“When your son asks you tomorrow, saying, ‘What is this?’” The author of the Haggadah said that this verse speaks about the simple son. Rabbi Yitzchak Abarbanel, in his book Zevach Pesach, questioned how we know that this refers to the simple son; perhaps he is speaking mockingly, saying What is this? like the wicked son. He answered that we learn from the response that God commanded to answer him: With a strong hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt. Since God commanded to answer him appropriately, certainly he must have asked appropriately. But this answer is not appropriate, and all who see it will say, What is this? For it is obvious that anyone who says What is this? is simple. And if His intention is revealed before the Blessed One, is it revealed to us? And how will I know what is in the heart of the questioner? Even the Torah does not foretell such things.

And what seems closest to me to say about this, is that the author of the Haggadah finds it difficult [to understand] why “tomorrow” [machar] is mentioned with two sons: 1. in this verse, 2. in Parashat Va’etchanan (6:20) When your son asks you tomorrow, saying… And with the other two sons, the term “tomorrow” is not mentioned. On the contrary, it says And you shall tell your son on that very day, which is the opposite of “tomorrow.” The difficulty is why doesn’t it mention “tomorrow” for all of them, or “on that day” for all of them? And furthermore, it is difficult to understand why the Torah mentions the question What is this“ regarding the redemption of the firstborn, and why doesn’t it mention this question regarding the Passover sacrifice, matzah, and bitter herbs, as it does with the wicked son and the one who does not know how to ask.

It is since he is forced by these questions that the author of the Haggadah has determined that this verse speaks of the simple son, while the verse in Parashat Va’etchanan speaks of the wise son. And the word “tomorrow” mentioned in both does not refer to some future time but literally means the next day. Because the simple son, as long as his father gives him the Passover sacrifice, matzah, and bitter herbs, doesn’t ask anything at all. He certainly doesn’t mock the service and commandments of God, and he doesn’t seek a reason for the commandment either. He would be happy to be fed roasted delicacies and fine flour matzah with bitter herbs [which are typically eaten to stimulate appetite] all day long. Why would the simple son ask for a reason for all these things when he lacks nothing for his soul? However, regarding the redemption of the firstborn, where he is not given anything but rather is asked to give the redemption money himself, then he asks What is this“ Because even a completely simple and foolish person becomes wise when it comes to holding onto money, not wanting to give any money to anyone for no reason. Yet from the word ”tomorrow“ we learn that this person is simple and upright and does not mock the giving nor refuse it. On the day they ask him for the redemption money, he says nothing and gives his money without asking to know the reason, so that they won’t suspect him of not giving willingly or think he is complaining about God’s commandment by saying, ”Why should I give my money for nothing?“ Therefore, he remains silent on the day of giving and pays his money to fulfill God’s commandment. Nevertheless, on the following day, he asks What is this? because he wants to know the reason why God commanded us to give money for the redemption of the firstborn.

And this sign the Torah gave us, that if your son asks you tomorrow, What is this? on the day after the giving and on the day of the giving he doesn’t ask anything, then certainly he is asking What is this? with an innocent heart and clean hands. For if he were mocking or protesting against God’s commandments, he would have spoken on the day of the giving in order to prevent the giving. And since he was silent on the day of the giving and asks on the following day, he is certainly innocent and upright and asks properly, therefore you should respond to him properly that with a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt and the Lord killed every firstborn, etc. Or if the son sees his father giving the redemption money for a firstborn animal and doesn’t ask him anything on the day of the giving, so that he won’t be suspected of wanting to prevent his father from fulfilling the commandment, and he asks him the next day, he too is considered innocent. And because he asks briefly, What is this? and doesn’t have the knowledge to detail all the matters, from this it was judged that he is simple and not sharp enough to be precise about the details of the matter. But if he had asked this question on the day of the giving, it could be that he is not innocent.

