The Gurs Haggadah Passover In Perdition
Monday, April 4, 2011
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
STUDIES ON THE HAGGADAH: From the Teachings of Nechama Leibowitz
STUDIES ON THE HAGGADAH: From the Teachings of Nechama Leibowitz
The essence of the educational approach reflected in the Pesach Haggadah is the question and answer method. Studies on the Haggadah is based on the teachings of one of the outstanding Torah teachers of our generation, Nechama Leibowitz, presenting over 100 analytical questions relating to the Seder and the Exodus from Egypt. Questions extracted from Nechama’s renowned weekly Torah study sheets (Gilyonot) guide the reader through an analysis of the Haggadah text, and the sources upon which it is based, including supplementary biblical texts, Midrashim, and medieval and modern commentaries. Suggested answers are provided by two of Nechama’s students, Yitshak Reiner and Shmuel Peerless. Studies on the Haggadah will provoke discussion and infuse greater meaning into the Pesach Seder.Nechama’s approach is based on the principle of active learning. The cornerstone of her methodology is the presentation of questions on the Biblical text and relevant commentaries that require the learner to independently analyze and draw conclusions.
The Gilyonot (study sheets) on the weekly Torah portion, prepared by Nechama over a thirty-year period, contain textual comparisons, stylistic literary analyses and commentaries that are designed to foster an in-depth study of the sources and raise probing questions. Nechama’s approach to Torah study is thus very compatible with the methodology reflected in the Haggadah. As such, it is helpful and challenging to apply Nechama’s work to the Pesach Seder.
This Haggadah collects questions relating to the Seder from Nechama’s Gilyonot and other writings, and organizes them according to the text of the Haggadah. It includes questions and suggested answers on the text of the Haggadah itself as well as the Biblical verses upon which the Haggadah is based. The purpose of this Haggadah is to enable individuals and families to engage in a meaningful study of the story of the Exodus from Egypt before, during, and after the Seder night experience.
Nechama Leibowitz (1905–97) was among the outstanding Torah scholars and teachers of our generation. Her unique instructional methods are utilized by many contemporary Torah educators throughout the world.
Rabbi Yitshak Reiner studied with Nechama Leibowitz for many years, and is currently involved in the publication of her Gilyonot along with study guides and suggested answers. He has served as the director of the Department for Seminars and Advanced Courses in the Department of Education of the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem, and was also the principal of the Tahkemoni Jewish Day School in Antwerp, Belgium.
Rabbi Shmuel Peerless is the director of the Center for Jewish School Leadership at Bar-Ilan University’s Lookstein Center. Previously, he served as the educational director of the Hillel Academy of Dayton, Ohio and the Hebrew Academy of Montreal, and was the director of the World Council for Torah Education. He studied with Nechama Leibowitz for several years, and has written To Study and to Teach: The Methodology of Nechama Leibowitz, which is scheduled for publication.
Hardcover, 159 pages
ISBN: 965-7108-38-1
Publication: March 1, 2002
Editors: Yitshak Reiner and Shmuel Peerless
- How does the Torah help us to understand why we drink four cups of wine at the Seder rather than five?
- Why does the Haggadah present the four sons in a different order to which they appear in the Torah?
- Why does the Haggadah provide the wicked son with an answer that is given in the Torah to the “Child who does not know how to ask”?
- “And he went down to Egypt: compelled by the Divine decree.” Where in the Torah do we find this decree?
- What unites the plagues in the three groupings in Rabbi Yehudah’s acronym (DeTzaKh ADaSh, BeAChaV)?
- What is the difference of opinion among classical commentators regarding the purpose of the Pesach offering in Egypt?
