AVROHOM YAAKOV
One of the more famous sections of the Haggadah is the discussion of the four sons – the wise son, the wicked son, the simpleton, and the son who is unable to ask due to total ignorance of his Jewish heritage. These four sons are referenced in the Torah in relation to recounting the Exodus from Egypt.
The text of the Haggadah on this topic however is problematic.
“The wise son, what does he says ... The wicked son, what does he say ... The simpleton, what does he say ...”
Since this is based on the Torah reference, why doesn’t the Haggadah use the same terminology as the Torah? “And it will be when you son will ask ...” (Shemos 13:17) “When your son will ask ...” (Devorim 6: 20)
Why doesn’t the Haggadah state that “the wise son asks ...” “the wicked son asks ...” words that mirrors the Torah’s words more closely?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that the terminology of the Haggadah can be better understood as “the wise son, what he is, he says”. The words of the son reflect who he is. The wisdom is seen not merely by asking but by how he expresses his question. The same applies to the wicked son and the simpleton. Their words tell us who they are without even needing to describe the person who is asking the question.
The Haggadah is providing us with a life lesson. No matter how hard a person tries to conceal what he or she are, eventually their words and actions reflect the
