THE HUMAN RIGHTS HAGGADAH
From the Talmud
דאמר רבי שמואל בר נחמן אמר רבי יונתן: מאי דכתיב ולא קרב זה אל זה כל הלילה, באותה שעה בקשו מלאכי השרת לומר שירה לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא, אמר להן הקדוש ברוך הוא: מעשה ידי טובעין בים ואתם אומרים שירה לפני -תלמוד בבלי מסכת סנהדרין דף לט עמוד ב
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: What does it mean when the Torah says that the camps of the Israelites and the camps of the Egyptians remained separated throughout the night (by God’s angel appearing as a pillar of cloud)? It means that at that moment of redemption God’s ministering angels wished to sing songs of praise before God. But God stopped them, saying: The work of my hands (the Egyptians) are drowning in the sea, and you wish to sing before me joyful songs? (Talmud Sanhedrin 39b)
Use this website to learn about human rights in the context of the Passover Story
As you read, consider these questions:
- What human rights have roots in Jewish sources? Where are there conflicts? When a verse of the Torah or statement of the Rabbis goes against human rights values, what do we do?
- What rights can we agree are absolute and universal? Are there some that cannot apply all the time? Do some rights take precedence over others?
- Some human rights concern governmental policies and the military. But what human rights principles affect decisions we make each day?
Order Your Copy of The Human Rights Haggadah
The Passover Story touches on every aspect of human rights, from the bitter oppression of slavery to the moral dilemmas that arise when fighting for even a cause as justified as freedom. This Haggadah makes Passover relevant to the most pressing political and religious dilemmas we face today.
The Human Rights Haggadah helps you use the seder to discuss and learn about human rights.
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