Talmudic manuscripts reveal the existence of a forgotten, fifth cup of wine at the Passover Seder.
Dr. Menachem Katz Continue reading Five Cups of Wine at the Seder?
Talmudic manuscripts reveal the existence of a forgotten, fifth cup of wine at the Passover Seder.
Dr. Menachem Katz Continue reading Five Cups of Wine at the Seder?
The accumulation of liturgical layers, songs, and discussion that adorn the traditional Seder can obscure its original, primary purpose. By closely analyzing the Seder’s artful oration in light of classical rhetoric, a sharper picture emerges of a Roman symposium-like gathering whose aim is to help its members appreciate and celebrate the freedom God granted through the Exodus.1
Continue reading How Is the Passover Seder Different from All Other Symposia?
A short history of how the Mah Nishtana changed: From three to four to five questions
Prof. Joseph Tabory Continue reading How Many Questions in the “Four Questions”?
A striking talmudic passage asserts that it is biblically permitted to eat the ḥametz of a non-Jew on Passover. How are we to explain this strange claim? What might this development teach us about the dynamics of rabbinic texts? Continue reading Hametz Owned by a Non-Jew May be Eaten on Passover?!
Prof. Michael Chernick Continue reading The Pesach Seder of the “First Mishna”