The Story of the 4 Questions, Cups, and Children

What differentiates this night from all other nights?

1. On all other nights we eat leavened and unleavened bread; this night, only unleavened.

2. On all other nights we eat other vegetables; tonight (only) bitter herbs.

3. On all other nights we don't dip our food even one time; tonight we dip it twice.

4. On all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining; tonight we all recline.

(26) And when your children ask you, ‘What do you mean by this rite?’ (27) you shall say, ‘It is the passover sacrifice to the LORD, because G-d passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when G-d smote the Egyptians, but saved our houses.’” The people then bowed low in homage.

The Sages taught in a baraita: All are obligated in these four cups, including men, women, and children. Rabbi Yehuda said: What benefit do children receive from wine? They do not enjoy it. Rather, one distributes to them roasted grains and nuts on Passover eve, so that they will not sleep and also so they will ask the four questions at night. They said about Rabbi Akiva that he would distribute roasted grains and nuts to children on Passover eve, so that they would not sleep and so they would ask. It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer says: One grabs the matzot on the nights of Passover on account of the children, so they will not sleep and they will inquire into the meaning of this unusual practice.

(4) The attendants poured (literally: mixed) the second cup for the leader of the seder, and here the child asks their father the questions about the differences between Passover night and a regular night. And if the child does not have the intelligence to ask questions on their own, their father teaches them the questions. The mishna lists the questions: Why is this night different from all other nights? As on all other nights we eat leavened bread and matza as preferred; on this night all our bread is matza. As on all other nights we eat other vegetables; on this night we eat bitter herbs. The mishna continues its list of the questions. When the Temple was standing one would ask: As on all other nights we eat either roasted, stewed, or cooked meat, but on this night all the meat is the roasted meat of the Paschal lamb. The final question was asked even after the destruction of the Temple: As on all other nights we dip the vegetables in a liquid during the meal only once; however, on this night we dip twice. And according to the intelligence and the ability of the child, his father teaches them about the Exodus. When teaching his child about the Exodus he begins with the Jewish people’s disgrace and concludes with their glory. And he expounds from the passage: “An Aramean tried to destroy my father” (Deuteronomy 26:5), the declaration one recites when presenting his first fruits at the Temple, until he concludes explaining the entire section.

(5) Rabban Gamliel would say: Anyone who did not say these three matters on Passover has not fulfilled his obligation: The Paschal lamb, matza, and bitter herbs. When one mentions these matters, he must elaborate and explain them...

(3) Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: In the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb, according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household;... (8) They shall eat the flesh that night, roast with fire and matzah; with bitter herbs they shall eat it. (9) Don't eat it raw, nor at all sodden with water, but roast with fire...

(2) ... We [then] pour the second cup; and here the child asks. And [then] the reader says, "What differentiates this night from all [other] nights? On all other nights we don't dip even once; but tonight twice. On all other nights we eat chametz and matzah; but tonight it is all matzah. On all other nights we eat meat roasted, boiled, or cooked; but tonight it is all roasted. On all other nights we eat other vegetables; but tonight it is all bitter herbs. On all other nights we eat whether sitting or reclining; but tonight we are all reclining."

(3) At this time, one does not say "tonight it is all roasted" - since we do not have a sacrifice.

One's father teaches them [to ask]: "Why is this night different from all [other] nights? On all [other] nights, we dip [vegetables] once, [but] on this night, we dip [vegetables] twice.

On all [other] nights, we eat chametz (leavened grain products) and matzah, [but] on this night, it is all matzah.

On all [other] nights, we eat meat roasted, stewed or boiled, [but] on this night, it is all roasted. "...

(1) We pour the second cup and remove the Seder plate as if we have finished the Seder so the children will wonder and ask.

(2) Why is this night different from all other nights?

On all other nights we don’t even dip once, and on this night, twice.

On all other nights we eat chametz and matzah, and on this night, only matzah.

On all other nights we eat many vegetables, and on this night, maror.

On all other nights we eat and drink sitting and reclining, and on this night we all recline.

GEMARA: The Sages taught: If his son is wise and knows how to inquire, his son asks him. And if he is not wise, his wife asks him. And if even his wife is not capable of asking or if he has no wife, he asks himself. And even if two Torah scholars who know the halakhot of Passover are sitting together and there is no one else present to pose the questions, they ask each other [this leads into the Ma Nishtana]

(1) On the eve of Passover... they must give a person no fewer than four cups of wine.... (2) They mix the first cup...He recites a blessing over the wine, and then recites a blessing for the day. (4) They mix a second cup for him. And here the child questions the father... (7) They mix a third cup; he blesses [after] his meal. [The] fourth [cup] is concluded with Hallel, which he says with the [concluding] blessing. Between these cups, if he wishes to drink, he may drink. Between the third and the fourth [cups], he may not drink.

We learned in the mishna that even with regard to the poorest of Jews, the charity distributors should not give him less than four cups of wine. The Gemara asks: How could the Sages establish a matter through which one will come to expose himself to danger? But wasn’t it taught in a baraita: A person should not eat pairs, i.e., an even number of food items; and he should not drink pairs of cups; and he should not wipe himself with pairs; and he should not attend to his sexual needs in pairs. The concern was that one who uses pairs exposes himself to sorcery or demons. Why would the Sages require one to drink an even number of cups and thereby place himself in a position of danger? Rav Naḥman said that the verse said: “It was a night of watching to the Lord” (Exodus 12:42), which indicates that Passover night is a night that remains guarded from demons and harmful spirits of all kinds. Therefore, there is no cause for concern about this form of danger on this particular night. Rava said a different answer: The cup of blessing for Grace after Meals on Passover night is used in the performance of an additional mitzva and is not simply an expression of freedom. Therefore, it combines with the other cups for the good, i.e., to fulfill the mitzva to drink four cups, and it does not combine for the bad. With regard to the danger of drinking pairs of cups, it is as though one drinks only three cups. Ravina said: The Sages instituted four separate cups, each of which is consumed in a manner that demonstrates freedom. Therefore, each and every one is a distinct mitzva in its own right. In other words, each cup is treated separately and one is not considered to be drinking in pairs.

