tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post8983327775294882154..comments2024-01-21T02:58:08.208-05:00Comments on On the Main Line: Dealing with the problematic piyut Ma'oz Tzur in the 19th century.Mississippi Fred MacDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734864605700159687noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-47564902572764834212014-12-11T01:58:11.986-05:002014-12-11T01:58:11.986-05:00Aren't the "ro'im shiv'a" fr...Aren't the "ro'im shiv'a" from Micah 5:5?KateGladstonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-87972731864052746192011-06-20T16:03:51.105-04:002011-06-20T16:03:51.105-04:00I'm pretty sure that the sixth stanza has some...I'm pretty sure that the sixth stanza has some digs against Christianity in it. From the reference to "Admon" (Edom, i.e. Rome) we know it refers to the Holy Roman Empire, so the question is whether it's just a generic plea for salvation or if it's actually meaningful. I would argue the latter.<br /><br />The first and third lines refer to "ketz hayeshuah" and "ketz liymei hara". "Ketz" means "the end" and although in Rabbinic writings the word is used in isolation to refer to an end from exile, I can't think of the phrase "ketz hayeshuah" being used anywhere else - what would that be, an end to salvation? But if you consider that Jesus' Hebrew name was derived from the word "yeshua" and that in both German and contemporary Hebrew it was pronounced "Yesu" or "Yeshu" you can see that they're parallel - "an end to Jesus" matching "an end to the days of evil". <br /><br />The last line rhymes two obscure words: admon and tzalmon. Take away the rhyming letters and you have "adam" and "tzelem": "a man" and "a figure". The last word is a Yiddish euphemism for a crucifix, so the phrase is implicitly "adam betzelem" - "a man on a crucifix".<br /><br />I admit I have no good explanation for the "ro'im shiva", but I suspect that there's a solid, concrete reference hidden there, too.Joe in Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-48080951277955824242011-06-20T12:44:33.318-04:002011-06-20T12:44:33.318-04:00On a related note, is there any indication that Ma...On a related note, is there any indication that Maoz Tzur was originally written as a piyut about Chanukka specifically?Fotheringay-Phippsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-15735854959800834132011-06-19T07:13:58.426-04:002011-06-19T07:13:58.426-04:00Perhaps that should be Selucidim nikbetzu olai.
I...Perhaps that should be Selucidim nikbetzu olai.<br /><br />Is it possible that 'Yovon' was censored because of its similarity to Ivan which Jews in the Pale often used as shorthand for non-Jews?<br /><br />Are you aware of any censorship of the rather chilling first stanza of mo'oiz tzur, veshom toido nezabeiach le'eith tochin matbeiach mitzor hamenabeiach'?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-38645820283704209542011-06-18T17:51:29.275-04:002011-06-18T17:51:29.275-04:00As an aside, I grew up w/ one of the descendents o...As an aside, I grew up w/ one of the descendents of King Shaul Vohl (I knew of the story, only b/c he told it to me, quite proud of it too...). Last name was americanized to Wohl...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-44620193401285308492011-06-17T14:22:38.655-04:002011-06-17T14:22:38.655-04:00Yeven Metzula is certainly a pun about Yovon and C...Yeven Metzula is certainly a pun about Yovon and Cossacks.HHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00261782705579220276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-83239700623080921802011-06-17T14:13:24.136-04:002011-06-17T14:13:24.136-04:00."Artscroll notes that it was "subject t...."Artscroll notes that it was "subject to much censorship by Christian authorities," since it refers to Israel's foes. Now why would they think that? In fact it was also subject to much internal Jewish censorship, as you can see". <br /><br />It amounts to the same thing. The chilling effect produced by outside censorship leads to self-censorship. Happens thousands of times every day, concerning anything that has to do with race or gender.DFhttp://www.yahoo.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-68902760130670641082011-06-17T10:58:33.993-04:002011-06-17T10:58:33.993-04:00For those who are interested in variations on the ...For those who are interested in variations on the birchos hashacahr, see Prof. Sperber's recent book on changes in the liturgy.MDJnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-10172144040005541772011-06-17T00:50:12.465-04:002011-06-17T00:50:12.465-04:00R' Leiman's last shiur of the season was a...R' Leiman's last shiur of the season was about Potocki. He ended it not so sure he never existed.Nachumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11292162031685942549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-71057927826521451842011-06-16T22:34:50.044-04:002011-06-16T22:34:50.044-04:00The king of incomplete siddur translations was Mor...The king of incomplete siddur translations was Morris Silverman, editor of the Conservative movement's "Sabbath and Festival Prayer Book" (1946). The Hebrew kept fairly close to the standard Ashkenazi text, but the English often skipped over passages that Silverman evidently felt were out of keeping with "modern" sensibilities. I'm sure he was well aware that most users of his siddur would never notice the discrepancies anyway.Dan Kleinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-86733235564996281872011-06-16T17:10:43.656-04:002011-06-16T17:10:43.656-04:00It's the same type of thing. There are other s...It's the same type of thing. There are other siddurim with it, but there are also others with Yehirim.S.http://onthemainline.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-37823907395808677902011-06-16T16:53:38.029-04:002011-06-16T16:53:38.029-04:00I noticed that in הגיון לב it has the brocho שלא ע...I noticed that in הגיון לב it has the brocho שלא עשני עובד כוכבים, was that common in those days, or was it just along the lines of his introduction?<br /><br />Here is the page with the brocho:<br />http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=21688&st=&pgnum=25Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-52977675086526574982011-06-16T16:00:47.570-04:002011-06-16T16:00:47.570-04:00I always try to post holiday related posts out of ...I always try to post holiday related posts out of season. I don't know why, I just do. <br /><br />For example, I've had a post in the works for a long time about how Avraham ben Avraham Potocki definitely never existed, and it should have been posted for Shavuos, since if he did live he would have been executed on Shavuos. Oh, well.<br /><br />R. Yisroel Miller sounds like he has a good sense of humor. Is that allowed?S.http://onthemainline.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-78375162659535193102011-06-16T14:54:23.130-04:002011-06-16T14:54:23.130-04:00I hope you still have what to post when Chanukah r...I hope you still have what to post when Chanukah rolls around!<br /><br />Well, like Rabbi Yisroel Miller writes in his book What's Wrong with Being Happy?, "Although the message of the following essay is relevant throughout the year, much of the essay focuses on the festival of Chanukah. The reader might therefore prefer to read the essay only at Chanukah-time, or in the six months prior or subsequent to the festival."<br /><br />-- PhilAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com