The wicked one tries to deceive the one who is being asked by quoting Scripture, “You shall observe this rite.” (Ex. 12:25) But his true intentions are revealed in that he never allows the name of God to pass his lips, He chooses this verse from a number of verses to show that he doesn’t really include himself in the community (of believers) of the holy people and that he considers the commandments to be bondage, like one who forcibly performs them and does not perform them of his own will. He also reveals an aspect of the Torah that is not according to Jewish belief. God’s intention is not what the wicked one thinks, that God troubles people by giving them the commandments. Rather God bestows merit on them by allowing them to perform the mitzvot willingly. Therefore, you should blunt his teeth and separate him from Israel by saying to him, “It is because of this.” That is, it is because of what you have quoted, (equating) Torah and avodah, that God has shown me kindness and has taken me out of Egypt, as is stated, “And when you have freed the people from Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” (Ex. 3:12) If the wicked one had been in Egypt he would not have been redeemed because he did not desire theTorah. He would have died during the plague of darkness just like the other wicked Israelites died. Even though the answer in the Haggadah is not the one that appears to the wicked child's question in the Torah, the Maggid derived its answer from what is written there, “You shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to Adonai, because He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but saved our houses.’” (Ex. 12:27) Since the verse does not say, “But saved us,” but, “saved our house,” what new understanding does it add? This means those households into which the Divine Presence could enter. This is related to what we have written concerning the statement of Rabban Gamliel, above. Since the appearance of the Divine Presence saved us and brought about redemption, if this wicked one had been there, God would not have entered his house and as a result the wicked one would have died and would not have been redeemed. This would have extended beyond the three days of darkness.