We are, I believe, by nature, curious people. The desire to learn more is a powerful impetus propelling us to discover new worlds, to fly through the orbits of space, and dive into the depths of oceans. No one is more curious, however, than the young toddler who begins asking questions almost as soon as they can talk.
"Why do I have to go to school? Why is that lady here? Why are we Jewish - why? Why? Why?"
Any of us who have spent more than five minutes with a pre-schooler knows the daunting task of trying to answer the barrage of questions. The more we answer, the more questions become baffling. At times it can tempting to throw up our hands in frustration, giving up the answering.
Tomorrow evening, as we gather around the table at our seders, we are called upon to spend the evening entertaining the questions of our children. All over the world, families and communities will gather with joy and expectation as they wait for the youngest person present to sing the words Mah nishtanah ha laila hazeh - how is this night different from all other nights? And, if no children are present, we become our own children, asking the questions.
Why? (yes, I am adding another why question)
Our Torah commands: "In every generation... V'higadta l'vincha - you shall explain (teach, tell) it to your child, it is because of what the Lord did for me when I went free from Egypt.'" Each of us is asked to see ourselves as if we personally left Egypt. Inherent in reliving the experience of the Exodus is telling our ‘children'. And, so we ask and we tell.
We are so used to focusing on these four questions of the Haggadah that we can easily overlook that the Mishnah's statement on questions was simply: "The pour for him (the seder leader - referring to the second cup of wine at the seder), and the child then questions his father. " The Mishnah does not tell us what questions are to be asked - simply that the child asks. If, however, continues the Mishnah, "The child does not have the knowledge, then his father teaches him the following: Mah Nishtanah halaila hazeh...." (Mishnah Pesachim 10:4) One reading of this Mishnah would be that these are the questions you teach him to ask if he doesn't already know what questions to ask.
According to the Mishnah, it does not seem clear that the questions we know have to be the ones asked. In fact, there is another reading of the Mishnah based on the Hebrew phrase Mah Nishtanah, which suggests these aren't questions at all. Usually, we understand this to be an introduction to a question - Why is this night different from all other nights? But, an alternative way to read it would be as an exclamation - How different is this night from all other nights! It is so different that we eat only matzah, and we bitter herbs, and we dip our food twice, and we eat while reclining.
Yet another reading of the Mishnah suggest that the child asking the father isn't a general statement of questions to be asked, but specifically about a change in the order of the story that took place during this time. Originally, the storytelling step of the seder took place after the meal. In early rabbinic times, that practice shifted to being done before the meal. (It may have been because of a concern of people eating and running, therefore missing the telling altogether). So, perhaps the Mishnah's intention is that the child asks why at this point of the seder are we about to tell the story when it had originally been done after eating.
I will admit - growing up as the second youngest child of seven, I felt cheated when my younger sister learned how to sing the questions and it was no longer my turn. And, today, I still love witnessing young children whose voices ring with pride and accomplishment when they sing the Four Questions. So, I don't want my readers to think I am suggesting doing away with this long standing custom; but, I do still want us to ask this question - why ask questions at all?
Posing questions is another step in developing and perpetuating curiosity. And, it is a way of celebrating and expressing freedom - the freedom from thinking we have all the answers, the freedom to dream, and the freedom to search for meaning. The language of curiosity is built on who, when, what, where, why, and how questions--the underpinnings of both journalism and science. When faced with kids' seemingly inexhaustible series of questions, we realize that we don't have to have all the answers! Instead, we can channel curiosity into productive and safe explorations to dialogue and to find answers.
In other words, curiosity and imagination go hand in hand. Both involve moving beyond what exists to what might be. When we encourage questions, we invite ourselves and others to make informed guesses and then explore hunches. When we support curiosity, we experience the sheer joy of learning and the sense of adventure that comes with investigating our own questions. And, most of all, when we encourage questions, we help develop a sense of self-awareness and self-reflection that results in personal and intellectual growth.
So instead of asking why, this Passover let's ask why not?
Hag Kasher V'sameach - a happy and sweet Passover to all.