In the Passover Haggadah, we encounter the four sons: the wise son, the wicked son, the simple son, and the son who doesnโt know how to ask. Each represents a distinct approach to engaging with the Exodus narrative and, by extension, the Jewish tradition. Similarly, in Pirkei Avot (5:15), we find a description of four types of students who sit before the sages: the sponge, the funnel, the strainer, and the sieve.
ืึทืจึฐืึทึผืข ืึดืึผืึนืช ืึฐึผืืึนืฉึฐืืึดืื ืึดืคึฐื ึตื ืึฒืึธืึดืื. ืกึฐืคืึนื, ืึผืึทืฉึฐืืคึตึผืึฐ, ืึฐืฉึทืืึถึผืจึถืช, ืึฐื ึธืคึธื. ืกึฐืคืึนื, ืฉึถืืืึผื ืกืึนืคึตื ืึถืช ืึทืึนึผื. ืึทืฉึฐืืคึตึผืึฐ, ืฉึถืืึทึผืึฐื ึดืืก ืึฐึผืืึน ืึผืืึนืฆึดืื ืึฐืืึน. ืึฐืฉึทืืึถึผืจึถืช, ืฉึถืืึผืึนืฆึดืืึธื ืึถืช ืึทืึทึผืึดื ืึฐืงืึนืึถืึถืช ืึถืช ืึทืฉึฐึผืืึธืจึดืื. ืึฐื ึธืคึธื, ืฉึถืืึผืึนืฆึดืืึธื ืึถืช ืึทืงึถึผืึทื ืึฐืงืึนืึถืึถืช ืึถืช ืึทืกึนึผืึถืช
There are four types among those who sit before the sages: a sponge, a funnel, a strainer and a sieve. A sponge, soaks up everything; A funnel, takes in at one end and lets out at the other; A strainer, which lets out the wine and retains the lees; A sieve, which lets out the coarse meal and retains the choice flour. (Pirkei Avot 5:15)
Each type reflects a unique way of processing knowledge and wisdom. By aligning these two sets of four, we can uncover deeper lessons about learning, discernment, and spiritual growth. Letโs explore how the four sons correspond to the four students and what this teaches us.
1. The Simple Son – The Sponge
The simple son asks, โWhat is this?โ His question reflects curiosity but lacks depth or sophistication. He seeks a basic explanation, absorbing the surface-level meaning without probing further. This aligns with the sponge, described in Pirkei Avot as โsoaking up everything.โ Like a sponge, the simple son takes in all that he hearsโstories, laws, and traditionsโwithout distinguishing between the essential (the ikkar) and the peripheral (the tofel).
While this openness can be a strength, it also reveals a limitation: the simple son lacks the tools to prioritize or analyze. In the Haggadah, we respond to him with a simple, straightforward answer that doesnโt overwhelm him with the details: โWith a strong hand, God took us out of Egypt.โ
2. The Son Who Doesnโt Know How to Ask – The Funnel
The son who doesnโt know how to ask remains silent, passive amid the Sederโs rich narrative. The Haggadah instructs us to โopen up for him,โ signaling that he needs guidance to engage, as he lacks the curiosity or framework to connect on his own. This aligns with the funnel in Pirkei Avot, which โtakes in at one end and lets out at the other.โ Like a vessel built for transfer, not storage, knowledge flows through himโwords, rituals, the Sederโs energyโyet it doesnโt linger, leaving no lasting imprint; thereโs no internalization or reflection. His silence reflects a deeper disconnect: he lacks the curiosity or framework to process what he receives.
3. The Wicked Son – The Strainer
The wicked son asks, โWhat is this service to you?โ His question drips with cynicism, and the emphasis on โto youโ is deliberateโhe distances himself from the Seder, framing it as something irrelevant to him. This isnโt mere curiosity or confusion; itโs a rejection of the traditionโs value and a refusal to see himself as part of the community. In Pirkei Avot, this aligns with the strainer, which โlets out the wine and retains the lees.โ The metaphor is vivid: the wine symbolizes the rich, valuable essence of wisdom, while the lees are the bitter dregs, the sediment of little worth. Like the strainer, the wicked son discards what is good and clings to what is trivial.
By comparing the four sons to the four students, we gain a dual lens through which to view education and personal growth. The Haggadahโs sons represent different attitudes toward tradition, while Pirkei Avotโs students reflect approaches to receiving wisdom. Together, these frameworks illuminate the choices we face in engaging with Torah and tradition: at times, we may be sponges, soaking up everything indiscriminately; at others, funnels, letting insight slip away; strainers, clinging to the wrong priorities; or sieves, refining our understanding to its essence.
The Haggadahโs response is unsparing: โBecause of what he says, had he been there [in Egypt], he would not have been redeemed.โ This is a rebuke that cuts deep. Why so harsh? His exclusionary โto youโ mirrors the mindset of those in Egypt who, in Jewish tradition, rejected the call to leave, preferring slaveryโs familiarity over liberationโs uncertainty. The reply imagines him among that unfaithful minority, underscoring his self-imposed alienation. For a strainer-like learner, this is a wake-up call: by discarding the โwineโ of Torah and community, he risks losing his place in the story altogether.
4. The Wise Son – The Sieve
The wise son asks, โWhat are the testimonies, statutes, and laws that the Lord our God has commanded you?โ His question is detailed and thoughtful, reflecting a desire to understand the full scope of the tradition. This mirrors the sieve, which โlets out the coarse meal and retains the choice flour.โ The wise son filters out the extraneous and retains the ikkarโthe core principles and meanings that define Jewish life.
Like the sieve, the wise son demonstrates discernment by distinguishing between edot, chukim, and mishpatim. He doesnโt simply absorb information; he is skilled at making fine distinctions. The Haggadah responds by teaching him the laws of the Passover offering, rewarding his inquiry with depth and precision. This exchange models the ideal student-teacher relationship: the wise sonโs active engagement elicits a response that elevates his understanding, much like the sieve produces the finest flour from raw grain.
Conclusion: Lessons in Learning and Living
By comparing the four sons to the four students, we gain a dual lens through which to view education and personal growth. The Haggadahโs sons represent different attitudes toward tradition, while Pirkei Avotโs students reflect approaches to receiving wisdom. Together, these frameworks illuminate the choices we face in engaging with Torah and tradition: at times, we may be sponges, soaking up everything indiscriminately; at others, funnels, letting insight slip away; strainers, clinging to the wrong priorities; or sieves, refining our understanding to its essence.
The ultimate aim, exemplified by the wise son and the sieve, is to pursue discernmentโto grasp what matters most and release what doesnโt. As we sit at the Seder table or learn from the sages, we face a choice: Will we take in everything without focus, let wisdom slip away, push away whatโs valuable, or sift out the truth? The Haggadah and Pirkei Avot together point us toward the sieveโs clarity, showing how to turn the Pesach story into wisdom that lasts.
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