Haggadah
Passover story book
The Haggadah is the Jewish text read aloud during the Passover Seder, recounting the story of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.
It includes prayers, blessings, songs, and rituals—the order of the meal follows its instructions.
Families often use the same Haggadah for generations, though many versions exist: We use the Maxwell House Haggadah my grandmother got free at the grocery store.
Mass departure from a place
- MosesHebrew prophet, liberator
- PharaohEgyptian royal title
- plaguesMass outbreaks of disease
- EgyptNortheastern African nation
Red Sea · slavery · bondage · freedom · deliverance · Israelites · miracles · Ten Commandments
Absence of constraint
- emancipationRelease from legal bondage
- redemptionRecovery or moral restoration
- deliveranceRescue from bondage
- escapeFlight from captivity
slavery · bondage · exodus · salvation · rescue · oppression · hope · perseverance
Yeastless Passover cracker
- four cupsSeder wine obligation
- KiddushPost-worship refreshment gathering
- shankboneLower leg bone
- handwashingCleaning palms with soap
reclining · bitter herbs · salt water · egg · parsley · wine · orange · seder plate
Passover ritual meal
- feastElaborate ceremonial meal
- familyRelated people together
- gatheringCollection of people meeting
- festivityCelebratory occasion or mood
togetherness · commemoration · joy · reunion · observance · banquet · dinner · guests
Original text before publication
- illuminationProvision of light
- calligraphyOrnamental handwriting art
- HebrewSemitic language of Israel
- AramaicAncient Semitic language
parchment · illustration · commentary · midrash · translation · medieval · marginalia · printing
Inherited cultural legacy
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- continuityUninterrupted progression or coherence
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
transmission · legacy · rites · observance · perpetuation · culture · practice · memory
Exodus
Mass departure from a place
Egypt · Red Sea · slavery · bondage · freedom · deliverance · Israelites · miracles · Ten Commandments · wandering
freedom
Absence of constraint
- emancipationRelease from legal bondage
- redemptionRecovery or moral restoration
- deliveranceRescue from bondage
escape · slavery · bondage · exodus · salvation · rescue · oppression · hope · perseverance · resistance
matzo
Yeastless Passover cracker
handwashing · reclining · bitter herbs · salt water · egg · parsley · wine · orange · seder plate
seder
Passover ritual meal
festivity · togetherness · commemoration · joy · reunion · observance · banquet · dinner · guests · hospitality
manuscript
Original text before publication
- illuminationProvision of light
- calligraphyOrnamental handwriting art
- HebrewSemitic language of Israel
Aramaic · parchment · illustration · commentary · midrash · translation · medieval · marginalia · printing · typography
heritage
Inherited cultural legacy
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- continuityUninterrupted progression or coherence
preservation · transmission · legacy · rites · observance · perpetuation · culture · practice · memory · Jewish identity
HaggadahHalakha
Formal Jewish legal system
Torah · legal codes · Talmud · Mishnah · mitzvot
Haggadahforgetting
Failing to retain memories
silence · erasure · assimilation · amnesia