK) The wise son sees a variety of aspects in Torah obligations including obligations (MITZVAH), helping others(CHARITY), and STATUE. The Simple son cannot yet make distinctions.
EXPRESSIONS OF THANKS TO GOD ON THE COMMANDMENT^*0

Type of Son

Does the nation thank God for the commandment

Wicked

And the people bowed and prostrated^*1

Apathetic

Simple

Wise

COMMENTS:

*0 Only one of the 4 Biblical chapters commanding teaching ones children about Passover contains an expression of thanks, by the nation, to God on the commandment

*1 Only by the wicked son is there an expression of thanks for giving the commandment. There is the most danger of losing the wicked son. Hence the nation thanked God for teaching them how to answer his arguments & win him back (Rashi)

HOW DOES THE BIBLE DESCRIBE THE promise to GIVE US ISRAEL

Type of Son

Biblical Language describing Promise to give Jews Israel

Wicked

When you come to the land that God will give you as he SAID^*1

Apathetic

When you come to the..lands that God SWORE to your fathers to give

Simple

When you come to the..land as God SWORE to your fathers

Wise

He took us out of Egypt to give us the land that he SWORE to our fathers

COMMENTS:

*1 By the other children we emphasize that God SWORE to give us Israel. Only by the wicked son does the Torah use the milder form, God SAID he would give us Israel. The milder form---SAID vs. SWORE--is consistent with the non-confrontational policy towards the wicked son who instead must only be (formally) presented with our position

WHAT COMMANDMENTS SHOULD BE MENTIONED TO THE 4 SONS^*0

Type of Son

Pascal Lamb

Hitting Egypt

Other Mitzvahs

Tefillin

Wicked

Pascal lamb^*1

God saved us;killed Egypt^*1

Apathetic

Matzoh-Maror^*2

Tefillin^*2

Simple

Pascal Lamb^*1*3

Killed Egyptian 1^st born^*3

1^st born mitzvahs^*3

Tefillin^*3

Wise

Many mitzvahs^*3

Many plagues on Egypt^*3

Many mitzvahs^*3

Many mitzvahs^*3

COMMENTS

*0 Each of the 4 chapters commanding us to tell the story of Egypt to our sons has certain specificity. For example only certain chapters ask us to mention to our sons the commandment of tefillin by which we commemorate Egypt while certain other chapters do not mention tefillin. As we will see the Bible addresses each sons problem.

*1 The Pascal lamb is explicitly mentioned only to the wicked and simple son. Since the wicked son has been influenced by his friends therefore we use the Pascal lamb as a vehicle for answering his problem---God saved us but killed Egypt. In other words instead of the wicked son belonging to his gang he is invited to belong to the Jewish gang. By contrast the problem of the simple son is his simplicity. We therefore use the Pascal lamb to alleviate his simplicity---we explain one basic principle and its applications--because God did not kill our firstborn therefore we offer the first born animals and redeem firstborn humans.

*2 The problem of the apathetic son is his apathy. The remedy for this problem is providing him with a plethora of symbols to move him emotionally. The Bible simply says to tell him Because of THIS God redeeemed me. The word THIS refers to all symbols on the table (Pesach Matzoh Maror). Similarly tefillin is mentioned in the Apathetic chapter because it is a symbol that commemorates Egypt

*3 The problem of the simple son is his simplicity while the problem of the wise son is his thirst for knowledge. Hence the wise son is given MANY COMMANDMENTS and EXPLAINED IN DETAIL ABOUT THE 10 PLAGUES. By contrast the simple son is simply told one principle and given one commandment. He is given the commandment of tefillin which commemorates the exodus from Egypt. He is similarly told about the smiting of the firstborn which leads to a variety of commandments on Jewish firstborn.

Type of Son	Chapter Begins	Chapter Ends
Wicked	Ex12-25	Ex12-28
Apathetic	Ex13-01	Ex13-10
Simple	Ex13-14	Ex13-16
Wise	Dt06-20	Dt06-25

Type of Son	Question:Who asks?	Question Verb	Answer Verb	Answer To whom?
Wicked	When your son	*SAYS^1**	*SAY^2**	*3
Apathetic		*1	*TELL^2**	to your *son^3**
Simple	When your son	ASKS	SAY	to *him^3**
Wise	When your son	ASKS	SAY	to your son

Type of Son	Question	Response	Use of FOR YOU^*3
Wicked	Plural^*1	Plural	Absent
Apathetic		Single	Present^*3
Simple	Single	Single^*2	Absent
Wise	Single	Plural	Absent

Type of Son	Biblical Word Used
Wicked	SERVICE/WORK^*1
Apathetic	CHOK--statute
Simple
Wise	CHOK-MITZVAH-CHARITY

Type of Son	Does the nation thank God for the commandment
Wicked	And the people bowed and prostrated^*1
Apathetic
Simple
Wise

Type of Son	Biblical Language describing Promise to give Jews Israel
Wicked	When you come to the land that God will give you as he *SAID^1**
Apathetic	When you come to the..lands that God SWORE to your fathers to give
Simple	When you come to the..land as God SWORE to your fathers
Wise	He took us out of Egypt to give us the land that he SWORE to our fathers

Type of Son	Pascal Lamb	Hitting Egypt	Other Mitzvahs	Tefillin
Wicked	Pascal lamb^*1	God saved us;killed Egypt^*1
Apathetic			Matzoh-Maror^*2	Tefillin^*2
Simple	Pascal Lamb^13	Killed Egyptian 1^st born^*3	1^st born mitzvahs^*3	Tefillin^*3
Wise	Many mitzvahs^*3	Many plagues on Egypt^*3	Many mitzvahs^*3	Many mitzvahs^*3