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The Ballad of the Four Sons
Contributed by Amy Brown

  • TOP HAGGADAHS FOR 2023

The Ballad of the Four Sons (to the tune of "Clementine")

Said the father to his children,

"At the seder you will dine,

You will eat your fill of matzoh,

you will drink four cups of wine."

Now this father had no daughters,

but his sons they numbered four.

One was wise and one was wicked,

one was simple and a bore.

And the fourth was sweet and winsome,

he was young and he was small.

While his brothers asked the questions he could scarcely speak at all.

Said the wise one to his father,

"Would you please explain the laws?

Of the customs of the seder,

will you please explain the cause?"

And the father proudly answered,

"As our fathers ate in speed,

Ate the paschal lamb 'ere midnight,

and from slavery were freed."

So we follow their example,

and 'ere midnight must complete

All the seder and we should not,

after 12 remain to eat.

Then did sneer the son so wicked,

"What does all this mean to you?"

And the father's voice was bitter,

as his grief and anger grew.

"If you yourself don't consider,

a son of Israel,

Then for you this has no meaning,

you could be a slave as well."

Then the simple son said simply,

"What is this," and quietly

The good father told his offspring,

"We were freed from slavery."

But the youngest son was silent,

for he could not ask at all.

His bright eyes were bright with wonder

as his father told him all.

My dear children, heed the lesson

and remember ever more

What the father told his children

told his sons that numbered four. 
haggadah Section: -- Four Children
Source: http://www.jr.co.il/humor/pass01.txt

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