“But I had a good uncle, my late Uncle Alex. He was my father's kid brother, a childless graduate of Harvard who was an honest life-insurance salesman in Indianapolis. He was well- read and wise. And his principal complaint about other human beings was that they so seldom noticed it when they were happy. So when we were drinking lemonade under an apple tree in the summer, say, and talking lazily about this and that, almost buzzing like honeybees, Uncle Alex would suddenly interrupt the agreeable blather to exclaim, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
SO I do the same now, and so do my kids and grandkids. And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, "if this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
-Kurt Vonnegut "A man without a country" p. 132”
At this moment we should pause, look around, and say together:
This is also an appropriate time to go around the table and allow each person to declare the awesomeness of their companions at the seder.
In Yemenite practice, directly after the four questions are recited the youngest literate person at the table reads a brief Judeo-Arabic passage, here transcribed per the Yemenite transliteration system (wherein gimel dagesh = j and qof = g) and translated into Arabic and Hebrew. Instructional notes say this passage is “for the benefit of women and toddlers,” the two main classes of people who would have not had access to Hebrew education at the time.
Ma khəbar hādhih al-laylah min jəmīʿ al-ləyyāli?
מַא כְׄבַּר הַדִׄה ﭏַלַילַהּ מִן גְּמִיע ﭏַלְיִאַלִי?
מָה נִשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכׇּל הַלֵּילוֹת?
What tells this night from the rest of nights?
Kharju jədūdina wə-ʾābāʾina min Miṣr bayt al-ʿăbūdiyya kānu yafʿalu at-tibn fi al-libn, liman? Li-Farʿöh ar-rosho al-jomūr, alladhī rāʾsuhu sāʿ aṣ-ṣimʿūr, wə-fumuh sāʿ mināg at-tannur, wə-awrad Allah ʿăla al-Miṣriyun:
כַׄרגּוּ גְּדּוּדִּנַא וְאַבַּאיְנַא מִן מִצר בַּיתּ ﭏַעֲבּוּדִּיַה̈ כַּאנוּ יַפְעֲלוּ ﭏַתִּבּן פִי ﭏַלִבּן, לִמַן? לְפַרעֹה ﭏַרָשָׁע ﭏַגָּמוּר, ﭏַדִׄי רַאסֻה סַאע ﭏַצִמעוּר וְפֻמֻה סַאע מִנַאק ﭏַתַּנוּר, ואַורַדּ ﭏלה עֲלַי׳ ﭏַמִצְריוּן:
יָצְאוּ קַדְמוֹנֵינוּ וַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם בֵּית הַשִּׁעְבּוּד שֶׁהָיִינוּ עוֹשִׂים לְבָנִים בַּתֶּבֶן, לְמִי? לְפַרְעֹה הָרָשָׁע הַגָּמוּר, אֲשֶׁר רֹאשׁוֹ רָחָב בְּחֻצְפָּה, וּפִיהוּ רָחָב כְּמוֹ־תַּנּוּר, וַיּוֹרֶד אֱלוֹהַּ עַל הַמִּצְרִים:
Our ancestors and forefathers left Egypt the house of slaver where they were making straw into bricks, for whom? For Pharaoh the completely wicked, whose head was wide with insolence, and whose mouth was wide like an oven, and God brought down on the Egyptians:
Ad-dam, waṣ-ṣifādaʿ, wal-gaml wal-gumml, wal-wiḥūsh, wal-finā, wal-jərab, wal-bərad, wal-jərād, waḍ-ḍəlām, wə-mut al-abkār.
ﭏַדַּם, וﭏַצִפַאדִּע, ﭏַקַמל וﭏַקֻמּל, וﭏַוִחוּשׁ, וﭏַפִנַא, וﭏַגְּרַבּ, וﭏַבְּרַדּ, וﭏַגְּרַאדּ, וﭏַצְׄלַאם, וְמוּתּ ﭏַאַבּכַּאר.
הַדָּם, וְהַצְּפַרְדֵּעַ, וְהַכִּנִּים וְהַכִּנָּם, וְהֶעָרֹב, וְהַדֶּבֶר, וְהַשְּׁחִין, וְהַבָּרָד, וְהָאַרְבֶּה, וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ, וּמַכַּת הַבְּכוֹרוֹת.