And so the verse “when your son asks you tomorrow,” which appears in the portion of Va’etchanan and is interpreted as referring to the question of the wise son, also uses the term tomorrow to mean the day after performing the service. For the wise son is afraid to ask on the day of performing the mitzvah lest those who hear him suspect that he is mocking the commandments while they are being performed in order to distract the people from the service of God. For in any case, many people question what distinguishes the words of the wicked son from the words of the wise son, and not many are wise enough to differentiate between them through precise language analysis, so they might suspect him of mockery. To avoid this suspicion, he also asks on the day after the performance. But the wicked son, whose entire intention is to distract the people from the service of God, therefore speaks his words during the performance of the mitzvah and mocks them saying, “What are you busy with? Should elders like you be occupied with such trivial matters?” Therefore, the term tomorrow is not mentioned in his words. That is why the Torah says, You shall tell your son on that day — just as he speaks his words on that day of performance, so too you should tell him your words immediately. For we have already said that this verse contains instruction for two sons. If it is for the wicked son, it is obvious that you need to answer him immediately lest he become wise in his own eyes thinking that you have no answer, and that’s why you put him off saying, “Come back tomorrow and I will give you an answer.” Therefore, Answer a fool according to his folly immediately on that day. And if it is for the son who does not know how to ask, why would you tell him your words tomorrow? Isn’t it more appropriate to tell him when the matzah and bitter herbs are placed before you, in order to draw his heart to the service of God?

And in passing, I will also explain the words of the wise son mentioned in the portion of Va’etchanan, as one could ask about the statement that says “You too should tell him according to the laws of Passover: ‘One does not eat dessert after the Passover sacrifice.’” Why doesn’t it mention the response written alongside it in the portion of Va’etchanan (6:21)? I say that the wise son asks about the reason for the Passover sacrifice, matzah, and bitter herbs in the order they are written in the Torah, as it says (12:8), And they shall eat the meat roasted over fire… and matzah with bitter herbs. Regarding these three, he asks, What are the testimonies, statutes, and judgments? Regarding the roasted meat of the Passover sacrifice, he says, What is the testimony? For the slaughtering of the Passover sacrifice gives faithful testimony that the Holy One, blessed be He, rules over the celestial order, even over the constellation of Aries, which is the firstborn and head of all constellations, and certainly over the other constellations, as it says, And the blood will be a sign for you. For every sign is a testimony and proof of something, as explained above in the verse This month shall be for you (12:2). The statutes refers to the matzah, which represents humility, like this dough that does not rise upward, as all this is well explained in my small work Orach L’Chaim, discourse 25. For every statute [chok] indicates something that has a limit and boundary, as it says regarding the sea (Job 38:10), I imposed My limit [chuki] upon it and set a bar and doors. Similarly, a limit and boundary was given to the matzah dough so that it would not rise, for from it we learn about humility. Therefore, matzah is a symbol of freedom, because by virtue of humility our ancestors were redeemed from Egypt, as it says (Deuteronomy 7:7), Not because you are more numerous than all the peoples did the Lord desire you and choose you, for you are the fewest of all the peoples. By virtue of your making yourselves small before Me [you were chosen]. Therefore, leavened bread [chametz] must be burned because anyone who is arrogant is judged by fire, as mentioned in the Yalkut (Parashat Tzav 480) on the verse It is the burnt offering on its pyre, because the nature of fire is to rise upward, so one who rises up [in arrogance] is judged by it. And chametz is forbidden even in the smallest amount because this is the measure for haughtiness — in all character traits a person should follow the middle path, except for haughtiness, about which our Sages said (Sotah 5a), “Not any of it, not even a part of it.” Thus, they prohibited even the slightest amount. Similarly, our Sages said (Avot 4:4), “Be exceedingly humble in spirit,” emphasizing the matter and distancing it completely. The judgments alludes to they embittered their lives, for the judgments carried out against Egypt were because they made our ancestors’ lives bitter. Afflictions are called “judgment,” as it says (Isaiah 28:26), He disciplines him for judgment.

