Four Sons, The

The Seder service, and the reciting of the Haggadah, have always been considered to be directed particularly towards the children: “And you shall relate to your son on that day” (Shemot 13:8). Many of our customs at the Seder table were intended specifica...

At the very start of the Seder, the Haggadah makes clear that “The Torah speaks of four sons” – a Jew is commanded to gather around his table not only the wise son, but also the simple son, the uneducated son, and even the wicked son.

The Haggadah lists four sons at the Passover Seder table. The child ‘who doesn’t know to ask’ is listed last amongst the four sons, following not only the ‘wise son’, but also the ‘wicked’ one. This offers insight and an important lesson in our calling to...

The Haggadah relates that “Torah speaks to four sons”. Although they are all different they are placed one beside the other to emphasize the innate value of each.

By the Grace of G‑d 13th of Nissan, 5723 [April 7, 1963] Brooklyn, N.Y. Blessing and Greeting: Thank you very much for your letter of the 5th of Nissan with the enclosure. I read with much interest and gratification about your fruitful activities with the...

How do we deal with the "Wicked Son"? And who is the elusive "Fifth Son" that's not even mentioned in the Haggadah?

The Haggadah speaks of the “Four Sons” at the Seder table, demonstrating that every Jewish child needs to be given the full experience of Passover; if need be, search him out, find him, and invite him together with his family to your Seder table, to celeb...

Editor's Note: Sixty years ago, on the 11th day of Nissan, 5717 [April 12, 1957], the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—issued a landmark pre-Passover letter that in many ways reframed a core purpose of the Passover seder: To find an...

Wisdom, it turns out, is prototyped not by its answer, but by its question. But what is the question that wisdom never ceases to ask?