Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Quest(ioning)

The Haggadah, the “Telling” upon which our Seder experience revolves, is as much about asking as it is about telling. Well known are the four questions of the Ma Nishtanah – Why/How is this night different?

Of the four children presented in the Haggadah, the central concern is their ability and/or desire to ask. The Seder purposely begins in a fashion to arouse curiosity and to engage us in an ongoing narrative of questioning, reflective of our people’s history and ongoing journey.

In his book, Out of Curiosity: Restoring the Power of Hungry Minds, Bryan Goodwin offers seven “learning conditions” which might ignite our children’s curiosity. One of these conditions is “incongruities”– Encountering something that runs counter to our expectations. Several examples at our Pesach Seder, to consider, discuss and debate, might be:

Moshe, who grows up as the adopted grandson of Pharaoh/an Egyptian Prince, not knowing he is a Hebrew, takes up the cause of the Hebrews against his grandfather.

Pharaoh’s very daughter saves Moshe against the decree of his father.

Moshe after saving a Hebrew slave is threatened by a Hebrew slave to report this Egyptian Prince for seeking to help them.

Moshe calls out to God for help at the Sea of Reeds and receives the response “why call out to Me” (you need to save yourself).

God sends Moshe to liberate the Israelites but prevents Pharaoh from letting them go.

We open the door to welcome Eliyahu about midpoint in our Seder, but the door is closed at the start of the Seder when we invite “all who are hungry to come and eat”.

Our Jewish tradition teaches that with the return of Elijah (precursor of the Messiah) all questions will be answered. Perhaps all hunger will be eradicated, as well, as each one will “sit under his own vine and his own fig tree”.

But, for now, let our Pesach Seder create hungry minds and may we share with each other nourishing and delightful food for thought.

Chag Pesach Sameach to all our Emanuel families.