The blood, and the frogs, and the lice and fleas, and the beasts, and the disease, and the scabs, and the hail, and the locusts, and the darkness, and the death of the firstborn.
Ḥatta ʿəjuz bəjuz, ʿălayhā alf laʿnah təjuz, kān maʿhā maʿbūd min ʿijnah, dəkhal al-kalb ʾăkalha wa-ṣərakht tilk al-laylah, wə-kān ṣurākh ʿăḍīm bə-Miṣr, lə-gayyem ma shə-naʾămor, ki ēn bayith ăshar ēn shom meth.
חַתַּי׳ עֲגּוּז בְּגּוּז, עֲלַיהַא אַלף לַענַהּ תְּגּוּז, כַּאן מַעהַא מַעבּוּד מִן עִגּנַהּ, דְּכַׄל ﭏַכַּלבּ אֲכַּלהַא, וַצְרַכׄתּ תִּלךּ ﭏַלַילַהּ, וְכַּאן צֻרַאךׄ עֲצִׄים בְּמִצר, לְקַיֵּם מַה שְׁנֶאֱמָר, כִּֽי־אֵ֣ין בַּ֔יִתֿ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־שָׁ֖ם מֵֽתֿ׃ (שמות יב:ל)
עַד שֶׁעַל הַזְּקֵנָה בְּכׇל־זְקֵנוֹת, עָלֶיהָ אֶלֶף קְלָלוֹת, אִתָּה הַפֶּסֶל נִהְיָה לְבָצֵק, וּבָא הַכֶּלֶב וַאֲכָלֻהוּ, וְהַכֹּל זַעֲקוּ הַלַּיְלָה הַהוּא, לְקַיֵּם מַה שְׁנֶאֱמָר, וַתְּהִ֛י צְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־אֵ֣ין בַּ֔יִת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־שָׁ֖ם מֵֽת׃ (שמות יב:ל)
Until upon the oldest women a thousand curses were fulfilled, then her idol with her became dough, then the dog came and ate it, and all wailed that night, and thus was great wailing in Egypt, to fulfill what is said: “for there was no house without someone dead.” (Exodus 12:30)
Wə-khalaṣhum Allah biyad shədidah wədirāʿ mamdūdah w-aḥkām aḍīmah, w-ayāt wa-brāhīn ʿăla Møsha Rabenu ʿOlow hash-Sholøm, wə-hadha al-jəwāb:
וְכַׄלַצהֻם ﭏלה בִּיַד שְׁדִּידַּה̈ וְדִׄרַאע מַמדּוּדַּהּ ואַחכַּאם עֲצִׄימַהּ, ואַיַאתּ וַבְּרַאהִין עֲלַי׳ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, וְהַדַׄא ﭏַגְּוַאבּ:
וַיִּגְאָלֵנוּ אֱלוֹהַּ בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבְמִשְׁפָּטִים גְּדוֹלִים וּבְאוֹתוֹת וּבְרִיאוֹת עַל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, וְזֶה הַתְּשׁוּבָה:
And God freed us with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, great judgements, signs and creations, by Moses our teacher peace be upon him, and this is the answer:
Special thanks to Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut) and Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation).
Ma Khəbar Hādhih: A Yemenite Judeo Arabic Elaboration on The Four Questions
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בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ מִכָּל עָם וְרוֹמְמָנוּ מִכָּל לָשׁוֹן וְקִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו. וַתִּתֶּן לָנוּ יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּאַהֲבָה מוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה, חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשׂוֹן, אֶת יוֹם חַג הַמַצוֹת הַזֶה, זְמַן חֵרוּתֵנוּ , מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ, זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאוֹתָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים, וּמוֹעֲדֵי קָדְשֶךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשָׂשׂוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, מְקַדֵּשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְּמַנִּים.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha’olam, asher bachar banu mikol’am, v'rom'manu mikol-lashon, v'kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, vatiten-lanu Adonai Eloheinu b'ahavah moadim l'simchah, chagim uz'manim l'sason et-yom chag hamatzot hazeh. Z'man cheiruteinu, mikra kodesh, zeicher litziat mitzrayim. Ki vanu vacharta v'otanu kidashta mikol ha’amim. Umo’adei kod’shecha b'simchah uv'sason hinchaltanu. Baruch atah Adonai, m'kadeish Yisrael v'hazmanim.
