Editors Note: ------------ I would like to wish all the readers a Chag Pesach Kasher Ve Sameach. Please have a look at my website for additional Divrei Torah and Halachos (by YMS) and other Pesach links: http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~hm16/dt/pesach.htm YS Bluntly speaking: ---------------- "The wicked son - what does he say? What is this service to you? Therefore blunt out his teeth." The four sons that are brought down in the Haggadah represent different personality types. One would expect their questions and answers to be totally different, yet this isn't the case. For the wicked son's question is very similar to that of the wise son. Also why do we need to respond to the wicked son, maybe it would better not to give him any attention, because by answering him, it gives some form of credit to his question? Rav Henach Leibowitz deals with these questions and answers them by explaining that every Jew deep down in his heart wants to perform the Mitzvos, it is only his evil inclination that overcomes him and works on him to do otherwise. For everyone really thinks in his own heart that he is a good Jew, that he is what a Jew is supposed to be. Outwardly, one may give the impression that he rejects living a true Torah life, yet it is only ones Yetzer Hara that represses ones genuine nature. We see from the wicked son's question, that he really wants to follow the Torah just like the wise son, yet he uses the words, "to you", as if he wants to exclude himself, only because his arrogant denial of the whole Torah, is motified by a desire to justify his self-gratification. The father is then to rebuke him harshly, and this rebuke will bring him to the same level as the son who doesn't know what to ask. Only then is he ready to listen and be taught Torah. We are required to appreciate all Jews, both those who are wise, those who don't know what to ask, and those who are even wicked. For all Jews have in them a hidden potential for greatness, they only need someone to reveal that great treasure. Even if a Jew does very wrongful actions, one still should not exclude him from the Jewish nation, for we must care about every Jew. Our goal is to try our best to enlighten their lives with the great light of the Torah. (Taken from the Sefer Mussar HaTorah - Rav H. Leibowitz) Rav Moshe Feinstein Zt"l writes that really we shouldn't answer the wicked son, for he just wants to get into an argument. Yet one still should not give up with him, for even though he has sinned, he is still a Jew. Rather than to argue with the wicked son, he says that we should rather strengthen ourselves and the rest of Am Yisroel, this would than have an affect on the wicked son. He brings down that this was the greatness of Ahron Ha Kohen, he spent his time learning Torah, and he did not go around all day rebuking people, rather he talked peacefully to all. Through his personal example that he gave to others around him, he returned many from sin. The great light of Torah will push away the darkness that surrounds our every day life. Rav Yisroel from Koznitz explains the question of the wicked son by saying that he doesn't understand how one can serve Hashem through the physical world. How can one be serving Hashem by eating Matzah, or drinking wine at the Seder? Thus he is asking, "What is this service that you are doing? How are you planning to serve Hashem by eating?" Thus the answer to the wicked son is to blunt his teeth, for he holds that one was given teeth only for physical use, to fill ones stomach. If this is the only reason, than he has no need for teeth. Rather we were given this physical world, in order to use it to help attain a higher spiritual level, we are to see Hashem in every move we make. Yetzias Meitzarim: ----------------- "In every generation, one is commanded to consider himself as if he was liberated from the land of Egypt." There are many instances that we remember the leaving of Egypt, whether it is in the daily "Krias Shema", "Kiddush on Shabbos", or any other prayer. Rabbi A.J. Twerski brings down that the Chasidic Masters explain that the Hebrew word for Egypt is "Mitzrayim", this word can also be read as, "Meitzarim", which means limitations or boundaries. Each one of us is in his own bondage, for most of us don't fulfill or complete our potential in this world, because we make our on bondage on ourselves. Just like external bondage prevents one from attaining his potential, the same is with internal bondage, it also prevents one from attaining his true potential. True the bondage in Mitzrayim happened many years ago, yet we still remember our mighty deliverance from Egypt. The same must be with our bondage that we find in every generation, we must remove our restrictive limitations that we may have put on ourselves and try to attain the Torah life that we really look for deep down in our hearts, and really prepare ourselves for "Next year in Jerusalem".