The Passover Seder has a series of 'fours' in its text. There are four cups of wine, four questions, and a discussion about four types of children. People throughout the ages have pondered - who are the four children? Are they among us? Are they within us? 

Four times the Torah speaks about children in connection with the Exodus story.

One who is wise

One who is wicked

One who is simple

One who does not know enough to ask.

Yet we know that no child is all wise, all wicked, all simple or incapable of asking anything. At different points in our lives, we have all been these children.

One who is eager

One who is hostile

One who is passive and

One who is bewildered.

We have asked the cleverest of questions; we have challenged provacatively; we have simply wanted to know the answer; we have been so confused that we could not speak. We have been all of these children:

One who is aware

One who is alienated

One who is direct and 

One who is silent

Each year,we sit in a different place, and ask our questions anew.

How are we challenged--and changed--

by the responses to our questions?

According to each question, we respond;

We begin with degredation, and end with dignity,

We begin with shame and conclude with praise.


haggadah Section: -- Four Children