Kiddush for Weekdays Hebrew and Transliteration
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“But I had a good uncle, my late Uncle Alex. He was my father's kid brother, a childless graduate of Harvard who was an honest life-insurance salesman in Indianapolis. He was well- read and wise. And his principal complaint about other human beings was that they so seldom noticed it when they were happy. So when we were drinking lemonade under an apple tree in the summer, say, and talking lazily about this and that, almost buzzing like honeybees, Uncle Alex would suddenly interrupt the agreeable blather to exclaim, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
SO I do the same now, and so do my kids and grandkids. And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, "if this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
-Kurt Vonnegut "A man without a country" p. 132”
At this moment we should pause, look around, and say together:
This is also an appropriate time to go around the table and allow each person to declare the awesomeness of their companions at the seder.
In Yemenite practice, directly after the four questions are recited the youngest literate person at the table reads a brief Judeo-Arabic passage, here transcribed per the Yemenite transliteration system (wherein gimel dagesh = j and qof = g) and translated into Arabic and Hebrew. Instructional notes say this passage is “for the benefit of women and toddlers,” the two main classes of people who would have not had access to Hebrew education at the time.
Ma khəbar hādhih al-laylah min jəmīʿ al-ləyyāli?
מַא כְׄבַּר הַדִׄה ﭏַלַילַהּ מִן גְּמִיע ﭏַלְיִאַלִי?
מָה נִשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכׇּל הַלֵּילוֹת?
What tells this night from the rest of nights?
Kharju jədūdina wə-ʾābāʾina min Miṣr bayt al-ʿăbūdiyya kānu yafʿalu at-tibn fi al-libn, liman? Li-Farʿöh ar-rosho al-jomūr, alladhī rāʾsuhu sāʿ aṣ-ṣimʿūr, wə-fumuh sāʿ mināg at-tannur, wə-awrad Allah ʿăla al-Miṣriyun:
כַׄרגּוּ גְּדּוּדִּנַא וְאַבַּאיְנַא מִן מִצר בַּיתּ ﭏַעֲבּוּדִּיַה̈ כַּאנוּ יַפְעֲלוּ ﭏַתִּבּן פִי ﭏַלִבּן, לִמַן? לְפַרעֹה ﭏַרָשָׁע ﭏַגָּמוּר, ﭏַדִׄי רַאסֻה סַאע ﭏַצִמעוּר וְפֻמֻה סַאע מִנַאק ﭏַתַּנוּר, ואַורַדּ ﭏלה עֲלַי׳ ﭏַמִצְריוּן:
יָצְאוּ קַדְמוֹנֵינוּ וַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם בֵּית הַשִּׁעְבּוּד שֶׁהָיִינוּ עוֹשִׂים לְבָנִים בַּתֶּבֶן, לְמִי? לְפַרְעֹה הָרָשָׁע הַגָּמוּר, אֲשֶׁר רֹאשׁוֹ רָחָב בְּחֻצְפָּה, וּפִיהוּ רָחָב כְּמוֹ־תַּנּוּר, וַיּוֹרֶד אֱלוֹהַּ עַל הַמִּצְרִים:
Our ancestors and forefathers left Egypt the house of slaver where they were making straw into bricks, for whom? For Pharaoh the completely wicked, whose head was wide with insolence, and whose mouth was wide like an oven, and God brought down on the Egyptians:
Ad-dam, waṣ-ṣifādaʿ, wal-gaml wal-gumml, wal-wiḥūsh, wal-finā, wal-jərab, wal-bərad, wal-jərād, waḍ-ḍəlām, wə-mut al-abkār.
ﭏַדַּם, וﭏַצִפַאדִּע, ﭏַקַמל וﭏַקֻמּל, וﭏַוִחוּשׁ, וﭏַפִנַא, וﭏַגְּרַבּ, וﭏַבְּרַדּ, וﭏַגְּרַאדּ, וﭏַצְׄלַאם, וְמוּתּ ﭏַאַבּכַּאר.
הַדָּם, וְהַצְּפַרְדֵּעַ, וְהַכִּנִּים וְהַכִּנָּם, וְהֶעָרֹב, וְהַדֶּבֶר, וְהַשְּׁחִין, וְהַבָּרָד, וְהָאַרְבֶּה, וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ, וּמַכַּת הַבְּכוֹרוֹת.
