Subject: Why is this night different?
Date:    Wed, 15 Apr 1998 23:53:10 +0000
To:      "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>

From:     Hans Vanderwerff
To:       heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject:  Happy Pesach

Shalom Ed,

And here is a chuckle for you:

During one of my many trips to London, I became friends with a very
wealthy, yet very modest, Jewish chap named Hyman Goldfarb.  On one 
visit, Hy told me that because of his large donations to charities 
through the years, the queen wanted to knight him, but he was
going to turn it down.

"That's a great honor," I said. "Why would you turn it down?"

"Because during the ceremony you have to say something in Latin," he said.
"And I don't wish to bother studying Latin just for that."

"So say something in Hebrew. The queen wouldn't know the difference."

"Brilliant," Hy complimented me, "but what should I say?"

"Remember that question the son asks the father on the first night of
Passover? ... Can you say that in Hebrew?"

"Of course," he said. "Ma nishtana ha leila hazeh.  Thank you, old sport, I
shall become a knight."

At the ceremony Hy waited his turn while several of the other honorees went
before the queen.  Finally they called his name.  He knelt before Her
Majesty, she placed her sword on one shoulder and then on the other, and
motioned for Hy to speak.

Hyman beamed, "Ma nishtana ha leila hazeh."

The queen turned to her husband and asked, "Why is this knight different
from  all other knights?"

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