Drash Cards for Pesach (5761)

by Marc Mangel

• The Mussar response to the enlightenment was to seek the ethical/self-improvement aspects of Torah observance.

• There is a chain from Israel Salanter to the Alter of Kelm to Yehudah Lieb Chatman who teach that we should examine not our deeds by our intentions.

• Salanter said “It is easier to go through the entire Talmud than to change a single trait”

• Yehudah Leib Chatman notes that the four sons are NOT four personalities.  Rather we are a mix of traits — one minute wise, one minute wicked, one simple and one unable to ask

• Wise means that we are ready to take on a mitzva

• Wicked means that we conclude the mitzva is not relevant to my life

• Simple that we do not understand the purpose of the mitzva

• Don’t even know how to ask means that we don’t know there is a relevant mitzva

• We thus have a new way to read about the four sons in a way that is meaningful for all of us.  And we should aim to change the mixture of the four traits.