November 21, 2024 ~ Shabbat HAYE SARA. HIJAZ.
Introduction by Sam Catton
On this holiday, which occurs four days after Yom Kippur, Israel is commanded to dwell in make-shift booths for seven days and to bring together the four species of the Lulab cluster, the citron, the palm branch, the myrtle and the willow of the brook. These were waved as the worshippers encircled the Altar in the Temple. Today, the Synagogue Tebah replaces the Temple Altar. The complete Hallel is recited.
Thus, the people leave their homes of comfort, and enter into the frail booths for seven days to remind us of our forty years of traveling in the desert, where we had no homes, and where the Lord protected us from all the dangers during the most difficult years.
Succot is a very [happy] holiday. The people came from all parts of the country to celebrate in Jerusalem. Their jubilation was two-fold. Secure in the knowledge that their prayers were accepted on Yom Kippur, and extremely grateful for granaries and storehouses filled with the ingathering of all the produce of the fields. Everyone is commanded to rejoice during these seven days with their families, and thank the Almighty for all the blessings He has showered upon us.
As we fulfill God's commandment of dwelling in the Succah, of holding the Lulab, by refraining from work, and by rejoicing in the Holiday, we indicate our fear and our love of God.
Succot (סֻכּוֹת), the festival of Tabernacles/Booths, is celebrated on 15 Tishrei.
Maqamat: 1 Sukkot- Sigah; 2 Sukkot- Ajam; Shabbat Hol Hamoed- Bayat; Hoshana Rabbah- Yom Kippur Melodies; Shemini Aseret- Saba; Simhat Torah- Ajam
Introduction by Sam Catton
After the joyful observance of Succot, the Lord pleads with Israel to remain in Jerusalem an extension of one more day to the Succot Holiday; a one day individual holiday by itself known as Shemini Hag Aseret. God is saddened at the thought of the people going back home.
On this day, prayers were offered to the Lord to provide us with enough rainfall for our crops and for all other needs.
At this point, the cycle of the weekly Sabbath Torah readings is completed, and immediately a new cycle begins.
This day is also known as Simhat Torah, rejoicing in the Law. Unrestrained dancing with the Torah is accompanied with singing takes place. The Tebah is encircled seven times in a ceremony known as "Hakafot". Children of all ages participate. Candies, goodies, toys, and flags are generously distributed to children, thus instilling in them a love of Torah and of this holiday. The children overflow the Synagogues. Every inch of space is occupied.
שמיני עצרת=Saba ("the eighth day") שמחת תורה=Ajam
| Section | Pizmon | Page | Song | Commentary | Recordings | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sigah | 518 | 435 | אתה מרום | This pizmon (SIGAH, page 435), whose title is translated as "You, Who Lives in Heaven and Resides Above," is a song for the Yom Tob festivals. The acrostic of this song is Abraham (אברהם), and there is a reference here to each of the three patriarchs. What makes this song unique is that each of the five rhyming stanzas ends with a biblical source referencing God's name. The song begins with how the author and the entire community will rejoice and praise God at happy occasions; in the happiness of the bride and groom (in the first stanza), and in the happiness of the Yom Tob festivals (in the second stanza). The third stanza then asks that God, the merciful One, will spread his kindness on the children of Abraham. The fourth stanza says that we should praise God, because He will rebuild the Beit HaMiqdash where we will soon offer sacrifices to God in the future. The poem concludes (in the fifth stanza) with a plea to fulfill the prophecy of Ezekiel of returning to Zion, rebuilding the Temple, and then sending the Messiah, from the House of King David, to redeem the Jewish nation. Due to the song’s clear reference to “Eleh Moadei Hashem (Leviticus 23:4),” the source in the Torah that discusses the annual holiday cycle, this can be used as a PIZMON SEFER TORAH on the Shalosh Regalim. Tabbush Manuscript |
E. Menaged G. Shrem M. Kairey G. Shrem Recording Moshe Dwek |
|