The essence of the educational approach reflected in the Pesach Haggadah is the question and answer method. Studies on the Haggadah is based on the teachings of one of the outstanding Torah teachers of our generation, Nechama Leibowitz, presenting over 100 analytical questions relating to the Seder and the Exodus from Egypt. Questions extracted from Nechama’s renowned weekly Torah study sheets (Gilyonot) guide the reader through an analysis of the Haggadah text, and the sources upon which it is based, including supplementary biblical texts, Midrashim, and medieval and modern commentaries. Suggested answers are provided by two of Nechama’s students, Yitshak Reiner and Shmuel Peerless. Studies on the Haggadah will provoke discussion and infuse greater meaning into the Pesach Seder.Nechama’s approach is based on the principle of active learning. The cornerstone of her methodology is the presentation of questions on the Biblical text and relevant commentaries that require the learner to independently analyze and draw conclusions.The Gilyonot (study sheets) on the weekly Torah portion, prepared by Nechama over a thirty-year period, contain textual comparisons, stylistic literary analyses and commentaries that are designed to foster an in-depth study of the sources and raise probing questions. Nechama’s approach to Torah study is thus very compatible with the methodology reflected in the Haggadah. As such, it is helpful and challenging to apply Nechama’s work to the Pesach Seder.
This Haggadah collects questions relating to the Seder from Nechama’s Gilyonot and other writings, and organizes them according to the text of the Haggadah. It includes questions and suggested answers on the text of the Haggadah itself as well as the Biblical verses upon which the Haggadah is based. The purpose of this Haggadah is to enable individuals and families to engage in a meaningful study of the story of the Exodus from Egypt before, during, and after the Seder night experience.
Nechama Leibowitz (1905–97) was among the outstanding Torah scholars and teachers of our generation. Her unique instructional methods are utilized by many contemporary Torah educators throughout the world.
Rabbi Yitshak Reiner studied with Nechama Leibowitz for many years, and is currently involved in the publication of her Gilyonot along with study guides and suggested answers. He has served as the director of the Department for Seminars and Advanced Courses in the Department of Education of the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem, and was also the principal of the Tahkemoni Jewish Day School in Antwerp, Belgium.
Rabbi Shmuel Peerless is the director of the Center for Jewish School Leadership at Bar-Ilan University’s Lookstein Center. Previously, he served as the educational director of the Hillel Academy of Dayton, Ohio and the Hebrew Academy of Montreal, and was the director of the World Council for Torah Education. He studied with Nechama Leibowitz for several years, and has written To Study and to Teach: The Methodology of Nechama Leibowitz, which is scheduled for publication.
Hardcover, 159 pages
ISBN: 965-7108-38-1
Publication: March 1, 2002
Friday, August 3, 2007
Szyk Haggadah
The Szyk Haggadah is a Passover Haggadah illustrated by Arthur Szyk in Poland in the 1930s, cited by The Times as "worthy to be placed among the most beautiful of books that the hand of man has ever produced".
Szyk completed his Haggadah in 1936. True to Szyk's theme of portraying contemporary political issues in medieval style, his illustrations were clear and unfavorable references to the Nazis, including such detail as Nazi armbands on the Egyptians oppressing and murdering the Israelites and on the snakes, and the faces of Joseph Goebbels and Hermann Goering on two snakes. However, publishers in Poland and Czechoslovakia rejected it for fear of antagonizing Germany. In 1937, Szyk moved to London, where Beaconsfield Press agreed to publish his Haggaddah, on the condition that overt and direct references to the Nazis be removed; Szyk left in only a distinctive Hitler moustache on the wicked son. Soon Germany and Britain were at war, however, and Szyk's history of opposition to the Nazis in his art became an asset; the Haggadah was dedicated to King George VI, who was given the first copy.
The Haggadah continues to be reprinted to this day.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Haggadah Companion For Passover
Haggadah Companion For Passover
Haggadah Companion For Passover - Original Hebrew, English Translation, English Transliteration
About - Haggadah Companion For Passover
Now everyone can follow along at the Passover Seder, with this newly printed, intelligently laid-out Passover Haggadah. Contains the full Haggadah in Hebrew, English translation, English transliteration and illustrations.
Step by Step this haggadah will help you navigate Passover night with clear Seder instructions in English. Plus a linear type English Translation and a easy to read Transliteration of the Hebrew text.
Even if you never read Hebrew, now you'll be able to follow and sing along with everyone... in Hebrew... and even understand
what you are saying by glancing at the easy reading English Translation.
