My brother-in-law and sister-in-law drove in from Ohio to celebrate the Passover holiday with us. They rented a car for the trip, a Nissan Rogue. I’ve seen these cars before, they are quite common, but now that it was close up in my driveway it made me think for a second: Why would Nissan use a name like that? Look up rogue, it means undisciplined, unruly, wild… why name a nice car for such negatives?
There’s another side to unruly and wild. It can have the positive connotation of being adventurous and full of spunk, curious and energetic, off-the-beaten-track. Nissan wants to tap into that side of our personality, and appeal to those urges and interests that they feel this car can represent.
This is a timely thought for Passover as we read once again about the wicked son. We’ve discussed many times (we’ve never let a Seder go by without it) the Rebbe’s unconventional interpretation and positive twist on the wicked son, who gets a very bad rap in the Haggadah.
The Nissan Rogue in our driveway this Passover gave me another insight: The wicked son has a wild side, which can be harnessed and utilized in positive ways. Like the car, he could represent a sense of adventure, excitement, unbridled energy that even the wise son doesn’t have.