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Mah Nokhal BaSe'udah HaZo? (What Will We Eat At This Meal​?​) - מה נ​א​כ​ל ב​ס​ע​ו​ד​ה ה​ז​ו​?

from Passover Melodies - נ​י​ג​ו​נ​י​ם ל​פ​ס​ח by Jonah Rank Liturgy

/

about

“What are we going to eat for dinner?”
Even for those of us who eat meat, it might surprise us to be served a mythical creature. But, that’s exactly what happens at the Passover seder, according to this old poem “Mah Nokhal BaSe’udah HaZo?” (מַה־נֹּאכַל בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ? “What Will We Eat At This Meal?”).
We do not know who wrote this Hebrew ditty, but it has been sung for several centuries by the Jews of Libya, Djerba and Afghanistan. With a list like that, this might not sound like an Ashkenazic tradition. Yet, a Yiddish version of this song exists (An Invitation To Piyut, www.piyut.org.il/textual/693.html, accessed April 11 2014)!
Just as the seder night is full of questions, this song is a whole slew of questions, but with some unexpected answers.
The main dishes are the Primeval Ox and the Leviathan—the former ruling the land creatures, and the latter the most powerful of all sea creatures. Sometimes called Behemah (בְּֿהֵמָה, “Beast”) or Behemot (בְּֿהֵמוֹת, “Beasts”), the Primeval Ox appears alongside Leviathan in the Hebrew Bible. Although the Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch did not make it into the Hebrew Bible, this Jewish book tells a tradition that later rabbis will tell: that, in the future, God will make a feast where these two terrors of the Earth will be eaten by the righteous remnant (29:4). Later rabbinic traditions carry forward this idea very clearly, and our song here tells us that this night is different from all other nights: for, tonight, we’re eating the food of the future!
But while we eat the food of days to come, we drink from the wine of history. The “Preserved Wine” on our table tonight dates back to the Six Days of Creation (a tradition taught in the Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 34b). We eat in the future, but we drink the past.
Like our meal tonight, the Torah transcends time. And if we were hoping for somebody to teach a little torah tonight, we will have the man who first brought torah to us bringing it down again. Moses our master comes back to life tonight at our very table!
A religious man was Moses, but was he wise? Bring in the wisest man the Jews have ever known: King Solomon. If it weren’t for him, our tradition wouldn’t know to whom to attribute the Books of Proverbs, Song of Songs, or Ecclesiastes. Modern bible scholars may disagree today, but our tradition points to King Solomon as the author of “the Wisdom literature” of our Bible.
But enough of the brains and the smarts. Tonight is a night of entertainment! King David will play his lute, Miriam the Prophet will dance, and Deborah will sing. And who said vaudeville was dead? Yet, tonight isn’t just a show. Good as this gathering may be already, there is good news yet to come. And we have a very special guest who comes bearing “good news” for us. Elijah the Prophet, for whom we always open our doors, is finally showing up tonight! Let’s listen carefully because the rumor is the “good news” he has might have something to do with the messiah.
But, news, schmewz... What good is a life without blessings? We should always end an evening with a blessing. We will soon be blessed by the blesser of all blessers: the original High Priest, Aaron himself.
Tonight, we eat the future; we drink the past; Moses and Solomon bring the wits; Deborah, Miriam and King David provide entertainment of Biblical proportions; Elijah the Prophet is the news anchor; and we’re each getting blessed by the first man to see the Holy of Holies, Aaron the High Priest.
Now, how’s that for a meal?

lyrics

מַה־נֹּאכַל בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ?
שׁוֹר הַבָּר וְֿלִוְיָתָן!
שׁוֹר הַבָּר וְֿֿלִוְיָתָן אָכֹל נֹאכַל—
בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ!

מַה־נִּשְׁתֶּה בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ?
יַֽיִן הַמְשֻׁמָּר!
יַֽיִן הַמְשֻׁמָּר שָׁתֹה נִשְׁתֶּה;
שׁוֹר הַבָּר וְֿלִוְיָתָן אָכֹל נֹאכַל—
בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ!

