A Haggadah is the script for the seder ritual on the first nights of Passover. The word means “telling,” and the seder is a ritual for the telling of the Passover story—the Exodus from Egypt—in a particular rabbinic fashion. 

This Haggadah, written and illustrated by the scribe-artist Joseph ben David Leipnik in the early 18th century, is a magnificent example of the renaissance of Hebrew illuminated manuscripts in Germany and central Europe at this time. Although Haggadahs were widely available in print, wealthy Jews commissioned deluxe manuscript versions, like this one. In addition to its magnificent scribal and artwork, this Haggadah includes comments and directions in Yiddish.

The illustrations in this manuscript are based on the engravings found in the famous Amsterdam Haggadahs, printed in 1695 and 1712. The image on this page shows Abraham—in a distinctly early modern, central European setting, with appropriate contemporary dress—about to destroy the idols, an ancient legend about Abraham’s virtue if not a biblical one.