Biblical Poetry

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1. Eikha and the Power of Biblical Poetry

   Part 2

   Dr. Yael Ziegler | 37 minutes

   This second shiur in the Eikha series, drawing from academic literature, provides a basic introduction to Biblical poetry in general: the purposes and styles, with examples from Eikha and elsewhere in the Bible. Different types of imagery, metre, and structural styles (especially the acrostic and chiasm) are demonstrated in vivid examples from Eikha.

2. Eikha Chapter 1

   Part 3

   Dr. Yael Ziegler | 54 minutes

   The third shiur in this series explores Perek Alef (Chapter One), which is comprised of two halves. The first involves an objective narrator; the second is a first person collective perspective. The first, more accusing tone, appears to be the prophet's (God's perspective), and the second describes Jerusalem's grappling with grief and sorrow.

3. “From the Depths I Call to You” – Psalm 130

   Part 1

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   More often than not, biblical poetry is written in the form of prose and not in poetic form. Nonetheless, in order to understand the content of a psalm, one must determine its poetic structure. Psalm 130 can be divided into 4 stanzas and a concluding line which is both separate and integral to the rest of the psalm. 

4. Does Sefer Tehillim Tell a Story?

   Dr. Yael Ziegler | Hour and 17 minutes

   Does Sefer Tehillim tell a story? We usually think of Tehillim as a randomly arranged anthology of poetry describing personal religious experiences, and the individual chapters are completely separate from one another. However, a close analysis of Sefer Tehillim reveals that the structure of the mizmorim is in fact deliberate, and we can notice a clear narrative emerging throughout the book. 

5. Targum Onkelos

   Dr. Avigail Rock

   In this first lesson of the series Targum Onkelos is examined. There is no doubt that Targum Onkelos succeeded, for over a millennium, in maintaining its honored place in the Jewish community as the authoritative translation of the Torah.  In every publication of the Torah with commentaries, Targum Onkelos maintains its place of honor, and throughout the Jewish world, the weekly study of the Targum is a halakhic obligation.

   The challenges, difficulties and limitations of any translation of the Bible are visited as well as the specific overarching principles of Targum Onkelos that include:

   • Simple translation of the text without details from the Midrash
   • Avoids the anthropomorphization of God
   • Explanation – not translation – of metaphors
   • Explanation – not translation – of biblical poetry
   • Varying translations of similar terms in different contexts in order to avoid the desecration of God’s name
   • Maintain the dignity of the leaders of the Jewish nation, often concealing questionable actions
   • In accordance with Halakha

6. Dreams and Dialogues in Shir Hashirim

   Rabbi Moshe Taragin

   תאריך פרסום: 5777 | | Hour and 11 minutes

   In this shiur, we look at the four main poems in Shir HaShirim: the song of longing and wistfulness, the wedding preparations, the frustrated expectations, and the search for renewal (as well as the chorus of the “oaths”). We consider the nature of the communication in Shir Hashirim, and explore the multiple perspectives within the songs and within the midrash and commentaries on Shir HaShirim. As we navigate the blending of time and blurred consciousness in the dream sequences, we ask:What messages about Am Yisrael can we uncover from the dream metaphors in Shir HaShirim? What roles do the dreams play in expressing emotions, and how many characters are really in Shir HaShirim?

7. Our Father, Our King: The Difference Between Shirat Hayam and Shirat Ha’azinu

   Dr. Yael Ziegler

   תאריך פרסום: 5777 | | Hour

   We will be looking at the  two major songs of the Torah - Shirat HaYam- the Song at the Sea, and Shirat Haazinu - the song of dire warnings before Moshe's death. These songs are strikingly different - from their respective literary tones to the way they are recorded on the parchment of the Torah scrolls, and yet each of them are viewed as a national anthem of Am Yisrael.   Somehow, these songs are intriguingly linked. We explore how each song represents a different situation and paradigm, and a important aspect of the relationship between God and His nation.

8. The Key to Tanach: Haazinu and its Hidden Messages

   Rabbi Yitzchak Twersky

   תאריך פרסום: 5777 | | Hour and 10 minutes

   In this shiur, we explore what Haazinu is indirectly talking about, and how it impacts on the rest of Tanakh. Biblical poetry leaves much of the depth of meaning between the lines, and Haazinu is no different. We identify three dimensions of Haazinu, and the relationship among them is the main focus of the shiur.

