Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy Middle School Pesach Haggadah 2017 5777 Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy 110 South Orange Ave Livingston, NJ 07038 (862) 437-8000 www.jkha.org תשע"ז The 2017- Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy Middle School Haggadah הגדה של פסח Editor Rabbi Yaacov Feit Cover Design Laila Friedman Contributors JKHA Middle School Faculty and Students Dedicated by Sherry and Henry Stein in memory of: Arie & Eva Halpern Dr. Morris Epstein Bernard Stein 1 CONNECT TO TORAH ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE ACADEMICCULTIVATE EXCELLENCE CURIOSITY JOSEPH KUSHNER HEBREW ACADEMY RAE KUSHNER YESHIVA HIGH SCHOOL As a Modern Orthodox co-educational yeshiva, JKHA/RKYHS seeks to inspire students to live lives of Torah and mitzvot; to embrace knowledge and American democratic values; to love and serve the Jewish People; and to forge a lifelong bond with the Land and State of Israel. We aim to empower students to achieve personal excellence by teaching them how to learn, and by encouraging them to analyze, to create, and to pursue new intellectual challenges. We lead students to recognize that because we were all created in the image of God, we must treat everyone with respect and loving-kindness. We help students form strong, healthy identities, and we prepare them to take responsibility for themselves and their communities. THINK CRITICALLY EXPLORE OPPORTUNITY ACADEMICMAKE A DIFFERENCE EXCELLENCE Why is this night different than all other nights? On this night, the Haggadah tells us that one is obligated to see themselves as if they just left Mitzrayim. Why do we not find a similar requirement by any other holiday? On Shavuot we are not asked to see ourselves as if we just received the Torah at Har Sinai. On Sukkot we are not challenged to feel as if we just rested beneath the clouds of glory. On Chanukah we are not expected to re-experience our victory from the Greeks. What is unique about our obligation on this night of Pesach? It seems, that this distinctive requirement is related to another obligation that is reserved for this night- the commandment to impart the story of the Exodus to our children. Some stories resonate more than others. Some story tellers are more gifted than others. Yet, even the most talented story teller, telling the most mesmerizing story is lacking something if his story is not real, personal and fresh. The story of a survivor on the day of his rescue is always most likely to make an impact and leave a lasting impression. To the degree that we are able to feel as if we just came out of Mitzrayim today, will we be able to impart our message with the passion, animation, and emotion necessary to make a permanent imprint on the hearts of our children tomorrow. Whereas the Haggadah based on the Mishnah (Pesachim 116b) states that one is obligated to see himself as if he just left, it is well-known that the Rambam (Chametz ,"לראות את עצמו" to show or demonstrate that one has just ,"להראות את עצמו" Umatzah 7:6) says that one is obligated left. Rav Asher Weiss notes that even the Rambam himself in his commentary to the Mishnah to see himself as if he has left, demonstrating the ,"לראות את עצמו" states that one is required Rambam’s belief in a dual obligation. Perhaps, the message of the Rambam is as explained above. In order for one to properly and effectively demonstrate and share with others the miracles of the .לראות one must first come להראות Exodus, one must first see himself as if he has just left. In order What is mentioned above regarding story telling is equally true with regard to the teaching of Torah. The passion, love, and excitement of a teacher for the Torah being transmitted and the students being taught will help ensure that the message is imparted in a lasting way to the next generation. If a teacher can teach an ancient text of yesterday in a way that is meaningful, real and exciting today, he will ensure that the students will continue to teach that message tomorrow. It is for this reason that the JKHA Middle School Haggadah is such a special project as it blends the ideas above. As our students tell the story of the Exodus in their own voice and teach Torah that is meaningful to them, they do so with an enthusiasm and fervor that is sure to leave an imprint on their hearts and the hearts of others. This Haggadah is the vehicle for our children to feel as if they have left Mitzrayim as they share that message with others as well. I am truly indebted to the Middle School Judaic Studies Faculty who have worked tirelessly and diligently to bring this project of over 100 divrei Torah from 6th-8th grade students to fruition. We are once again so grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Stein for their generous sponsorship of this Haggadah. They are true partners in our mission to tell our story with a passion to the next generation and see this project as an excellent opportunity to do so. Finally, we are so thankful to and proud of our students for sharing their Torah and telling their story with the enthusiasm and passion required to make a lasting impact on the next generation. Chag Kasher Vesameach, Rabbi Yaacov Feit 2 3 דברי תורה לפסח by the Rebbeim and Morot of the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy Middle School 4 The Four Sons as Two Pairs By Eliezer E. Rubin, Head of School The description of the four sons contains a hidden meaning. Each son is contrasted by his opposite. By using this structure, we learn more about the sons’ characters. The antithesis of the wise son is the evil son. In this context, the wise son is both intellectually endowed and characterologically refined. The definition of the term wise is broader than computational skills and intellectual abilities; it is more akin to the way Sephardic Jews refer to their great rabbinic leaders: chacham. Therefore, the opposite of the wise son is arrogant, crass and one who demonstrates hubris. However, looking closely at the second set of sons, we do not see two opposites but just more of the same. The tam, the simple son does not delve into intellectual Judaism; he attempts to understand Judaism from a cerebral perspective but his depth is surface deep. Similarly, the supposed opposite son cannot ask questions and takes no position at all. Almost as if to say that he is merely a downgraded version of the tam. I suggest, however, that the literary structure for the second sons is consistent with the same theme of contrasts embedded in the description of the first set of sons. The tam, although simple, is curious, demonstrates a desire to learn and wants to be engaged. The son who asks no questions is indifferent. Indifference is not a downgrade from simple. To the contrary, the indifferent son is toxic. He is not reachable, does not care about anything or anyone and pursues only what matters to him immediately. Elie Wiesel helps us understand apathy. He stated that “the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference; the opposite of beauty is not ugliness, it is indifference; the opposite of faith is not heresy, it is indifference… (U.S. News & World Report October 27, 1986). Indifference undermines all goodness and it permits injustice and immorality to promulgate and proliferate. As part of our responsibility to our children and community, we must address indifference and find ways to inspire those who are not engaged to at least begin to ask simple questions. A child’s interest must be cultivated and developed. The transmission of our Tradition depends on it. Teaching Them to Ask By Mrs. Debbie Finkelstein, Principal of JKHA In the Haggadah, there are four children: one wise, one rebellious, one simple and one who does not know how to ask. From reading about these children, the commentaries have come to the conclusion that children should ask questions and that the Pesach narrative should begin with questions asked by a child. The parents at the Seder should encourage the children to ask questions. This approach is aligned with our beliefs, based on asking questions. Our students at JKHA are provided with accolades in both their Judaic and General studies classes when they ask a good question. Isadore Rabi, winner of a Nobel Prize in physics, was once asked why he became a scientist. He replied, “My mother made me a scientist without ever knowing it. Every other child would come back from school and be asked, ‘What did you learn today?’ But my mother used to ask: ‘Izzy, did you ask a good question today?’ That made the difference. Asking good questions made me a scientist.” It is important at the Seder to know and to teach our children that not every question has an answer we can immediately understand. There are ideas we will only fully comprehend through 5 age and experience, others that take great intellectual preparation, yet others that may be beyond our collective comprehension at this stage in our lives. Even the great Newton, founder of modern science, understood how little he understood, and put it beautifully: “I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks was quoted as saying, “In teaching its children to ask and keep asking, Judaism honored what Maimonides called the “active intellect” and saw it as the gift of G- d.