Laws of the Seder

Rabbi David Feinstein is recognized as a halachic authority of the top rank. The breadth of his knowledge, clarity of his analysis, and aptness of his application of principles and precedents to the question at hand make him a sought-after arbiter of the most complex questions of Torah law.

In this work, originally published in Hebrew as Kol Dodi, he turns his attention to the laws of the Seder. A digest of this quality could have been written only by a man of his caliber. Rabbi Feinstein pulls together the basic Talmudic passages and the relevant discussion of the major early and later commentators and shows how current halachah and customs were decided and adapted.

What is more, Laws of the Seder brings all the classic authorities to bear on the needs of the family at its own table. And that is the beauty of this work. It addresses the questions that may arise at the typicalSeder, and it recognizes that not every family and individual are physically capable of carrying out every detail in the most ideal manner.

How much wine? What if someone cannot tolerate alcohol? Is it better to use less horseradish or more of a "bitter herb" that does not taste bitter? How much matzah? And what about the ill or elderly who cannot eat as much as they would like to? How do we translate the classic halachic terminology into inches and ounces?

Virtually every aspect of the Seder's halachic requirements - many of them totally unfamiliar to knowledgeable people - are covered in this authoritative work, and they are discussed clearly and accurately.