Good Moed Jewish Am
Prismatic Pesach:
Redemption rainbow.
You see the colors?
There are dark hues of bondage,
Painted over with new light
Last year I wrote briefly about my sedarim. I am inclined again (for reasons that will go mostly unsaid) (unthought?) (unread?) (was that last one for the rhyme?) (I do that sometimes) to write in shorthand. The sedarim were rich and beautiful (and felt just the right length, if not a bit short, although they went till after 3AM). I learned and remembered things. Amazing discussions. Someone says that we say the point of the thing about the rasha and teeth is as follows: We say to him, how would you like it if I took away your teeth? That would be hard because teeth are needed to get food into us so we can digest it and live. Similarly, in answer to his question - what do all these procedures mean to you? - mitzvot are needed to get spiritual nourishment inside of us so that we can live. There are the four sons - Echad chacham, ve'echad rasha, ve'echad tam, ve'echad she'eino yodeiah lish'ol. I never noticed before that the phrasing here is unusual. Why does it say echad before each one, usually it just says there are four whatevers (avot nezikin) and then it tells you what they are without saying the cryptic and redundant this one W, this one X, this one Y, and this one Z. Rabbi Nachman Cohen in his hagaddah says that this is to accentuate that each one is a unique stand alone individual that can not be blurred with the one before or after. He adds that this is stressed at the family gathering of the seder because it's harder to cater to each child's essence when thety are all together at the Shabbos or Yom Tov table, in front of you at once with all their glorious differences.
It's time for bed. Headlines that I'll be happy to expand on if one reader says they'd like to see it (or maybe even if not asked). WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE TWO DIPPINGS (VIA R NACHMAN COHEN), CHABAD HAGADDAH ON SHFOCH CHAMATCHA TODAY (AND SEDER-MATE ON THE TWO PERSONAS OF ELIYAHU), THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MEAL (R NcOHEN), DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DICHFIN AND DITZRICH (RAV YOSEF DOV SOLOVEICHIK), AN OLER FRENCH WOMAN'S MEMORY OF SHFOCH CHAMATCHA DURING THE WAR, 8 YR OLDS Q'S - WHY HAVE A SEDER? WHY HAVE A HAGADDAH? WHY ASK THE MAH NISHTANAH? TIME AS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHAMETZ AND MATZAH/ZERIZUT AS ESSENTIAL IN LIFE, DIFFERENT BACKROUNDS OF THE RABBIS UP TOGETHER, WHY THEY HAD TO STOP FOR SHMA, KENEGED ARBA BANIM CONNECTED TO BARUCH HAMAKOM? MISCONSTRUED IDEA VIA EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER UP THERE WITH TWO MINIM ON PURIM, AND JUMPING 3 TIMES AFTER SHMONEH ESREI (A GIRL THING?), LITTLE GIRL GRASPING THAT WE'RE SAD EVEN WHEN OUR ENEMIES ARE HURT, ORDER OF PESACH, MATAH, MARROR - DOES IT MAKE SENSE?, HOW ECHAD MI YODEIAH IS THE CULMINATION OF ALL WE WERE FREED TO BE.
posted by rabbi neil fleischmann @ 11:59 PM
2 Comments:
Whoa, so many headline choices!! I don't know which one to ask about first! I'm glad your seders were so informative and engaging; it means so much when one adds to one's knowledge at the seder table--and that knowledge does tend to be what I remember best, year after year, it's true. The comment about "echad" before each of the four sons caused an "Aha!"moment for me. Rabbi Daniel Goodman (principal of Chavie's Day School years ago in Sunnyvale, CA) used to say that the lessons of the four sons was the template for educators--not all children are the same, so don't try to teach them all the same way. Recognize the differences and adjust your teaching methods appropriately. I have a feeling that you do this, RN, and it's one reason you are such a popular and well-respected teacher.
Thank you Dear Anonymous. I have a lot to say on that topic of meeting each child where they are. I could give an hour long talk on it.
A few off top of head headlines of a possible talk on teaching individuals:
Chanoch lena'ar al pi darcho: GRA's explanation - focusing on second half on pasuk, R Pesach Krohn's observation and thought on how na'ar is written and my thought on his observation, story about Yosef story and boy who speaks up for first time regarding why Yosef asks "Is my father still alive?" - even though they just told him he was, R Hirsch on Yaakov and Eisav, R Wolbe on Binyan and Netityah, Moshe story, four types of students via mishnah, Gemorah about teaching 400 times, black coin story - three rabbi's and rich man that gives a penny and one rabbi takes it, teaching without learning is like selling without buying, not to teach for own learning, my discovery of two parts text book, the four sons - the parts are each inside us, the fifth is not at the table, where there are no questions there can be no answers, story re rav chaim brisker not answering questions because he said they were answers not questions, if I am I.., red string, story - "I am in bed," Orchot Tzadikim re Gan Eden, example of to people in race and who seems to be ahead...
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