VERSES OF SONG
5 Whoever misuses it stands only to lose. So I cleanse my heart on it as if with soap. I will pray to God Ma’ariv and Shacharit , Musaf and Minchah , and be answered. A sign forever between God and me.
d ¥n .zi ¦x §k ©d §l retreq reA d ¨k`¨l §n l ¥g .zi ¦[ra §M i ¦A ¦l reAÎq ¤A ©k£` o ¥M l ©r .zi ¦x£g ©W §e zi ¦a §x©r l ¥` l ¤` d¨l §N ©R §z ¤` §e :i ¦p«¥p£r©i `Ed d ¨g§p ¦n m©b §e s ©qEn
c ©r i ¥n §Orer §l `i ¦d zre` : i ¦pi ¥aE repi ¥A
Attributed to Abraham ibn Ezra `xfrÎoa` mdxa` i ¦M Ki eshm’rah Shabbat eil yishm’reini, ot hi l’ol’mei ad beino uveini. 1 Asur m’tso cheifets asot d’rachim, gam mill’dabbeir bo divrei ts’rachim, Divrei s’chorah af divrei m’lachim, ehgeh b’torat eil ut’chak’meini. Ot hi l’ol’mei ad beino uveini. 2 Bo emtsa tamid nofesh l’nafshi, hinneih l’dor rishon natan k’doshi, Mofeit b’teit lechem mishneh ba–shishi, kachah b’chol shishi yachpil m’zoni. Ot hi ... 3 Rasham b’dat ha–eil chok el s’ganav, bo la’aroch lechem panim b’fanav, Al kein l’hit’annot bo al pi n’vonav, asur l’vad miyyom kippur avoni. Ot hi ... 4 Hu yom m’chubbad, hu yom ta’anugim, lechem v’yayin tov basar v’dagim, Ha–mit’abb’lim bo achor n’sogim, ki yom s’machot hu ut’samm’cheini. Ot hi ... 5 Meicheil m’lachah bo sofo l’hachrit, al kein achabes bo libbi k’vorit, V’etpall’lah el eil arvit v’shacharit, musaf v’gam minchah hu ya’aneini. Ot hi l’ol’mei ad beino uveini.
a reflection of times of real poverty, certainly known by ibn Ezra himself, when there was no guarantee of food on the table for Shabbat. The special refreshment that comes with Shabbat, literally ‘a soul for my soul’, echoes the view that on Shabbat we receive an extra soul. However, the poet emphasises the meticulous fulfilment of the laws of Shabbat, including attending all four of the services that occur within the day.
z¨A ©W d ¨x §n §W ¤` i ¦M If I keep the Shabbat ... The initial letters spell the name Abraham, hence the attribution to Abraham ibn Ezra (twelfth–century Spain). It is not only forbidden to disturb the peace of Shabbat by doing business, even discussion of business topics or politics would ruin the mood. The focus on the plentiful supply of food for Shabbat matches the theme of a table hymn when we have just eaten, but it is also
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