The Covenant of Questions: Preparing for Passover 5779

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“You are free to ask
You are free to question
Free to learn the answers of tradition
Free to add answers of your own.”—Chaim Stern, Gates of Freedom

The entire Passover seder is designed to get a child to ask, “Why?” Why is this night different. On that day you shall tell your child what the Lord did for you when you went forth from Egypt. (Exodus 13:8)

We Jews are good at this. We are encouraged to ask good questions. My father’s definition of a Jew was someone who questions, thinks and argues. What good question did you ask in school today?

Yesterday at Congregation Kneseth Israel, our award winning family education program Judaism Rocks, was designed to get the next generation to ask questions. We had four stations, because Passover is all about the number four. Why? Four cups of wine, four seasons (yesterday was WINTER with 8 inches of unexpected snow!), Four Questions (maybe), Four Children (Sons).

Four Stations:

  • Write new questions for the Passover Station. Use chrome books to look up answers.
  • Tell the story of your family on digital media. In partnership with Gail Borden Public Library and Dr. Rise’ Jones based on the questions on a wider program. What is a family? What is community?
  • Make paper bag puppets to illustrate the Four Children that you can use at your own seder.
  • EDU Break Out. How will you get out of Egypt? Thanks to Linda Sonin and the Chicago Bureau of Jewish Education.

Then we came back together for Jewpardy. Four categories. People, Places, Numbers, Seder Plate (and a fifth, Mishmosh), singing the Four Questions and trying to stump, me the rabbi.

We stumped them on Jewpardy—What is the orange? (an additional seder plate symbol to recognize the LGBT and women’s role on the bimah, both!) Who is the only person to celebrate a birthday in the Torah? (Pharaoh) Although I will give an honorable mention on reflection to Isaac whose weaning at age 3 was celebrated.

I got stumped as well. “Who created G-d?” A great week to ask that question. Can you say, “G-d created G-d?” Is this like the chicken and egg question, which came first? I can tell midrashim about how there were worlds before this world. I can talk about G-d and the angels. G-d and the alef bet. I can argue with my father, even posthumously, that there is a G-d and that we don’t have to reconcile the beginning of Genesis, the Creation story with evolution or what we can see in a microscope.

But this week. This week. How supercool to finally see a black hole. A real black hole. Some of the research done by people I know. And a fabulous photo. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/science/black-hole-picture.html

Maybe that big question of how did the world begin is being answered. It is awesome. For sure.

Our kids did ask good questions. Here they are:

  1. Why is there an egg on the seder plate?
  2. Why do some use a potato instead of parsley?
  3. Why does Passover take place in the spring? (and how do we know it happened in the spring?
  4. Why is charoset made differently in different parts of the world? How do you make charoset? Why do some people make charoset into bricks?
  5. Why is horseradish red?
  6. Why do Ashkanazi families not eat legumes during Passover?
  7. Why are some Haggadahs written in different languages?
  8. Why does the first born male and not female fast on the day of the first seder?
  9. Why do we ask questions on Passover?
  10. What happened to spring? (8 inches of snow!) Is snow one of the plagues?
  11. Who created G-d?
  12. Can there be any type of egg on the seder plate?
  13. Why don’t we put more symbols on the seder plate?
  14. What new symbols have been added to the seder?
  15. How did they kill the first born?
  16. Why do we pour a glass for Elijah and welcome him?
  17. Where did the tunes of the songs come from?
  18. Why are there only four questions?
  19. Why do we hide matzah?
  20. Are there rules for hiding the afikomen?
  21. Can you eat lamb at the seder?
  22. Where are the missing socks? (In the black hole?)

As part of this, we actually came up with a midrash for a question that has always bothered me. The Israelites did not have enough time to even let their dough rise. However, the women knew enough to pack their tamborines. How did the know to do that?

They brought them with them because they knew they were going to celebrate a festival to the Lord (Exodus 5:1). If you are going to celebrate and be joyous you need your musical instruments. A timbrel is easy to pack. And it can be used as a tray to carry other things. So the women took their timbrels with them so that they could sing and dance!

You can share this at your own seders.

Here are my answers to the kids’ questions:

  1. Why is there an egg on the seder plate?

There are several answers. It’s Judaism. Some say it represents the offering in the Temple. Others say it represents spring and rebirth and renewal. In our house we have egg soup to start the meal. A hard boiled egg, in a custard cup with salt water. YUM! Only once a year.

  1. Why do some use a potato instead of parsley?

Some people use a potato who came from Eastern Europe. It was plentiful and cheap. And bitter. Have you ever tasted a raw potato? Others use romaine lettuce.

