משנה: מָֽזְגוּ לֹו כוֹס שֵׁנִי וְכָאן הַבֵּן שׁוֹאֵל. אִם אֵין דַּעַת בַּבֵּן לִשְׁאוֹל אָבִיו מְלַמְּדוֹ מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל־הַלֵּילוֹת. שֶׁבְּכָל־הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין פַּעַם אַחַת וְהַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים. שֶׁבְּכָל־הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה וְהַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כּוּלּוֹ מַצָּה. שֶׁבְּכָל־הַלֵּילוֹת אוֹכְלִין בָּשָׂר צָלִי שָׁלוּק וּמְבוּשָּׁל וְהַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כּוּלּוֹ צָלִי. וּלְפִי דַעְתּוֹ שֶׁל בֵּן אָבִיו מְלַמְּדוֹ. מַתְחִיל בִּגְנוּת וּמְסַייֵם בִּשְׁבָח וְדוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֲרַמִּי אוֹבֵד אָבִי עַד שֶׁהוּא גוֹמֵר כָּל־הַפָּרָשָׁה. רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הָיָה אוֹמֵר כָּל־שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים אֵילּוּ בַפֶּסַח לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ. פֶּסַח מַצָּה וּמָרוֹרִים. פֶּסַח עַל שֵׁם שֶׁפָּסַח הַמָּקוֹם עַל בָּתֵּי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְמִצְרָיִם. מַצָּה עַל שֵׁם שֶׁנִּגְאֲלוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם. מָרוֹר עַל שׁוּם שֶׁמֵּרְרוּ הַמִּצְרִיִים אֶת חַיֵּי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם. בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַייָב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה יי לִי בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרָיִם. לְפִיכָךְ אָנוּ חַייָבִין לְהוֹדוֹת לְהַלֵּל לְשַׁבֵּחַ לְפָאֵר לְרוֹמֵם לְנַצֵּחַ לְגַדֵּל לְמִי שֶׁעָשָׂה לָנוּ אֶת כָּל הַנִּסִּים הָאֵילּוּ וְהוֹצִיאָנוּ מֵעַבְדוּת לְחֵרוּת וְנֹאמַר לְפָנָיו, הַלְלוּיָהּ׃ MISHNAH: One mixes him the second cup, and here the son asks62He is supposed spontaneously to ask why this dinner is different from the usual set-up.. If the son does not know how to ask, his father instructs him63The following catalogue is an example of the questions with which the instruction may start. The order of the questions is the same in Maimonides’s text, different in the Babli.: What is the difference between this night and all other nights? For every night we dip once64As explained in Note 52., but this night we dip twice. For every night we eat leavened and unleavened bread, but this night only unleavened. For in all other nights we eat meat roasted, preserved65By extended cooking. This always is mentioned as a separate category of preparation of food., or cooked, but in this night only roasted. According to the son’s understanding the father teaches him66Along the lines explained in Mishnah 5. If children or women do not understand Hebrew, this implies the duty to translate the Haggadah text.. He starts with ignominy67As explained in Halakhah 5. and ends with praise and explains from “a lost Aramean was my father” until he finishes the paragraph68Deut. 26:5–8. The Babli text, “until he finishes the paragraph completely”, would instruct to include also v. 9, not included in the Haggadah text identical with Sifry Deut. on Deut. 26:5–8..
Rabban Gamliel used to say, anybody who did not teach these three words on Passover did not fulfill his duty, Pesaḥ, mazzah, and bitter herbs. Pesaḥ because the Omnipresent passed over the houses of our forefathers in Egypt, mazzah because our forefathers were freed from Egypt81A reference to Ex. 12:39 is understood, but is not included in any reliable Mishnah ms.. Bitter herbs because the Egyptians embittered the lives of our forefathers in Egypt. In every generation a person is required to see himself as if he himself had gone out of Egypt, as it was said, you shall tell your son on that day, this is on account of what the Eternal did for me when I left Egypt. Therefore we are required to thank, sing His praise, laud, glorify, exalt, praise in perpetuity, to glorify, Him who did all these miracles for us82Since everybody has to consider himself as if he left Egypt, it is appropriate that here “our forefathers” are not mentioned, in contrast to the Mishnah in the Babli. and led us from slavery to freedom; let us say before Him Hallelujah83The Hallel, Pss. 113–118..
