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Chad Gadya ‐ Avidan Abramson (6th Grade)

Chad Gadya is one among many songs that we sing during the Passover Seder. Often we are tired and groggy
when we reach this part of the Seder, but maybe we shouldn’t be. Maybe there is more to this song then every-
one gives it credit for. In that spirit I would like to share an interesting Dvar Torah about this seemingly strange
Passover song.

Why would we sing this song, about cats, dogs, oxen, and even the Angel of Death during the Passover Seder?
What does it have to do with the rest of the theme of the Passover? Well, what first comes to mind when listen-
ing to Chad Gadya, is the thought of how Hashem rules over everything, even the Angel of Death. But why
would we have such an extra song? Isn’t the whole point of the Seder to show the Jewish people, and the rest of
the world, how Hashem can rule over everything? What I’m trying to say is, why do we sing this song during the
Passover Seder? Wouldn’t it fit in better during Chanukah, when we celebrate how Hashem helped us defeat the
evil Greeks?

Well, there is more to this song than meets the eye. There is a Midrash about the origins of this song. It was in
the days of Avraham and the Aramean king Nimrod. They were having an argument. Nimrod said to Avraham
that he should worship fire, but Avraham returned his argument with the fact that water puts out fire, clouds
bring water, wind moves clouds, and humans can control wind with their breath. So, worshiping forces of nature
is just like worshiping yourself. Because of this story we learn that the reason we sing this song during the Pass-
over Seder is because we aren’t only celebrating how Hashem ruled over everything. We are also celebrating
how we (the Jewish People) are the goat and even though everyone else wants to destroy us, Hashem will always
save us. And during Passover we are, more than anything, celebrating how Hashem will always save us.

We can learn from this that no matter how many people try to destroy us, Hashem will always save us. And that
is why we sing Chad Gadya during the Passover Seder.

Noam Krispil—1st Grade