Four Questions
The Four Questions are asked early in the seder, and they establish the context for the rest of the evening: the goal of the seder is to answer these questions. In some communities, the youngest person present recites the Four Questions. The Jewish Music Research Centre and reformjudaism.com examine the origins of the tunes for the Four Questions. The questions, in Hebrew, transliteration, and English, are as follows:
Why is this night different from all other nights?
On all other nights we eat leavened products and matzah, and on this night only matzah.
On all other nights we eat all vegetables, and on this night only bitter herbs.
On all other nights, we don’t dip our food even once, and on this night we dip twice.
On all other nights we eat sitting or reclining, and on this night we only recline.
Ma nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol haleilot?
Sheb’khol haleilot anu okhlin hametz umatzah;
halailah hazeh, kuloh matzah.
Sheb’khol haleilot anu okhlin sh’ar y’rakot; halailah hazeh, maror.
Sheb’khol haleilot ein anu matbilin afilu pa’am ehat; halailah hazeh, shtei f’amim.
Sheb’khol haleilot anu okhlin bein yoshvin uvein m’subin;
halailah hazeh, kulanu m’subin.
?מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה
הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלּוֹ מַצָּה –
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת
הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה (כֻּלּוֹ) מָרוֹר –
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת – הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָּנוּ מְסֻבִּין –
Di Fir Kashes, performed by Book of J
Theodore Bikel singing the Four Questions in Yiddish
Chabad style Four Questions
Tate lebn, ikh vil dir fregn di fir kashes. Far vos iz di nakht fun peysekh andersh fun ale nekht fun a gants yor?
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Far vos ale nakht fun a gants yor, az mir viln, esn mir khomets, un az mir viln, esn mir matse, ober di nakht fun peysekh esn mir nor matse? Hob ikh dir gefregt eyn kashe.
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Far vos ale nakht fun a gants yor, az mir viln, esn mir bitere grinsn, un az mir viln esn mir zise grinsn, ober di nakht fun peysekh esn mir nor bitere grinsn? Hob ikh dir gefregt tsvey kashes.
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Far vos ale nakht fun a gants yor, tunken mir eyn mol oykh nit ayn, ober di nakht fun peysekh tunken mir ayn tsvey mol --- eyn mol grins in zalts vaser, un dos tsveyte mol khreyn in kharoyses? Hob ikh dir gefregt dray kashes.
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Far vos ale nakht fun a gants yor az mir viln esn mir zitsndik, un az mir viln esn mir ongeshpart, ober di nakht fun peysekh esn mir ale ongeshpart?
Itst hob ikh dir gefregt ale fir kashes. Entfer mir shoyn eyn teyrets far ale fir kashes.
Dear father, I want to ask you the four questions. How is this night different from all of the other nights of the year?
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Why on all other nights of the year do we eat bread or, if we prefer, matzo, but on the night of Passover, only matzo? I have asked you one question.
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Why on all other nights of the year, we eat bitter vegetables, or if we prefer, sweet vegetables, but on the night of Passover we eat only bitter vegetables? I have asked you two questions.
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Why on all other nights of the year we don’t dip even once, but on the night of Passover we dip twice—once in saltwater and the second time in horseradish in kharoyses? I have asked you three questions.
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Why on all other nights of the year, we eat sitting, or if we prefer, we eat reclining, but on the night of Passover we all eat reclining?
I have now asked all four questions. Please answer all four questions.
Woman singing Four Questions in Yiddish with English translation
A young child practicing the Four Questions in Yiddish
Kuanto fue demudada la noche la esta mas ke todas las noches?
Ke en todas las noches non nos entinyentes afilu vez una, i la noche la esta dos vezes?
Ke en todas las noches nos comientes levdo o sesenya i la noche la esta todo el sesenya?
Ke en todas las noches nos comientes resto de vedruras i la noche la esta lechugua?
Ke en todas las noches nos comientes i bevientes tanto asentados i tanto arescovdados i la noche la esta todos nos arescovdados?
Ma Nishtana in Ladino, Eliyahu Bonomo
Ma Nishtana and Avadim Hayinu in Ladino, sung by Neil Sheff
Ma Nishtana in Hebrew and Ladino,
Hazzan Isaac Azose
Sarajevo Haggadah, illuminated manuscript circa 1350 CE. Svjetlost edition, Ljubljana
Seder of a family from Rhodes. At 5:05 they sing the Four Questions in Ladino.
Egyptian Judeo-Arabic
מה נשתנה הלילה הזה
אש אל סבב אתגׅירת אל לילה האדי מן גמיע
אל ליאלי אן פׄי גמיע אל ליאלי ליס אחנה
מגׅמסין חתה ולו מרה ואחדה ואל לילה האדי
מרתין אן פׄי גמיע אל ליאלי אחנה ואכלין כׄמיר או
פׄטיר ואל לילה האדי כולו פׄטיר אן פׄי גמיע אל
ליאלי אחנה ואכלין מן סאיר אל כׄוצׄאר ואל לילה
האדי מורר אן פׄי גמיע אל ליאלי אחנה ואכלין
ושארבין סווא קאעדין וסווא מתכיין ואל לילה
האדי כולנה מתכיין
Four Questions in Judeo-Arabic from Tunis
aš əl-maˁna əl-līla hādi mən kull əl-lyāli.