מִי יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ?
מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּֽנוּ!
מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּֽנוּ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה;
יַֽיִן הַמְשֻׁמָּר שָׁתֹה נִשְׁתֶּה;
שׁוֹר הַבָּר וְֿלִוְיָתָן אָכֹל נֹאכַל—
בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ!

מִי יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ חׇכְמָה בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ?
שְֿׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּֽלֶךְ!
שְֿׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ חׇכְמָה;
מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּֽנוּ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה;
יַֽיִן הַמְשֻׁמָּר שָׁתֹה נִשְׁתֶּה;
שׁוֹר הַבָּר וְֿלִוְיָתָן אָכֹל נֹאכַל—
בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ!
אָכֹל נֹאכַל—
בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ!

מִי יְֿנַגֵּן לָֽנוּ בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ?
דָּוִד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ!
דָּוִד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יְֿנַגֵּן לָֽנוּ;
שְֿׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ חׇכְמָה;
מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּֽנוּ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה;
יַֽיִן הַמְשֻׁמָּר שָׁתֹה נִשְׁתֶּה;
שׁוֹר הַבָּר וְֿלִוְיָתָן אָכֹל נֹאכַל—
בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ!

מִי תֵּצֵא בְּֿמָחוֹל לָֽנוּ בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ?
מִרְיָם הַנְּֿֿבִיאָה!
מִרְיָם הַנְּֿבִיאָה תֵּצֵא בְּֿֿמָחוֹל לָֽנוּ;
דָּוִד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יְֿנַגֵּן לָֽנוּ;
שְֿׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ חׇכְמָה;
מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּֽנוּ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה;
יַֽיִן הַמְשֻׁמָּר שָׁתֹה נִשְׁתֶּה;
שׁוֹר הַבָּר וְֿלִוְיָתָן אָכֹל נֹאכַל—
בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ!

מִי תָּשִׁיר לָֽנוּ בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ?
דְּֿֿבוֹרָה הַנְּֿבִיאָה!
דְּֿבוֹרָה הַנְּֿבִיאָה תָּשִׁיר לָֽנוּ;
מִרְיָם הַנְּֿבִיאָה תֵּצֵא בְּֿמָחוֹל לָֽנוּ;
דָּוִד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יְֿנַגֵּן לָֽנוּ;
שְֿׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ חׇכְמָה;
מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּֽנוּ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה;
יַֽיִן הַמְשֻׁמָּר שָׁתֹה נִשְׁתֶּה;
שׁוֹר הַבָּר וְֿלִוְיָתָן אָכֹל נֹאכַל—
בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ!

מִי יְֿבַשֵּׂר לָֽנוּ בְּֿשׂוֹרָה טוֹבָה בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ?
אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַנָּבִיא!
אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַנָּבִיא יְֿבַשֵּׂר לָֽנוּ בְּֿשׂוֹרָה טוֹבָה;
דְּֿבוֹרָה הַנְּֿבִיאָה תָּשִׁיר לָֽנוּ;
מִרְיָם הַנְּֿבִיאָה תֵּצֵא בְּֿמָחוֹל לָֽנוּ;
דָּוִד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יְֿנַגֵּן לָֽנוּ;
שְֿׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ חׇכְמָה;
מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּֽנוּ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה;
יַֽיִן הַמְשֻׁמָּר שָׁתֹה נִשְׁתֶּה;
שׁוֹר הַבָּר וְֿלִוְיָתָן אָכֹל נֹאכַל—
בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ!

