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What is the historical origin of the section titles of the Haggadah?

(Inspired by discussion in comments on this answer to the question: Translation of haggadah section titles)

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  • I wonder whether it might be better to reword the question as "Origin of Kadesh Urchatz" or something similar, so it comes up better in Google searches.
    – Alex
    Feb 24, 2012 at 17:08
  • @Alex, given my general transliteration scheme, I'm not sure it'll help, but let's see.
    – Seth J
    Feb 24, 2012 at 17:32

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Machzor Vitry (sec. 65) attributes them to Rashi. This site says that it has also been attributed to R. Shmuel of Falaise, one of the Tosafists (mid-13th century), but that the true authorship is unknown.

(It was actually originally just one of a lot of mnemonics for the order of the Haggadah composed by various rishonim. Another one, from Maharam Rothenburg, is printed in Hagahos Maimonios in the standard editions of Rambam, end of Hil. Chametz Umatzah. R. M.M. Kasher's Haggadah Shleimah has these two plus a dozen or so others. Apparently this one won out because of its simplicity and brevity.)

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    Those are all Ashkenazi sources. Do the sephardim have a similar custom of listing the stages?
    – Double AA ♦
    Feb 24, 2012 at 17:36
  • @DoubleAA Do or did?
    – HodofHod
    Mar 8, 2013 at 2:48
  • @HodofHod Yes. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
    – Double AA ♦
    Mar 8, 2013 at 4:48
  • @DoubleAA Doesn't seem to be any section titles in the Sarajevo Haggada. (post-Rashi, Sephardic). Not sure if that's what you're looking for.
    – HodofHod
    Mar 8, 2013 at 5:47
  • @Alex, Wait, the Machzor Vitri (late 11th century) enumerates them and attributes them to Rashi, but that site claims they were written mid-13th century?
    – HodofHod
    Mar 8, 2013 at 7:41

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