Pensamento Judaico sobre Deuteronômio 6:21

Some problems in the text of our chapter: 1) The three paragraphs mentioned up to now all contain elements which have to be transmitted to one's children and to subsequent generations. In the paragraph commencing with "Pull yourselves a lamb," the command continues with "It will be when your children will say to you." In the paragraph commencing with "Sanctify for Me every firstborn," the Torah continues "You shall tell your children." In the paragraph commencing with the words "It will be when G-d brings you to the land… ,” the continuation is "When your son will ask you..." It is strange that in the middle paragraph commencing with the words "This is the statute of the Passover," which deals with the least comprehensible aspect of this legislation, no reference of the need to explain the significance and meaning of this mitzvah even in response to queries is made. Why is this so? 2) Why are the questioners in the first paragraph "Pull yourselves a lamb," described in the plural, i.e. "your children?" 3) Why did Moses not tell the Israelites prior to the Exodus about the laws of leavening, matzah, sacrifices to be observed on the Passover? All these laws had already been communicated to him by G-d in the early part of Chapter 12? 4) Why do the Rabbis describe the query "What is the meaning of this service to you?" as specifically the query posed by the wicked son? Did not the "wise" son also ask "Which the Lord our G-d commanded to you" (Deut. 6,20)? Does not the fact that in that context the "wise" son refers to "our G-d" signify only that the questioner sees in G-d the Creator, not necessarily the legislator who has the right to legislate to those who had not been part of that historic event? 5) Why does the author of the haggadah switch around the answers that the Torah gave, instead of following the pattern set by the Torah? 6) The Torah really has the children only pose two questions. Moreover, the question of the "wise" son in Deuteronomy is directed at the entire legislation contained in the Torah, not just the part dealing with Passover. Why then does the author of the haggadah include it in the Seder service altogether?

In the Ten Commandments, the first five correspond to our relationship with God; they are attached to the heart and are more severe. The sixth commandment, "You shall not murder," is as stringent as a donkey's mouth in comparison to human speech. In general, it can be said that every punishment of karet (spiritual excision) or death penalty is for the violation of a negative commandment because it arouses greater anger than the laziness to perform what is commanded. I have not found karet associated with positive commandments except for circumcision, as it is a sign of the covenant that stands in the body throughout one's life. It is only an obligation once, upon the father of the newborn or the father appointed by the court. If the child grows up and does not undergo circumcision, karet is imposed. Similarly, karet applies to those who neglect to observe the Passover, as it is a crucial remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt and an essential foundation for all the commandments. Therefore, it is written in Exodus 34:17-18, "You shall not make for yourself any gods of cast metal... You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread," and in Deuteronomy 6:21, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt."