[今日經文 Today’s Reading: 出埃及記 Exodus 12-14]
14 日後，你的兒子問你說：『這是甚麼意思？』你就說：『耶和華用大能的手將我們從埃及為奴之家領出來。 15 那時法老固執，不肯放我們走，耶和華就把埃及地所有頭生的，無論是人是牲畜，都殺了。因此，我把一切頭生的公的牲畜獻給耶和華為祭，卻將所有頭生的兒子贖出來。 16 這要在你手上作記號，在你額上作經匣，因為耶和華用大能的手將我們從埃及領出來。』」
出埃及記 Exodus 13:14-16
14 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”
上帝命令以色列人守逾越節，並世世代代繼續這樣做，因為上帝要他們記住祂是如何將他們從為奴之家領出來。 當他們的孩子問：“這是什麼意思？”時，父親的工作就是向全家人解釋逾越節的意義。
拉比薩姆森拉斐爾赫希說得好：“猶太人的日曆是他的教義問答。”
猶太節日週期通過引發問題（尤其是兒童）來教導猶太教的核心信仰。 在逾越節，讓孩子們提問是被稱為“家宴”的教學餐的重點。 事實上，節期週期是最有效的猶太教學形式之一。 分享節期——模仿節期——是猶太父母的核心課程計劃。
安妮塔·迪亞曼特 (Anita Diamant) 的《撫養一個猶太孩子》(Raising a Jewish Child)
父母是上帝吩咐要教導兒女上帝所做的事的人。 通常在基督徒家庭裡，當孩子們問起關於上帝的問題時，父母會說，“去問你的主日學老師或牧師。” 教會的工作是裝備父母回答孩子關於上帝的問題，尤其是關於節期的問題。 讓我們做父母的學習並受神的話語的裝備，下次孩子問問題的時候，我們，尤其是做父親的，就能回答問題。
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢在我們生命中所做的一切！ 願祢幫助我們向我們的孩子解釋屬靈真理，使每一代人都能認識祢。 奉耶穌的名，阿們。
God commanded the Israelites to observe the Passover feast and to continue doing this down through the generations because God wanted them to remember how He had brought them out of slavery. When their children would ask, “What does this mean?”, it was the father’s job to explain the meaning of the Passover to the whole family.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch said it well: “The calendar of the Jew is his catechism.”
The Jewish holiday cycle teaches Judaism’s core beliefs by eliciting questions—especially from children. At Passover, getting children to ask questions is the whole point of the teaching-meal called “seder.” The holiday cycle is one of the most effective forms of Jewish pedagogy. Sharing the holidays—modeling the holidays—is the core lesson plan for Jewish parents.
Raising a Jewish Child by Anita Diamant
Parents are the ones commanded by God to teach their children what God has done. Often in Christian homes when children ask questions about God, parents say, “Ask your Sunday school teacher or the pastor.” It is the church’s job to equip parents to answer their children’s questions about God, especially about the holidays. Let us parents learn and be equipped by God’s Word, so that the next time our children ask questions, we, especially we who are fathers, will be able to answer the questions.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for what You have done in our lives! May You help us to explain spiritual truths to our children so that each generation will know You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