מִי יְֿבָרֵךְ אוֹתָֽנוּ בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ?
אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן!
אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן יְֿבָרֵךְ אוֹתָֽנוּ;
אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַנָּבִיא יְֿבַשֵּׂר לָֽנוּ בְּֿשׂוֹרָה טוֹבָה;
דְּֿבוֹרָה הַנְּֿבִיאָה תָּשִׁיר לָֽנוּ;
מִרְיָם הַנְּֿבִיאָה תֵּצֵא בְּֿמָחוֹל לָֽנוּ;
דָּוִד הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יְֿנַגֵּן לָֽנוּ;
שְֿׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ חׇכְמָה;
מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּֽנוּ יַגִּיד לָֽנוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה;
יַֽיִן הַמְשֻׁמָּר שָׁתֹה נִשְׁתֶּה;
שׁוֹר הַבָּר וְֿלִוְיָתָן אָכֹל נֹאכַל—
בַּסְּֿעוּדָה הַזּוֹ!

MAH no-KHAL ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO?
SHOR ha-BAR velivya-TAN!
SHOR ha-BAR velivya-TAN a-KHOL no-KHAL—
Ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO!

MAH nish-TEH ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO?
YA-yin hamshu-MAR!
YA-yin hamshu-MAR sha-TOH nish-TEH;
SHOR ha-BAR velivya-TAN a-KHOL no-KHAL—
Ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO!

MI ya-GID LA-nu div-REY to-RAH ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO?
Mo-SHEH ra-BE-nu!
Mo-SHEH ra-BE-nu ya-GID LA-nu to-RAH;
YA-yin hamshu-MAR sha-TOH nish-TEH;
SHOR ha-BAR velivya-TAN a-KHOL no-KHAL—
Ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO!

MI ya-GID LA-nu hokh-MAH ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO?
Sheh-lo-MOH ha-MEH-lekh!
Sheh-lo-MOH ha-MEH-lekh ya-GID LA-nu hokh-MAH;
Mo-SHEH ra-BE-nu ya-GID LA-nu to-RAH;
YA-yin hamshu-MAR sha-TOH nish-TEH;
SHOR ha-BAR velivya-TAN a-KHOL no-KHAL—
Ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO!

MI yena-GEN LA-nu ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO?
Da-VID ha-MEH-lekh!
Da-VID ha-MEH-lekh yena-GEN LA-nu;
Sheh-lo-MOH ha-MEH-lekh ya-GID LA-nu hokh-MAH;
Mo-SHEH ra-BE-nu ya-GID LA-nu to-RAH;
YA-yin hamshu-MAR sha-TOH nish-TEH;
SHOR ha-BAR velivya-TAN a-KHOL no-KHAL—
Ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO!

MI te-TZE bema-HOL LA-nu ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO?
Mir-YAM hanevi-AH!
Mir-YAM hanevi-AH tetze bema-HOL LA-nu;
Da-VID ha-MEH-lekh yena-GEN LA-nu;
Sheh-lo-MOH ha-MEH-lekh ya-GID LA-nu hokh-MAH;
Mo-SHEH ra-BE-nu ya-GID LA-nu to-RAH;
YA-yin hamshu-MAR sha-TOH nish-TEH;
SHOR ha-BAR velivya-TAN a-KHOL no-KHAL—
Ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO!

MI ta-SHIR LA-nu ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO?
Devo-RAH hanevi-AH!
Devo-RAH hanevi-AH ta-SHIR LA-nu;
Mir-YAM hanevi-AH tetze bema-HOL LA-nu;
Da-VID ha-MEH-lekh yena-GEN LA-nu;
Sheh-lo-MOH ha-MEH-lekh ya-GID LA-nu hokh-MAH;
Mo-SHEH ra-BE-nu ya-GID LA-nu to-RAH;
YA-yin hamshu-MAR sha-TOH nish-TEH;
SHOR ha-BAR velivya-TAN a-KHOL no-KHAL—
Ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO!

MI yeva-SER LA-nu beso-RAH to-VAH ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO?
Eli-YA-hu hana-VI!
Eli-YA-hu hana-VI yeva-SER LA-nu beso-RAH to-VAH;
Devo-RAH hanevi-AH ta-SHIR LA-nu;
Mir-YAM hanevi-AH tetze bema-HOL LA-nu;
Da-VID ha-MEH-lekh yena-GEN LA-nu;
Sheh-lo-MOH ha-MEH-lekh ya-GID LA-nu hokh-MAH;
Mo-SHEH ra-BE-nu ya-GID LA-nu to-RAH;
YA-yin hamshu-MAR sha-TOH nish-TEH;
SHOR ha-BAR velivya-TAN a-KHOL no-KHAL—
Ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO!

