The Four Sons Across Rabbinic Literature

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

What does the wise [son] say? "'What are these testimonies, statutes and judgments that the Lord our God commanded you?' (Deuteronomy 6:20)" And accordingly you will say to him, 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 [son] say? "'What is this worship to you?' (Exodus 12:26)" 'To you' and not 'to him.' And since he excluded himself from the collective, he denied a principle [of the Jewish faith]. And accordingly, you will blunt his teeth and say to him, "'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 him.' If he had been there, he would not have been saved.

What does the innocent [son] say? "'What is this?' (Exodus 13:14)" And you will say to him, "'With the strength of [His] 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 him. As it is stated (Exodus 13:8), "And you will speak to your son on that day saying, for the sake of this, did the Lord do [this] for me in my going out of Egypt."

It could be from Rosh Chodesh [that one would have to discuss the Exodus. However] we learn [otherwise, since] it is stated, "on that day." If it is [written] "on that day," it could be from while it is still day [before the night of the fifteenth of Nissan. However] we learn [otherwise, since] it is stated, "for the sake of this." I didn't say 'for the sake of this' except [that it be observed] when [this] matsa and maror are resting in front of you [meaning, on the night of the fifteenth].

(1) (Exodus 13:14) "And it shall be if your son asks you tomorrow": "tomorrow" may indicate" in the present," and it may indicate "in time to come." (Exodus 17:9) "Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill" — in the present. (Joshua 22:24) "Tomorrow your children might say to our children" — in time to come. (It is written, Devarim 6:20) "If your son asks you tomorrow (i.e., in the time to come): What are the testimonies and the statutes, etc.": There are four sons: a wise son, a wicked son, a simple son, and one who does not know how to ask. What does the wise son 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 halachoth of Pesach — "We may not eat a desert after we have finished eating the Pesach sacrifice" What does the wicked son say? (Exodus 12:26) "What is this (Pesach) service to you?" "to you" and not to him. Because he disassociated himself from the congregation and denied the foundation (of the faith), you, likewise, blunt his teeth and tell him (Ibid. 13;8) "Because of this (the mitzvoth) 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 son say? (Ibid. 14) "What is this?" And you shall tell him (Ibid.) "With might of hand did the L-rd take us out of Egypt from the house of bondage." And he who does not know how to ask, you open for him, as it is written (Ibid. 8) "And you shall tell your son on that day, etc." Variantly: "What are the testimonies and the statutes, etc.": R. Eliezer says: Whence is it derived that if there were a company of sages or of disciples they must occupy themselves with the halachoth of Pesach until midnight? From "What are the testimonies, etc."

Rabbi Cheya taught, Corresponding to four sons did the Torah speak; a wise son, an evil son, an innocent son and a son who doesn't know to ask. What does the wise son say? "'What are these testimonies, statutes and judgments that the Lord our God commanded us?' (Deuteronomy 20:6)" And accordingly you will say to him, "'With the strength of [His] hand did the Lord take us out from Egypt, from the house of slaves.' (Exodus 13:14)" What does the evil son say? "'What is this worship to you?' (Exodus 12:26) What is this toil that you make us toil each and every year?" Since he excluded himself from the collective, accordingly you say to him, "'For the sake of this, did the Lord do [this] for me.' (Exodus 13:8) 'For me' did He do and not for 'that man.' If 'that man' had been there, he would not have been worthy of ever being saved from there." What does the innocent [son] say? "'What is this?' (Exodus 13:14)" And accordingly you will teach him the laws of the Pesach sacrifice, that "We may not eat an afikoman [a dessert or other foods eaten after the meal] after [we are finished eating] the Pesach sacrifice, so that a person should not get up from one eating group to another eating group." And [regarding] the son who doesn't know to ask, you will open [the conversation] for him first. Rabbi Yosa said, "The Mishna said, 'and if the son has no understanding [in order to ask questions], his father teaches him [to ask].'"