   Though the surface level of the poem - the peshat - obviously relates to sin and the consequences thereof - questions of how God runs the world, wordplay and allusions seem to point to various key moments of the Torah - the very beginning (the Garden of Eden) and the "middle" - the Sin of the Spies and Moshe and the rock.   As we analyze the hints deriving from the word choice within Haazinu and look at the other texts inside, we gain a deeper perspective of the issues of sin and consequence within the relationship between God and Israel, while gaining insights about Moshe along the way.

9. Mishlei - Part 1: Introducing Mishlei

   Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen | 33 minutes

   Mishlei is a book of philosophical poetry, relating to the deeper messages of our lives. A proper understanding of its themes - religiosity, wisdom, personal growth, and the relationship among them - can only be understood through a careful literary analysis of the poetry. 

   We begin the first shiur in this series with the very beginning of the book: the first of the set of short poems. We set out to understand how the key themes of wisdom, ethics, and justice are expressed through these poems.

   short ideas that look so easy, so obvious, so accessible, that until you analyze them you don’t realize how much effort is necessary – in order to expend those efforts effectively, one needs to have yirat Hashem at the head of it all.

   What does the first part of Misheli tell us? In the various stages of development, there are different types of wisdom, different aspects of one's personality. Wisdom will touch you on whatever level you have attained and will move you ahead – but only if you are willing to approach it with Yirat Hashem (Fear of God) and humility -not as the chacham (clever one) but as the navon (discerning one).

10. Mishlei - Part 2: Jewelry, Company, and Double Entendres

    Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen | 29 minutes

    In the second shiur of our Mishlei series, we examine the second poem of the first chapter. The twist at the end will compel us to revisit the poem to understand the whole piece.

    At first, the metaphor of ethical and moral instruction as ornaments and jewelry seems to move into a message about the company one keeps. The end of the poem seems more philosophical, begging us to look again. We find multidimensional readings and double entendres. Is this peom also teaching the reader how to read these analogies? 

    The message of this poem seems to be that there is ultimately no hunter outside yourself - your actions upon the world are actually affecting you.

     

11. Mishlei - Part 3: Wisdom is Calling - Will there be an Answer?

    Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen | 37 minutes

    In this third part of our Mishlei series, we look at the second half of the first chapter. The verses are quite frightening -possibly the most frightening verses in the whole book. But a proper understanding of this poem will lead us to see that it is full of light and hope.

    We find a warning of what will happen when wisdom is calling but you refuse. When things are hard- God will make things difficult. When things are really terrible - one will call out to God but He will not answer.  Nowhere else in Mishlei do we see this type of thing- the inversion of Tehillim 91!

    How does this idea square with idea of teshuva? Elsewhere in Tanakh, we find the refrain of calls to do teshuva - to call out to God, who will be with you in your suffering and who will come to your aid. Of course, as Yeshayahu and Yirmiyahu point out - if you do not do teshuva you will eat from the fruits of your ways. 

    Perhaps teshuva is different from the natural desire for wisdom. Anyone can do teshuva, but it is not necessarily possible to turn the clock back intellectually. With repentance, there is always a possibility for spiritual change. But if you do not develop yourself in the natural sphere of wisdom - there is no turning back.

     

12. Mishlei - Part 4: A Treasure Hunt

    Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen | 37 minutes

    In this fourth part of this Mishlei series, we will study stiudy fourth poem- the entire second chapter of Mishlei.

    In this chapter we enter into spiritual knowledge and  delve into philosophy in the religious sense. If you are searching for treasure – you will be looking in a particular place. If you want to succeed in studying for spiritual knowledge, you will need to search with sustained effort, but it also must be done from excitement and enjoyment. Natural wisdom depends on you calling back to nature. Spiritual wisdom comes if God decides to give it to you, but you can call out to him, too - in a form of tefilla. We look at the metaphor of the "bad woman" and the "bad man" who try to steer people astray. We examine some philosophical aspects of mitzvot, and discuss reward and punishment.

    What you make of the world is what the world makes of you.

13. Mishlei - Part 5: Knowledge and Action

    Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen | 36 minutes

    In this fifth instalment of our Mishlei series, we study both the 5th and the 6th poems in the Book of Mishlei – the third chapter of the book. We continue from last shiur's message, that understanding and internalizing the concepts of God keep us from straying and bring us spiritual gain. 

