JHI Dva Torah on the Passover Haggadah

In honor of the upcoming Passover holiday, we are doing this week’s Dvar Torah on the well-known section of the Hagaddah that deals with The Four Sons.

THE PASSOVER HAGADDAH – GROUP INSTRUCTION

The Hagaddah recounts the following reactions of The Four Sons to the Passover story:

“The wise son - what does he say? ‘What are the testimonies, decrees, and ordinances which Hashem, our G-d, has commanded you?’ Therefore, explain to him the laws of the Passover offering: that, ‘One may not eat dessert after the final taste of the Passover offering’ (Talmud, Pesachim 119b)”.

“The wicked son - what does he say? ‘Of what purpose is this work to you’ (Shemot, Bo 12, 26)? He says ‘To you,’ thereby excluding himself. By excluding himself from the community of believers, he denies the basic principle of Judaism. Therefore, blunt his teeth and tell him, ‘It is because of this that Hashem (G-d) did so for me when I went out of Egypt’ (Shemot, Bo 13:8). ‘For me, but not for him - had he been there, he would not have been redeemed’.”

“The simple son - what does he say? ‘What is this?’ Tell him: ‘With a strong hand did Hashem take us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage’ (Shemot, Bo 13:14).

“As for the son who is unable to ask, you must initiate the subject for him as it is stated, ‘And you shall tell your son on that day, saying: It is because of this that Hashem did so for me when I went out of Egypt.’ (Shemot, Bo 13:8). ”

A father is retelling the story of the Exodus to his four distinctly different sons. The first three sons ask different questions, and the father initiates the dialogue with the fourth son. The father responds differently to each of the sons, based on specific sentences found in the Chumash (Bible).

The Commentary of the Ritvah explains that G-d was very eager to have each son learn about the Exodus. G-d therefore included in His Torah four different phrases on the subject that teach four separate and unique responses that are tailor-made for each type of son.

In a modern classroom setting, someone instructing this type of group would likely present a single general lesson that is directed at the center of the group. Theoretically, all of the students will acquire knowledge from the single lesson on the subject. This system, though, is far from ideal. What would result from educating all four sons on the Exodus this way?

In all likelihood, this would not serve the best interests of the insightful wise first son or the fourth son who cannot even ask a question. They are at polar opposite spectrums of the learning curve…both are far from the middle. Furthermore, when students at such widely disparate levels are hearing the same exact lecture, it will be more difficult to establish group dynamic that elicit a meaningful give-and-take – even from those in the middle range. Everyone will acquire some education, but none of them will be learning optimally.

The educational model in the Haggadah is to present four different customized approaches to the same story of the Exodus. This encourages each son to absorb and question the story at his own level, and each is responded to accordingly. This is the ideal paradigm for group instruction.

However, there are considerations that seemingly mitigate in favor of NOT responding each son individually.

1. The father is not addressing his sons privately. Rather, all are sitting together, and they hear everything the father says. Hence, the customized lesson to the fourth son affirms to all present that he is incapable of even initiating a discussion on the subject. Though true, this could possibly prove uncomfortable to the young man.

2. Educators and parenting experts typically recommend dealing with young people in a positive manner, thereby making them feel good about themselves. Relegating this forth child to the lowest rung of the scholastic ladder would seemingly poison that good feeling. Furthermore, branding the fourth son this way and branding the second son as evil might lead them to see these traits as an inescapable failing in their characters. This in turn can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The wise son could be harmed as well, for the advanced lesson he receives signals to all that he is on a pedestal above the others. This might cause him to wax arrogant.

3. If only the middle of the group is being taught, all of the time allocated for study can be dedicated to teaching all of the sons. However, in the four-lesson system, each student will mainly benefit from only 25% of the total instruction time. The father might loose the attention of every son altogether while 75% of the time is being spent on the others.

Yet, the instruction of the Hagaddah was set up in this fashion, despite these four significant drawbacks. This further demonstrates the tremendous importance that The Almighty attaches to individualizing the study of Torah - teaching each student according to his or her own abilities.

This text also teaches that although children should be infused with a positive self-image, they must nevertheless be made aware of their limitations and potential. It is, in fact, a disservice to the third and forth sons to give them the impression that their abilities are one and the same as the wise son. Doing so can foster unrealistic hopes and consequent frustrations. Many adults suffer psychic pain because the unattainable childhood expectations of their parents left them feeling forever inadequate and unfulfilled.

The wise son as well should be made aware of his special talents. He needs to be challenged at his intellectually superior level. His academic goals must be extended beyond the middle level of the students. Finally, the evil son must be informed that his parents recognize his improper behavior and that it is unacceptable.

These ideas do not imply that a person of less than outstanding ability is doomed to a lifetime of mediocre achievement. In fact, there have been many notable instances of people of average talent who became enormously accomplished. One example from the world of Torah is that of Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin (1830-1892), who was known as the Netziv (the Prince) of Volozhin. He was a person of ordinary intellect. Yet, through extraordinary diligence and piety, he became one of the most outstanding Torah scholars of his era. He was eventually named the head what was then possibly the world’s greatest Yeshiva.

The Netziv, however, did not attain this greatness through being deluded that he was enormously gifted. Had he been convinced as a child that he fit the profile of the wise son, his achievements would have likely never been realized. Rather, the Netziv understood his limitations. So, he worked mightily, and he overcame them.

A classical debate among educators concerns whether or not schools with parallel classes should group the students by ability. Should there be separate classes for the more and less gifted students at every grade level? Rabbi Moshe Feinstein reputedly discouraged the practice because it could foster poor character traits, especially among those placed in the higher levels. Seemingly, the Ritvah’s advocacy of individualized education contradicts the logic and ruling of R. Feinstein.

A closer examination of the issue reveals that there is no conflict. The scenario of the Hagaddah is an intimate family setting where the teacher is a father who deeply loves all of his children. Under those ideal conditions, the potential downside of demarcating people by ability is minimized. The same sensitivity, however, cannot be expected in a larger and more impersonal institutional setting. What works at home will not necessarily work at school.

Educators, however, must never forget that their charges are not identical ‘blobs’ that were produced on the same factory assembly line. Each student is unique. As such, each child will do best when offered an individually tailored educational program…to whatever extent possible.