KLAU LIBRARY, CINCINNATI
ILLUMINATED HAGGADAH EXHIBIT

Kiddush

illustration of man holding wide cup
Ms. 445

illustration of man holding wine cup
Ms. 444.1

We raise the first of our four cups of wine in thanksgiving for the holiday and in remembrance of God's promise to deliver us from bondage.

YaKNHaZ

hare hunting scene
Ms. 444

hare hunting scene
Ms. 450

The word YaKNHaZ is an acronym comprised of the initial letters of five Hebrew words: yayin (wine), kiddush (sanctification), ner (light), havdalah (separation), zeman (time). It indicates the correct sequence of blessings when the eve of Passover coincides with the conclusion of the Sabbath. The abbreviation sounds similar to the German phrase: "jag den Has" (hunt the hare), and is the reason behind hare hunting scenes in illustrated haggadot.

"This is the Bread of Affliction"

illuminated words "kaha"
Ms. 444

There are two traditions for the spelling of the first word of this prayer. In the earlier tradition, the prayer begins "Ha lachma anya", "This is the bread of affliction." In several later medieval manuscripts the prayer begins "Kaha lachma anya," "This is like the bread of affliction (which our ancestors ate in Egypt)."

The Four Questions

illuminated word "mah"
Ms. 444

illuminated "mah"
Ms. 444.1

When you enter the land that the Lord has promised to give you, you should perform this ritual.
"When your children ask you: What does this ritual mean?..."

 

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