הלכה: תַּנֵּי רִבִּי חִייָה. כְּנֶגֶד אַרְבָּעָה בָּנִים דִּיבְּרָה תוֹרָה. בֶּן חָכָם בֶּן רָשָׁע בֶּן טִיפֵּשׁ בֶּן שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁאָל. בֶּן חָכָם מָהוּ אוֹמֵר. מָ֣ה הָֽעֵדֹ֗ת וְהַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֛ה יְי אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ אוֹתָנוּ. אַף אַתָּה אֱמוֹר לֹו. בְּחוֹזֶק יָ֗ד הֽוֹצִיאָ֧נוּ יְי מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים׃ בֶּן רָשָׁע מָהוּ אוֹמֵר. מָ֛ה הָֽעֲבוֹדָה הַזֹּ֖את לָכֶֽם. מַה הַטּוֹרַח הַזֶּה שֶׁאַתֶּם מַטְרִיחִין עָלֵינוּ בְּכָל (שָׁעָה וְשָׁעָה) [שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה]. מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁהוֹצִיא אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִן הַכְּלָל אַף אַתָּה אֱמוֹר לוֹ. בַּֽעֲב֣וּר זֶ֗ה עָשָׂ֤ה יְי לִ֔י׃ לִי עָשָׂה. לְאוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ לֹא עָשָׂה. אִילּוּ הָיָה אוֹתוֹ הְאִישׁ בְּמִצְרַיִם לֹא הָיָה רָאוּי לְהִיגָּאֵל מִשָּׁם לְעוֹלָם. טִיפֵּשׁ מָהוּ אוֹמֵר. מַה־זֹּ֑את. אַף אַתְּ לַמְּדוֹ הִילְכוֹת הַפֶּסַח. שֶׁאֵין מַפְטִירִין אַחַר הַפֶּסַח אֲפִיקִימוֹן. מַהוּ אֲפִיקִימוֹן. שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא עוֹמֵד מֵחֲבוּרָה זוֹ וְנִכְנַס לַחֲבוּרָה אֲחֶרֶת. בֶּן שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁאָל אַתְּ פְּתַח לוֹ תְחִילָּה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵה. מַתְנִיתָא אָֽמְרָה כֵן. אִם אֵין דַּעַת בַּבֵּן אָבִיו מְלַמְּדוֹ. HALAKHAH: Rebbi Ḥiyya stated69The Babylonian parallel, used in the common Haggadah, is in Mekhilta dR. Ismael, Bo, Pisqa 18. There the answers to the wise and stupid children are switched. “The Torah spoke about Four Children, a wise child, a wicked child, a stupid child, and a child who does not know how to ask. What does the wise child say? What are the testimonials, the ordinances, and the laws, that the Eternal, our God, commanded us70Deut. 6:20. The text of R. Ḥiyya and the Mekhilta is that underlying the LXX; the masoretic text has the child asking, what are the testimonials, … commanded you. This is a natural formulation for a child born later, asking a member of the generation which first received the Torah. The formulation of the Yerushalmi/Mekhilta was common in all Haggadot until corrected by pedantic editors who copied the masoretic text, disregarding talmudic tradition in Biblical quotes.
Following Nahmanides, the “testimonials” are obligations in remembrance of His miracles, the “ordinances” are those commandments for which no reason is hinted at in the Torah, and the “laws” are the legal instructions to the court.? Also you shall tell him, with a strong hand did the Eternal lead us out of Egypt, the house of slaves71Ex. 13:14, the biblical answer to the question of the stupid child. The answer addresses the reason why one is obligated to follow the rules of Jewish worship, which is much more expensive than gentile rites.. What does the wicked son say? What does this service mean to you72Ex. 12:26.? What is this exertion which you impose on us every (moment) [year]? Since he excluded himself from the community, also you shall tell him, because of this did the Eternal do for me when I left Egypt73Ex. 13:8.. For me, He did it, for that man He did not do it. If that man had been in Egypt, he would not have been worthy ever to be redeemed. What does the stupid child say? What is this74Ex. 13:14. The question is not about Passover but about the obligation of sacrificing the firstlings of the flock. In order that the child should understand the answer given to the wise child, he first has to learn by rote all the rules, up to the last Mishnah dealing with the rules of the Passover celebration.? Tell him the rules of Passover, that one may not follow the Pesaḥἐπὶ κῶμον75A (frequently drunken) revelry, characteristic of Greek celebrations and most objectionable to Jews.. What means ἐπὶ κῶμον? That one not leave one company and join another company. With the child who does not know how to ask76The child who does not know how to ask is alluded to in Ex. 13:8, you must tell your child on that day as follows: …, without a question preceding., you have to begin and initiate with him.” Rebbi Yose said, that is what the Mishnah says, “if the son does not know how to ask, his father instructs him.”