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Morsels of Hebrew Grammar by Dr. Meshullam Klarberg
The answer is known, but what is the question?
ma nishtana halayla haze mikol haleilot? (Mishna Pesachim, 116A) (’How
nishtana this night from all other nights?’) Many English translations
render the verb nishtana in the present tense. However, the Hebrew form is
past tense, and this was already noted in the 17th century by R’ Shabetai
Sofer in his commentary on the Haggada shel Pesach (annotated edition Satz,
Y. ed., Yeshivat Ner Israel, Baltimore, Md. 1987). It may therefore be
translated ‘How did this night become different from all other nights?’ or
‘What happened to make this night different?’ and continues ‘that on all
other nights we (now) eat . dip . lean etc.’ In light of this the answer in
the opening passage of the Haggada is excellent “We were slaves to Pharaoh
in Egypt and G-d took us out . (past)” and the conclusion also fits
perfectly “This Matza which we eat (now) is because the Egyptians made our
lives bitter . (past)”
We have noted that the word nishtana is part of the text of the
Mishna. The Sages called this variety of Hebrew Leshon Chachamim (Chulin
136B and elsewhere). It should therefore not be surprising if it is a form
which is not to be found in the Bible. R’ Shabetai Sofer writes:

The root of the word nishtana is Shin Nun Heh and it is a form
combined of the Nif’al and Hitpa’el conjugations, for if it were straight
Hitpa’el it would be nishna like nivna (1 Kings 6:7) (’it was built’) for it
too is of the roots with a silent Heh as the third letter and its root is
Bet Nun Heh, and if it were straight Hitpa’el it would be hishtana like
vehishtanit (1 Kings 14:2) (’and change’) but in nishtana the [first] Nun is
of the Nif’al conjugation and the Tav and the Dagesh in the second Nun are
of the Hitpa’el conjugation .

Even though R’ Shabetai Sofer wrote primarily on Nusach of prayer and
on grammar, he based his work on a broad tapestry of sources including
Gemara, Poskim, works of Kabbala, and grammatical works, demonstrating his
mastery of all parts of the Torah and making him worthy of the approbations
of the most famous rabbis of that generation including Rabbi Shemuel Eliezer
HaLevi (Maharsha). His approach to grammar was to base the rules on the
language of the Bible, hence his explanation of nishtana. This explanation
has since been extended to the many words of this form in the Mishna
establishing a Mishnaic conjugation, the Nitpa’el, ‘which is a form combined
of the Nif’al and Hitpa’el conjugations.’

* * * *
The Blessing of Redemption

‘. and he concludes with redemption . R’ Akiva says . baruch .. gaa’al
yisra’el’ (Mishnah Pesachim 116B)

This blessing concludes the maggid (’telling’) section of the Passover
Haggada. What it means depends on the grammatical form that gaa’al
manifests. Rabbi Eisenberg in his article mechkar bevirkat gaa’al yisra’el
in ‘Zevach Mishpacha’ published by the Feldheim family, points out that
there are many blessings which conclude in the past tense but all of them
have asher or she- breaking the flow of words between the opening of the
blessing and its conclusion. All other blessings both open and conclude in
the present. He then explains that gaa’al may be a past tense verb in which
case it must be read as though it were shegaa’al (’who has redeemed’) or it
is possible that it is a noun in Semichut (’construct state’) and means
‘redeemer of . ,’ as chaarash even (Exod. 28:11 see Rashi there) means ‘a
skilled worker of stone ‘ Rabbi Eisenberg prefers the second possibility.

What have others written about this blessing?

The Gemara (Pesachim 117B) comments on this Mishnah ‘For the reading
of the Shema and Hallel gaa’al yisra’el, for prayer go’el yisrael; Why is
this? [The Gemara answers “It - prayer”] - is mercy.’ Rashbam explains this
passage as follows “For the reading of the Shema” - ‘[means] The blessing of
redemption following the reading of the Shema,’ “and Hallel” - ‘[means] That
of Passover eves, where one concludes gaa’al yisra’el in accordance with R’
Akiva in our Mishnah that he [the narrator at the seder] tells and praises
about the redemption of Israel which passed.’ It seems that Rashbam is using
many words to avoid writing simply leshon avar (’an expression of past
tense’), a very simple term. The implication is that he did not regard
gaa’al as a past tense verb. If so it must be a noun in Semichut and as such
refer to the past (see also Chochmat Manoach, Berachot 38a that nouns may
refer to past, present and future).

Bach (Shulchan Aruch O. Ch. 66 S.V. M”Sh vechotem) writes ‘We must
examine our custom at Ma’ariv on festivals when we say the evening
prayer-poems and conclude “blessed are You G-d, King, Rock of Israel,
vego’alo” [with a Vav after the Gimmel) (nusach Ashkenaz). It is as though
one said go’el yisrael, [not in accordance with the above Gemara]; rather
one should say vego’alo without a Vav and this refers properly to the past
redemption as mentioned above.’ It would seem that if one says ‘vego’alo
without a Vav’ one is using it as a noun; this implies that the Bach holds
that it is a noun and as such refers to the past. Indeed R’ A. Kaplan
translates this blessing ‘Redeemer of Israel.’

However Me’iri (Pesachim 117B), Ta”z (O.Ch 66), RSh”Z (ibid.), and
Ya’avetz (Siddur) all write that it is past tense. Similarly most English
translations consider it a verb in the past tense and render it ‘has
redeemed.’    shemayisrael.com/