After mentioning the wise son’s question about the Passover sacrifice, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs, the Torah instructs you to reverse the order in your response, first explaining the reason for the bitter herbs, then the unleavened bread, and finally the Passover sacrifice. This is to teach the wise son the proper order for acquiring spiritual perfection. The sequence is as follows: First, a person must bring their physical nature into “the crucible of poverty” to purify and refine it from impurity, which leads to humility before their Creator. Through this humility, one comes to recognize the existence of the Holy One, blessed be He. This is why God brought Israel into the “crucible of affliction” in Egypt — to purify their physical nature and bring them to a state of humility, through which they would come to recognize God’s existence. These first two stages serve as preparation for the third, which is knowledge of God’s existence, as this is the ultimate purpose and goal of all the commandments — to bring them to faith in Him, blessed be He. As it is written, Draw out and take for yourselves a lamb — withdraw your hands from idolatry and take a lamb for the service of God. This is the meaning of “you shall also tell him” — even though in performing the commandment, the Passover sacrifice is mentioned first because it is the ultimate purpose and of primary importance, nevertheless, you should respond about the Passover sacrifice last, following the order of response mentioned there, as will be explained.

And do not be mistaken to say, that the Torah reversed the order of the answer in a manner of “it concludes with what it began,” but rather with complete intention did the Torah reverse the order and say that you should answer him first about the bitter herbs, and afterward about the matzah, and about the Passover sacrifice at the end, according to the order of acquiring perfection. This is so that he would learn from this that the Passover sacrifice, which comes last, is the main thing. For this reason, neglecting the Passover sacrifice carries the punishment of karet, which is not the case with matzah and bitter herbs — even one who does not eat matzah and bitter herbs is not liable to karet. And the author of the Haggadah commanded to bring him a sound and good proof from the laws of Passover, where our Sages of blessed memory said (Pesachim 119b): “One may not have any dessert after the Passover sacrifice.” The reason is so that the taste of the Passover sacrifice remains in his mouth at the end. And why were they not particular that the taste of matzah or bitter herbs should remain in his mouth at the end? Rather, it is because the Passover sacrifice is the main thing and the ultimate desired purpose of eating matzah and bitter herbs, namely because the Passover sacrifice is a demonstration of faith in the Holy One, blessed be He.

And this is [the meaning of] “you too shall tell him,” that is to say, just as the Torah reversed the order, so should you also respond to him, and this is the meaning of “too.” And if your son asks you why the Torah reversed the order, bring him proof from the laws of Passover, where our Sages said, “One does not conclude after the Passover sacrifice with an afikoman.” From here, bring him proof that just as the taste of the Passover sacrifice should remain in his mouth at the end, so too in the response to the questioning son, it needs to be at the end, in the order that it is stated in the Torah. And the intention is to respond to him with all the verses stated in the Torah regarding the question of the wise son, and this is their order: First, it says there, And you shall tell your son, ‘We were slaves,’ etc. until And the Lord commanded us, for all this is the reason for the bitter herbs, which come as a remembrance of the slavery, as it is said, And they embittered their lives with hard labor. And afterward it says, And the Lord commanded us to perform all these statutes, etc., until And it will be righteousness for us. And all this is the reason for the matzah, which is called a statute, as explained above, that it indicates submission and humility. And it is written The consequence of humility is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 22:4), and similarly it says here, to perform these statutes to fear the Lord, for submission leads to fear. And then it says, And it will be righteousness for us until the end of the passage. All of this is an answer regarding the Passover sacrifice, which comes as a testimony to His sovereignty, blessed be He. For regarding the commandment of the Passover, it says, and I will pass over you, which Rashi explains as “and I will have mercy.” This means that now you will leave the domain of the celestial signs, whose actions are all necessary and natural, and they have no power to perform any action out of mercy, compassion, and righteousness. And you will enter under the wings of the Divine Presence, whose actions, blessed be He, are with absolute will, and who works salvations and performs righteousness out of mercy. And this is [the meaning of], And it will be righteousness for us when we observe to perform all this commandment. For many commandments depend on the commandment of Passover, therefore it is said all this commandment, meaning a specific commandment upon which many commandments depend, before the Lord our God. This means that through this commandment, we will leave the control of the celestial system and stand before the Lord our God to enter under the shadow of His wings. And this is the intention of Passover, and the wise person will increase understanding.

