Furst Rachel - A Passover Haggadah: go forth and learn

A Passover Haggadah

Go Forth and Learn

Rabbi Silber has given us two books in one: the Haggadah itself, in English and Hebrew, with a line-by-line commentary, and a collection of essays that provide close readings of the biblical and Rabbinic texts that inform seder-night ritual. Together, the two sections illuminate the central themes of the Passover Haggadah, pointing to different voices within the tradition and exploring new interpretive possibilities. Just as midrash attempts to bridge the gap between ancient text and contemporary meaning, A Passover Haggadah provides new sources of insight that deepen the Passover experience for todays readers.

Silbers genius is close reading of texts, bringing together a keen literary sensibility and a deep familiarity with biblical and Rabbinic sources .Ellen Frankel, Editor Emerita, The Jewish Publication Society

Clear, engaging and accessible, yet sophisticated and insightful Rabbi Silber offers us a rich and meaningful plate of ideas and concepts for our seder table .Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, Chair, Departments of Bible and Jewish Thought, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah

Silbers scholarship is solid and accessible and will appeal to a range of Jewishly literate readers seeking to better understand and appreciate the richness of the Haggadah text .Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, PhD, Union Rabbi and Worship Specialist, Union for Reform Judaism.

Rabbi David Silber is the founder and dean of Drisha Institute for Jewish Education in New York City. A popular, nationally acclaimed lecturer, Silber is a recipient of the prestigious Covenant Award for excellence in innovative Jewish education.

Rachel Furst teaches Talmud and Rabbinic literature in Jerusalem, where she is a PhD candidate in medieval Jewish history. She has studied and taught at Drisha Institute for over a decade.

Drisha Institute for Jewish Education is the foremost center for the advanced study of classical Jewish texts by women in an open and thoughtful environment. It has grown significantly in scope and impact since its founding in 1979, and its graduates serve as educators, scholars, and leaders in the Jewish community and the world at large. Drishas continuing education programs for women and men are a key community resource, and its Beit Midrash is open to all.

In honor of my parents
Harry J. Silber and Martha C. Silber
my first teachers

You have borne and sustained me all of my years
Isaiah 63:9

Note to the Reader

This book is comprised of two parts: one section that includes eight essays on the Haggadah and related biblical texts and another section that includes the traditional Haggadah text in Hebrew and English translation, together with a line-by-line commentary.

The essays read from left to right, in standard English fashion, beginning on page 1. The Haggadah, along with its translation and commentary, reads from right to left, in standard Hebrew fashion, beginning in the back of the book.

Acknowledgments

The idea to publish a Haggadah commentary based on my classes at Drisha Institute was first suggested by the late Judith Tenzer, of blessed memory. She proposed the concept several years ago in conversation with Tova and Norman Bulow. The Bulows provided support and encouragement for this project from the beginning, and it has been a pleasure to work with them.

The English translation of the Haggadah has been emended from the JPS Commentary on the Haggadah: Historical Introduction, Translation, and Commentary (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2008) by Dr. Joseph Tabory. I thank Dr. Tabory for generously permitting me to use his translation as a basis for my own. In emending the JPS translation, I have consulted and considered various other works, including Dr. Joshua Kulps translation in The Schechter Haggadah: Art, History, and Commentary (Jerusalem: Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, 2009). All verses from the Torah and Psalms are translated according to The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary (New York: W.W. Norton, 2004) and The Book of Psalms: A Translation With Commentary (New York: W.W. Norton, 2007) by Professor Robert Alter, with a few minor changes. My thanks to Professor Alter and his publisher for granting us permission to use those editions. All other biblical texts are translated according to the NJPS Hebrew-English Tanakh (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1993).

The bibliography and suggested readings were compiled with the assistance of Rabbi Dr. Avraham Walfish. The essays were read at various stages by Dr. Rachel Adelman, Wendy Amsellem, Nechama Barash, Chana Lockshin Bob, Dr. Jerome Chanes, Daniel Feldman, Ilana Kurshan, Sara Labaton, Ayelet Libson, and Gavy Posner. Dan Baras read and commented extensively throughout the writing process. I thank them all for their time and energies. Thanks also to my children Akiva Steinmetz-Silber and Shifra Steinmetz-Silber for their assistance typing and proofing.