Rabban Gamliel used to say, One who has not mentioned three things on Pesach has not fulfilled his obligation, and these are them: the Pesach sacrifice, matzah and maror. Rabban Gamliel used to say: One can explain this based on what I heard from a great scholar. One reason that they needed a question and answer on the eve of Passover is based on what is stated in the Jerusalem Talmud, Ch. 3 of Bikkurim: The Mishnah states, “One reads (the Bikkurim passage) to him.” “This is taught since it states, “You shall answer and say,” (Ex. 26:5) “answering” is only from another person.”44 This is what Rabbi Ovadiah (of Bartenura) wrote in his commentary. Also this is what is meant by Lechem Oni - “The bread of affliction [leḥem oni]” (Deut. 16:3) means bread over which one explains [onim] many things.”45 over matzah. Again, it implies that it is done by others. Therefore they must ask and answer. This is what I heard from a great sage. Based on this one can explain what the Maggid wrote in the Haggadah regarding one who doesn’t know how to ask. “You open it for him, as it is stated, “You shall tell your child on that day.” You might have thought that since one must question in order that someone else might answer, one should ignore the child who doesn’t know how to ask, and treat him as if he doesn’t exist. To this we answer, “You open for him,” even without a question because one should not judge as possible what is impossible. Granted, the one who knows of the commandment to tell the story of the Exodus is expected to do so through questions and answers. But the one for whom it is impossible to do so, you must open the subject for him, since the Torah states, “You shall tell your child.” the verse does not state, “question,” as is the case in other places. This implies that if one cannot ask, you tell him without a question.

One can examine this statement based on the questions of the wise, wicked and the simple children. For each one we read, “The wise says “What does he say,” 'The wicked says, “What does he say,” and “The simple says, “What does he say,” (mahu omer)? Here, however, the fourth child is described as, “And the one who doesn’t know to ask,” (v’eino yodea lishol) with an additional vav when it should have stated, *“*one who doesn’t know to ask,”(eino yodea lishol). This (extra vav) suggests that even if the parent has another child who can ask and fulfill the obligation with an answer, the parent is still obligated to explain it to the one who doesn’t ask, thus, fulfilling the passage, “And you shall tell your child.” This verse is not meant to be fulfilled by those who have only one child (who cannot ask). It is from this that we come to explain the statement, “Rabban Gamliel used to say, anyone who has not explained these three things…” Rabban Gamliel means to say that even if the child hasn't asked, the parent must still explain them himself. And if he hasn’t stated it even without posing a question, then he has not fulfilled his obligation. If he states it, even though he does so without posing it as a question, he fulfills his obligation since Rabban Gamliel believes that we have an obligation to discuss many matters of Passover even. However, if he says it and it is not from the mouth of another , he has fulfilled his obligation since he must speak of these three statements.