(3) Another Explanation "And first born of your children you shall redeem" (Exodus 13:13) Where [is the following law sourced: Regarding the redemption of the firstborn son from a priest.] If his father did not redeem him, he should redeem himself. It was taught saying: "And all first born of my sons I will redeem" (Exodus 13:15). Rabbi Yosei the Galilean says since the Torah said "Redeem your sons" and "Teach your sons Torah", if you learn regarding the study of Torah that if his father did not teach him he teaches himself. So to if [his father] did not redeem him he is obligated to redeem himself. [This is] not [so] if you said regarding the study of Torah that it is equal in weight to everything such that if his father did not teach him [Torah] he teaches himself. You should say regarding redemption which is not equal in weight to everything if his father did not redeem him he should not redeem himself. Behold circumcision will prove [that even regarding a law that is not equal in weight to everything if the father did not do it for the son, the son must do it for himself. Circumcision which it is not equal in weight to everything [this concept still applies:] if his father did not circumcise him he circumcises himself. So to if his father did not redeem him he should redeem himself. [This is] not [so] if you said regarding circumcision [that one who is not circumcised] is cut off [from the Jewish people] and if his father did not circumcise him he circumcises himself. You should say regarding redemption in which [one who is not redeemed] is not cut off [from the Jewish people] that if he was not redeemed he should not redeem himself. [This is of course not true] [We must] explain [these commandments through a general principle from which all three can be understood [separately]. [The laws of ] circumcision do not apply to Torah study and Torah study does not apply to circumcision and neither of them apply to redemption and redemption does not apply to either of them. The common principle between them is that they are all a commandment for the father to do for his son, [but] if the father did not do for his son the son shall do for himself. Accordingly anything that is a command for the father to do for his son [but] if the father did not do for his son the son shall do for himself. From here they said a person is obligated from the Torah to circumcise his son, to redeem him, to teach him Torah, to teach him a craft and to marry him off. Rabbi Akiva says even to teach him to swim. Rebbi says even manners. "It will be when your son will ask you tomorrow saying" (Exodus 13:14) there is a 'tomorrow' [that refers to] now [literally the next day] and there is a 'tomorrow' [that refers to] a [long] time from now. "Tomorrow the sign shall come to pass" (Exodus 8:19) this is a 'tomorrow' for now. "Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill" (Exodus 17:9) This is a 'tomorrow' for now. "Tomorrow your children will say to our children" (Joshua 22:24) This is 'tomorrow' for a [long] time from now. "What mean the decrees, laws and rules" (Deuteronomy 6:20) is found to be saying that there are four sons: one wise, one simple, one wicked, and one who does not know to ask. The wise one, what does he say? "What are the decrees, laws and rules etc." Accordingly you answer him about the laws of Passover and say to him "We do not have desert after the Passover sacrifice" (Mishna Pesachim 10:8). The simple one, what does he say? "What is this?" You shall say to him "With a strong hand he took us out" (Exodus 13:14). The wicked one, what does he say? What is this work for you? For you and not for him and since he takes himself out of the collective, his is a heretic. Accordingly you take him out of the collective and say to him, "It is because of what the LORD did for me when I went free from Egypt." (Exodus 13:8) for me and not for him. If he was there [in Egypt] he would not have been freed. And the one who does not know to ask you open for him as it says "You shall tell your son on that day" (ibid).

"When your children will say to you" They are ready to say to you: "What is this work to you". This is the wicked son who takes himself out of the collective. Accordingly you take him out of the collective and say to him "Because of this the Lord did for me" (Exodus 13:5) He did for me and not for you.

"And when your children will say to you, What is this work for you?" (Exodus 12:26) At that time Israel was informed of bad tidings, for in the future their children would forget the Torah. [The child] is deliberately asking this way, meaning [What is this work] for you and not for him[self]. He is one of the four sons that the Torah spoke about, one wise, one wicked, one simple, and one who does not know to ask. This [verse] is the wicked one who removes himself from the collective and denies his creator:

(א) "You shall teach your son". This is the one who does not know to ask. The Torah spoke about four sons, and for each one the Torah gave a way to answer according to its situation. The world was created with four types of people, one wise, one wicked, one simple, and one who does not now to ask:

(ב) "You shall tell your son". I would learn that [you] should begin teaching the laws of Passover to [your son] from the first of the month. It was taught saying "on that day". If it must be on that day, I would learn [you] should begin [teaching] from the start of the day. It was taught saying "because of this" [You must teach] at the time when unleavened bread and bitter herbs are placed before you on your table. Lift them and say to [your son] "Because of this [etc.]":

(ג) "The Lord did for me". Why is this said? Because the wicked asks what is this work for you? and since he takes himself out of the collective [by saying 'for you'] and not 'for us' he is definitely saying heresy, accordingly you take him out of the collective. And say to him, "Because of this the Lord did for me" and not for you. For if you were [in Egypt] you would not have been freed. Meaning you would have already died in the three days of total darkness. (see Mekhilta 12:25)

(א) "You shall teach your son" It could be from the first of the month, that the father should begin to teach his son the laws of Passover. It was taught saying "On that day" If it [must] be on that day, it could be from when the day begins [that the father should teach his son]. It was taught saying: "Because of this" [So the father must teach] at the time when unleavened bread and bitter herbs are sitting before [him].

(ב) He must pick up the unleavened bread and say "This is unleavened bread, why do we eat it? etc" Same for the bitter herbs. He should pick them up and say "These are bitter herbs, why do we eat them? because the made [our father's lives] bitter. But for the meat it is forbidden to touch and say "This is the pascal lamb", because we do not eat the pascal lamb outside of Israel and it is forbidden for a person to say this sheep will be for the pascal lamb, rather he should say this sheep will be our food.

(ג) "Because of this the Lord did for me" The Torah spoke about four sons, one wise, one wicked, one simple, and one who does not know to ask.

(ד) The Torah gave a way to answer each one according to his circumstance, for the world was created with four types of people, one wicked, one wise, one simple, and one who does not know to ask. Each one is derived from the verses in its circumstance. The wicked one, What does he say? What is this work for you? Meaning for you and not for him, and since he takes himself out of the collective by saying 'for you' and not 'for us' it is clear that he is a heretic. Therefore it is said "Because of this the Lord did for me" meaning for me and not for him. For if he was [in Egypt] he would not have been freed, rather he would have died in the three days of total darkness.

(א) "When your son will ask you tomorrow" There is a 'tomorrow' for a later time, and there is a 'tomorrow' that will happen soon. For example "This sign will happen tomorrow" (Exodus 8:19) and "Tomorrow I will stand" (ibid 17:9)

(ב) "Saying what is this" This is the trait of the simple one who is not smart enough to ask and is not wicked enough to be a heretic, rather he is simple and is unable to understand, so he says "What is this?" You should say to him "With a strong hand he took us out of Egypt". [Regarding] the one who does not know to ask you open for him as it says "You shall teach your son etc" (ibid 9:12).