[HANASHIR:3951] Re: HANASHIR digest 659

[Erik L. F. Contzius <contzius...>]

>I have two questions about Dror Yikra:
>
>1)  When were the words originally written?

words by DUNASH ben Labrat

the following is from the web, but the date (mid 10th C) is correct:

929 C.E. : Hisdai ibn Shaprut appointed director of customs, diplomatic
emissary, and physician to Caliph 'Abd al-Rahman. He creates a center
for spiritual studies for Spanish Jews, and founds a yeshiva (school)
headed by Moses ben Hanokh. The cultural center supports poets
and scholars such as the linguist Dunash ben Labrat and the lexicographer
Menahem ibn Saruk. AFter the death of the Caliph, ibn Shaprut
serves his successor, Caliph al-Hakim.

                A town in Northern Morocco. (fez)

Jews were among the first settlers of the town at the end of the 8th
century. The Jewish Community rapidly became influential and respected.
They lived in their own quarter (Al-Funduk Al-Yahudi). Fez became a
cultural and commercial Center of prime importance, largely as a result of
the Jews' presence. Such scholars as David B. Abraham Alfasi and R. Solomon
B. Judah - who became Head of the Jerusalem Academy - went on to Palestine,
and Grammarians of the stature of Dunash B. Labrat and Judah Hayyuj went to
Spain. During the Golden Era in Fez, three grave events occurred: a section
of the community was deported to Ashir (Algeria) in about 987; 6,000 Jews
were massacred in 1035 by Fanatics who conquered Fez; and the town was
ruthlessly sacked in 1068 by Almoravides. In about 1127, a Pseudo-Messiah,
Moses Dari, brought afflictions upon the Community. Some decades later,
attempts at forced conversion led to the death of the Dayyan R. Judah
Ha-Kohen Ibn Shushan and the emigration of Maimonides and his Family. In
1244, the Merinides established themselves in Fez and treated the Jews
well, even saving them from an Insurrection. However, with the decline of
the Merinides and the revival of Fanaticism, the Jews were compelled in
1438 to live in a special Jewish Quarter. When the Sultan appointed a Jew,
Harun, as Prime Minister in order to straighten out public Finances, the
town rose in revolt, the Sultan and his Minister were assassinated, and
most of the Jews were massacred (1465). The Community did not recover from
this catastrophe until 1492, with the arrival of the Spanish Refugees who
became dominant. They held the Office of Nagid, established in Fez at the
beginning of the 16th Century, and their Yeshivot were  headed by scholars
including Nachman B. Sunbal, Samuel Chagiz, Judah Uzziel, And Saul Serrero
(16th-17th centuries), Judah and Chayyim Ibn Atar, and Samuel Sarfaty (18th
Century). There were famous Dayyanim, such as the Ibn Danans,  whose
authority was recognized by Jews of the whole Country. Many Rabbis of Fez
went to teach in Communities  abroad. The preeminence of Fez only ended
after the death of Jacob Ibn Zur in 1753.


>2)  In wondering why the verses seem so disparate, I noticed that at least
>two of the verses begin with the letters of the poet's first name:  Dunash
>(dalet-vav-nun-shin) as in:
>
>       Dror yikra / V'yintzorchem / Ne'im / Sh'vu v'nuchu
>
>               and
>
>       Drosh navi / V'ot yesha / N'ta soreik / Sh'ey shav'at
>
>What is it called when verse spells out a name or the alphabet, etc?  (I
>forget the word.)

A simple way to
Convey the author of a song
Right in the words of the song
Only you have to look at the first letter
Sitting at the beginning of each verse
There you will find the answer you seek
It is not to difficult to remember
Creatively look through all Jewish poetry

(read the above straight down!--> acrostic!)

Other acrostics of interest: First line of each verse of L'kha dodi (spells
the author Shlomo haLevi); Ein Keloheinu (spells "Amen"); and many shabbat
z'mirot)

>If anyone has other information to offer about this song, please let me
>know.
>
>thanks in advance for any help, and g'mar chatima tovah!
>steve greenberg

g'mar khatima tova v'shanah tova um'tukah.



erik l. f. contzius
contzius (at) home(dot)com
elkins park, pa
http://members.home.com/contzius/


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