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Acknowledgments xi Preface xiii Introduction xv How to Use This Book xix A Few Words for Seder Leaders xxi A Note on Rabbinic Literature, the Haggadah, and Translations xxiii 1 The Long Road from Slavery to Freedom: From Ancient Egypt to Our Time 1(24) Slavery in Ancient Times Exodus and the American Ethos Vengeance versus Empathy The Great Seal of the United States: Israelites Crossing the Red Sea versus a Pyramid Former Slaves Speak Let Freedom Ring: Historic Words on Freedom Jewish Values and Social Justice: American Jews in the Antebellum South Slavery in Our Time 2 The Four "Questions": Who's Asking What and Why? 25(8) Engaging Children during the Seder: An Ancient Lesson Questions about Questions The Greek Symposium and the Jewish Seder Why These Particular Questions? 3 Two Haggadot in One: The Haggadah's Early Development 33(10) When Two Sages Disagree: A Story about the Haggadah's Early Development Art Midrash: "Begin with Disgrace and End with Praise" Crossing Rivers and Taking Responsibility 4 The Five Sages' Seder: Who Were They and What Kept Them So Late? 43(14) Five Super-Sages: Their Times and Teachings Banning Rabbi Eliezer The Seder in B'nei B'rak: Reconstructing the Conversation 5 The Four Children: A Seat at the Table for Everyone 57(14) The Four Children Torah versus Haggadah The Wise versus the Wicked: A Recipe for Conflict or Conflict Resolution? Four Voices on Four Children 6 Hardening Pharaoh's Heart: The Toughest Part of the Story 71(14) The Bible and the Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart The Commentators' Struggle "I Will Send All My Plagues into Your Heart..." The Softening of God's Heart 7 The Festival of Spring: Reconnecting Passover and Nature 85(18) On Spring and Time The Origins of Passover: Two Views History Trumps Nature Activities, Blessings, and Readings 8 The Exodus as a Personal Spiritual Journey 103(12) Exodus: The Spiritual Journey Milestones along the Road Crossing the Sea and the First Song The Journey's Ultimate Purpose 9 Enslaved In Egypt: Why? 115(14) The Covenant of the Pieces Israel Enslaved: Many Questions, Many Answers Joseph and the Enslavement? The Self-Critical Voice: Benefits and Dangers 10 "Strangers In a Land Not Theirs": Remembering to Treat the Strangers among us Justly 129(8) Knowing the Heart of the Stranger A Blessing: Treating Strangers Justly Israel and Its Minority of Arab Citizens 11 "In Every Generation ..."? God's Role in History and the Jewish People's History among the Nations 137(16) God: The Elephant, as It Were, at the Seder Arguing with God The Sages on Innocent Suffering Modern Voices 12 "Go Out and Learn ...": How the Haggadah Tells the Story of the Exodus 153(16) How the Haggadah Tells the Story The Pilgrims' Prayer and the Haggadah Jacob in the House of Laban A Much-Interpreted Phrase Moses in the Haggadah Deuteronomy's Israelite History without Sinai 13 Women of the Exodus: Redeemed by Their Righteousness 169(20) Passover in an Upside-Down World Women and the Haggadah: Missing in Action Women of the Exodus in Midrash Eden and Egypt: Two Tales of Exodus Serakh bat Asher and the Exodus The Legend of Miriam's Well The Ritual of Miriam's Cup Redeemed through Blood and Water: Balancing Elijah's Cup with Miriam's Cup 14 The Ten Plagues: Who Suffered and Why? 189(16) Plagues Against the Israelites? Why Spill Wine from Our Cups? When Our Enemies Fall The Plagues and Knowing God Signs, Wonders, and Faith: Or Did the Plagues Fail? Measure for Measure Revealing the Creator through Anti-Creation 15 Rabban Gamaliel: An Embattled Leader 205(8) Who Was Gamaliel? Deposed and Reinstated Fingerprints on the Haggadah 16 Reliving the Exodus: The Story of the Last Night in Egypt 213(12) Setting the Stage The Last Night in Egypt Bibliodrama: Knocking in the Night Bibliodrama: To Stay or to Leave? A Prayer for the Journey Marching from Egypt to the Promised Land 17 Israel and the Haggadah 225(16) The Fruits of Israel versus Egypt: A Puzzle Israel's Absence from the Heart of the Haggadah Whither Israel? The Fifth Cup Readings for the Fifth Cup Passover, Messianism, and Israel 18 The Restoration of Wonder: The Miracles of Egypt and Our Day 241(18) The Bible and the Dictionary The Sages on Miracles The Restoration of Wonder Jewish Voices on Miracles At the Red Sea: Two Midrashim Between Pharoah and the Red Sea The Horse and Driver 19 "From Darkness to Great Light": What Do These Words Mean to Us Today? 259(12) An Art Midrash Project Variations on a Theme Four Interpretations of Five Phrases A Deeper Look at a Memorable Passage The Cultural Milieu 20 'Blessed Are You . . . Who Redeemed Us": The Seder of Redemption 271(16) The Seder of Hope: Tuning in to Themes of Redemption Redemption in the Bible and the Ancient Near East An Age-Old Question: Why Did God Redeem the Israelites? The Four Cups of Redemption A Quartet of Twentieth-Century Voices on Redemption On Faith in Redemption 21 "A Remembrance of the Temple": The Life and Times of Hillel 287(14) The Meaning of Hillel's Sandwich A Legendary Leader Hillel's Teachings The Talmud on the Destruction of the Temple 22 Elijah's Transformation: From Zealot to Folk Hero 301(14) Elijah Comes to the Seder Elijah's Cup The Biblical Elijah The Elijah Puzzle Modeling the Potential to Change A Mirror: A Tale of Elijah and the Seder "Pour Out Your Wrath" versus "Give Up Anger" 23 The Exodus from Egypt: The Question of Archeology 315(8) History and Story Five Sage Perspectives on the Exodus and History Appendix I: Chapter Ten of the Mishnah Pesachim, the Night of Passover 323(2) Appendix II: What Is Midrash? 325(1) Appendix Ill: Directions for Art Midrash Projects 326(1) Appendix IV: Blessing for the New Moon 327(2) Abbreviations and Abbreviated Titles Used in This Book 329(2) Notes 331(29) Select Bibliography 360(5) Index 365