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Rabbi Manuel Gold has been called “the Sherlock Homes of Jewish scholarship” for his fearless probing into sacred literature with the eye of a historian and the enthusiasm of a sleuth who has just solved a mystery. Adapted by permission from Manuel Gold: Renegade Rabbi (Rossel Books, Dallas, TX, June 15, 2019).

To Revolt or Not? Deciphering Passover's Secret Code

Rabbi Manuel Gold
Because Passover commemorates the liberation of our ancestors from slavery in Egypt, one might think the seder would more likely resemble an ancient Egyptian meal. The seder, in fact, replicates the feast of a later oppressor – the Romans – from reclining, washing hands, beginning with an egg, dipping in salt water, wine libations, and discussions of the afikomen (Greek for “revelry”).

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