| Mahour | 181 | 151 | חנון רחם |  Raphael Tabbush This pizmon (MAHOUR, page 151), whose title can be translated as "Merciful One, Have Compassion on Your Beloved People," is a song for the Shalosh Regalim, the three times of the year when Jews make the pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. It is composed by H Raphael Antebi Tabbush, and the acrostic of this 4 stanza song spells "Hayim" (סימן חיים), or ‘life’. The melody of this song is from the Arabic song “Midlam Minina.” Traditionally, our community sings this melody as the PIZMON SEFER TORAH on the second day of Sukkot. The first part of this song (first two stanzas) is a prayer for God to have compassion on His nation, and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, because the “time has come” for the redemption. The restoration of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland and the end of their exile is represented by “living waters flowing out of Jerusalem,” and this is alluded to clearly in Zecharia 14:8. The second part of this song (the last two stanzas) goes on to express the great happiness that will befall the Jewish people (like the happiness of a bride and groom) once God performs these miracles of providing the new Temple, ending the exile; and having the Messiah announce the good news about the redemption. When these things happen, the Jewish people will be extremely happy and praise God, their Merciful Father. Hamaoui Manuscript Tabbush Manuscript |
M Kairey Albert Cohen Saban G. Shrem Recording I Cabasso |
פזמון |
| Bayat | 319 | 246 | מעזי אז כלה קץ | Raphael Tabbush “Mauzi,” or “My Fortress” (BAYAT, page 246), is a song that is very popular. H Raphael Tabbush is likely the author of this pizmon, but this is uncertain. The melody of this song is from the Arabic song “Baladi Askara Min Araf il Lama.” This song is associated with the Shalosh Regalim festivals due to a brief reference to them. The melody of this pizmon is typically applied to Shav’at Aniyim for weeks of Maqam BAYAT. Despite this being a song for the most happy of holidays, this song is actually very sad. It asks why has God abandoned us and why has the Messiah not yet arrived? It describes how our enemies have taken over our vineyards and have killed us. The climax of the song, “Al Damam,” describes how “my tears fall on their blood" (the blood of fellow Jews) and how our tears are enough to fill rivers. The four verse piece concludes with an open question: “Where has my Beloved gone; to Whom I rejoice three times a year?” Commentary on Pizmon |
N. Salem Ezra Sayegh E. Menaged Fule Yanani I. Cabasso- Shav'at G. Shrem Recording R Barzani- Shaveat I Cabasso E Sayegh D Binker-Duek Moshe Dwek Moshe Dwek Moshe Dwek - SA Moshe Dwek - Mauzi |
שועת עניים |
| Nahwand | 299.03 | 237c | שאו ציונה נס ודגל | Early Israeli melody. |
Recording |
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| Hijaz | 585 | 485 | רוכב עבים ומהלך | Raphael Tabbush This pizmon (HIJAZ, page 485), whose title is translated as "Driver of Clouds," is a song about God's role in controlling nature. This song is composed by H Raphael Antebi Tabbush, and the acrostic "Raphael" is spelled in the song's 4 stanzas. The beginning of the song introduces the concept of God being 'the Driver of clouds' and 'Controller of wind' (see Psalms 104, Isaiah 19:1, and Exodus 15:22); meaning the 'gatekeeper' of most precious resource in the world: rain. With rain, the second stanza says that the desert can bloom, and the land can become paradise (like the Garden of Eden). The words "Masheeb Ruah U'Moreed Gesem," the traditional Jewish prayer for rain, is also alluded to in the second stanza. Acknowledging that God is the master of all nature, the third stanza pleads to the Almighty to use this strength to help and protect the Jewish nation and redeem them so that they will celebrate this in the Temple. The author concludes with a prayer to help renew and invigorate him so that he, too, can partake in the upcoming redemption. The melody of this song can be applied to Shav'at Aniyim on weeks when Maqam HIJAZ is applied, and the song is traditionally sung as the PIZMON SEFER TORAH on the Shemini Asseret festival, because this is the first day of the year that Jews start to pray for rain in the Amida prayer. |
E. Menaged G. Shrem Recording I Cabasso H Abraham Zafrani |
שועת עניים |
