The Passover Hagadah
The Missing Question and Freedom
by Rabbi Yehudah Prero
One of the highlights for children at the Seder is the recitation of Mah
Nishtaneh, the Four Questions. The Four Questions have their origin in a
Mishna. The Mishna (Pesachim 116a) states: His father instructs him [to ask]:
'Why is this night different from all [other] nights? For on all [other]
nights we eat leavened and unleavened bread, whereas on this night [we eat]
only leavened bread; On all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs, but on
this night we eat bitter herbs; On all other nights we eat meat roasted,
stewed or boiled, but on this night, roast only; On all other nights we dip
once, but on this night we dip twice.'
When reading this text, one will notice that the four questions in the Mishna
are not the four questions we ask at the Seder. During the existence of the
Bais Hamikdosh, the Holy Temple, the nation of Israel used to consume the
Korban Pesach, the special Paschal offering. The Korban Pesach could only be
eaten roasted. It could not be stewed nor boiled. It is for this reason that
during the time of the Bais Hamikdosh, the child asked a question about how
the offering was eaten. Nowadays, when we do not eat the Korban Pesach, there
is obviously no reason for a child to ask a question about something he does
not observe.
The Satmar Rebbe, however, is troubled by the question that we do ask.
Instead of the question about the Korban Pesach, the child asks: On all other
nights, we eat both sitting up straight and reclining, yet on this night we
eat while reclining. This difference in how we conduct ourselves during the
meal is a difference that is not solely apparent nowadays. At the time of the
existence of the Temple, people ate their Pesach meal and Korban reclining as
well. Granted, we know why we no longer ask the question concerning the
preparation of the Korban. However, why does the Mishna not include the
question concerning reclining during the meal?
The Satmar Rebbe explains that reclining during the meal is an act of
nobility. It is an act in which a free person, who rules over his domain,
partakes. We, therefore, recline during the Seder to remember the freedom we
experienced when we left Egypt. Reclining recalls the great miracles that G-d
performed for us in conjunction with our freedom. At the time of the
existence of the Bais Hamikdosh, when the nation of Israel governed over
themselves, there was no need to detail what freedom means. There was no
reason to have an in depth discussion about liberty. Freedom was part and
parcel of the life of the members of the nation of Israel. They had the Bais
Hamikdosh, and they were able to bring Korbanos, sacrificial offerings. The
nation vividly felt freedom. Therefore, the mere fact that people ate
reclining at the Seder was enough to remind people that they were celebrating
freedom. No question that would lead to deep discussion about freedom was
needed. Hence, the Mishna contains no question concerning reclining.
However, nowadays, when we are in exile, a question about why we recline is
more than appropriate. Why, the child asks, do we recline? What good did the
freedom of our forefathers do for us? We are currently sitting in exile, with
no Temple, no Korban. Why do we bother commemorating a freedom that seemingly
has no relevance to our lives, in this day and age?
The answer, we recite in the following passage of Avadim HaYinu. "If G-d had
not taken us out of Egypt, we, our children, and their children would still
be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt." The Ohr HaChayim explains that during the
time they were enslaved in Egypt, the nation of Israel experienced a massive
spiritual decline. They sunk so low that there was almost no hope of
recovery. The nation barely missed this threshold. The reason why they sunk
so low was because they had not yet received the Torah. Once the nation was
redeemed, they were given the Torah, which has since then acted as a
spiritual booster. It is now impossible to sink so low that we would no
longer be worthy to be G-d's people. Had G-d not liberated our forefathers,
not just by physically taking them out of slavery in Egypt, but by giving
them spiritual freedom when they were presented with the Torah, we could have
been enslaved to the physical drudgery of this world. Had we not tasted
freedom in the days of our ancestors, we would have no chance at obtaining
freedom in this day and age. A commemoration of a freedom first tasted long
ago is needed, and we therefore recline.
The Satmar Rebbe is sending us a clear lesson. We may live in democratic
societies. We may have prosperity. We may have the ability to practice our
religion freely. Yet, we are not free. We are still in exile. We still lack
the spiritual setting we need to be truly free. We must have a reminder of
what freedom is, because we have never experienced it.
L'Shana Ha'Ba'ah B'Yerushalayim - Next Year in Jerusalem - as a free nation!