Elegantly type set and illustrated throughout - this Haggadah is the only one you'll need.
Printed on glossy durable paper and well-bound this Haggadah is sure to be your favorite.
Now everyone can participate in the Seder!
Convenient large size: 6.5 X 9.25"
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The Heritage Haggadah
The Heritage Haggadah
Laws, Customs, Traditions, and Commentary for the Seder Night.
Age Level: 12-Adult
Media: Hard Cover
ISBN: 0-87306-868-8
About - The Heritage Haggadah
Like the author's classic 'Book of Our Heritage,' this work is characterized by his profound knowledge and love of the Written and Oral Torah, and of Chassidic thought. Not "just" a Haggadah, this book includes a detailed section on preparation for the Seder; the laws and customs of the night; a wealth of traditional and original commentary on the elements of the Haggadah; and an extensive compendium of midrashim that make the miracles of the Exodus come alive. Eliyahu Kitov (414 pp.)
Includes:
Preparations for the Festival of Passover
Laws, Customs, and Traditions of the Seder
The structure of the Haggadah - a detailed explanation and interpretation
The Haggadah, in Hebrew and English facing pages, with extensive commentary
Understanding Song of Songs
A compendium of midrashim on the miracles in Egypt
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Word by Word Passover Haggadah
About - Word by Word Passover Haggadah
Word by Word teaches the meaning and pronunciation of every Hebrew word in the Passover Haggadah. It teaches one word at a time, in Haggadah sentence context and as a standalone word. It can advance word by word in auto mode, or you can set the pace of study to your personal preference. To further clarify the pronunciation of the Hebrew, each word is transliterated, as well as translated. We all know that a good foundation in Hebrew Vocabulary is essential to understanding the Haggadah. Word by Word will give you that, and more. It will increase your Hebrew Reading ability and comprehension.
Features - Word by Word Passover Haggadah
* Learn at your own pace - word by word.
* Learn the Meaning of every word.
* Learn the Pronunciation of every word.
* See English transliteration of each word.
* View English translation of each verse in context.
* Every word, Transliterated and Translated in English.
* View text in selection of large E-Z Reading Fonts with Vowels.
* Interactive Review of each lesson + Tracking of progress.
* Global Review and tracking of words that require further study.
* Printout of words missed with corrections & transliteration for review away from computer
Reviews - Word by Word Passover Haggadah
Judy Siegel-Itzkovich (1/1/2007) wrote:
Word By Word: Bible Study Tool, a CD-ROM in Hebrew and English by The Educational Software Company, requires Windows 2000/XP, for children and adults, $39.95 (or shekel equivalent) for the Book of Genesis and the whole Pentateuch 5 CD-ROMS for $149.95 (or shekel equivalent). Rating: Five Stars *****
Now that Simhat Torah has passed and the annual cycle of Torah portions has begun, it is again worth reading the Bible from "In the beginning..." Doing so in English does not provide the same satisfaction as in the original Hebrew. But what do you do if your command of the language is rusty?
This useful program... really part on an ongoing work in development at The Torah Educational Software Company (TES) in Monsey, New York is for you, Jew and non-Jew, as well as for English-speaking Jewish children who have embarked
on their Torah studies. Released just a few months ago, it has already been introduced successfully in many Jewish schools abroad.
The developers, who have produced many pieces of Jewish software over the last 17 years and have been working on the project for three years, are now up to the second Book of Kings and able to translate another book for a new
CD-ROM every few months. TES president Emanuel Fishman predicts it will take another two years to complete the whole Hebrew Bible.
Word by Word Bible was designed from the ground up based on customer requests, the program offers the exact English translation of every Hebrew word, word by word as stated by the title. Each word is highlighted with color and sounded out in a male voice in Sephardic (modern) Hebrew, translated into English and transliterated for pronouncing it correctly. This pronunciation feature is not yet incorporated in the Haggadah,however TES will release a FREE UPGRADE to all those with the earlier version.
There is the option of changing the font size to suit all eyes which makes reading a pleasure.
