Origins of Hebrew Liturgical Rhetoric and Poetics: Magic, Midrash and Merkavah Mysticism

Joseph Yahalom

Published by De Gruyter 2024

Origins of Hebrew Liturgical Rhetoric and Poetics

Magic, Midrash and Merkavah Mysticism

Joseph Yahalom

Volume 136 in the series Studia Judaica

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111449388

Overview
Contents

About this book

This book follows the origins of the Kedushta, a sequence of poems that leads up to the epitome of Jewish prayer, the Kedusha or Sanctus. It tracks back the earliest forms of prayer in late antiquity and by doing so defines the main characteristics of this genre, both from the standpoint of Rhetoric and poetics. This genre draws from Midrash and Mysticism- adjacent literary forms that influence liturgical poetry.

How has such an enigmatic and complex liturgical genre survived the twists and turns of history and is recited to this day, for over 1500 years?

The answer to this question pertains to both form and content. When analyzing form, we address rhyme, alphabetical acrostics, and different poetic forms. Those all have a specific rhetorical function in determining the structure of the poem, pushing it forward, and musically aligning the different segments. The form cannot be detached from narratology, referencing early midrash and mysticism. In addition, the emotional approach of the private prayer can express one's existential pain as part of an oppressed community. We can follow the composition of the prayer book for each community over the ages, through the first millennium, starting with Geniza fragments to the European prayer books. Finally, these poems use of sophisticated etymology, correlation by sound, leads to innovative Medieval interpretation of the Torah.

It seems that the combination of a public recitation, simulating a divine choir, the musicality of the text and emotional depth all contributed to this eternal poetic genre to penetrate cross cutting traditions of prayer throughout the ages.

Author / Editor information

Joseph Yahalom, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	VII
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	XI
Chapter I The Hekhalot and the Qedusha Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Chapter II As For Me, My Prayer is to You Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	47
Chapter III Rhyme and Midrash Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	82
Chapter IV Forms determined by Alphabetical Acrostics Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	114
Chapter V Poetic Forms Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	139
Chapter VI Narrative Chronologies Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	162
Chapter VII Rapidly Rolling Rehitim Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	202
Chapter VIII An Oppressed Community’s Adaptations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	231
Chapter IX Liturgical Collections Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	264
Chapter X Adapting Adaptations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	305
Postscript: The History of Responses to Piyyut Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	338
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	347
Index of Names Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	357

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter
Audience: Scholars in the field of Jewish Studies and Jewish liturgy.
Pages
- Front matter: 14
- Main content: 358
Keywords: Hymnography; bibliography; Sanctus; linguistics.

eBook

Published: July 22, 2024
ISBN: 9783111449388

Hardcover

Published: July 22, 2024
ISBN: 9783111449074