The youngest child of the family has a massive task, reciting the Four Questions. In front of everyone. In Hebrew. And in song (at least in my family). Yikes! Thankfully, I have a sister who is the youngest in the family.
While I am often not called upon to recite the Four Questions, I like listening to them because these questions unmask the symbolism of the service and set an inquisitive tone. Passover is all about asking questions and answering them: questions about the meaning of life, a person’s place in the world, and God. Where would Jews be today if Moses had remained a prince of Egypt? Why is slavery wrong?
Many children realize how important reciting the Four Questions is and it can be intimidating for a shy child. Help them practice ahead of time by going over the Haggadah, and show them which page the questions are on and read them together. Read the Passover story and talk about the questions they have. Why did God pick Moses, even though Moses had a speech disability? What makes a leader? Why does the youngest child get such a big responsibility?
Understanding why the youngest child is given such important questions to ask will give the kid a little more confidence. Confidence and a little (or a lot of) practice makes a big difference!
During the Seder talk, discuss these questions to see what everyone else thinks. Do they see any comparisons between today’s world and that of the Israelites? How do the qualities of leadership apply to the current world?
Learn more about Let's Ask the Four Questions, find Haggadahs or explore more Passover books!
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