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<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2>Avigdor and haverim,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2>Your hints, Avigdor, seem<SPAN
class=985081916-08032006>ed</SPAN> to imply that we need<SPAN
class=985081916-08032006>ed</SPAN> to look at the point in time the different
sections of the Hagadah text were written and possibly
the same for the process of the compilation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2>Whatever we discover<SPAN
class=787042016-08032006>ed</SPAN> with your help, we know that the parts
derived from the Mikra would be in Hebrew and not changed<SPAN
class=787042016-08032006> (translated)</SPAN>; so the questio<SPAN
class=787042016-08032006>that remains is if</SPAN> Had Gadia <SPAN
class=787042016-08032006>together with HLA </SPAN>were additions in
the vernacular of the time and place<SPAN class=787042016-08032006>
for the simple folks or is Had gadia different (i.e. later medieval addition,
for children mainly, etc.)</SPAN>.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=787042016-08032006><FONT face=Arial size=2>It seems to
me that your analysis is socio-historical in nature by explaining how poorer and
less educated celebrated the seder w/out access to written Hagadah
and level of literacy required to use it.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=787042016-08032006><FONT face=Arial size=2>Margalit
Tal</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=787042016-08032006><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=787042016-08032006><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=787042016-08032006>P.S.</SPAN>In Cincinnati, at my local supermarket, I
have bought last Friday a large package of matsah from Israel - they
had an entire aisle of Passover foods filled out 2 weeks
before Purim.</FONT></FONT></DIV></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
ngfp-bookclub-bounces@lists.ngfp.org
[mailto:ngfp-bookclub-bounces@lists.ngfp.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Avigdor
Shinan<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wed, March 08, 2006 7:04 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
ngfp-bookclub@lists.ngfp.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> [BULK] [NGFP-BookClub] HLA -
final letter from avigdor shinan<BR><B>Importance:</B>
Low<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Shalom to you all -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have in front of me around 24 communications
regarding the HLA piece in the Haggadah. I must admit that I have learned from
your remarks a lot, especially regarding the various ways you understand the
use of this text in our Sedarim these days. I tried nonetheless to shift the
discussion toward historical - more than sociological or theological -
aspect.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As you must be aware of, the Haggadah was not
composed in one day and not by one person. It has a real history. Reading the
Haggadah one has always ask himself or herself: regarding each unit in the
Haggadah:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1 - when and by whom was it composed (usually the
answer is: we are not sure)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2 - when and why was in added into the
Haggadah (and here usually we can answer at least the "when" question, based
on our available data).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So, who composed HLA?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I do not know. I am afraid that nobody
does.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>When was it added to the Haggadah?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Well, it is not found or hinted at, not in the
Mishnah and not in the two Talmuds, it is not found in Midrashic literature
and not even in the earliest Haggadah that we posses. We are aware of this
text only from Geonic literature (7th century onward). and It is in Aramaic,
the language of the common people.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What is HLA all about?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>For me - and I would love to hear your reactions
- it is not a prologue to the Haggadah, nor a mnemothecnic device but it is a
full Haggadah by itself for those common people who could not do more than
that!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Let us remember, today we all know to read and
buying a Haggadah is so easy that we are not aware of the fact that in the
ancient world most people could not read (they knew a lot, but orally) and
that buying an Haggadah was an expensive enterprise. So, what can I tell a
simple man who wants to celebrate the Passover night:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>a - speak about the past, the history of
Passover, using the Matzah as a point of departure (that is what we do
actually today till the meal!)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>b - sit down to eat</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>c - finish by messianic expectations and looking
forward for a better future (that what we actually do after the
meal)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Haggadah is composed of 3 parts - speaking
about the past, eating in the present, and speaking about our hopes for the
future.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>HLA for me, therefore, is the table of content of
the Haggadah and - for those who knew very little, and spoke Aramaic - a short
summary of the whole Haggadah!!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Please - let me read your
reaction.!!!!!!!!!!!!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tomorrow (Thursday) we shall proceed with the 2nd
riddle of the Haggadah!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>shalom from Jerusalem</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>avigdor</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>