The Oppenheim Haggadah, 1719

The illustrated Haggadah, a facsimile of which is presented here, was produced in 1719 by the scribe Meshullam Zimel. He was one of the 18th century artist-scribes, who wrote and illustrated Haggadoth and other religious books for the new circles of wealthy Court Jews, intent on adding beauty and elegance to religious observance.

Meshullam Zimel came from Polna in Bohemia, and, apparently, lived in Vienna for a longer period. Other works of his are known. Two large calligraphic ״prayers for the sovereign״ have been preserved in the Austrian National Library. An illustrated book of Sabbath prayers, produced in Vienna in 1714, is found in the British Library in London. A Haggadah from the year 1735 with 52 vignettes by his own hand was once in Pressburg.[1] Vienna’s pre-Anscluss Jewish Museum was in the possession of an illustrated Haggadah produced by Meshullam Zimel in 1716.[2]

Our Haggadah was written at the request of Nathan be Isaac Oppenheim of Vienna, a member of the most distinguished family of Court Jews.

In 1699-1670 all Jews were expelled from Vienna. Before long, however, the absence of the Jews, who had paid high taxes, was felt by the authorities and negotiations were begun for their return. Individual Jews, who it was thought could be of service to the royal court or to the city, were permitted to settle in Vienna, but were subject to many restrictions.

The first Jew to settle in Vienna was Samuel Oppenheimer (1630-1703). As a military purveyor he supplied the Austrian army during the wars with France and the Turks. Samson Wertheimer (1658-1724), a relative, was at first associated with Oppenheimer. He served as financial advisor and agent of kings and princes. After Oppenheimer’s death he became the chief agent of the court in Vienna. Banker, statesman, rabbi, philanthropist and communal leader, Wertheimer was the most influential Jew of his time. He came to the aid of many Jewish communities. Both he and Oppenheimer were great patrons of Jewish learning.

Isaac Oppenheim (or Oppenheimer) was a son of Wertheimer’s first wife by a previous marriage. Wertheimer adopted him as his son and on account of Wertheimer he was permitted to reside in Vienna. A relative of Samuel Oppenheimer, a stepson of Samson Wertheimer and a son-in-law of wealthy Lazar Posing Hirschel, Isaac, too, was active as a financier. His contemporaries praised him for his generosity. He died in 1739. His son Nathan, for whom the Haggadah was written, married a granddaughter of Samuel Oppenheimer.[3]

This Haggadah, probably, remained in the Oppenheim family for several generations. It is now in the possession of the Jewish National and University Library in Jerusalem (Heb. 805573).

In 1983 it was shown in the Israel Museum in an exhibit of illustrated eighteenth century Haggadoth.[4]

The Haggadah is written in a beautiful script. Almost all the inside illustrations are based on the pictures of the 1712 Amsterdam Haggadah. The title page features a miniature of the sacrifice of Isaac, flanked by two lions, the figures of Moses and Aaron as well as those of King David and King Solomon, and a picture of a Seder meal.

Both the script and the pen drawings demonstrate the artist’s good taste and great talent.

The Haggadah presents the instructions for the observance of the Seder in Hebrew and in Judeo-German and contains the Judeo-German versions of the songs Adir Hu, Ehad Mi Yode’a and Had Gadya.

The original Haggadah is written on parchment. Its size is 167 x 111 mm.

Two of the original pages are missing.

The Diskin Orphan Home is pleased to present its friends and supporters with a copy of this historic Haggadah as a token of its appreciation of their assistance. We are all indebted to Rabbi Munish Weintraub, director of the Diskin Orphan Home, for his great efforts to have this Haggadah reproduced.

                                                ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We wish to express our thanks to Mr. Rafael Weizer and to the directors of the Jewish National and University Library of Jerusalem for their permission to reproduce this Haggadah (Heb. Ms. 8⁰5573).