| Ajam | 215 | 173 | מקהלות עם | Mordechai Abadi This pizmon (AJAM, page 173), whose opening words translate as "In the assembly of the nation God is blessed," is a popular celebratory song associated with weddings. It is composed by the prominent rabbi, judge, and poet, H Mordekhai Abadi (b. Aleppo, 1826 - 1883), who is the author of "Dibre Mordekhai" (Aleppo, 1873), a collection of sixty nine pizmonim assorted by maqam, as well as "Miqra Qodesh," a collection of Baqashot. This song has four stanzas (acrostic: מ-ר-ד-כי) and a repeating chorus ("Haleluhu Gadeluhu"). The song seems to honor a bridegroom with the first name 'Jacob,' but this name is a metaphor for the entire nation of Israel. The song is an ongoing blessing to this bridegroom (i.e. wealth, honor, and longevity), as well as an ongoing praise to God for His generosity and kindness. The song ends with a remembrance of the strength that Israel had at the exodus from Egypt as well as a blessing for us to merit a future redemption when we will all live in Jerusalem. A Z Idelsohn notes, 1923 British Library Or. 10375 |
M Kairey G. Shrem Fule Yanani Saul Nobeh Betesh G. Shrem Recording I Cabasso Eliahu Saal- Qaddish Moshe Dwek Moshe Dwek - Naqdishakh |
נקדישך |
| Ajam | 221.01 | 176a | סוכה ולולב | Sukkot. There are many melodies to this pizmon; including Maqam Ajam and Saba. |
J. Mosseri Recording Recording Iraqi Recording |
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| Hijaz | 595 | 493 | בואו נספר | Hoshana Raba. Yabess Manuscript A Z Idelsohn notes, 1923 |
G. Shrem G. Shrem Recording Moshe Dwek - HM |
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| Rahawi Nawah | 448 | 370 | מפי אל מפי אל | א״ב Maqam Girkah The pizmon “Mipi El” (RAHAWI-NAWAH, page 370), or “From the Mouth of God,” is commonly used for the Haqafot of Simhat Torah. The author is unknown, and renditions of this song are found in 19th century Aleppo manuscripts. The theme of "Mipi El" is the greatness of the Torah, and praise is given to four subjects; (1) God (author of the Torah), (2) Moses "Ben Amram" (who received the Torah), (3) the Torah itself, and (4) the nation of Israel (who receives the Torah from Moses). The song uses the Hebrew alphabet to provide adjectives for the four subjects above. In one version of the song, the long version, there are four adjectives of each letter to provide praise for the four subjects above (for a total of 22 stanzas). In the short version, however, there is only one adjective per letter (for a total of 6 stanzas). The use of the word “Ein” (translated as: 'there is none') in the song is based on the verse from the Prayer of Hanna in 1 Samuel 2:2 which says “Ein Qadosh KaHashem, Ki Ein Biltekha, v’Ein Sur Kelohenu.” In addition to Simhat Torah, the melody of this song is also used in association with Shabbat Vayesse due to the words “Yebarekh Et Yisrael” (He will bless Israel). Hamaoui Manuscript Attiah Manuscript Yabess Manuscript A Z Idelsohn notes, 1923 |
G. Shrem Fule Yanani G. Shrem Moshe Dwek |
אל ההודאות |
| Ajam | 228 | 179 | אל רמה ימינך | Raphael Tabbush Hatan Me'Onah. Tabbush Manuscript |
Yom Tob Yanani David Sebi Recording |
שועת עניים |
| Bayat | 326 | 249 | ארוממך לכבוד שמך | This pizmon (BAYAT, page 249), “I Will Exalt Thee,” is associated with the Shalosh Regalim festivals, and specifically Sukkot. This rhyming song is composed by H Raphael Antebi Tabbush (d. 1918). The theme of the song is praising God during the joyous pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Among the reasons listed of why God is praised are: He performed miracles for us, destroyed our enemies, gave us the Torah, lifted us from bondage, forgives our transgressions, listens to our cries, and heals the sick. In this song, there are 22 stanzas, corresponding to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and each stanza ends with the chorus: “Le’ir Sion, Har Qodshekha, Sham Nismah Ve’naale” (To the City of Zion, Your Holy Mountain; There will we rejoice and ascend). The last stanza is a prayer for the arrival of Eliahou to herald the redemption, which "everyone is yearning for.” In addition to singing “Aromimkha” on the Shalosh Regalim, it is commonly chanted during the Haqafot of Simhat Torah. The melody of this can be applied to Mimisrayim on Shabbat Hol Hamoed. Tabbush Manuscript |
Fule Yanani G. Shrem Moshe Dwek |
ממצרים |
