Biblical Poetry and Song
Found 14 Search results
The Song of Songs - What is it All About?
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow |Rabbi Yuval Cherlow brings the story of the Song of Songs to life while insightfully presenting allegorical dimensions of the book. In a very relatable and down-to-earth way, his analysis sheds light on the challenge of confronting the unfathomable Otherness of the Divine, while trying to cultivate a human relationship with God.
What is Shir HaShirim?
Rabbi Jonathan Snowbellתאריך פרסום: תשע"ח | | 10 minutes
Is Shir HaShirim one narrative, or is it something else? Is it the depiction of an emotional journey? Should we be looking for a thread that joins the seemingl disparate stories together? We consider that Shir HaShirim may depict the emotional ups and down of the relationship between the Dod and the Raaya, as we relate to the relationship between Israel and God. It is especially appropriate during the intense ups and downs of the period of Yom HaShoah, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut.
Dreams and Dialogues in Shir Hashirim
Rabbi Moshe Taraginתאריך 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?
Our Father, Our King: The Difference Between Shirat Hayam and Shirat Ha’azinu
Dr. Yael Zieglerתאריך 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.
The Key to Tanach: Haazinu and its Hidden Messages
Rabbi Yitzchak Twerskyתאריך 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.
The Testimony of the Song
Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin NunThe song of Haazinu (Devarim 32:1-43) should be as familiar and habitual to us as is the recitation of Shema.[1] It is meant to serve as a witness – but what it is that this song testifies to? The song is a unique prophetic testimony given to Moshe to teach the people during the final days of his life, and it describes the history that will unfold after his death.
Does the concept of exile exist in Haazinu? The model of “destruction, exile, and redemption” stands at the heart of the covenant of the curses (Devarim 28-30), but Haazinu is built on a different model: that of distress and salvation.
Mishlei - Part 6: Heaven and Earth
Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen | 18 minutesIn 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.
אָ֣ז יָשִֽׁיר־מֹשֶׁה֩ וּבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אָשִׁ֤ירָה לַֽיהוָה֙ כִּֽי־גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה ס֥וּס וְרֹכְב֖וֹ רָמָ֥ה בַיָּֽם׃
Exodus 15, verse 1
וַתִּקַּח֩ מִרְיָ֨ם הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה אֲח֧וֹת אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַתֹּ֖ף בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַתֵּצֶ֤אןָ כָֽל־הַנָּשִׁים֙ אַחֲרֶ֔יהָ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת׃
Exodus 15, verse 20
שִׁ֥יר הַשִּׁירִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִשְׁלֹמֹֽה׃
Song of Songs 1, verse 1
אֲנִ֥י יְשֵׁנָ֖ה וְלִבִּ֣י עֵ֑ר ק֣וֹל ׀ דּוֹדִ֣י דוֹפֵ֗ק פִּתְחִי־לִ֞י אֲחֹתִ֤י רַעְיָתִי֙ יוֹנָתִ֣י תַמָּתִ֔י שֶׁרֹּאשִׁי֙ נִמְלָא־טָ֔ל קְוֻּצּוֹתַ֖י רְסִ֥יסֵי לָֽיְלָה׃
Song of Songs 5, verse 2
אָ֚ז יָשִׁ֣יר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את עֲלִ֥י בְאֵ֖ר עֱנוּ־לָֽהּ׃
Numbers 21, verse 17
לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכָל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ (ס)
Ecclesiastes 3, verse 1
וַתָּ֣שַׁר דְּבוֹרָ֔ה וּבָרָ֖ק בֶּן־אֲבִינֹ֑עַם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא לֵאמֹֽר׃
Judges 5, verse 1