Quotation_auto על שמות 8:30

Another Explanation "And first born of your children you shall redeem" (Exodus 13:13) Where [is this law sourced:] If his father did not redeem him, he should redeem himself. [We are] taught to say: "And all first born of my sons I will redeem" (Exodus 13:15). Rabbi Yosei the Galilean says since the Torah said "Redeem your sons" and "Teach your sons Torah", if you learn regarding the study of Torah that if his father did not teach him he teaches himself. So to if [his father] did not redeem him he is obligated to redeem himself. [This is] not [so] if you said regarding the study of Torah that it is equal in weight to everything such that if his father did not teach him [Torah] he teaches himself. You should say regarding redemption that it is not equal in weight to everything therefore if his father did not redeem him he should not redeem himself. Behold circumcision will prove that it is not equal in weight to everything for if his father did not circumcise him he circumcises himself. So to if his father did not redeem him he should redeem himself. [This is] not [so] if you said regarding circumcision [that one who is not circumcised] is cut off [from the Jewish people] that if his father did not circumcise him he circumcises himself. You should say regarding redemption that [one who is not redeemed] is cut off [from the Jewish people] therefore if he was not redeemed he should not redeem himself. You said explain. [From] a general principal all three can be understood. Circumcision is not like Torah study and Torah study is not like circumcision and neither of them are like redemption and redemption is like neither of them. The common element between them is that they are all a command for the father to do for his son [but] if the father did not do for his son the son shall do for himself. Accordingly anything that is a command for the father to do for his son [but] if the father did not do for his son the son shall do for himself. From here they said a person is obligated from the Torah to circumcise his son, to redeem him, to teach him Torah, to teach him a craft and to marry him off. Rabbi Akiva says even to teach him to swim. Rebbi says even manners. "It will be when your son will ask you tomorrow saying" (Exodus 13:14) there is 'tomorrow' now [literally the next day] and there is 'tomorrow' after a [long] time. "Tomorrow the sign shall come to pass" (Exodus 8:19) this is tomorrow now. "Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill" (Exodus 17:9) This is 'tomorrow' now. "Tomorrow your children will say to our children" (Joshua 22:24) This is 'tomorrow' after a [long] time. "What mean the decrees, laws and rules" (Deuteronomy 6:20) is found to be saying they are four sons: one wise, one simple, one wicked, and one who does not know to ask. The wise one what does he say? "What are the decrees, laws and rules etc." Accordingly you say to him about the laws of Passover and say to him "We do not have desert after the Passover sacrifice" (Mishna Pesachim 10:8). The simple one What does he say? "What is this?" You shall say to him "With a strong hand he took us out" (Exodus 13:14). The wicked one What does he say? What is this work for you? For you and not for him and because he takes himself out of the collective his is a heretic Accordingly you take him out of the collective and say to him "It is because of what the LORD did for me when I went free from Egypt." (Exodus 13:8) for me and not for him if he was there [in Egypt] he would not have been freed. And the one who does not know to ask you open for him as it says "You shall tell your son on that day" (ibid).