Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.
This haggadah for Passover was prepared by Rabbi Steve Golden in close collaboration with our teacher Rabbi Isaac S.D. Sassoon.
Why another haggadah when there’s already a plethora out there? Like our prayer book called ‘Alats Libbi, this haggadah aims to approximate earlier recensions while stopping short of becoming an antiquarian project. In the haggadah we read about five tannaim who spent Pesah night until dawn occupied exclusively with the Exodus story. The lesson of this report seems to be: on Pesah night one focuses on the Exodus, without wandering too far afield into unrelated or peripheral areas. Also, we musn’t forget that the haggadah purports to impart the Exodus message to the next generation; that is the essence of וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ (“And you shall tell your children”). In a world plagued by divisiveness, hatred and gratuitous violence the message has to be the Torah’s repudiation of enslavement and oppression and its celebration of freedom and liberty. The Seder is surely not a time to instill hatred or xenophobia. We hope that ובלילה שירה עמי (“And At Night May His Song Be With Me”) will assist all who strive to pass on the haggadah’s precious and urgent message of miraculous deliverance and hope.
This haggadah is undergoing revisions and is temporarily unavailable. We will provide a link when available.
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One of the world’s leading Torah scholars, Hakham Isaac Sassoon synthesizes rigorous traditional study with scrupulous academic and historical scholarship.
A prolific writer for TheTorah.com, Hakham Sassoon is the author of several critically-acclaimed books including:
His initial education was under the tutelage of his father, the renowned scholar Rabbi Solomon David Sassoon, Hakham Yosef Doury, and others. He continued his studies at the prestigious Gateshead Yeshiva and various yeshivoth in Israel. He holds a Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Lisbon.
Continuing his family's tradition of academic achievement, Hakham Sassoon has published on topics ranging from Scriptural commentary and history, to issues of current concern to the Jewish community. Hakham Sassoon teaches at the Institute of Traditional Judaism-The Metivta and lectures widely.
For more thoughts from Hakham Sassoon, see the Destination Torah Facebook page, Twitter handle, and Youtube channel.
To learn more about Hakham Sassoon, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_S.D._Sassoon