Rabbi Jonathan Sacks's Haggadah: Hebrew and English Text with New Essays and Commentary by Jonathan Sacks (0826428258) - Reviews and Prices

Editorial Review:

"The seder service on Pesach is the oldest surviving ritual in the Western world, dating back some 3,300 years....Through the Haggadah more than a hundred generations of Jews have handed on their story to their children....Few texts have received more attention than the Haggadah. There are thousands of commentaries, and more are published each year. Anyone who contemplates adding to this number must ask not `Why is this night different?' But `Why is this edition different?' My answer is that I wrote this commentary because, amongst all the many I have read, I could not find one that explained in their full richness and scope the fundamental themes of the Pesach story: the Jewish concept of a free society, the role of memory in shaping Jewish identity, and the unique connection that exists in Judaism between spirituality and society, giving rise to what I have called elsewhere `the politics of hope.'"-Jonathan Sacks

This Haggadah is actually two books in one. At what would be the back of an English-language book is the Haggdah in large, beautiful Hebrew typography, with an English translation adapted and with a running commentary by Rabbi Sacks. The Hebrew text and accompanying English translation are carefully arranged so as to be easy to use at the seder table. As such, this book is an ideal companion for use at the Passover meal. At the other end of the book are Rabbi Sacks's Essays on Passover. The 21 short essays demonstrate the qualities that make Rabbi Sacks one of the world's foremost religious leaders: keen intelligence, acute moral sensitivity, and a wide-ranging historical and literary imagination.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Two books in one:

If open this book as a Hebrew book, from the "back", it's a Haggadah, ready to be used at your next seder. Open if from the "front" and it's a book of essays about the Haggadah. This is a great introductory Haggadah and the essays are very insightful, as you'd expect from Rabbi Sacks. I give it four stars because the editor should have paid more attention and typography when making this book. The presentation is a bit confusing, the typographic work is not elegant. This book is living proof that you can't... more info

Disservice to Rabbi Sacks:

I am familiar with the writings of Rabbi Sacks and my problem with this book is not his work. It is the way it is presented. The font used for his commentary is simply too small to read. The editor should have given much more space to the commentary which was what I bought the book for.
The translation and layout of the Haggadah text are fine.
The essays, as I would expect from this writer, are articulate, informative and very readable. As a rabbi who has studied Haggadot for decades I did not... more info

Sacks Haggadah:

This is an important and inspirational work. What sets it apart from other commentaries is the emphasis on overarching themes of Passover. Rather than emphasizing the parsing of individual words and phrases, Rabbi Sacks gives you deep analysis of the meaning of Passover that will add to your understanding of and enthusiasm for this wonderous holiday.

The great ideas of the Jewish Tradition as exemplified in the 'Haggadah':

I have been reading this 'Haggadah' in preparation for Seder. I find it to be a tremendously thought-rich and inspiring one. What Rabbi Sachs has done is written a series of Essays on fundamental ideas and concepts of the Jewish tradition and shown how they are exemplifed in the 'Haggadah'.
In other words quite remarkably what the reader of this 'Haggadah' is given is the Jewish way of thinking and looking at the work. Rabbi Sachs shows how the Jewish Tradition has enriched mankind through its... more info

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