The "Fifth Son" In The Pasover Haggadah - The Rebbe's Perspective

There are four sons at the Seder. Traditional wisdom has it that the wicked one is the worst off of them all. But traditional wisdom seems not to be the Rebbe's approach.
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13 Nissan, 5743 - March 27, 1983
From Living Torah Program 501
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[@yalebulldog05]

This is incredible. A call to action and absolutely beautiful

[@shmulyichilevici5315]

The hagadah mentions four sons,listing them in descending order,from the wize son to the son who doesn't know how to ask,we see a surprising point here: The hagadah is emphasizing that ignorance is the worst thing, and this is why the ignorant son is listed last,One would think that the wicked son is the worst of all.Yet this is the hagadah`s order: After the wicked son comes the simple son and even the simple son is below the wicked one,followed by the son who doesn't know to ask,But why is the simple son worse off then the wicked one? Because a rasha only needs to do teshuva and he`ll be in fine shape,he studied torah,he fullfilled mitzvos, but then, chas vesholom he abandoned it. As the gemara says,if even a tzadik gamor has machshava zaros these machshavos zaros affect him,and this turns him into the opposite of a tzaddik.But then, through a thought of teshuva,he can revert to being a tzaddik gamor.In order to get anywhere with the simple son,you need to initiate,as the hagadah says ‘’open for him’’ teach him.And once you've ‘’opened for him’’,then he must act,he must begin to study torah,observe mitzvos,and over the course of time,he will reach full observance.How much more so is this true with the son who doesn't know how to ask.What is the practical lesson here? A lesson of special relevance in our times.Today there is no such thing as a wicked son.Their actions may not be righteous,but when one looks closely,one sees that they are simply children in captivity by non-jews.They cannot be held accountable because they received an education in which they never saw torah observance:they have no idea what it is.G-D orchestrated it so, and it's not their fault.Yes, in earlier generations,some chose to abandon yiddishkeit, but children born in the last 80,90,or even 100 years,and especially in the USA, who dont follow the path of torah and mitzvos do so out of nothing but ignorance.They were not told about about yiddishkeit.Or they were told in such a way that nothing remained of yiddishkeit after they were told.There are those who are taught to suffice that a bar mitzvah or a bas mitzvah,is, as they put it, ‘’a graduation from yiddishkeit.’’ Instead of bringing greater observance from torah and mitzos.and an entry to yiddishkeit,for them,it means the end of their jewish education : Once a boy gives his bar mitzvah speech,and receives his gifts,and,if he is especially learned,he is called to the torah and can read the brochos (of the torah) or can even sing it or be chazzan,That's the end of it! When he's approached and asked whether he's wise,wicked,simple,or one who doesn't know how to ask,there is no doubt as to which category he falls into;he doesn't know how to ask.The whole subject is foreign to him,he has know idea that there is anything to even ask about.
The main lesson for jewish education in such places:First and foremost, we must bring an end to ignorance! Even the son who doesn't know how to ask,knows to attend a seder,he knows which night its held;that there is a seder table;and that there's a place reserved for him at the table.it's only that when he sits down,he “doesn't know how to ask”;he's not just “simple” but he “doesn't know how to ask..”but there is another child,who doesn't even know what a jewish home is:He has a home with many rooms,with lots of furniture and this furniture might even contain some books,but these books are bound in golden covers with utmost honor,but they sit locked away in the bookshelf.They are irrelevant no one in the house can read the books.Hes a jewish child,with a jewish father and a jewish mother,but there's no jewish home,because yiddishkeit is entirely absent from the house.A fifth son. A son who is completely on the “outside”: this is not one who kept torah and mitzvot,but then left the fold,which one would think is the main problem,for he is then “disgracing G-D,” as tanya says the situation is even worse: he has no knowledge of G-D existence,he doesn't know about G-D`s realm,he doesn't know about his teachings,and he doesn't know about his mitzvos.He doesn't even know that there is a seder,that theres a table and that table,others are waiting for him to come and join them.because in order for the seder to be complete,the torah must be complete and “torah speaks of four sons.” If a quarter of the sons are missing a quarter of the torah is missing.This is equally relevant to the wise son,for then he too is lacking.But then there is the fifth son as mentioned,whose lack pof knowledge is so great that he doesn't know to ask,but much more he's ignorant on yiddishkeit in general.So as preparation for the seder and for pesach,in order for the seder to be kept according to halacha,we must ensure,at least,that not one jewish child remains who is not sitting at a seder table.

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