  1. Why does Passover take place in the spring? (and how do we know it happened in the spring?)

The Torah tells us that it happened on the 14th of Nissan which is the first month of the year. It is called Hodesh Ha’aviv, the month of spring. Bigger question is do we know it happened at all. There is no good archeological evidence for it. However, it is an important story of how we became a people. Whether it happened exactly as written or some other way, it is a meaningful way to bring people together.

  1. Why is charoset made differently in different parts of the world? How do you make charoset? Why do some people make charoset into bricks?

Some say the recipe of charoset is in the book, Song of Songs. However, people have been making charoset to represent the mortar to build the pyramids for generations. It is usually a combination of apples, wine, cinnamon and nuts. In different parts of the world people add other things depending on what is available. Last year our family made a charoset bar so that people could make their own. https://www.kveller.com/four-hacks-to-make-your-passover-seder-more-fun/

It was lots of fun.

  1. Why is horseradish red?

It’s not. It is a root vegetable that when peeled is creamy white. We add beet juice to make it red and a little less spicy. On our seder plate we have both kinds. You can make it yourself in a food processor. Just don’t sniff it—it will hurt your nose and make your eyes water!

  1. Why do Ashkanazi families not eat legumes during Passover?

For about 500 years Ashkanasi families have refrained from eating legumes—beans, seeds, rice, corn. It was in order to make sure that we didn’t accidently eat chamatz.. In the last decade or so, the Conservative Movement, beginning with Israel declared that legumes (kitinyot) are OK for all. This year’s story: https://www.jta.org/2019/04/09/culture/the-passover-kitniyot-argument-isnt-worth-a-hill-of-beans

The actual teshuva/responsa: https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/halakhah/teshuvot/2011-2020/Levin-Reisner-Kitniyot.pdf

  1. Why are some Haggadahs written in different languages?

Because Jews live around the world. Check out the book about the Four Questions in different languages. This year I think we will have Greek, Spanish and Chinese at our seder table.

  1. Why does the first born male and not female fast on the day of the first seder?

These days both might fast. Because the first born Israelites were spared when the Angel of Death passed over their houses. OR they might finish studying something and have a siyyum hasefer, a party to celebrate completing something. This year’s siyyum will be on the Women of the Passover Story at 8:00 AM on Friday.

  1. Why do we ask questions on Passover?

Why not? Seriously, to get kids thinking, to teach the story of Passover and remember and to illustrate that we are free. Slaves can’t ask questions.

  1. What happened to spring? (8 inches of snow!) Is snow one of the plagues?

Maybe it is a plague! Seriously, there is a blessing for hail in Judaism in Hebrew but not for snow. Maybe today’s snow storm is to make the warmer weather for Passover even more sweet!

  1. Who created G-d?

See above.

  1. Can there be any type of egg on the seder plate?

From a kosher bird. So no eagle’s eggs. A friend was just looking for an emu egg.

  1. Why don’t we put more symbols on the seder plate?

We can and some do. See below.

  1. What new symbols have been added to the seder?

There are all sorts of new symbols that have been added. An orange for inclusivity. Miriam’s Cup. A beet instead of the shankbone. Olives for peace. Tomatoes, coffee beans or chocolate for workers’ rights. Artichoke for interfaith families. Last year our students added a strawberry because it bleeds to be against the plague of gun violence!

  1. How did they kill the first born?

The text itself doesn’t tell us. Only that the Angel of Death caused it.

  1. Why do we pour a glass for Elijah and welcome him?

Elijah will herald, announce the messiah. So we welcome him to our seder, hoping the time is near.

  1. Where did the tunes of the songs come from?

All over the world! New ones get written and composed every year.

  1. Why are there only four questions?

There aren’t. At first there was one. “What does this mean to you.” The Cairo Geniza has evidence that there were 3 questions and 5 questions. We all just wrote (and answered!) 22 new questions!

  1. Why do we hide matzah?

To show that we are still searching—for more chamatz, for more freedom, to get out of Egypt, Mitzrayim, the narrow places.

  1. Are there rules for hiding the afikomen?

This is in the category of minhag, custom and not halacha, law. Different families have different rules.

  1. Can you eat lamb at the seder?

This is Judaism. Some say yes, some say no. It seems you can’t roast a whole lamb. That would be too similar to the paschal offering/sacrifice. Can you do lamb chops? Depends on the custom of your family.

  1. Where are the missing socks? (In the black hole?)

My best guess? Behind the dryer!

What remaining questions do you have? Remember, it is OK to ask new questions! Have fun with it. And try to stump me. That’s fun too!