Page 16 - Issue 23

This annual pilgrimage originated from a commandment
in Deuteronomy, which states that “three times a year,
all your remembrance will see the face of the Lord your
God" (Deuteronomy 16:16).

But with the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, there
was suddenly nowhere to gather. It was no longer
possible to make a pilgrimage. The sages in Yavneh, the
spiritual leaders of the community, decided that there
was no choice but to re-establish the Jewish people
around a more spiritual center, one that could be
packed up and taken anywhere. They converted the
pilgrimage and sacrifice into a symposium – a long and
comprehensive banquet evening. The four cups of wine
that are still traditionally drunk throughout the seder, as
well as the tradition of reclining, were added at this
point.

Cultural Judaism in a Jewish state

In modern history, different groups of Jews began to
take a closer look at the contents of the Passover
Haggadah. The kibbutz Haggadah was one of the most
extensive initiatives, one that remained relevant for
years, and managed to produce a new form of Judaism
that recognized this Haggadah, and no other, as the
Seder Haggadah. This new way of practicing Judaism
expressed itself in culture, holidays and daily life, and
was possible only in Israel, where public life was Jewish.