A Word from the Translator

A Word from the Translator

Dear Friends,

If you are reading this, then I am going to assume that you have been reading  my translation of the commentary on the Haggadah, Maarechet Heidenheim by Rabbi Tebele Bondi. This is the first time that I am publishing a commentary as a blog but it is the thirteenth year that I am translating and publishing a traditional commentary on the Haggadah. There are hundreds of such commentaries and each of them has unique insights into the meaning of the Haggadah and Passover.

This has become a yearly tradition for me. Each year, I study a different commentary, translate it best as I can, and then put it together with the text of the Haggadah. A siyyum is held for the work on the eve of Passover when the first born is supposed to fast. As per our tradition, by studying and completing a Jewish text (usually a tractate of Talmud) and then sharing the final bits of learning with others, a celebration is held in lieu of the fast.  Even though the others present did not study the entire text, they are credited with the accomplishment and exempt from the fast.

Here are a list of my translations, most of which are still available in print and as PDF, if you are interested in ordering them. (They are $10 for each Haggadah plus shipping)

Translations

1.      Leil Shemurim by Rabbi Yehiel Michal Halevi Epstein 2001

2.      Reiach Dudaim, by Rabbi David Dov Meisels 2002

3.      Baruch Sh’amar, by Rabbi Baruch Halevi Epstein 2003

4.      Ma’aseh Nissim, by Rabbi Yaakov Loberbaum 2004

5.      Yismach Yisrael, by Rabbi Yirachmiel Yisrael Danziger 2005

6.      Shibbolei HaLeket,  by Rav Tzidkiyah HaRofei, 2006 (Not available)

7.      Ephod Bad, by Rabbi Benjamin David Rabinowitz 2007

8.      Naftali Seva Ratzon, by Rabbi Naftali Hertz Ginzburg 2008

9.      Kos Shel Eliyahu, by Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Harun 2009

10.   Peirush Ha-Hafla’ah, by Rabbi Pinchas HaLevi Horowitz 2010

11.   Marbeh Lisaper, By Rabbi Yedidiah Tiah Weil, 2011

12.   Agadata D'Pascha Edited by Rabbi Joseph Kapah 2012

13.   Kimcha D'Avshuna by by Rabbi Johanan Treves 2013

Original Works

1.    The Ha-Ha Haggadah by Rabbi Mark Greenspan 2006 (Out of Print)

2.    Around the Table: A User Friendly Haggadah, By Rabbi Mark Greenspan 2006 (Out of Print)

My colleagues and friends ask how I manage to do this and frankly I have no answer to their question. Much of it is done in the free moments I find, late in the evening or early in the morning.  The authors of these commentaries becomes my study partner for several months - I carry their work with me everywhere including to shul. 

There is never enough time to complete the work and some years I have published as much as I was able to finish by the week after Purim - I need to give the publisher sufficient time to proper print the work. I am fortunate to have good friends and family who review the translation for grammatical mistakes but the translation is never a finished product. If I had another month, or two or six, I know I could do a better job. When I look back I still find mistakes and clumsy language. 

Translation is a great and awesome challenge. It is not simply a matter of knowing Hebrew but mastering two languages sufficiently to capture complex ideas from Hebrew into English. I would have to say that my 'translation' falls somewhere between a literal translation and a paraphrase. It is not a word for word translation, and there is an occasional word or phrase here and there that I simply skip over.  This year I am also including the Hebrew text along with the translation on line for those who know Hebrew. You can be the judge of how well or poorly I succeed. I invite your comments, criticisms and suggestions for the final publication of a 'hard copy' before Passover. 

These commentaries are often repetitive and occasionally, the text defies translation - so as I have said, it is the best that I can offer. But my philosophy is that something is better than nothing, even if it is imperfect.  

This year, I have added one more step in the translation project which actually removes the work from the realm of translation to an extent. Having translated the work, I have reread my work and made stylistic changes to better capture the essence of the commentators ideas. That means that it is less literal and more literary. 

A word about the Hebrew text. This has been a challenge as well. I have the Haggadah as  PDF but it is an old text and it is written in Rashi script (a special font used for traditional Hebrew books).Publishing the Hebrew text means copying and pasting the text into Davka and then carefully reviewing the Hebrew - the computer confuses certain letters (such as Bet with a kaf, and a het with a taf) so there are a significant number of errors. More than eighty percent of the text copies properly but it means reviewing the text two and three times - and I am certain there are still errors in my Hebrew text.

My hope is that you will find new ideas to share with others at the Seder this year. Rabbi Bondi's work will not leave you disappointed. Written at the end of the nineteenth century and published in Frankfort, Germany, it reflects the musings of a man who was aware that he was living in a society in the midst of change and upheaval. He confronts and challenges modernity but he does so in a respectful and modern way.

Best wishes for a "sweet and kosher Passover."

Rabbi Mark Greenspan