The Rational Passover Haggadah

The Rational Bible #5

by Dennis Prager

Dennis Prager, author of The Rational Bible—which, upon its first publication, was the number one bestselling non-fiction book in America—turns his attention to the Haggadah, the book used for the most widely celebrated Jewish ritual, the Passover Seder. As with Prager’s multi-volume commentary on the Torah, the explanations included with this Haggadah are equally valuable for religious and non-religious Jews, as well as for non-Jews. It provides enough thought-provoking ideas and insights to last the reader a lifetime.

Genres: Jewish, Judaism, Spirituality

179 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2022

About the author

Dennis Prager is a best-selling author, columnist and nationally syndicated radio talk show host based in Los Angeles and heard on 150 stations across the country.

A Fellow at Columbia University’s School of International Affairs, where he did graduate work at the Middle East and Russian Institutes, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the U.S. Delegation to the Vienna Review Conference on the Helsinki Accords, and by President George W. Bush to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. He holds an honorary doctorate of law from Pepperdine University.

A highly sought-after speaker and frequent cable news show guest, Dennis has lectured all over the world. His New York Times best-selling books include Think a Second Time, Happiness is a Serious Problem and Still the Best Hope: Why American Values Must Triumph. His newest book is The Ten Commandments: Still the Best Moral Code.

Reviews

[Clay Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book to learn about the Seder.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most haggadot (the plural of haggadah) are designed for use at the seder table. Some include commentary for those interested in either the spiritual or historical aspects of the ritual. Others offer interpretative versions of the material for those who are unable to find meaning in the traditional text. For example, “Night of Beginnings: A Passover Haggadah” by Marcia Falk, with drawings by the author (The Jewish Publication Society), not only offers new versions of the blessings and readings, but a closer look at the female characters in the Exodus story. However, it’s rare for a haggadah to include long discussions that don’t deal directly with the Passover rituals. That’s true of Dennis Prager’s “The Rationalist Haggadah: The Alperson Edition,” edited by Joseph Telushkin (Regnery Faith), which makes it difficult to see how it could be used at a seder table, unless those attending prepared for the event by reading the essays before the holiday.
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/past...

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I am Jewish and I celebrate Passover in the traditional way.

I am reviewing this book after Passover, but I finished before Passover ended. It is a great study guide for the Passover seder (the formal dinner usually given the first one or two days of Passover). One could also use this as an actual haggaddah (the booklet that guides the participants through the Passover dinner with blessings, readings and questions for discussion).

Dennis Prager is one of my heroes who provides rational reasons for being a Jew and practicing Jewish ritual.

Included as an appendix are related articles from his Rational Bible series beginning with, "The Rational Bible: Genesis".

Note: Some of the blessings are transliterated. An English translation is provided for all. To the extent that one can, Jews should read in Hebrew, BUT we should also be understood by all of the participants (especially the children) so it seems reasonable to read it in one's native language as well.

I just loved it all.

[Jo M · Rating 2 out of 5]

look — it was the only haggadah available on libby from my library, so i read it, but i would not recommend to compared to ANY other version you could access. there is so many musings in here that are entirely unrelated to the Seder and it would be impossible (and unhelpful) to actually use. moreover, for something that claims in The Title to be "rational," dennis prager asserts a LOT of high-level theological opinions as fact, sometimes with a very loosely jewish aphorism to support them, AS WELL AS a lot to say about the torah as the best / most moral / most wise / text for any religious tradition when he is not in any way a religious scholar beyond Judaism? the torah is the centrality of judaism, and you can speak of its importance, impact, and divinity without putting down other traditions or their sacred texts. he also included discussion questions that were SO obviously meant to solicit a specific answer or shame those who didn't hold the same theological beliefs about the torah / hashem / the problem of evil / parenting / you name it. anyway i did not like this

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though the title says Haggadah, this would be an unusual choice to lead your Seder. Instead, it's a commentary, offering insights on each step of the meal. Most details are probably (or should be) familiar to practicing Jews, but this Gentile learned a lot about what a Seder is supposed to be.

I read this one leading up to Passover, so I was ready with my new knowledge going into the Seder. Also a great refresher to the holiday's importance, and why it's celebrated!

[Hayk · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.7
Nothing new, lots of repeating information.
There is no need to comment on Psalms, as simple as that. No need to explain family rituals either. And about the final part: we had read the commentary on Exodus.

[Bill Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a wealth of interesting information in this book.

By studying how the Jewish people celebrate the Passover you can see how their religion and the Jews themselves have managed to survive so long.

[Ryan Mauldin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Therefore, the most important task of society must be to make good people, which is Judaism’s primary task.



Excerpt from: "The Rational Passover Haggadah" by Dennis Prager. Scribd.
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