Passover,Washington Haggadah hiddur mitzvah

The Washington Haggadah (Central Europe, January 29, 1478). Known as the Washington Haggadah because of its presence in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., this manuscript is the Library's most important illuminated Hebrew manuscript. The illustration here depicts the Messiah heralded. It features the Messiah -- or Elijah, the harbinger of the Messiah -- approaching Jerusalem astride a donkey.

The commandment of hiddur mitzvah, which urges one to adorn and beautify the implements of holiness, is the fundamental justification within Judaism for the embellishment, through the ages, of the books, manuscripts, documents, and ritual artifacts of Jewish life. The Library's most important Hebrew illuminated manuscript is known as the "Washington Haggadah" because of its location in Washington, D.C. A haggadah (the plural is haggadot) is a liturgical work that is recited in the home at the festive evening meal of Passover, in order to fulfill the biblical injunction (Exodus 13:8) to recount the story of the Exodus to each generation. Haggadot are often illustrated, the theory being that this will keep the children interested and awake during the reciting of the text. Completed on January 29, 1478, the Washington Haggadah was signed by Joel ben Simeon, a well-known scribe and artist responsible for more than a dozen other Hebrew illuminated manuscripts found in collections around the world. In addition to the full text of the Passover night liturgy, the Washington Haggadah features stunningly intricate illuminated panels and a series of Passover illustrations that include depictions of "The Four Sons," "The Search for Leaven," and "The Messiah Heralded." The enduring popularity of Joel ben Simeon's miniatures is reflected in the many reproductions of his work that have appeared over the years in anthologies of Jewish art and manuscript painting.

In 1991, the Library of Congress published a facsimile edition of the Washington Haggadah, accompanied by a companion volume with a detailed scholarly description, analysis, and assessment of the manuscript. Hebraic Collections: An Illustrated Guide.

This image is a faithful reproduction of a two-dimensional work of art and thus not copyrightable in itself in the U.S. as per Bridgeman Art Library v. Corel Corp.; the same is also true in many other countries. The original two-dimensional work shown in this image is free content because: This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.

This applies to the United States, where Works published prior to 1978 were copyright protected for a maximum of 75 years. See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" from the U.S. Copyright Office. Works published before 1923 are now in the public domain and also in countries that figure copyright from the date of death of the artist (post mortem auctoris) and that most commonly run for a period of 50 to 70 years from that date.