From where [do we know the requirement to drink] four cups? Rabbi Yochanan [said] in the name of Rav, "Rabbi Banniah said, 'Corresponding to the four [expressions of] salvation: "Therefore say to the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out, etc. And I will take you to Me for a people, etc."(Exodus 6:6-7). "And I will bring you out, and I will rescue you, and I will save you, And I will take you."' Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, 'Corresponding to the four cups of Pharaoh: "And the cup of Pharaoh was in my hand and I squeezed them into the cup of Pharaoh and I placed the cup onto the palm of Pharaoh... and you will place the cup of Pharaoh, etc." (Genesis 40:11-13).' Rabbi Levi said, 'Corresponding to the four kingdoms' and the rabbis said, 'Corresponding to the four cups of punishment that the Holy One of Blessing will make the nations of the world drink in the future: "For so said Ad-nai, the God of Israel to me, 'Take the cup of wine of anger, etc.'" (Jeremiah 25:15); "A golden cup is Babylonia in the hand of the Lord" (Jeremiah 51:7); "As it is a cup in the hand of the Lord" (Psalms 75:9); "Upon the wicked God will cause to rain coals; fire and brimstone and burning wind shall be the portion of their cup" (Psalms 11:6).'" What is 'the portion of their cup'? Rabi Avin said the vial of Poterion wine that is given after the bath [in the bath house]. And in the future the Holy One of Blessing will make Israel drink four cups of consolation: 'God is my portion my cup' (Psalms 16:5); 'You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows' (Psalms 23:5); and also 'I will lift up the cup of salvations' (Psalms 116:13) - that counts as two.

Blessed be the Place [of all], Blessed be God; Blessed be the One who Gave the Torah to God’s people Israel, Blessed be God. Corresponding to four children did the Torah speak: one [who is] wise, one [who is] evil, one who is innocent, and one who doesn't know to ask.

(13) But every firstling donkey you shall redeem with a sheep; if you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. And you must redeem every male first-born among your children. (14) And when, in time to come, a child of yours asks you, saying, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall reply, ‘It was with a mighty hand that יהוה brought us out from Egypt, the house of bondage. (15) When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, יהוה slew every [male] first-born in the land of Egypt, the first-born of both human and beast. Therefore I sacrifice to יהוה every first male issue of the womb, but redeem every male first-born among my children.’

(1) …There are four children: a wise child, a wicked child, a simple child, and one who does not know how to ask. What does the wise child say? "What are the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments that the L-rd our G-d commanded us?" — you, likewise, "open" to him in the halachot of Pesach — "we don’t eat after the afikomen." What does the wicked child say? (Exodus 12:26) "What is this (Pesach) service to you?" "to you" and not to them. Because they disassociated themselves from the congregation and denied the foundation (of the faith), you, likewise, blunt their teeth and tell them (Ibid. 13:8) "Because of this (that) the L-rd wrought for me when I went out of Egypt." For me and not for you. Had you been there, you would not have been redeemed. What does the simple child say? (Ibid. 14) "What is this?" And you shall tell them (Ibid.) "With might of hand did the L-rd take us out of Egypt from the house of bondage." And the one who does not know how to ask, you open for them, as it is written (Ibid. 8) "And you shall tell your child on that day, etc."

HALAKHAH: Rebbi Ḥiyya stated “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 us? Also you shall tell them, with a strong hand did the Eternal lead us out of Egypt, the house of slaves. What does the wicked child say? What does this service mean to you? What is this exertion which you impose on us every year? Since they excluded themselves from the community, also you shall tell them, because of this did the Eternal do for me when I left Egypt. For me, God did it, for that child God did not do it. If that child had been in Egypt, they would not have been worthy ever to be redeemed. What does the stupid child say? What is this? Tell them the rules of Passover, that one may not eat after the afikomen. What does that mean? That one not leave one group and join another group [to keep eating]. With the child who does not know how to ask, you have to begin and initiate with them.” Rebbi Yose said, that is what the Mishnah says, “if the child does not know how to ask, their parent instructs them.” [regarding the Ma Nishtana].

What does the wise [child] say? "'What are these testimonies, statutes and judgments that the Lord our God commanded you?' (Deuteronomy 6:20)" And accordingly you will say to them, as per the laws of the Pesach sacrifice, "We may not eat an afikoman [a dessert or other foods eaten after the meal] after [we are finished eating] the Pesach sacrifice (Mishnah Pesachim 10:8)."

What does the evil [child] say? "'What is this worship to you?' (Exodus 12:26)" 'To you' and not 'to them.' And since they excluded themselves from the collective, they denied a principle [of the Jewish faith]. And accordingly, you will blunt their teeth and say to them, "'For the sake of this, did the Lord do [this] for me in my going out of Egypt' (Exodus 13:8)." 'For me' and not 'for them.' If they had been there, they would not have been saved.

What does the simple [child] say? "'What is this?' (Exodus 13:14)" And you will say to them, "'With the strength of [God’s] hand did the Lord take us out from Egypt, from the house of slaves' (Exodus 13:14).'"

And [regarding] the one who doesn't know to ask, you will open [the conversation] for them. As it is stated (Exodus 13:8), "And you will speak to your child on that day saying, for the sake of this, did the Lord do [this] for me in my going out of Egypt."