“And it shall be a sign upon your hand.” The Rabbis of blessed memory said (Menachot 37) yad kehah [weak hand] to indicate that phylacteries [tefillin] are placed on the left hand. The reason for this is that the intellect and the physical body are adversaries to each other — when one rises, the other falls. When the body is afflicted, the intellectual power increases. The purpose of the affliction in Egypt was to bring the physical nature of Israel into the iron furnace, and through this to strengthen and elevate the intellect. Elders and youths can testify to this, for when a person is young and unrefined with bodily strength at its peak, their intellectual power is weak. But as one advances in age and physical strength diminishes, their intellect grows stronger. Therefore, one who says that the former days were better than these does not ask wisely about these matters, for wisdom is found in the elderly, and understanding comes with length of days.

And so it is with the two hands of a person, for the left hand which is weak and dim corresponds to the heart where wisdom resides, because the intellectual area in the heart causes the hand to be dim, as the hand is busy with physical activities. But the right hand is in the place of the liver, where the seat of desire dwells, and it does not oppose the hand because there is its main strength. However, in the place where the intellect resides, there the hand is dim. And when it says here And it shall be for a sign upon your hand, it is as if it said that it shall be a sign upon your heart, because the heart is the reason for the dimness of the hand. For the purpose of the tefillin is to serve as a reminder for a person in the place where the intellect resides in the brain and in the heart. And regarding the head tefillin, it says they should be between your eyes, because “the eye and the heart are the two agents of sin” (Jerusalem Talmud, Berakhot 1:5). Therefore, these two places need something that reminds them of the existence of God and His capabilities, and through this they will return from iniquity.

Another explanation: He mentioned a weak hand to indicate that a man does not prevail by strength, but rather war belongs to God. This is because the hand of man is weak and feeble from accomplishing great or small things unless the hand of God has done this, strengthening his hand. As it is written, I have set the Lord before me constantly, etc. (Psalms 16:8). For initially, David was distressed about the placement of the heart on the left side and the liver on the right side, as if it were God’s will that the power of desire should be primary while the intellect in the heart secondary, just as the right hand is primary and the left is secondary. But afterward he said, I have set the Lord before me constantly, and then my left hand is opposite God’s right, and in this I am confident that I shall not falter from my right — that the power of desire on the right will not cause me to stumble from the straight path. This is because God’s right hand is exalted to give strength and power to the intellectual heart that is opposite it when I face toward God. Therefore, my heart rejoiced upon seeing that God supports my hand. This is what he concludes by saying, There are pleasures at Your right hand forever — implying not at my right hand, because everything depends on God’s right hand, as it is opposite my weak hand. Therefore, God commanded to place the tefillin, in which God’s name is inscribed, on the weak hand, to indicate that God’s strong right hand is what gives strength to this weak hand. This is what is meant by with a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt — meaning God’s strong right hand, which is opposite man’s left hand, and with it the Lord brought us out. When I face toward God, then His right is opposite the weak hand. This was given to teach them that no deed depends on human action, but rather on the help of the blessed God.

And as for what is stated, “And it shall be for you as a sign upon your hand.” And regarding the head [tefillin], it does not mention “for you” because they are a sign also for others, as it is said Then all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is proclaimed over you, and they shall stand in fear of you (Deuteronomy 28:10). And the Master said, “These are the tefillin of the head” (Berakhot 6a). And as for why we put on the hand [tefillin] first and afterward the head [tefillin], and when removing them we remove the head [tefillin] first, it is because there are three agents of transgression: the eye sees, the heart desires, and the instruments of action complete [the sin] (Rashi on Numbers 15:39). And if so, with the hand [tefillin] most [of these agents] are there, because there is the heart and the hand, and therefore that place needs more protection from sin than the head [tefillin]. Therefore, one should first rectify that place, and likewise in removal, they should remain on the hand continuously.