Enter your name so that your progress will be saved; there is room for 10 names; if an 11th user is entered, the most veteran user will be replaced. Very simple to use, the program opens with a few bars of theme music, to get you into the mood for studying, and then stops to allow you to concentrate.
In the study mode, you may start from the first verse of Genesis or pull down the menu to choose another chapter (of the 50 in Genesis) and verse or another Book if you have the whole Pentateuch version. You advance from word
to word by clicking on "Next Word" when you are read. Optionally, you can turn on Auto Advance feature, and the narrator, highlighting, translation and transliteration will proceed automatically every number of seconds that
you choose.
In review mode, you are tested randomly in a multiple choice format on more than 200 words you learned in each chapter (including repeats). The beginner¹s level sets no time limit, while the intermediate level requires that you click on the translated word within 15 seconds and the advanced level in seven seconds. You can also hear the word pronounced as you take the quiz. Your scores are saved under your name.
After you complete the review quiz, click a button to see the words you missed in the order you missed them (not alphabetically); all of those are displayed with their translations and transliterations, and this list too can be saved
to the disk's clipboard and printed for study away from the computer. The words are listed in the order that you missed them, not alphabetically with their correct English translation and transliteration..
A very useful Bible dictionary stores all the words from alef to tav found in the Books of the Bible that are covered, giving the Hebrew word, its translation and its transliteration; all the words can be printed out for studying away from the computer or saved on the clipboard and pasted into any Microsoft Word or Dagesh Pro Document.
When TES completes the Bible, they will not have finished. Fishman has plans to create a Word by Word Siddur (prayer book), Mishna and Talmud using the same format. More power to them!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Haggadah
The Haggadah (Hebrew: הגדה) contains the order of the Passover Seder. Haggadah, meaning "telling," is a fulfillment of the scriptural commandment to each Jew to "tell your son" about the Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt, as described in the book of Exodus in the Torah.
Compiling of the Haggadah
According to Jewish tradition the Haggadah was compiled during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods, but the exact time is not known.
The Haggadah could not have been written earlier than the time of Rabbi Yehudah bar Elaay (around 170 CE) who is the latest tanna to be quoted in the Haggadah. According to most Talmudic commentaries Rav and Shmuel argued on the compilation of the Haggadah, and hence it was not completed by that time.
However the Malbim, along with a minority of commentators believed that Rav and Shmuel were not arguing on its compilation but its interpretation and hence was completed by then. According to this explanation the Haggadah was written during the lifetime of Rav Yehudah haNasi, the compiler of the Mishna. The Malbim theorizes that the Haggadah was written by Rav Yehudah haNasi himself.
Nevertheless all commentators agree that it was completed by the time of Rav Nachman (mentioned in Pesachim 116a). There is a dispute however which Rav Nachman the Talmud was referring to. According to some commentators this was Rav Nachman bar Yaakov (around 280 CE) while others maintain this was Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak (360 CE).
The Haggadah in the past 1000 years
As of 2006, the oldest complete readable manuscript of the Haggadah found today is in a prayer book compiled by Saadia Gaon in the tenth century. It is not until the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, however, that Haggadot were being produced as works in their own right. It is believed that the first printed Haggadot were produced in 1482, in Guadalajara, Spain; however this is mostly conjecture, as there is no printer's colophon. The oldest confirmed printed Haggadah was printed in Soncino, Italy in 1486 by the Soncino Press.
Although the Jewish printing community was quick to adopt the printing press as a means of producing texts, the general adoption rate of printed Haggadot was slow. By the end of the sixteenth century, only twenty-five Haggadah editions had been printed. This number increased to thirty-seven during the seventeenth century, and 234 during the eighteenth century. It is not until the nineteenth century, when 1,269 separate editions were produced, that a significant shift is seen toward printed Haggadot as opposed to manuscripts. From 1900–1960 alone, over 1,100 Haggadot were printed.
This relatively slow adoption of course has its roots in many places, but it has been attributed in part to the relatively impersonal nature of printed text, compared with manuscripts.
