"The Four Children," The Haggadah

Blessed is God, blessed be Adonai! Blessed is God who gave the Torah to Adonai's people Israel, blessed be Adonai! Concerning four sons, the Torah speaks: One is wise, one is wicked, one is simple and one does not know how to ask. The wise one- what does he say? "What are the testimonies, the statues and the laws which the Lord, our God, has commanded you?" (Deuteronomy 6:20-21) You, in turn, shall instruct him in the laws of the Pesach offering: one may not eat dessert after the Pesach offering. The wicked one- what does he say? "What is this service to you?!" He says "to you," thereby excluding himself. By excluding himself, he denies the basic principle of our faith. Therefore you should blunt his teeth and say to him: "It is because of this that the Lord did [all these miracles] for me when I left Egypt"; "for me"- but not for him! Had he been there, he would not have been redeemed! (Exodus 12:26-27) The simple one- what does he say? "What is this?" Tell him: "With a strong hand did the Lord take us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage." (Exodus 13:14) As for the one who does not know how to ask- you must prompt him, as it says: "You shall tell your child on that day: 'It is because of this that the Lord did [all these miracles] for me when I left Egypt." (Exodus 12:26-27) [Translation from The Nechama Leibowitz Haggadah]