Four Questions

Jewish Calendar

The “Four questions” is a text that features prominently at the Passover seder, opening up the portion of the evening in which the exodus story is discussed. Also referred to as “Ma Nishtanah” (“why is this night different”) after its two opening words, the questions highlight the differences between the seder night and all other nights. The text’s origins are in the Mishnah, with variant versions in different rabbinic texts and haggadahs. It is commonly recited or sung by the youngest person at the seder.

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What is the answer?

JEWISH THOUGHT

The four questions are not obviously followed by four answers - or even one. In his commentary on the Haggadah, the Maharal of Prague (16th century) explores where we might find the answers to these questions embedded throughout the Haggadah.

And we pour a second cup and one begins, Mah Nishtanah (How is [tonight] different), and recounts all of the differences that we are doing on this night (Pesachim 116a). And some ask - behold, we have not found an answer to the [question], "How is it different?" And because of that, they explained things that are distant from the truth. But all of this is not difficult - as the answer is certainly at the end of the [section], when he answers, "Pesach, Matzah and Maror," when he gets there. However, "We were slaves," is the beginning of the story…

Gevurot Hashem 52:2

A Time to Ask Questions

COMMENTARY

While singing or reciting the four questions is often a part of the seder, there is a deeper purpose to these questions. Dr. Joshua Kulp, a contemporary scholar, gives a different perspective on how to incorporate questions into the seder.

If the son lacks the intelligence to ask, his father instructs him: On all other nights we dip once, on this night we dip twice? On all other nights we eat hametz or matzah, on this night only matzah. On all other nights we eat roasted, stewed or boiled meat, on this night only roasted. The son is supposed to freely form his own question. The mishnah does not provide him with a list of questions which he must ask. I repeat, the “Mah Nishtanah” which we will examine below is not a list of questions which a child must ask but originally was a list of prompts…

English Explanation of Mishnah Pesachim 10:4:3

The 'Sister Haggadah', Barcelona, 14th century

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