Published in 1526, the Prague Haggadah is known for its attention to detail in lettering and introducing many of the themes still found in modern texts. Although illustrations had often been a part of the Haggadah, it was not until the Prague Haggadah that they were used extensively in a printed text. The Haggadah features over sixty woodcut illustrations picturing "scenes and symbols of the Passover ritual; [...] biblical and rabbinic elements that actually appear in the Haggadah text; and scenes and figures from biblical or other sources that play no role in the Haggadah itself, but have either past or future redemptive associations".
While the main portions of the text of the Haggadah have remained mostly the same since their original compilation, there have been some additions after the last part of the text. Some of these additions, such as the cumulative songs "One Kid" ("חד גדיא") and "Who Knows One?" ("אחד מי יודע"), which were added sometime in the fifteenth century, gained such acceptance that they became a standard to print at the back of the Haggadah. In more recent times, attempts to modernize the Haggadah have been undertaken primarily to revitalize a text seen by some as "no longer expressing their deepest religious feelings nor their understanding of the Passover festival itself".
Compiling of the Haggadah
According to Jewish tradition the Haggadah was compiled during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods, but the exact time is not known.
The Haggadah could not have been written earlier than the time of Rabbi Yehudah bar Elaay (around 170 CE) who is the latest tanna to be quoted in the Haggadah. According to most Talmudic commentaries Rav and Shmuel argued on the compilation of the Haggadah, and hence it was not completed by that time.
However the Malbim, along with a minority of commentators believed that Rav and Shmuel were not arguing on its compilation but its interpretation and hence was completed by then. According to this explanation the Haggadah was written during the lifetime of Rav Yehudah haNasi, the compiler of the Mishna. The Malbim theorizes that the Haggadah was written by Rav Yehudah haNasi himself.
Nevertheless all commentators agree that it was completed by the time of Rav Nachman (mentioned in Pesachim 116a). There is a dispute however which Rav Nachman the Talmud was referring to. According to some commentators this was Rav Nachman bar Yaakov (around 280 CE) while others maintain this was Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak (360 CE).
The Haggadah in the past 1000 years
As of 2006, the oldest complete readable manuscript of the Haggadah found today is in a prayer book compiled by Saadia Gaon in the tenth century. It is not until the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, however, that Haggadot were being produced as works in their own right. It is believed that the first printed Haggadot were produced in 1482, in Guadalajara, Spain; however this is mostly conjecture, as there is no printer's colophon. The oldest confirmed printed Haggadah was printed in Soncino, Italy in 1486 by the Soncino Press.
Although the Jewish printing community was quick to adopt the printing press as a means of producing texts, the general adoption rate of printed Haggadot was slow. By the end of the sixteenth century, only twenty-five Haggadah editions had been printed. This number increased to thirty-seven during the seventeenth century, and 234 during the eighteenth century. It is not until the nineteenth century, when 1,269 separate editions were produced, that a significant shift is seen toward printed Haggadot as opposed to manuscripts. From 1900–1960 alone, over 1,100 Haggadot were printed.
This relatively slow adoption of course has its roots in many places, but it has been attributed in part to the relatively impersonal nature of printed text, compared with manuscripts.
Published in 1526, the Prague Haggadah is known for its attention to detail in lettering and introducing many of the themes still found in modern texts. Although illustrations had often been a part of the Haggadah, it was not until the Prague Haggadah that they were used extensively in a printed text. The Haggadah features over sixty woodcut illustrations picturing "scenes and symbols of the Passover ritual; [...] biblical and rabbinic elements that actually appear in the Haggadah text; and scenes and figures from biblical or other sources that play no role in the Haggadah itself, but have either past or future redemptive associations".
While the main portions of the text of the Haggadah have remained mostly the same since their original compilation, there have been some additions after the last part of the text. Some of these additions, such as the cumulative songs "One Kid" ("חד גדיא") and "Who Knows One?" ("אחד מי יודע"), which were added sometime in the fifteenth century, gained such acceptance that they became a standard to print at the back of the Haggadah. In more recent times, attempts to modernize the Haggadah have been undertaken primarily to revitalize a text seen by some as "no longer expressing their deepest religious feelings nor their understanding of the Passover festival itself".
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