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, produced in Italy by the scribe and artist Joel ben Simeon in 1454, is an exceptional sample of a decorated Haggadah manuscript. Its fine decorations and illustrations are a testament to the wealth of its patron and his concern for beautifying the tradition.  

The fine decoration on this page, and the artistic rendering of some letters, are a subtle tour de force on the part of the scribe/artist. Particularly notable is the way he has decorated the “Ma” of “ma nishtanah”—the opening of the four questions. But of equal significance is the instructions in red ink immediately above the questions. The instructions indicate that if the opening rituals have provoked questions from the women or children at the table, there is no longer any need for the Four Questions.