The telling of the Pesach story 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 the Seder gave us the Mah Nishtanah, or Four Questions, to help break the ice in case no one had their own questions. Asking questions is a core tradition in Jewish life.

 

 

מַה נִּשְּׁתַּנָה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹתשֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹתאָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה,

-הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּהכּוּלוֹ מַצָּה.שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹתאָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת,

 - הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּהמָרוֹר.שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אֶנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת,

- הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּהשְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים.שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹתאָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין,

 - הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּהכֻּלָנו מְסֻבִּין

Mah nishtanah halaylah hazeh mikol haleilot?

Sheb’chol haleilot anu och’lin chameitz umatzah,

-halaylah hazeh kulo matzah?

Sheb’chol haleilot anu och’lin sh’ar y’rakot,

-halaylah hazeh maror?

Sheb’chol haleilot ein anu matbilin afilu pa’am echat,

-halaylah hazeh sh’tei f’amim?

Sheb’khol haleilot anu okhlim bein yoshvin uvein m’subin,

-halailah hazeh kulanu m’subin?

 

 

Why is this night different from all other nights?

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

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

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

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

 

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haggadah Section: Cover
Source: Various