And You Should Tell Your Children on Pesach

Years of conditioning have brought us to think of ‘Mah Nishtana’ as a song for little children, but the Talmud actually teaches us otherwise:

‘If the child is able, the child recites Mah Nishtana. If there is no child present, a woman can recite the Mah Nishtana to her husband. A person having Seder alone should recite the Mah Nishtana. If two scholars who are expert in all the laws and practices of Pesach eat their Seder together the one should recite the Mah Nishtana to the other.’ (Talmud, Pesachim 116a)

Whilst the message of the Seder is equally relevant for mature adults, the Talmud teaches us here that the ideal expression of Mah Nishtana is when it is recited by children. More than just a ‘nachas fest’, reciting these Four Questions helps the young to internalise the messages of Pesach. Without looking further into the deeper meaning of the actual words, we can already see a message here that can be incorporated into our everyday lives.

There is a profound rationale behind the hands-on, interactive learning style of the Haggadah, which takes nothing for granted. It assumes that there is no one at the table who cannot benefit from discussing, visualising and re-enacting the Exodus. It is not enough for children to learn about Pesach in school, nor is it enough for intelligent adults to have plumbed the depths of the narrative in lectures or study sessions. The Haggadah makes an abstract story about an ancient people into the heartbeat of our modern Jewish lives. You are never too old to live the Exodus; never too wise to learn more; never too grown up for interactive Jewish learning. Moreover, we are expressly commanded to remember the Exodus daily in the recitation of the Shema.

The idea here is that if the messages of miracles and liberation penetrate the consciousness of our children, they will also shape the way they view the world and live their lives as they mature into adulthood.

The same principle holds true with regard to ethical behaviour, where the assumption is often made that morals are innate. Doesn’t everybody know right from wrong? Isn’t it patently obvious what the moral course of action should be? Here we can take our lead from the Hagaddah, and remember that without ongoing positive reinforcement, even on a daily basis, the things that are most obvious are the ones that are most easily forgotten. If we consider the issue of money and morals too obvious or too simple to debate and discuss, we risk it slipping away into oblivion. Talking about honesty and integrity, and contemplating real life dilemmas, though, will bring moral issues firmly back on the agenda.

We are commanded to tell our children because it is our duty to educate them in the right way and constantly review the messages. The business stories of the last year certainly reinforce the need for ethical thinking to be front and centre of our daily lives in every stratum of the business world and the workplace. No one is too senior to up their game or too experienced to be reflective. It also hammers home the need for money and morals to be transmitted to the next generation.

The Jewish Association for Business Ethics (JABE) has taught money and morals in almost 700 schools nationwide, and 2011 sees the development and launch of our new Money & Morals website. With over 100 practical case studies, full lessons for teachers and individual logins for students, the Money & Morals website is an opportunity to take ethical thinking to a new generation of students.

Just like the themes of the Seder night, the concept of money and morals is for people of every age and stage. But as with Mah Nishtana, we should give priority to the young and help them form a world view built on ethical thinking and moral practice.