Questions, Questions, Questions, Questions! 

The Jewish people love questions.  The question is sometimes more important than the answer.  At the Seder we begin the Maggid section (the telling of our exodus from Egypt) with the recitation of the 4 Questions, Mah Nishtanah. Traditionally the youngest child at the Seder asks these questions and the Seder leader attempts to answer them.  This year, as many of us will be at our own homes for Seder, we may not have a child at home who can ask the four questions.  So what should we do?  Anyone can ask them!  Actually, the Mah Nishtanah, is just a prompt for the Maggid section and according to the Mishnah (Pesachim 10:4) a child is supposed to ask any question to start the Seder and if he/she is not able to ask, his/her parent should begin reciting the Mah Nishtanah, to help him/her out.

At my Seder, every year we ask our participants to ask lots of questions.  It is the role of the participants to stop the leader as much as possible with lots of questions.  It is then the role of everyone at the seder to answer the questions.  This makes the Seder more enjoyable and more relevant for all! 

Sometimes it is hard to come up with questions in advance of the Seder.  I propose that this year, we should in advance of the Seder, assign each family member (who has the ability to ask questions) to ask questions about certain Passover themes or about themes that are relevant to this year.  For example, why on all other Passovers we have lots of people over to our homes for Seder, but on this year only our immediate family?  On all other Passovers Grandma and Grandpa come over to our home for Seder, but this year why are they virtually joining us?

I wish everyone a meaningful Pesach and one filled with lots of questions!

Chag Sameach.

-Rabbi David Bluman, Congregation Beth Israel