"The Torah relates to four types of children – one who is wise, one who is wicked, one with a simple nature, and one who does not know how to ask."
It has often been said that each of the children is an aspect of each of us. Sometimes we are the wise one and sometimes we are the wicked, sometimes we are the simple one and sometimes we are just unable to even formulate a question. This year I ask you to look at the world and specifically the situation inIsrael and ask yourself not who is the wise, the wicked, the simple or the one who is just so befuddled that they can understand what is going on. Rather ask what the response of each would be to the situation. How might the wise, wicked and simple person respond? Then ask, how does each of your instincts respond? With our best self, how do we respond? With our most vengeful self, how do we respond? With our self who is humble enough to not truly know, how do we respond? And with yourself who doesn’t even know where to begin?
Maybe the wise child asks, will there ever be an end to this cycle of violence and how can we get that started? Maybe the wicked child asks, who is the right people to blame and how can we punish them ruthlessly? Maybe the simple child asks, why is this happening? And to the side of self that can’t even formulate a question, we initiate the conversation by suggesting a wide swath of places to do more research and encourage them to listen to a variety of different opinions.
During the last six months I most certainly have been thoughtful and vengeful, confused and lost. This year maybe we should add to the sentence "Next Year In Jerusalem" if not for us, at least the hostages and may there be peace.
Last chance to sell your chametz: Just respond to his email with you name and address. Fast of the First Born: Services tomorrow morning at 8:00am
Greenburgh Hebrew Center rabbistein@ghcny.org 515 Broadway Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 914-693-4260 office@ghcny.org www.ghcny.org
