A Different Night
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"This is not just "another" Haggadah. It is itself a rich, joyful, and immensely informative celebration that will help transform the Pesach Seder. It is a book that becomes a trusted and encouraging companion. No matter his or her starting point, everyone will emerge with an expanded sense of personal competence."
Leonard Fein (Founder and former editor of Moment Magazine)
The Four Children
"The Four Parents:" Children Labeling Their Parents
IN THE DAYS of the patriarchal regime, we allowed ourselves to categorize our children harshly - accepting only one as positive - the wise one.
The simple, the wicked and the one who knows not how to ask questions had to swallow hard and hide their sense of being insulted...
Now in our days no child is identified as "the offspring of the parent" and often the parent is identified as "the parent of that child." We have arrived at an era not of patriarchy or matriarchy but the rule of children. In our age it is then miraculous that our dear, delightful children don't divide us up and categorize us. At the best, we would be rated "naive or simple minded parents" or "parents who don't know how to respond to a question."
(Israel Eldad, "The Victory of the Wise Son")
The "Wicked Child" - An Unfair Description?
The "wicked" child expresses a sense of alienation from our Jewish heritage. In this age of liberalism and democracy, of pluralistic tolerance for many cultural expressions, should a person who expresses such a feeling be condemned as wicked" or "evil"?
- Hold a brief discussion on the topic. Would a different characterization be more appropriate to our contemporary sensibilities - such as "the rebellious one," "the skeptic," "the arrogant - chutzpadik?"
- Is "setting his teeth on edge" the best strategy to deal with such a person?
- Role-Playing: try to "get inside" the personality of the so called "wicked" children and their parents. Describe the feelings of each one in this tense confrontation described in the Haggadah.
Suggestion: Have the younger participants at the Seder describe the feelings of the parent, and have those who are already parents describe the feelings of the child.
Analyzing the Art of the Four Children
While the participants at the Seder may find it difficult to engage in traditional text analysis, their modem sensibility for visual images facilitates a close reading of the artist's rendering of the midrash of the four children. When juxtaposed, these alternative images enter into a dialogue and a debate among themselves. We invite the participants to join this symposium on art as commentary after having read the written midrash of the Four Children. Here are some questions to pose to each artist:
(1) What characterizes the 'wicked' versus the good (wise) child? How is that expressed in color, body language, dress and props? Compare the 'good' children in a series of versions. Which image is closest or furthest from your conception of the ideal good Jew? What cultural battles are implicit in the artist's portrayal of the wise/wicked pair of children? Is wisdom equated with goodness?
(2) What personality and/or age differences are reflected in the images of the children, especially the simple one and the one who cannot ask questions? What animals or objects are used to represent each child? Choose your own symbols of the four children selecting an animal or a book or an implement to represent each one.
(3) Categorize types of parents in the same way: wise (understanding) wicked, etc.
Click on the thumbnail of each picture to view it and read an analysis of it:
