The JPS Commentary on the Haggadah: Historical Introduction, Translation, and Commentary

Thanks to these generous donors for making the publication of this book possible: Mr. and Mrs. Edward S. Best.

A definitive historical-critical commentary on the Passover seder.

The Passover haggadah enjoys an unrivaled place in Jewish culture, both religious and secular. Of all the classic Jewish books, the haggadah is the one most “alive” today. Jews continue to rewrite, revise, and add to its text, recasting it so that it remains relevant to their lives. Joseph Tabory, one of the world's leading authorities on the history of the haggadah, traces the development of the seder and the haggadah through the ages. The book features an extended introduction by Tabory, the classic Hebrew haggadah text side by side with its English translation, and Tabory’s clear and insightful critical-historical commentary.

Joseph Tabory is a professor of Talmud at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. He is also an ordained Orthodox rabbi. He received his Ph.D. from Bar-Ilan University in 1978. He has written many articles and is the author of two major volumes in Hebrew, one on the history of Jewish festivals (The Passover Haggadah, upon which the JPS Commentary on the Haggadah is based) and one on the history of the Passover seder.