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. 

This manuscript title page would not exist in earlier manuscripts; title pages didn’t develop until books were printed, and this and other later manuscripts take their lead from printed examples. Common on the printed title pages, and therefore in this example, are the illustrations of Moses (on the right), Aaron the high priest (on the left) and King David, strumming his lyre at the top. In the circle at the bottom, you can see an illustration of the Binding of Isaac, with the angel calling out to Abraham, who is dressed in the contemporary style of German lands.