The blood, and the frogs, and the lice and fleas, and the beasts, and the disease, and the scabs, and the hail, and the locusts, and the darkness, and the death of the firstborn.
Ḥatta ʿəjuz bəjuz, ʿălayhā alf laʿnah təjuz, kān maʿhā maʿbūd min ʿijnah, dəkhal al-kalb ʾăkalha wa-ṣərakht tilk al-laylah, wə-kān ṣurākh ʿăḍīm bə-Miṣr, lə-gayyem ma shə-naʾămor, ki ēn bayith ăshar ēn shom meth.
חַתַּי׳ עֲגּוּז בְּגּוּז, עֲלַיהַא אַלף לַענַהּ תְּגּוּז, כַּאן מַעהַא מַעבּוּד מִן עִגּנַהּ, דְּכַׄל ﭏַכַּלבּ אֲכַּלהַא, וַצְרַכׄתּ תִּלךּ ﭏַלַילַהּ, וְכַּאן צֻרַאךׄ עֲצִׄים בְּמִצר, לְקַיֵּם מַה שְׁנֶאֱמָר, כִּֽי־אֵ֣ין בַּ֔יִתֿ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־שָׁ֖ם מֵֽתֿ׃ (שמות יב:ל)
עַד שֶׁעַל הַזְּקֵנָה בְּכׇל־זְקֵנוֹת, עָלֶיהָ אֶלֶף קְלָלוֹת, אִתָּה הַפֶּסֶל נִהְיָה לְבָצֵק, וּבָא הַכֶּלֶב וַאֲכָלֻהוּ, וְהַכֹּל זַעֲקוּ הַלַּיְלָה הַהוּא, לְקַיֵּם מַה שְׁנֶאֱמָר, וַתְּהִ֛י צְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־אֵ֣ין בַּ֔יִת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־שָׁ֖ם מֵֽת׃ (שמות יב:ל)
Until upon the oldest women a thousand curses were fulfilled, then her idol with her became dough, then the dog came and ate it, and all wailed that night, and thus was great wailing in Egypt, to fulfill what is said: “for there was no house without someone dead.” (Exodus 12:30)
Wə-khalaṣhum Allah biyad shədidah wədirāʿ mamdūdah w-aḥkām aḍīmah, w-ayāt wa-brāhīn ʿăla Møsha Rabenu ʿOlow hash-Sholøm, wə-hadha al-jəwāb:
וְכַׄלַצהֻם ﭏלה בִּיַד שְׁדִּידַּה̈ וְדִׄרַאע מַמדּוּדַּהּ ואַחכַּאם עֲצִׄימַהּ, ואַיַאתּ וַבְּרַאהִין עֲלַי׳ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, וְהַדַׄא ﭏַגְּוַאבּ:
וַיִּגְאָלֵנוּ אֱלוֹהַּ בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבְמִשְׁפָּטִים גְּדוֹלִים וּבְאוֹתוֹת וּבְרִיאוֹת עַל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, וְזֶה הַתְּשׁוּבָה:
And God freed us with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, great judgements, signs and creations, by Moses our teacher peace be upon him, and this is the answer:
Special thanks to Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut) and Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation).
Ma Khəbar Hādhih: A Yemenite Judeo Arabic Elaboration on The Four Questions
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בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ מִכָּל עָם וְרוֹמְמָנוּ מִכָּל לָשׁוֹן וְקִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו. וַתִּתֶּן לָנוּ יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּאַהֲבָה מוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה, חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשׂוֹן, אֶת יוֹם חַג הַמַצוֹת הַזֶה, זְמַן חֵרוּתֵנוּ , מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ, זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאוֹתָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים, וּמוֹעֲדֵי קָדְשֶךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשָׂשׂוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, מְקַדֵּשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְּמַנִּים.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha’olam, asher bachar banu mikol’am, v'rom'manu mikol-lashon, v'kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, vatiten-lanu Adonai Eloheinu b'ahavah moadim l'simchah, chagim uz'manim l'sason et-yom chag hamatzot hazeh. Z'man cheiruteinu, mikra kodesh, zeicher litziat mitzrayim. Ki vanu vacharta v'otanu kidashta mikol ha’amim. Umo’adei kod’shecha b'simchah uv'sason hinchaltanu. Baruch atah Adonai, m'kadeish Yisrael v'hazmanim.
Kiddush for Weekdays Hebrew and Transliteration
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