A multifaceted nuptial blessing: the use of ruth 4:11–12 within medieval hebrew epithalamia
Melilah: Manchester Journal of Jewish Studies(2013)
摘要
When bestowing poetic blessings upon newly married couples, the medieval couple should merit the good fortune of, for instance, the forefathers Abraham, Isaac and common analogy offered, however, is that of the matriarchs Rachel and Leah, as per Boaz’s nuptial blessing from Ruth 4:11: “May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, both of whom build up the House of Israel!” In this study, the usage of this recurring motif throughout medieval Hebrew epithalamia will be considered, The medieval Hebrew poets composed hundreds of epithalamia, celebrating nuptial occasions within the Israelite nation, while offering blessings on behalf of the newly married 1 one anonymous Palestinian poet writes: (ozrem uvarkhem ke’ish nitbarekh bakkol, “assist them and bless them as he who was blessed in all things”),2 praying catalogs and collections: The Ezra Fleischer Institute for the Research of Hebrew Poetry in the Genizah; the Encyclopaedia Judaica Thesaurus of Mediaeval Hebrew Poetry, 4 vols (New York: Jewish “θ"λαμος”); however, following modern English usage (see The Oxford English Dictionary 1 For a chronological survey of Hebrew epithalamia through the ages, see Meir Bar-Ilan, Ateret H. atanim (Ramat Hatanim ve-Haftarat Hatanim”, Masekhet 1 (2002), 63–74, and Ephraim Hazan, “Shirei ha-H. atuna le-Rabi Yehuda Halevi”, Dukhan 2 From the grace-after-meals poem (isharta h. atan vekhallah), intended for recital at the conclusion of a wedding meal; see Avi Shmidman, The Poetic Versions of the Grace after Meals from the Cairo Genizah: A Critical Edition, (vadonai berakh et Avraham bakkol, “and the Lord A MULTIFACETED NUPTIAL BLESSING (AVI SHMIDMAN) 97 poet Pinh as adduces a comparison to Isaac and Rebecca: (ukheyiz. h.ak ukherivka tehe h. ibbatan 3 And in a third poem, Jacob appears at the point of comparison: ( yismah. h.atan kene’evak im sar 4 Beyond the offered to Boaz by the elders of the town (Ruth 4:11–12): All the people at the gate and the elders answered, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, both of whom build up the House of Israel! Prosper in Ephrathah and perpetuate your name in Bethlehem! And may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah – through the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman.” : This verse effectively established a biblical paradigm for the blessing of a bride and comparison to Rachel and Leah recurs again and again throughout medieval Hebrew epithalamia from all centers of Hebrew poetic activity, including Palestine, Babylonia, Italy, Notably, as we shall see, the impact of the verse transcends the liturgical/paraliturgical boundary; appropriations of the verse occur within epithalamia composed for a diverse poetry intended for the Sabbath following a wedding (Shabbat h. atan), both within strictly liturgical compositions such as qedushtaot (poems recited as part of the amidah prayer), as well as within reshut conclusion of nuptial meals, as well as within various free-standing zemirot (songs) and pizmonim that it is simply included as a matter of course, its effect within the poetry may be severely 3 From the grace-after-meals poem (a... tith. attan) for wedding meals; see Shulamit Elizur, The Liturgical Poems of Rabbi Pinh. as Ha-Kohen [Hebrew] ( Jerusalem: World Union of Jewish Studies, The David Moses and Amalia 4 From the grace-after-meals poem (eshet h. ayil ayasher bahadurah) for wedding meals; see Shmidman, Grace after Meals (vayye’avek ish immo Transliteration: vayyomeru kol ha’am asher basha’ar vehazzekenim edim yitten adonai et ha’ishah habba’ah el beitekha kerah. el ukhele’ah asher banu sheteihem et beit yisra’el va’aseh h. ayil be’efratah ukera shem bevet lah. em: vihi veitkha keveit perez. asher yaledah tamar lihudah min hazzera asher yitten adonai lekha min hanna‘arah hazzot. 98 MELILAH MANCHESTER JOURNAL OF JEWISH STUDIES poets responded successfully to this challenge, creatively integrating the Rachel-and-Leah [2] In many instances, in their reuse of the biblical comparison to Rachel and Leah, the Spanish poet Yosef ibn Abitur: 6 May God make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah [Refrain:] Regarding procreation and proliferation May she be upright like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah May God, exalted above all Gods, give strength to the bride As with Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel [Refrain: “Regarding procreation. . .”] May He bless the work of your hand, and strengthen your goodness May your wife be like a fruitful vine within your house [Refrain: “Regarding procreation. . .”] 7
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