e-TiM: Online Program
From the Mishnah to Maggid: Case Studies in the Development of the Haggadah
Mondays March 10 - April 7 (5 weeks)
1:00 PM Eastern time, 8:00 PM Israel time (7:00 PM Israel time for March 10, 17, 24)
Every year we read the Haggadah at the Seder, and every year we ask the same questions about it. We wonder about the same odd turns of phrase and are puzzled by the same aspects of how it tells the story of the Exodus. This year, however, let’s try to find different answers. By exploring the roots of the Haggadah in the Mishnah in Pesachim and tracing its expansion to the present day, we can gain some perspective on how the Haggadah came to be the way it is. The story of the Haggadah’s development, full of twists and turns, mirrors the story of the Jewish people itself.
Are You a Karaite If You Leave Out Avadim Hayinu?
March 10
In the 800s, Rav Natronai Gaon in Babylonia polemicized against what he called a Karaite version of the Haggadah that was missing the paragraph of Avadim Hayinu and other sections. But discoveries in the Cairo Genizah upended everything we thought we knew about this so-called Karaite Haggadah and give us fresh insight into how the Haggadah as we know it came together in Geonic times.
How Many Questions are in Ma Nishtana? Are They Even Questions?
March 17
Everyone knows the Ma Nishtana. But figuring out how many questions are being asked, or if they were really meant to be questions at all, is an interpretive puzzle that remains unsolved. Nevertheless, it helps us understand what the storytelling in the Haggadah is all about.
Why is the Seder So Disorderly?
March 24
For a ritual that means “order,” the Seder is remarkably disorganized. The Haggadah does not tell a coherent version of Exodus story and is missing significant parts of the tale. Yet maybe this is a feature, not a bug. We will explore several different approaches to understanding the mystery of the Haggadah’s organization.
Why Don’t We Talk More About the Korban Pesach at the Seder?
March 31
Following the destruction of the Temple, our Sages grappled with how to have Pesach without its central feature, the Pesach sacrifice. The way they reconstructed the Seder is somewhat surprising, focusing on the story of the Exodus and not on recalling the laws of the Korban Pesach. But if one looks closely, there are hints to the Korban Pesach in the Haggadah and the hope for its restoration.
Is Nirtzah Really a Step of the Seder?
April 7
The Seder ends when we drink the fourth cup of wine. But then there’s another “step,” Nirtzah, which is a curious collection of songs. We will explore this final, enigmatic section of the Haggadah and weigh in on whether the Seder really has steps at all.
