Poems

Question 1

Dvai Haser

by Dunash ben Labrat

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Dror Yikra

by Dunash ben Labrat

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Lament for the Jews of Zion

by Yosef ibn Avitor

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Hymn for the New Year

by Yosef ibn Avitor

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Father Jacob

by Shmuel HaNagid

Answer 5

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

Question 6

I am Obligated to God for His Goodness

by Shmuel HaNagid

Answer 6

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

Question 7

On Fleeing His City

by Shmuel HaNagid

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Delay your Speech

by Shmuel HaNagid

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Kingdom’s Crown

by Shlomo ibn Gabirol

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Azharos-613 Mitzvos in verse

by Shlomo ibn Gabirol

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Shachar Avakshecha

By Shlomo ibn Gabirol

Answer 11

Reshus for Nishmas prayer of Yom Kippur shachris

Based on the Katzidah style Arabic poems

Question 12

My Wandering

by Yitzchak ibn Giyat

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Let Man Remember

Moshe Ibn Ezra

Answer 13

Warns man to remember he is headed towards death

Each pair of lines contains opposites

Question 14

Ancient Graves

by Moshe Ibn Ezra

Answer 14

Emphasizes the there is no social difference between people after death and therefore no need to envy or hate

Question 15

Ivory Palaces

by Moshe Ibn Ezra

Answer 15

Imagines vision of ivory palaces suddenly demolished

Question 16

The Blind

by Moshe Ibn Ezra

Answer 16

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

Question 17

The Gazelle’s Sigh

by Moshe Ibn Ezra

Answer 17

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

Question 18

At the Hour of Closing

by Moshe Ibn Ezra

Answer 18

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

Question 19

My Heart is in the East

by Yehudah HaLevi

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Won’t You ask, Zion

by Yehudah HaLevi

Answer 20

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

Question 21

If Only I Could Be

by Yehudah HaLevi

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Fortune’s Stars

By Avraham ibn Ezra

Answer 22

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.

Question 23

How it is

By Avraham ibn Ezra

Answer 23

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

Question 24

World Poetry

By Avraham ibn Ezra

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

Lament for Andalusian Jewry

By Avraham ibn Ezra

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

To the Soul

By Avraham ibn Ezra

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

I Bow Down

By Avraham ibn Ezra

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

Children of Exile

By Avraham ibn Ezra

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Ben Adamah

By Avraham ibn Ezra

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Tefilas Tal

By Avraham ibn Ezra

Answer 30

Constructed in 12 stanzas corresponding the zodiac signs and months of the year

Question 31

Shekel HaKodesh

by Yosef Kimchi

Answer 31

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

Question 32

The poet

by Meshullam DePiera

Answer 32

Denigrates poets for lying in: praising their powerful patrons and failing to distinguish between right and wrong.
(Shows dislike toward the poetic establishment)

Question 33

On A New Book by Maimonides

by Meshullam DePiera

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Before You Take Up Your Pen

by Meshullam DePiera

Answer 34

Warns writers to be careful with their words and compares the damaging power of the written word to arrows and knives

Question 35

On Poets and Poetry

by Shem Tov ibn Falaqera

Answer 35

Stresses the negative aspects of poetry - it leads the poet to flatter his patron in vain, as he seeks gifts and praise

Question 36

Why God made You

by Shem Tov ibn Falaqera

Answer 36

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

Question 37

The Fool Thinks

by Shem Tov ibn Falaqera

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Poverty’s War

by Shem Tov ibn Falaqera

Answer 38

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