And it came to pass, when Pharaoh let the people go. And afterward it states, lest the people repent and God led the people around, and afterward it states, and the children of Israel went up armed. One must consider why they are called the people three times, and the fourth time they are called the children of Israel in connection with armed meaning weapons. And it seems that by virtue of being the children of Israel, they would not need weapons, and Pharaoh’s sending them away was because they were the children of Israel, so it should have been stated the opposite way.

It seems appropriate to resolve this in two ways. The first is based on the conclusion in the Yalkut that they went up armed [chamushim] means they were armed with five [chamisha] weapons. But this raises a difficulty: Does Israel’s success in battle depend on an abundance of weapons? Is it not written Was a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? (Judges 5:8). For the Holy One, blessed be He, is their shield, and Torah and prayer are the weapons of Israel, as it is said The two-edged sword is in their hands (Psalms 149:6) — two edges because both [Torah and prayer] depend on the mouth. If so, what glory is this for Israel that they went up armed, as if they did not trust in God, Heaven forbid? Even if we say that a person is obligated to act naturally to the best of their ability, and what nature lacks, the miracle will complete, it is still difficult to understand why the Scripture tells us that each one had five weapons — why do I need this number? Furthermore, did it happen by miracle or coincidence that each one had exactly five, no more and no less? Is this not a matter of significance? Additionally, it appears that the Israelites were not trained for war at all, as they were busy with hard labor all their days. What need did they have for these weapons when they had no experience with them? They should have gone with sticks and slingshots.

Therefore it seems to explain. This comes to inform us that they had no weapons in their possession except for the five books of the Torah, which are divided into seven books according to the opinion that the passage of Vayehi Binsoa [Numbers 10:35–36] is a book unto itself. And this is what it means by chamushim [וחמשים] — meaning “armed” [mezuyanim, the letter, zayin, being the equivalent of seven] — it all alludes to the Torah. And it uses the term chamushim because the word relates to the meaning [wordplay], and similarly “mezuyanim,” because the words “chamisha” and “zayin” are names of war implements, but for Israel they also allude to the Torah. Or chamushim refers to the five books of the Torah as mentioned, and “mezuyanim” refers to prayer, as it is written Seven times a day I praise You (Psalms 119:164).

And it is known that the Israelites were not worthy to receive the Torah except after they crossed the Red Sea and after they walked in the desert. For at the Red Sea they came to complete faith in God and in the prophecy of Moses His servant, as it is written: And they believed in God and in Moses His servant. And before they reached this level of faith, it is obvious that they were not worthy to receive the Torah as long as they doubted the prophecy of Moses and faith in God. And after they came to this faith at the Red Sea, from then on they were worthy to receive the Torah. But they still needed to walk through the desert, through an unsown land, to acquire there the trait of sufficiency [i.e., being content with little], for this is the way of Torah: Bread with salt shall you eat, etc. The Torah was given only to those who ate the manna (Mechilta Beshalach [Vayisa] 2), for from the descent of the manna they learned the way of sufficiency which those who receive the Torah need. In addition to this, their faith was further rooted through the miracles performed for them in the desert, like the miracles at the Red Sea. And it was given to instruct their hearts further that because for 2,000 years of void, the world was desolate like a desert all the time it was without Torah, therefore they needed to receive the Torah to complete what the world lacked. And before Israel received the Torah, they were included among the rest of the nations and were not yet distinguished in the perfection that is unique to them from the other nations. Therefore, they were not called by the name “Children of Israel” except through receiving the Torah; then God separated them from all the peoples to be His treasured people.

