Poems Flashcards
Dvai Haser
by Dunash ben Labrat
currently serves as introduction to the bentching at a wedding meal
May originally have been a piyit to be done in the chazaras hashatz as an intro to birkas kohanim
Dror Yikra
by Dunash ben Labrat
Plea to Hashem to protect Israel, destroy its oppressors, and bring peace and redemption
Connects Shabbos observance with meriting Hashem’s protection and peace
Asks god to hear the prayers of Israel and act on their behalf
Almost entirely based on fragments of biblical verses or allusions to them
conclused by demanding Torah study, enticing the reader to do so by comparing wisdom to a crown; then mentions general mitzvah observance and finally shabbos observance once again
Lament for the Jews of Zion
by Yosef ibn Avitor
written in Arabic meter introduced by Dunash
Written after 1024 disturbances in Israel when Jews were attacked by Bedouin tribe
May have been an appeal for support of a poetic response to the tragedy
used traditional rhyme scheme
Hymn for the New Year
by Yosef ibn Avitor
Pizmon (responsive hymn) to be recited on Rosh Hashanah
each stana ends in a biblical quotation
Many allusions to Talmud and Job regerding god’s finely calculated plans in creating the natural world
Based on the idea the the world was created and judged on Rosh Hashanah-thus Rosh Hashanah celebrates a renewal or creation
Father Jacob
by Shmuel HaNagid
celbration of his military victory in 1038 over ibn Abbas of Almeria
Voices his fears at the start of the battle, invoking the great past leaders, Yaakov, Moshe, and all mothers and fathers buried in Machpelah, to pray for him
Referance to midrash in Eichah Rabbah which portrays Yirmiyahu praying at Machpelach to prevent the destruction of the temple
I am Obligated to God for His Goodness
by Shmuel HaNagid
Written after falling sick upon successful return from war
Describes horrors of war graphically
Complains about illness which he has suffered for 3 months
Finds consolation in the concept that suffering washes away the sin of man
On Fleeing His City
by Shmuel HaNagid
Part of Ben Tehillim
Tells of his fleeing his city Cordoba in 1013 after the Berber uprising which sacked the city and massacred the population including 60 scholars
Expressed great physical and mental stress
Concludes with a prayer for God’s proctection
Delay your Speech
by Shmuel HaNagid
Part of Ben Mishlei
Play on words between “chitah” for wheat and “cheit for sin
Encourages the reader to be careful before speaking
Uses Comparison to master archer who takes aim slowly to split a grain of wheat
Kingdom’s Crown
by Shlomo ibn Gabirol
Essentially a bakasha
40 stanzas
May not have been meant for shul, but was adopted to Yom Kippur prayers by many sefardim because of hits powerful religious empahsis
Part I-addresses the Creator-praises His greatness, strength, and wisdom
Part II-detailed cosmology-explains the intricacies of G-d’s creating the cosmos
Part III-confession (vidui) of human failings-multiple metaphors for the lowliness of man
Azharos-613 Mitzvos in verse
by Shlomo ibn Gabirol
Numerous rabbinic commentaries written on it to explain the references and how he chose which to include
Recited in many Sephardic congregations on the night of Shavuos to commemorate matan torah
Shachar Avakshecha
By Shlomo ibn Gabirol
Reshus for Nishmas prayer of Yom Kippur shachris
Based on the Katzidah style Arabic poems
My Wandering
by Yitzchak ibn Giyat
A poem of redemption-a liturgical poem that was recited on Shabbos or Yom Tov before the final blessing after Shema, which is ga’al Yeisrael, dealing with redemption
Used Muwashshah form of peotry
takes to the extreme the idea of Israel finding pleasure in the hardships it endures to serve god
Here the kharja is God responding to the Jews’ devotion with a promise of redeeming them and showing His love for them
Let Man Remember
Moshe Ibn Ezra
Warns man to remember he is headed towards death
Each pair of lines contains opposites
Ancient Graves
by Moshe Ibn Ezra
Emphasizes the there is no social difference between people after death and therefore no need to envy or hate
Ivory Palaces
by Moshe Ibn Ezra
Imagines vision of ivory palaces suddenly demolished
The Blind
by Moshe Ibn Ezra
True blindness is not lacking the physical power to see, but lacking proper judgment
True blindness is someone who sees others being shamed and does nothing
This blindness to justice is compared to giving up God to worship an idol
The Gazelle’s Sigh
by Moshe Ibn Ezra
Refers to the sighing of the gazelle (the beloved) over losing the groom of her youth-seems to be a metaphor of Jews mourning the destruction on Temple
The beloved cries and asks her lost husband in song to sustain her
At the Hour of Closing
by Moshe Ibn Ezra
For Yom Kippur Neilah service
Begins by asking for understanding to know how to utilize this special time properly
Each stanza concludes repeating “now at the hour of closing”
Asks God for compassion and forgiveness, but also the pouring forth of the souls of Bnei Yisrael
My Heart is in the East
by Yehudah HaLevi
A song of antitheses: West and East, ease and hardship, waste and worth, and material and spiritual
Refers to a vow to abandon Spain for Jerusalem but mourns his inability to do so because Jerusalem has been conquered by the Christian Crusaders who forbade Jews
from living there, and on the other hand, he is shackled by “Arabia’s chains.”