    We look at the relationship between intellectual knowledge and action in the world. What is the difference between the relationship to the mitzva and the relationship to the Torah? We guard the mitzvot, keeping them in mind for when the time comes to act upon them. But Torah is about not forgetting, not about just guarding. We examine the meaning of "length of days" by looking at the story of Yaakov's interview with Pharaoh in the book of Bereisheet, and look at the relationship between kindness and truth in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

    Intellect and action - hesed (lovingkindness) and emet (truth) can sometimes seem to contradict one another, but the "tree of life" image in Mishlei sends the message that we must support society and also ourselves. This personal and interpersonal development evokes the intertwining of truth and kindness.

     

     

     

14. Mishlei - Part 6: Heaven and Earth

    Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen | 18 minutes

    In this 6th part of our series, we will look at the second half of the third chapter of Mishlei: the seventh poem. This poem about morality and the realization of wisdom seems to be made up of three distinct poems, yet is actually one cohesive whole. What does it mean that “God established the earth with wisdom”? We examine a series of moral arguments and try to understand the meaning in context, while unpacking the parable of the earth and sky– static and dynamic elements, respectively. We consider how they  represent different aspects of humankind’s relationship with wisdom, and how they contribute to finding the elusive definition of being on the straight path.

15. Mishlei - Part 9: Tips for Success

    Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen | 40 minutes

    In our ninth lecture, we will look at the sixth chapter of Mishlei. This chapter is composed of four short poems divided into two halves. They comprise separate units, but there is a basic theme and connection between them. The second poem is similar to the first half in form, but the message seems to be quite different. We must ask what type of message we are supposed to try to glean from these poems? We must return to the beginning to analyze it anew to find a deeper meaning to what seems to be a moral, yet self-defeating rule. Are we dealing with a practical guide to life as a successful person, or are we talking about something completely different: practical guidance on a deeper level - about repentance?

16. Mishlei - Part 10: Wisdom as a Sister

    Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen | 37 minutes

    This tenth part of our series looks at the seventh and half of the eighth chapter of Mishlei. The metaphor of the negative woman comes up again, but in this chapter it is used in new ways. What new ideas are developed in this metaphor, and how do they compare to ideas of wisdom developed in the eighth chapter (the last instance of this metaphor in the entire book of Mishlei)? How do we relate to wisdom being called a “sister”? We will focus our energy more on dealing with the psychology of evil than the psychology of wisdom. People involved in evil doings (who are not really evil at heart) often become psychologically hidden to themselves. They close off their hearts and are unwilling to look honestly at the problematic issues in their lives. 

17. Biblical Poetry and the Book of Eikha (Part I)

    Shiur #07

    Dr. Yael Ziegler

    A sustained expression of anguish and woe, Eikha, like many compositions designed to convey human emotions, is a book of poetry, not prose. Designed to impact upon the reader’s passions, poetry offers the reader an emotional experience rather than a cognitive one, feelings rather than narrative. Prose aims to inform, but poetry seeks to have an effect.

    Due to the dense and terse nature of Eikha’s poetry, it is especially important to examine its techniques. A myriad of details convey the book’s themes, emotions, and theology. To understand this delicately-crafted poetic composition, we must pay careful attention to its details – its verbal nuances, sounds, rhythm and imagery.

    I will bring several examples from different categories of poetic techniques to illustrate the manner in which they contribute to conveying the themes and theology of the book. As we progress through our study of the book, I will examine these poetic features as they arise.

     

18. Biblical Poetry and the Book of Eikha (Part I)

    Shiur #08

    Dr. Yael Ziegler

    In this class, we will continue to examine the meaning that emerges from poetic features of the book of Eikha.

    The myriad voices in Eikha call attention to the absence of God’s voice, which never appears. Divine silence allows this book to focus exclusively on its portrayal of the human tragedy, and on the manner in which people grapple with suffering. At the same time, God’s reticence appears deliberate, indicating His ire and punishment. The absence of communication suggests that God punitively “hides His face,” choosing to retreat from contact with His nation (e.g. Devarim 31:17-18). Silence communicates God’s unmitigated anger, His deliberate decision to withdraw into stony seclusion.

19. The Prophecies of Amos: Oracles against the Nations (Cont.)

    Shiur #04

    Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom

    In this lesson, we will analyze the rhetorical style of these prophecies, specifically the opening formula of each. In the next lecture, we will study the overall pattern of the oracles and identify the underlying message of this pattern. In the following lectures, we will study the substance of the first seven of these oracles and then we will, in the final lecture of this series, complete our study of this section, analyzing the final oracle in the section – the prophecy against Yisrael.

     

    Each of the oracles follows a common pattern – a pattern which is then greatly expanded in the final, culminating oracle against Yisrael.