In Praise of Curiosity
חכם מה הוא אומר, מה העדות והחקים והמשפטים אשר צוה ה’ אלהינו אותנו
What does the Wise [child say]? What are the testimonies and the laws and the statutes that Adonai, our God, has commanded us? (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Ismael, Pischa 18)
The retelling of the Passover story at our seders begins with someone, typically the youngest child, asking the four questions. Often, we ascribe this tradition to the simple act of keeping children active and engaged with the seder, but there may be more than meets the eye to this custom.
The Passover seder includes the midrashic tale of four children, one wise, one wicked, one simple, and one who cannot ask, each with their own inquiry at the seder. The wise child begins by asking about all the exposition, rituals, and rules of the seder.
When children ask the four questions, they imitate the wise child from the midrash, beginning the seder with the same sense of inquisitiveness and enthusiasm as indicated therein. By beginning with questions, our children remind themselves and us that true wisdom comes not from having all the answers, but from curiosity and a passion for discovery.
As our family’s youngest child, I often received the task of launching us into our seder. I can still recall the progression of emotions I felt throughout my years of chanting the questions in Hebrew and English. As a kindergartener, I began the tradition with zeal and joy. As I got older, my recitations became more reserved, having already equated the practice with youthfulness and ignorance. It wasn’t until adulthood that I realized that the four questions are meant to remind us that we possess ignorance throughout our lives. But the only antidote for ignorance is to return to the curiosity of our youth, to remember how to once again become the wise child.
— Rabbi Josh Knobel