RI? (If you're reading this at the dinner table, try asking if anyone can guess what that stands for...)
RI refers, of course, to "Rabbi Intelligence."
In classical Jewish thought, there are two kinds of rabbi, A-Rabbi and B=Rabbi.
An A-Rabbi is an Authority figure. Think Moses—tall, long beard, super firm handshake. This is a guy you're going to listen to (if you know what's good for you).
Now, although Moses has passed on to the next world, he appointed a successor, and his successor a successor, and so on, and we have rabbis today who can trace their authority all the way back up that chain.
A B-Rabbi is a Buddy. It could be your neighbor. It could be your friend. It could be... YOU. Rabbi B may not be in the chain of authority, but there's another chain that everyone can connect to—the chain of learning.
The original author of the Haggadah was certainly a B-Rabbi and most likely an A-Rabbi as well. With his (likely but not necessarily it was a he) erudition, he crafted a learned text for fellow B-Rabbis to use at their Seder.
Herein lies the problem for modern Jews. How many of us are B-Rabbis who can appreciate the depth and breadth of this masterpiece called the Haggadah?
So we have thousands of commentaries—cheat sheets, if you will—to raise the bar and turn a lay person into a B-Rabbi at the Seder.
But there's one small catch: in order to succeed in the B-Rabbi business, you'll need to... (ahem)...study.
There, I said it. I said it and I know I'll get flack for it.
Because who wants to study a 2,000-year-old text just so that I can have a Seder? If we understood the Haggadah better, wouldn't that risk making our Seder more meaningful and then take longer? Isn't the point to get through it as fast as possible?
If this conundrum speaks to you, then you probably are the target audience for the Art of Amazement Haggada and you definitely need the 2026 JSLI Passover Kit - a ZIP file of over 15 great Seder resources (PDF of full haggadah, bingo cards, charades, etc. etc.). To get the Kit, you can click here.
Question for your table: What's the perfect length for a Pesach Seder?
Shabbat Shalom and
Chag Sameach
PS - this year's Kit includes our "Healthy & Holy Passover" excerpt from Body & Soul, which you can also find via TorahHealth.org.
PPS - Don't forget to get a copy of the new book - Restoring the Exodus: The Rational Case for the Biblical Narrative — we recommend gifting the pocket-size paperback version to every adult at the Seder