əldi fi ǧmīˁ əl-lyāli lēs iḥna nġətsu ḥtta maṛṛa wāḥda, u-l-līla hādi zōǧ maṛṛāt.
əldi fi ǧmīˁ əl-lyāli iḥna nāklu xmīr aw fṭīr, u-l-līla hādi kulhu fṭīr.
əldi fi ǧmīˁ əl-lyāli iḥna nāklu baqiyyat xḍāṛa, u-l-līla hādi mrār.
əldi fi ǧmīˁ əl-lyāli iḥna nāklu u-nəšrbu swa qāˁdin u-swa məttəkiyyin, u-l-līla hādi kulna məttəkiyyin.
Excerpted from La Haggada du Centenaire, Facsimile de la première Haggada de Pessah, imprimée à Tunis (1890), Jérusalem 1990. Introduction by Robert Attal.
Transliteration by Ofra Tirosh-Becker.
A similar version by Allegra Matsa, Ioannina, Greece.
Τι διαφερ' τουτ' η νυχτα απ' ολεσ τσ' αλλισ νυχτισ?
Ti diapher tout ē nichta ap oles ts-allis nichtis?
What is different about this night from all other nights?
Ολεσ τσ' αλλισ νυχτισ τρωμι χαμετσ η ματσα; κι μον' τουτ' τ'νυχτα μονο ματσα.
Oles ts-allis nichtis trōmi chamets ē matsa? Ki mon tout t'nichta mono matsa.
On all other nights we eat chametz or matzah; on this night we only eat matzah.
Ολεσ τσ' αλλισ νυχτισ τρωμι ολα τα χορτα; κι μον' τουτ' τ'νυχτα τρωμι πικρα χορτα.
Oles ts-allis nichtis trōmi ola ta chorta? Ki mon tout t'nichta trōmi pikra chorta.
On all other nights we eat all kinds of greens; on this night we eat bitter herbs.
Ολεσ τσ' αλλισ νυχτισ δεν βουταμι καμια φορα; κι μον' τουτ' τ'νυχτα βουταμι δυο φορεσ.
Oles ts-allis nichtis den boutami kamia phora? Ki mon tout t'nichta boutami dio phores.
On all other nights we dip no times; on this night we dip twice.
Ολεσ τσ' αλλισ νυχτισ τρωμι καθισμεν'; κι μον' τουτ' ολοι ακουμπισμεν'.
Oles ts-allis nichtis trōmi kathismen'? Ki mon tout oloi akoumpismen.
On all other nights we eat sitting; on this night we eat while leaning.
© Spiegel-Stein Publishing. Used with permission. Authorized for personal use at family seders, but no other copying of publication permitted without express written consent of the copyright holders. Email info@WhyIsThisNight.com, website www.WhyIsThisNight.com.
This article discusses the history, purpose, and order of the Four Questions in different Jewish communities, as well as the answers to the questions. You can also learn to ask "Why is this night different from all other nights?" in more than 20 languages!
Jewish Iranian
Judeo-Esfahani (Michael Zargari & Iran Monsef)
First line Judeo-Esfahani, second line Persian, third line English.
Chikå amsho khodeh ameh shevå fargh kerueh?
Cherå emshab bå shab håyeh digar fargh dårad?
Why is this night different from all other nights?
Shevåyeh min åmå sowziå tu torshimun aslan ye båram nebaseh, åmå amsho di bår tu torshi jenimeh
Dar shab håyeh digar må sabzi-rå dar serkeh hatå yek bår nemizanim; amå emshab doh bår mizanim
On all other nights, we do not dip even once, but on this night we dip twice
Shevåyeh min åmå yå nun yå maså (nuneh var nowun-deh) khortemuneh; åmå amsho maså (nuneh var nowun-deh) kherimeh
Dar shab håyeh digar må yå nån yå fatir mikhorim; amå emshab faghat fatir mikhorim
On all other nights we eat bread or maså, but on this night do we eat only maså
Shevåyeh min ameh sowziå rå khortemuneh, åmå amsho sowzi-eh talkh kherimeh
Dar shab håyeh digar hameh jur sabzi mikhorim; amå emshab faghat sabziyeh talkh mikhorim
On all other nights, we eat all kinds of herbs, but on this night we eat only maror (bitter herbs)
Shevåyeh min åmå nishteh yå lamtimeh o kherimeh, åmå amsho lamtimeh o kherimeh
Dar shab håyeh digar må neshasteh yå lamn dådeh mikhorim/minushim; amå emshab lamn dådeh mikhorim/minushim
On all other nights, we eat/drink either sitting or reclining, but on this night we eat/drink only reclining
Israeli Sign Language