And with this, the explanation of the verses will be in this manner: And it came to pass when Pharaoh let the people go — at the time of being sent forth, they were still called “the people” because they had not yet been distinguished from the other peoples of the land, as they did not have their weapons with them — neither natural weapons, for they were not trained in warfare, nor the weapon of Torah, for they had not yet received the Torah. They were not even ready to receive it as they were not yet rooted in faith. Therefore, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although it was nearer, because God said, Lest the people change their minds when they see war, as they were still categorized with the rest of the peoples of the earth, and would necessarily return to Egypt. Since they had no weapons in their possession, it was obvious they would be defeated if they did not turn back. Therefore, God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea, because through the miracles of the sea and wilderness, they would acquire complete faith and then be ready to receive the Torah. From that moment, it would be as if they had their weapons with them, as if they had already received the Torah, and they would then be called “the Children of Israel” to distinguish them from other nations. This is the meaning of and the Children of Israel went up armed [chamushim] — chamushim refers to being armed with the five [chamisha] weapons, namely the five books of the Torah and the seven books or seven prayers as mentioned. This agrees with what we find (Pesikta Rabbati 34:6) that at the giving of the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, girded them with weapons, etc. See also Ramban on the portion of Ki Tisa in the verse And now, put off your ornaments (Exodus 33:5), which is translated as “remove your weapons from you,” which is clear evidence that the Torah is the weapon of Israel. Although at the time of their ascent from Egypt they were not yet armed until they arrived at the wilderness, the verse still says and they went up armed, because as soon as they agreed to go to the wilderness and did not say “How shall we go to the wilderness, a place without seeds?” they immediately acquired faith. The beginning of this acquisition was considered as if they were already rooted in it, therefore it says and they went up armed, meaning at the time they went up from the land of Egypt to the wilderness. The completion of the acquisition of faith occurred at the Red Sea as stated.

A second approach to resolve these verses, is that the people mentioned here refers to the lesser elements among Israel and the mixed multitude [erev rav], for they share the same designation. When it says And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, it speaks of the mixed multitude, for since he did not prevent them from leaving, it is as if he sent them away. We find the language of “sending” used for one who allows another to go, as in Send me away to my master (Genesis 24:54) said by Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, and as in Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away” (Genesis 30:25). Similarly, the “sending” mentioned here refers to the mixed multitude, and it was because of them that it was necessary to lead them around so they would not return to Egypt when they saw war. But for the sake of the children of Israel alone, this circuitous route would not have been necessary, for the children of Israel went up armed [chamushim] — they were trustworthy children, sons of believers who trusted in God’s salvation, and this was their weaponry. Therefore, they were confident in battle. But all their lack of trust came from the mixed multitude, for it was near — meaning they had recently arrived and had not yet become rooted in faith.

And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. This matter is connected to the verse above and the children of Israel went up armed, because it states in the Yalkut in this portion that they were walking in the desert with two arks — the ark of the Divine Presence and the ark of Joseph. The nations would ask, “What is the significance of the ark of a dead person alongside the ark of the Living Eternal One?” And they would answer them, “This one fulfilled what is written in that one,” for Joseph fulfilled all ten commandments, etc. This is connected to what was said and the children of Israel went up armed — and their weapon was the Holy Ark that would go with them in battle. This makes sense after the giving of the Torah, but before the giving of the Torah, how did they go up armed? After all, they did not yet have the Holy Ark with them. Therefore it says, And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because Joseph’s ark was as if all ten commandments were engraved upon it.

Another explanation: Moses saw that the Holy One, blessed be He, led them around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea, and Moses thought that if perhaps the sea would block their way, then it would be split for them in the merit of Joseph. As our Sages learned (Tanchuma 114:9) from the verse The sea saw and fled (Psalms 114:3) — what did it see? The bones of Joseph, of whom it is said he fled and went outside (Genesis 39:12). And the reason for this matter we explained above in the portion of Vayeshev (39:12).

And our Sages (Sotah 13a) expounded about Moses, the verse The wise of heart will take mitzvot (Proverbs 10:8), that while all of Israel was busy with the spoils, he was occupied with fulfilling commandments. They sought to explain the redundant language of with him [in the verse], which comes to exclude involvement with the spoils of Egypt, because wealth is a possession that does not cling to a person, as his wealth will not descend after him [to the grave]. However, what a person accumulates in good deeds in this world is what clings to him both in this world and in the World to Come. Therefore it says, And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. And perhaps this is why he specifically engaged in this commandment now, to serve as a reminder to Israel about the day of death, because through this they would not be so eager for the spoils, remembering that he will leave his wealth to others, and his glory will not descend after him.