These and Those

Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem

The Wise Son’s Response

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Derek Kwait

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Written during Avigayle Adler's workshop during Pardes' 
Night of Learning for Passover.

That’s nice, but–if I can ask this and still keep my teeth intact–what’s it for? The Halakha doesn’t answer my question. By the way, did you know afikomen is a Greek word? What’s up with that? Why do we end our seders with the taste of a Greek word lingering in our mouths?

Just because I’m smart, everyone thinks I want to sit down and learn Leviticus with them, but I don’t. When I asked my question, I wanted to know: What’s the historical evidence (עדות) of this Exodus? How do these completely different laws (חוקים) come out of this? Finally, where is the justice (משפט), how does/can this ritual bring משפט into my life, into the world?

I asked the same question as my brother, the only difference is I was polite about it. I wanted meaning and you gave me the ArtScroll. And you wonder why so many of our best and brightest are defecting!

Oh, while we’re speaking of the afikomen, I know where you hid it, it’s behind the couch against the window where it’s been every other year for the past 12 sederim. But it’s okay, I won’t tell The Tam.