2020/5780

One of the centerpieces of Magid is the passage of the Arba Banim. The four sons, the Chacham, Rasha, Tam, and SheAino Yodea Lishol, each pose a question depending on their personality and we reply with an answer based on their question. In regards to the Rasha, he asks, “Mah HaAvodah HaZot Lachem?” The Hagadah continues by saying that since he excludes himself, he has Kafar BaIkar, he has denied the core belief of Judaism, and, as such, we knock out his teeth. The Mashpia of Lulav, HaRav Elimelech Bidderman, asks how distancing himself from the community is considered denying the core principle of Judaism?

                Rav Meilich offers an answer by looking at the holiday of Sukkot. Chazal teach that on Sukkot when we take the Arba Minim, they are representative of 4 types of people. The Etrog which smells and tastes good corresponds to Tzadikim who both act well and are good people. The Lulav is from a date tree, and, as such, it has a good taste but no smell. Therefore, it represents those who learn Torah but lack proper actions. In contrast, the Hadasim, which have no smell but taste good, correspond to mediocre people who act well but lack scholarship in Torah. Finally, the Aravot represent the lowly people who have neither good actions nor scholarship in Torah. Nevertheless, even though the Aravot Jews lack basic characteristics of Judaism, the Torah still tells every person to include them, but we take them as part of the Arba Minim because their value is as part of the nation. However, on Hoshana Rabah, we take the Aravot by themselves and hit them on the floor until they are destroyed because. they no longer have value when they are not part of the community. This is because there is nobody around them who can help the Reshaim fix their ways and return to Klal Yisrael and the Derech Hashem.

                Thus, it is clear why on Pesach we knock out the Rasha’s teeth for removing himself from the congregation. By excluding himself from Klal Yisrael, the Rasha is undermining the central principle of Judaism because he has removed hope that he can return. The merits of the Tzibbur washes one clean and purifies individuals. Therefore, denial of Hashem, being Kofer BaIkkar, begins by removing oneself from the community. TABC Rebbe, Rabbi Zev Reichmen, said that just as the body cannot function if it is missing parts, so too a Jew cannot function if we are lacking any of the 613 Mitzvot. Thus, because some Mitzvot do not apply to everyone, the only way for a Jew to be complete is to be part of the community because as long as we are part of a community which is involved in the 613 Mitzvot, it is as if each individual is doing every mitzvah.