Arabia’s chains may be referring to Muslim government, culture, and even the Arabic style meter of poetry
Because his heart is in the East, he finds it hard to enjoy anything in the “West”
Shows willingness to leave behind the wealth of Spain for the spiritual goal of G-d’s Holy Land
Won’t You ask, Zion
by Yehudah HaLevi
Incorperated into Ashkenazic Kinos, yearning for Israel, mourns over the people of Israel being separated from their home
“Chayei n’shamos avir artzeich”-two possible explanations:
1. the land of Israel makes people wise, a spiritual life
2. the souls buried in Israel will arise immediately by techiyas hamesim
If Only I Could Be
by Yehudah HaLevi
Asks to only be a servant of God and be led in the right path to accomplish this
Expresses worry about reaching old age still encumbered by sin
Wants to come closer to God
Fortune’s Stars
By Avraham ibn Ezra
Reflects on ibn Ezra’s preoccupation with astrology and the powers God has granted to the planets and stars, as revealed in his works of astrology
light humorous mode-makes fun of his lack of success
Reflects his ability to make fun of himself and the difficulties he faced in the second part of his life when he was forced into wandering.
How it is
By Avraham ibn Ezra
Reflects his dependence on patron-and his dissatisfaction with such a lifestyle
typical of his reflecting the hardships he faced in wandering. Find humor in his difficult situation, i.e. always waiting to meet with his patron in order to get paid his stipend
World Poetry
By Avraham ibn Ezra
Compares poetry of different ethnic groups and expresses the uniqueness of Jewish poetry-its purpose to praise Hashem. Seems to reveal that ibn Ezra’s main reason for his own poetry was praise of God.
Lament for Andalusian Jewry
By Avraham ibn Ezra
Mourning for Jewish communities of Spain and North Africa destroyed by the invading Almohads
ibn Ezra sees the attacks as part of the greater history of Israel in exile and his voices as representing the Jewish people as a whole. Seeing thier tribulations in this historical context should strengthen the new exiles. He mourns the loss of connections to Torah study and forced conversions. Accepts the destruction as a Divine punishment for wrongdoing, but hopes for Devine mercy-continues to show love of God despite distress.
To the Soul
By Avraham ibn Ezra
Describes the holiness of the soul and the purpose of it to serve God. He encourages the reader to stop and think about his purpose and put aside worldly pleasures for spiritual ones through which he will merit the world to come.
I Bow Down
By Avraham ibn Ezra
Uses Biblical style poetry
Mixture of emotional turbulence and intellectual analysis.
Expresses desire to completely nullify the self before God. There is no source of help and salvation besides god.
describes limitations of man. recognizes that sin has only brought harm unto himself and pleades to be excused because it was out of desire, not rebellion.
Children of Exile
By Avraham ibn Ezra
Depicts oppression of the long Jewish exile
Mourns change of leadership from prophets of Israel to harsh gentile rulers
Asks G-d through a sense of trembling why He is angry at Bnei Yisrael, citing Moshe as having asked this question, as way of showing permission to talk in such a manner to God
Ben Adamah
By Avraham ibn Ezra
Tochecha for ne’ilah of Yom Kippur
Sketches the various stages of man’s life from 5 to 80 and beyond
Concludes with the lesson that it is better for one to focus on his soul and reward in the world to come because this life is anyway full of disappointment
The swift transition from the pleasant twenties to the entrapped thirties and shaken forties reflects the experiences of his own unhappy life
Tefilas Tal
By Avraham ibn Ezra
Constructed in 12 stanzas corresponding the zodiac signs and months of the year
Shekel HaKodesh
by Yosef Kimchi
Arranged poetic adaptions from various sources of ethical writing and devided into 22 catagories: wisdom, silence, truth, friends, etc.
“Love for the World” - warns the reader not to focus his life on love for the world because this will lead to his downfall - using the comparison to a dog gnawing on bones, when he is sucking his own blood without realizing it
“Always be vigilant” - warns not to take anyone for granted, using the example of a fly, which could cause annoyance if it enters throat
“If you hear someone insult you” -counsels ignoring insults, two consolations:
a. By engaging the person who insulted you, you are likely to face further insult
b. Someone who makes a foolish insult is not worth engaging as he will soon fade away
“Silence and Speech” - argues for the virtue of silence:
a. More talk causes more “headache” - difficult situations result
b. Take a lesson from the way man was created, with just one tongue, as opposed to two, shows that one should treat their tongue carefully
The poet
by Meshullam DePiera
Denigrates poets for lying in: praising their powerful patrons and failing to distinguish between right and wrong.
(Shows dislike toward the poetic establishment)
On A New Book by Maimonides
by Meshullam DePiera
Addresses his poem to the recent controversial work Moreh Nevuchim. He clearly rejects the book for having teachings which are “unprecedented” and “extreme”.
Singles out for attack the idea that some statments in the Bible are parables
As a follower of kabbalah, he was opposed to taking a rationalist Aristotelian approach to Torah
Before You Take Up Your Pen
by Meshullam DePiera
Warns writers to be careful with their words and compares the damaging power of the written word to arrows and knives
On Poets and Poetry
by Shem Tov ibn Falaqera
Stresses the negative aspects of poetry - it leads the poet to flatter his patron in vain, as he seeks gifts and praise
Why God made You
by Shem Tov ibn Falaqera
Warns man to speak little.
Finds a hint to conserve speech from the fact that man was created with just one mouth unlike other external organs that come in pairs
The Fool Thinks
by Shem Tov ibn Falaqera
makes the fool’s mistakes tangible to the reader, by comparing the rejection or ignoring of wisdom to believing that honey is bitter and gall is sweet
depicts the danger of failing to pursue wisdom by comparing it to a sick patient who wants to take something that will make him ill rather than taking the doctor’s cure
Poverty’s War
by Shem Tov ibn Falaqera
Illustrates the power of poverty by comparing it to the sword which kills powerless people
Describes the insult of poverty - it lacks the honor of a soldier who dies in war
