The Torah Spoke Regarding Four Sons

“The Torah spoke regarding four sons.” The whole Torah is only for the evil inclination, as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice” (Kidushin 30b). Therefore, “He who does not know how to ask, open for him.” We should understand what we should ask, and with what is it opened for him. What is the Segula [power/quality/virtue] with which to open for one who does not know how to ask.

The thing is that when there is an evil inclination, there is a need for the Torah. Hence, if one believes in reward and punishment, he can already observe the Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], since he has a reward. Thus, he is not asking the wicked one’s question, “What is this work for you?” When he has no evil, he has no need for the Torah. Hence, “open for him.”

If you see that a person engages in Torah and Mitzvot because he believes in reward and punishment, he is closed, meaning his evil is closed, concealed. For this reason, it is impossible to correct him because one corrects only that which one sees. Hence, at that time a person is taught to work in order not to receive reward.

Then the wicked one comes and asks, “What is this work for you?” That is, “What will we have if we work for the Creator without any reward? This is against our nature! We were born with a nature of delighting ourselves and not of delighting others without anything in return.” At that time, a person needs the Torah, and then it can be said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.”

But if he has no evil inclination, it means that the will to receive is not evident in him, for only this is called “evil,” and nothing else.