the Four Questions junior edition - Yiddish and English

Here is the "Four Questions" song I made up some years ago for my then-two-year-old. The tune is "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow," first part of the tune only. Any kid who can already talk can learn to complete each line. (Except 'vegetables' - a mental block for my son!)

 

First the Yiddish, the way we sing it:

 

א גאנץ יאר עסט מען חמץ

פסח עסט מען מצה

vegetables א גאנץ יאר עסט מען

פסח עסט מען מרור

 

א גאנץ יאר טינקט מען נישט איין

(waggle finger or shake head)

פסח טינקט מען צוויי מאל

(hold up two fingers)

א גאנץ יאר זיצט מען גלייך

(soldier-straight)

פסח זיצט מען אנגעליינט

(tip over dangerously toward one side)

 

And the English, which I just made up now, but it seems to work fine with the tune:

 

All year round we eat Chametz --

Pesach, only Matzah.

All year round we eat vegetables --

Pesach night, it's Maror.

 

All year round, we never dip --

(waggle finger or shake head)

Pesach we dip TWO times.

(hold up two fingers)

All year round, we sit up straight --

(soldier-straight)

Pesach we recline.

(tip over dangerously toward one side)

 

That's it! I find even the bigger kids like this easy song better than the longer chant they memorize in school.

 

Once your child knows the song, you can add the traditional sing-song introduction, "Mah nishtanah, why is Pesach night so different?" "?מה נשתנה, פארוואס איז די נאכט פון פסח אנדעריש פון א גאנץ יאר" or your preferred wording.