RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: MORE ON SONG OF SONGS + PASSOVER: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: MORE ON SONG OF SONGS + PASSOVER: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: MORE ON SONG OF SONGS + PASSOVER: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

Re: Query on Shir Ha Shirim

The linkage between Pesach and Shir Ha Shirim is introduced many times in different Midrashim, but it is stated in Machzor Vitri, ^^^ Hilkhot Pesach, passage 106, that the Minhag is to read Shir Ha Shirim during Pesach, because of the verse "Lesusati Berichvei Par'oh Dimitich Ra'ayati". ***

It is also mentioned in the Abudarham . ###

Also see Shulchan Aruch Orach Haim 490:9, and in the commentators, on the debate regarding the blessing on the reading of the scroll during Pesach.

Isaac Hershkowitz
Bar-Ilan University, Israel

Rabbi Arthur Segal's notes on the above:

^^^ Machzor Vitri by rabbi Simchah ben Samuel of Vitry (died 1105), contains decisions and rules concerning religious practice. In the published edition of this Machzor from Berlin 1894 there is also a commentary on the Pesach Hagaddah, which, however, does not agree with the edition of R. Simchah b. Samuel of Vitry's Machzor printed at Vilna in 1886. The latter commentary of 1894, which agrees with the one cited by Abudraham (see below ### ) as being found in the Vitry Machzor, was taken from a manuscript of that machzor—probably from the parchment copy owned by the Vilna Gaon , although no particular manuscript is mentioned in the Vilna edition itself. So it appears that Simcha ben Samuel did not posit on the Song of Songs during Pesach, as David Abudraham lived circa 340 years after ben Samuel. It appears that the 1894 edition of R' Simcha's Machzor, had Abudirham's commentary of the minhag, custom, not halakah, inserted by the German editor.

*** As mentioned in my first article, the Song of Songs mentions Pharaoh and gives a tie- in to be read on Pesach. The translation of the above is : "I have imagined you my beloved, as my very own Mare among Pharaoh's chariots.'' (Song of Songs 1:9) (Rebetizin Ellen says if I said this to her, she would avoid me till Erev Shabbat.)

### The Abudarham aka Sefer Abudirham aka Ḥibbur Perush ha-Berakot we-ha-Tefillot, aka Commentary on the Blessings and Prayers was written by Rabbi David ben Josef ben David Abudirham , 1340 CE, in Seville, Spain. His name was really at the time Abu Dirham . This literally means Father of Coins. The Dirham is the unit of money in today's UAE and is an ancient word derived from the Greek Drachma. The Dirham was common currency in Spain as well as the mid East in the 10, 11 and 12th centuries. Having just come back from a book and lecture tour in the UAE and other nations, one Dirham today is worth about 27 cents USA. You can take, and we did a few times, a water taxi, an Arba, up and down the Bur Dubai, the river, aka creek, that flows thru the city to the sea, for one Dirham. This is the cheapest thing one will find in the UAE.