AMERICAN REFORM TRANSLATIONS OF THE PASSOVER HAGGADAH: SHIFTING APPROACHES TO THE SH’FOKH ḤAMATKHA SECTION, 1892–2021

The Sh’fokh Hamatkha (“Pour out Thy Wrath”) section in the Passover Haggadah, invoking Elijah as a personal Messiah and juxtaposing vengeance on non-Jewish nations with redemptive hope, poses particular ideological challenges to Reform Judaism’s rational and universalistic values. The present article traces how American Reform Haggadot from 1892 to 2021 have translated, omitted, or reframed the Sh’fokh Hamatkha section, historically highlighting these strategies’ underlying theological and educational overtones. Two main approaches are outlined and discussed: the early Reform Haggadot’s elimination or paratextual displacement of the Sh’fokh Hamatkha section; and the more recent tendency to restore both the section’s ritualistic features and its vengeful verses—reinterpreted, annotated, and often paired with alternative readings promoting universal peace and justice. This article argues that the shifting approaches of the editors of American Reform Haggadot evolved from avoidance to engagement, demonstrating an increasing willingness to address the section’s theological challenges in a more direct manner, and to struggle educationally with its implications.