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From
<a href="http://revach.net/article.php?id=5038" eudora="autourl">
http://revach.net/article.php?id=5038<br><br>
</a><font size=3>The Imrei Emes - Kibud Av Wins Over The Mah
Nishtana<br><br>
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.<br><br>
[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] <br><br>
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.<br><br>
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?<br><br>
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.<br>
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