MI yeva-REKH o-TA-nu ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO?
Aha-RON hako-HEN!
Aha-RON hako-HEN yeva-REKH o-TA-nu;
Eli-YA-hu hana-VI yeva-SER LA-nu beso-RAH to-VAH;
Devo-RAH hanevi-AH ta-SHIR LA-nu;
Mir-YAM hanevi-AH tetze bema-HOL LA-nu;
Da-VID ha-MEH-lekh yena-GEN LA-nu;
Sheh-lo-MOH ha-MEH-lekh ya-GID LA-nu hokh-MAH;
Mo-SHEH ra-BE-nu ya-GID LA-nu to-RAH;
YA-yin hamshu-MAR sha-TOH nish-TEH;
SHOR ha-BAR velivya-TAN a-KHOL no-KHAL—
Ba-se’u-DAH ha-ZO!

What will we eat at this meal?
The Primeval Ox and the Leviathan!
We will eat the Primeval Ox and the Leviathan—
All at this meal!

What will we drink at this meal?
The Preserved Wine!
We will drink the Preserved Wine;
We will eat the Primeval Ox and the Leviathan—
All at this meal!

Who will tell us words of Torah at this meal?
Moses our master!
Moses our master will tell us words of Torah;
We will drink the Preserved Wine;
We will eat the Primeval Ox and the Leviathan—
All at this meal!

Who will tell us words of wisdom at this meal?
King Solomon!
King Solomon will tell us words of wisdom;
Moses our master will tell us words of Torah;
We will drink the Preserved Wine;
We will eat the Primeval Ox and the Leviathan—
All at this meal!

Who will play music for us at this meal?
King David!
Miriam the Prophet will emerge dancing for us;
King David will play music for us;
King Solomon will tell us words of wisdom;
Moses our master will tell us words of Torah;
We will drink the Preserved Wine;
We will eat the Primeval Ox and the Leviathan—
All at this meal!

Who will emerge dancing for us at this meal?
Miriam the Prophet!
Miriam the Prophet will emerge dancing for us;
King David will play music for us;
King Solomon will tell us words of wisdom;
Moses our master will tell us words of Torah;
We will drink the Preserved Wine;
We will eat the Primeval Ox and the Leviathan—
All at this meal!

Who will sing for us at this meal?
Deborah the Prophet!
Deborah the Prophet will sing for us;
Miriam the Prophet will emerge dancing for us;
King David will play music for us;
King Solomon will tell us words of wisdom;
Moses our master will tell us words of Torah;
We will drink the Preserved Wine;
We will eat the Primeval Ox and the Leviathan—
All at this meal!

Who will bring us good news at this meal?
Elijah the Prophet!
Elijah the Prophet will bring us good news;
Deborah the Prophet will sing for us;
Miriam the Prophet will emerge dancing for us;
King David will play music for us;
King Solomon will tell us words of wisdom;
Moses our master will tell us words of Torah;
We will drink the Preserved Wine;
We will eat the Primeval Ox and the Leviathan—
All at this meal!

Who will bless us at this meal?
Aaron the Priest!
Aaron the Priest will bless us;
Elijah the Prophet will bring us good news;
Deborah the Prophet will sing for us;
Miriam the Prophet will emerge dancing for us;
King David will play music for us;
King Solomon will tell us words of wisdom;
Moses our master will tell us words of Torah;
We will drink the Preserved Wine;
We will eat the Primeval Ox and the Leviathan—
All at this meal!

credits

from Passover Melodies - נ​י​ג​ו​נ​י​ם ל​פ​ס​ח, track released April 13, 2014

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Jonah Rank Liturgy Natick, Massachusetts

Rabbi Jonah Rank is a musician, writer, and teacher. At JonahRankLiturgy, Rabbi Jonah Rank posts recordings of traditional tunes for educational purposes as well as original tunes for lesser-sung texts--and then the occasional something else.

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