Ma Nishtana
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Ma Nishtana (Hebrew: מה נשתנה) are the four questions sung during the Passover seder. Called "Ma Nishtanah" in Hebrew, meaning "Why is it different?", is taken from the first line of the song. In English, it is referred to as, "The Four Questions." Traditionally, the Four Questions are asked by the youngest child at the table who is able. The questions are asked as part of the haggadah, after the Yachatz (יחץ), as part of the Maggid (מגיד).
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."
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[edit] Text
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| ?מה נשתנה הלילה הזה מכל הלילות, מכל הלילות | Mah nishtanah ha-laylah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-laylot? | Why is this night different from all other nights? |
| שבכל הלילות אנו אוכלין חמץ ומצה, חמץ ומצה הלילה הזה, הלילה הזה כולו מצה, הלילה הזה, הלילה הזה כולו מצה | She-b'khol ha-laylot anu okhlin , chameytz u-matzah. Ha-laylah ha-zeh, kuloh matzah. | On all other nights, we may eat chametz and matzah. On this night, only matzah. |
| .שבכל הלילות אנו אוכלין שאר ירקות, שאר ירקות הלילה הזה, הלילה הזה מרור, מרור - הלילה הזה, הלילה הזה, מרור, מרור | She-b'khol ha-laylot anu okhlin sh'ar yirakot, Ha-laylah ha-zeh, maror. | On all other nights, we eat many vegetables. On this night, on this night, maror. |
| שבכל הלילות אין אנו מטבילין אפילו פעם אחת, אפילו פעם אחת, הלילה הזה, הלילה הזה, שתי פעמים,הלילה הזה, הלילה הזה, שתי פעמים | She-b'khol ha-laylot ayn anu mat'bilin afilu pa'am echat. Ha-laylah ha-zeh, , sh'tay p'amim. | On all other nights, we do not dip even once. On this night, twice. |
| ,שבכל הלילות אנו אוכלין בין יושבין ובין מסובין, בין יושבין ובין מסובין .הלילה הזה, הלילה הזה כולנו מסובין, הלילה הזה, הלילה הזה, כולנו מסובין | She-b'khol ha-laylot anu okhlin bayn yosh'bin u'vayn m'subin. Ha-laylah ha-zeh, kulanu m'subin. | On all other nights, we eat either sitting or reclining. On this night, on this night, we all recline. |
[edit] The answers
After the child is finished singing Ma Nishtanah, the table as a whole answers the four questions. Note, this part is not sung, rather read.
| “ | This night is different from all other nights: because we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. Because we were brought forth from there by God with a mighty hand and outstretched arm. Because we are thankful and because it is our duty to keep the commitment to freedom ever present in our memories and in our lives. So that we will always remember and never forget. We eat Matzoh only on this night to remember that in our haste to escape from Egypt, we could not wait for the bread to rise and so removed it from the ovens while it was still flat. We eat Maror on this night so that the bitter taste of these herbs will remind us of the bitterness of slavery. We dip, twice, on this night - greens in salt water and Maror in Charoses - the first to replace tears with joy and gratitude, the second to sweeten the bitterness of suffering and loss. We recline on this night because, at the time of the exodus, slaves consumed their meals standing, or, at best, sitting upright: the right to recline at mealtimes was the privilege and a symbol of a free man Had we not escaped the tyranny of the despot Pharaoh, we and our children might still be enslaved, deprived of freedom and dignity. Through these special foods and rituals and by the recounting of the exodus story, we hope to refresh our understanding and teach the significance of the freedom we so dearly cherish. |
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[edit] Idiomatic Usage
The phrase "ma nishtanah" is sometimes used colloquially in an ironic sense, to express the opinion that some behavior or situation under discussion is not unusual. For example:
Child: "Dad's in a bad mood today."
Mother: "Ma nishtanah?"
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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