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This week, Jews are observing Passover, the Jewish holiday that tells the story of how the Jews became a people through making the journey from slavery to freedom. It is a particular story of one people, but it is also a universal story of gaining freedom.
It began on Monday, April 22 (coincidentally Earth Day), with a Seder, a ritual meal structured around telling the story. That telling begins with the youngest child chanting four questions and rest of the Seder being the response. While the four questions are scripted and particular, they open the door to other questions, to discussion, and to debate.
We are and have been in a polarized world where opinions are stated — often loudly. Where making assumptions about intentions, followed by taking offense, happens far too often (especially online). The antidote? Asking questions with an open heart and an open mind.
There is a story in the Haggadah (the book that guides the Seder) my family uses about the Nobel prize winning physicist Isidor I Rabi. When asked why he became a physicist, he said that when he returned from school, his mother would not ask what he had learned in school, but rather, she asked: “Did you ask a good question today?”
Which, of course, leads to another question: “What makes a good question?”
A good question is brave because the questioner is willing to be vulnerable and reveal ignorance. A good question is about seeking knowledge for its own sake, not to score points in some “I’m smarter than you” game. A good question leads to more curiosity and wonder. A good question ultimately leads to more freedom through understanding.
Here’s to asking good questions and to finding good answers along the way.
