[Avodah] The Imrei Emes - Kibud Av Wins Over The Mah Nishtana

[Prof. Levine]

 From http://revach.net/article.php?id=5038

The Imrei Emes - Kibud Av Wins Over The Mah Nishtana

In days gone by the Mah Nistana was a much more innocent affair. Kids 
were not taught the Mah Nishtana in school, but rather it was up to 
the kid to notice strange things going on at the Seder and asking on 
his own volition.

[I have felt for a long time that the yeshivas "wreck" the seder by 
priming thier students with all sorts of information about the 
seder.  They come to the seder with booklets and haggadahs that 
explain everything and often give esoteric insights into things.  To 
me it seems clear from the gemara that kids are not supposed to know 
beforehand what to expect so that they will ask.  I wonder why the 
yeshivas have taken this approach. YL]

On Seder night when the Imrei Emes was a little boy, his father the 
Sfas Emes of Gur started his Seder and waited expectantly for his 
young son to start inquiring about odd happenings. The Imrei Emes sat 
quietly without the slightest hint of a puzzled look on his face. The 
Sfas Emes started to do more strange things in order to get the boy 
to ask, but to no avail. He even started to move things on and off 
the table, turn the table over, and other wild antics just to break 
the boy's calm demeanor, but nothing would make the Imrei Emes flinch.

Finally the Sfas Emes asked his son if he noticed anything different 
about that night's meal. The Imrei Emes said that of course he did. 
Then why, asked the Sfas Emes, di you not seem alarmed and ask any questions?

The little boy answered with pure innocence, because I know my father 
is a smart man and whatever he does he has a very good reason for 
doing. That is why I am not the slightest bit disturbed.

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