The haggadah is the classic ritual text that serves as the base and script of the Passover seder. Its text was compiled during the periods of the Mishnah and the Talmud, with later medieval additions. It is the most printed Jewish book as new editions and new commentaries are published every year. Different communities around the world have also developed their own variations and ritual practices, often recorded in the editions produced in their own communities.
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Four Children at the SederTALMUD
Four Children at the Seder
TALMUD
The Haggadah tells the story of four children with Passover-themed questions. The Jerusalem Talmud, an ancient corpus of law, ethics, and stories, presents a version of this story.
Why Four Cups?MIDRASH
Why Four Cups?
MIDRASH
What is the reason behind drinking four cups of wine at the seder? One possibility suggested in Bereishit Rabbah, an ancient compilation of interpretations on the Book of Genesis, is a connection to a biblical story about drinking.
Come As You AreJEWISH THOUGHT
Come As You Are
JEWISH THOUGHT
Why might someone deeply familiar with the Passover story still sit down to tell it all over again each year? This 18th-century work of Hebrew grammar explains how we might make sense of this practice.
In Any LanguageHALAKHAH
In Any Language
HALAKHAH
At the seder, the spoken word is the key to conveying the story of Passover. Explore the interplay of action and dialogue with this foundational 16th-century legal code.
More is BetterCHASIDUT
More is Better
CHASIDUT
Retelling the story of the Exodus isn’t only a Passover night activity. In this chasidic text, Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky (18th century, Ukraine), known as the Cherbonbyl rebbe, elaborates upon the concept of incorporating the Passover story into everyday conversations.
