The Four Questions

The telling of the story of Passover is framed as a discussion with lots of questions and answers. It’s tradition that the youngest person in the family asks the questions. The rabbis who created the set format for thesedergave us the Four Questions to help break the ice in case no one had their own questions. Asking questions is a core tradition in Jewish life. If everyone at yoursederis around the same age, perhaps the person with the leastsederexperience can ask them – or everyone can sing them all together.

מַהנִּשְׁתַּנָּההַלַּֽיְלָההַזֶּהמִכָּלהַלֵּילות?

Mah nish-ta-nah ha-lai-lah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-lei-lot?

Why is this night different from all other nights?

:שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּאוֹכליןחָמֵץוּמַצָּה הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלּוֹמצה

She-b'chol ha-lei-lot a-nu och-lin cha-meitz u-ma-tzah? Ha-lai-lah ha-zeh, ku-lo ma-tzah?

Why on all other nights we eat both leavened bread and matzah, and tonight we only eat matzah?

שֶׁבְּכָלהַלֵּילוֹתאָֽנוּאוֹכְלִיןשְׁאָריְרָקוֹתהַלַּֽיְלָההַזֶּהמָרוֹר:

She-b'chol ha-lei-lot a-nu och-lin sh'ar y'ra -kot. Ha-lai-lah ha-zeh ma-ror?

On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but tonight why do we only eat bitter herbs?

.שֶׁבְּכָלהַלֵּילוֹתאֵיןאָֽנוּ מַטְבִּילִיןאֲפִילוּפַּֽעַםאחָתהַלַּֽיְלָההַזֶּהשְׁתֵּיפְעמים:

She-b'chol ha-lei-lot ein anu mat-bi-lin a-fi-lu pa-am, e-hat. Ha-lai-lah ha-zeh, sh'tei f'a-mim?

On all other nights we aren’t expected to dip our vegetables at all.Why, tonight, do we do it twice?

שֶׁבְּכָלהַלֵּילוֹתאָֽנוּאוֹכְלִיןבֵּיןיוֹשְׁבִיןוּבֵיןמְסֻבִּין. :הַלַּֽיְלָההַזֶּהכֻּלָּֽנוּמְסֻבין:

She-b'chol ha-lei-lot a-nu och-lin bein yosh-vin o'vein m-subin. Ha-lai-lah na-zeh ku-la-nu m-su-bin?

On all other nights we eat either sitting normally or reclining. Why do we sit reclining tonight?


haggadah Section: -- Four Questions
Source: many