Ma Nishtana
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Ma Nishtana (Hebrew: מה נשתנה, "What has changed?," from the first line of the song) are the four questions sung during the Passover Seder. Often referred to as The Four Questions in English, the Four Questions are traditionally asked by the youngest child at the table who is able. The questions are included in the haggadah as part of the Maggid (מגיד) section.
Origins
The questions originate in the Mishna, Pesachim 10:4, but are quoted differently in the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds. The Jerusalem Talmud only records three questions; why foods are dipped twice as opposed to once, why matzah is eaten, and why the meat sacrifice is eaten exclusively roasted. (The last question is a reference to the paschal sacrifice which was fire-roasted).[1] The Babylonian Talmud quotes four questions; why matza is eaten, why maror is eaten, why meat is eaten exclusively roasted, and why food is dipped twice.[2] The version in the Jerusalem Talmud is also the one most commonly found in manuscripts.[3] As the paschal sacrifice was not eaten after the destruction of the temple, the question about the meat was dropped.[4] The Rambam and Saadia Gaon both add a new question to the liturgy to replace it: "why do we recline on this night?"[3] Ultimately, the question of reclining was maintained, in part to create a parallelism between the number of questions and the other occurrences of the number four in the hagaddah.[3]
Contemporary tunes
Traditionally, Ma Nishtana is recited in the chant form called the major lern-steiger ("study mode" - a chant used for reciting lessons from the Talmud).[5] One of the current tunes widely used for the Ma Nishtana was written by Ephraim Abileah in 1936 as part of his oratorio "Chag Ha-Cherut".[6]
Current text
| English | Transliteration | Hebrew |
|---|---|---|
| Why is this night different from all the other nights; |
Mah nishtanah, ha-laylah ha-zeh, mi-kol ha-leylot |
מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת |
| That on all other nights we eat both chametz and matzah, on this night, we eat only matzah |
She-b'khol ha-leylot 'anu 'okhlin chameytz u-matzah, ha-laylah ha-zeh, kulo matzah |
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלּוֹ מַצָּה |
| That on all other nights we eat many vegetables, on this night, only maror |
She-b'khol ha-leylot 'anu 'okhlin sh'ar y'rakot, ha-laylah ha-zeh, kulo maror |
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלּוֹ מָרוֹר |
| That in all other nights we do not dip vegetables even once, on this night, we dip twice |
She-b'khol ha-leylot 'eyn 'anu matbilin 'afilu pa`am 'achat, ha-laylah ha-zeh, shtey f`amim |
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים |
| That in all other nights some eat sitting and others reclining, on this night, we are all reclining |
She-b'khol ha-leylot 'anu 'okhlin beyn yoshvin u-veyn m'subin, ha-laylah ha-zeh, kulanu m'subin |
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלָּנוּ מְסֻבִּין |
Alternate texts
The custom of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community follows the Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Yemenite traditions in placing the order of the four questions as follows: 1. Dipping the food 2. Eating matzah 3. Eating bitter herbs 4. Reclining.[7][8]
Contemporary use
The four questions are traditionally asked by the youngest person at the table that is able to do so.[9] Much of the seder is designed to fulfill the biblical obligation to tell the story to one's children,[10] and many of the customs that have developed around the Four Questions are designed to pique a child's curiosity about what is happening in order to hold their attention.[9]
See also
References
- ↑ Jerusalem Talmud, Pesachim, 60b
- ↑ Talmud bavli, Pesachim, 116a
- 1 2 3 Kasher, Menachem Mendel. הגדה שלמה (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: תורה שלמה.
- ↑ Rambam, Mishnah Torah, hilchot chumetz u matza, 8:3
- ↑ Nulman, Macy, Concise Encyclopedia of Jewish Music (1975, NY, McGraw-Hill) pages 94 (s.v. "Haggadah") & 151 (s.v. "lern-steiger", with a music score for Ma Nishtana).
- ↑ Weiss, Sam. "Chazzanut - Mah Nishtanah". Retrieved 2008-09-21.
- ↑ Cotler, Yisroel. Why Is Chabad’s Four Questions Different Than All Others’? Chabad.org.
- ↑ Guggenheimer, Heinrich, The Scholar's Haggadah: Ashkenazic, Sephardic, and Oriental Versions (1995, NJ, Jason Aronson Inc.) pages 24-27.
- 1 2 "Judaism 101: Pesach Seder: How is This Night Different". Retrieved 2008-09-21.
- ↑ Exodus, 13:8
External links
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