Israel ben Moshe Najara

Israel Ben Moshe Najara

ר' ישראל נג'ארה

רבי ישראל נג׳ארה - פייטן ומהפכן

רבי ישראל נג'ארה

אינציקלופדיה יהודית נגארה ישראל

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Israel ben Moses Najara (c. 1555, Damascus – c. 1625, Gaza) (Heb. ישראל בן משה נאג'ארה Yisrael ben Moshe Najarah) was a Jewish liturgical poet, preacher, Biblical commentator, kabbalist, and rabbi of Gaza.

Biography

According to Franco (Histoire des Israélites de l'Empire Ottoman, p. 79, Paris, 1897), there is another account which declares that Najara was born about 1530 and that he lived for some years at Adrianople. From his secular poems, which he wrote in the meters of various Turkish, Spanish, and modern Greek songs, it is evident that he knew well several foreign languages. He travelled extensively in the Near East, had lived in Safed, where he came under the extensive influence of Lurianic Kabbalah and served as a rabbi at the Jewish community of Gaza.

As may be seen from his works, he was a versatile scholar, and he corresponded with many contemporary rabbis, among others with Bezaleel Ashkenazi, Yom-Ṭob Ẓahalon, Moses Hamon, and Menahem Ḥefeẓ. His poetic effusions were exceptionally numerous, and many of them were translated into Persian. While still young he composed many religious hymns, to Arabic and Turkish tunes, with the intention, as he says in the preface to his Zemirot Yisrael, of turning the Jewish youth from profane songs. He wrote piyyuṭim, pizmonim, seliḥot, widduyim, and dirges for all the week-days and for Sabbaths, holy days, and occasional ceremonies, these piyyuṭim being collected in his Zemirot Yisrael. Many of the piyyuṭim are in Aramaic.

For his hymns on the marriage of God and Israel, Najara was severely blamed by Menahem Lonzano (Shete Yadot, p. 142) when the latter was at Damascus. The Shibḥe Ḥayyim Wiṭal (p. 7b) contains a violent attack by Ḥayyim Vital upon a poet whose name is not mentioned, but who some take to be Israel Najara. Nevertheless, Isaac Luria, Vital's teacher, declared that Najara's hymns were listened to with delight in heaven. His piyyuṭim were praised also by Leon of Modena, who composed a song in his honor, which was printed at the beginning of the Olat Shabbat, the second part of the Zemirot Yisrael.

He is buried in the ancient Jewish cemetery in Gaza. His son, Moses Najara was also a poet, who succeeded his father as the chief rabbi of Gaza.

Works

Najara's letters, secular poems, epigrams, and rimed prose form the work entitled Meme Yisrael (published at the end of the second edition of the Zemirot Yisrael). Najara's other works are as follows:

• Mesaḥeḳet ha-Tebel (Safed, 1587), an ethical poem on the nothingness of the world
• Shoḥaṭe ha-Yeladim (printed with Moses Ventura's Yemin Mosheh, Amsterdam, 1718), Hebrew verse on the laws of slaughtering and porging, composed at the request of his son Moses
• Ketubbat Yisrael (with Joseph Jaabez's Ma'amar ha-Aḥdut, n.p., 1794), a hymn which, in the kabalistic fashion, represents the relationship between God and Israel as one between man and wife (it was composed for the Feast of Pentecost)
• A collection of hymns published by M. H. Friedländer (Vienna, 1858) under the title Pizmonim.

His unpublished works are:

• She'eret Yisrael, poems (see below)
• Ma'arkot Yisrael, a commentary on the Pentateuch
• Miḳweh Yisrael, sermons
• Piẓ'e Oheb, a commentary on Job.

Zemirot Yisrael

The Zemirot Yisrael, originally entitled Zemirot Yisrael Najara, was first published at Safed (1587) and contained 108 piyyuṭim and hymns. Many additional songs were printed in the second edition (Venice, 1599). This edition contains also the Meme Yisrael and the Mesaḥeḳet ha-Tebel, and is divided into three parts:

• 1. Olot Tamid, containing 225 piyyuṭim for the week-days
• 2. Olot Shabbot, containing 54 piyyuṭim for the Sabbaths of the whole year
• 3. Olot Ḥodesh, containing 160 piyyuṭim and dirges for the high holy days, Purim, the Ninth of Ab, and occasional ceremonies. It was published a third time at Belgrade (1837), but with the omission of many songs and of the two works just mentioned. Extracts from the Zemirot Yisrael were published under the title of Tefillot Nora'ot (Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1712).

Many of Najara's piyyuṭim and hymns have been taken into the rituals and maḥzorim in use among the Jews in different countries, especially in Italy and Palestine. Benjamin II (Mas'e Yisra'el, p. 15) states that the Jews of Aleppo sing on Sabbath eve many beautiful hymns and recite many prayers, most of which are by Najara. The best known of his Aramaic hymns is the one beginning Yah Ribbon 'Olam, recited on Sabbath by the Jews of all countries and printed in all the rituals. The She'erit Yisra'el contains sixty poems and is, according to its heading, the second part of the Zemirot Yisrael; it is found in the bet ha-midrash of the German community in Amsterdam. From it Dukes published one poem in Orient, Lit. (iv. 526; comp. 540). M. Sachs attempted to render some of Najara's piyyuṭim into German (Busch, Jahrbücher, 1847, pp. 236-238). After the ruins of the house inhabited by R. Judah he-Ḥasid at Jerusalem were cleared away in 1836, some writings of Israel Najara of the year 1579 were found; these writings are now (as of 1906) preserved in the archives of the synagogue of Jerusalem.
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Israel ben Moses Najara, born in Safed in 1550, was a rabbi and scholar who was educated by his father, Moses Najara, and his grandfather, Rabbi Israel ben Me’ir di Curiel. The family was of Iberian origin, probably from the Spanish town of Nájera. In the Arabic-speaking Levant, the name was sometimes pronounced Najjāra, and in one poem, he actually says of himself in Aramaic Yisraʾel ʿavdakh hen ana naggara u-var naggara (Israel your servant I am indeed a carpenter the son of a carpenter) and in Hebrew naggar u-var naggar (see Mirsky, Sefunot 6, pp. 261-262). In 1575, when Israel was twenty-five, Moses Najara moved from Safed to Damascus to take up the position of community scribe. Israel accompanied him, but it is unclear whether he did so of his own volition or was forced to leave Safed for some reason. It seems probable that the move had an economic motivation, because at this point in his life he was being supported by his father. After his father’s death, Israel assumed his scribal post, which entailed composing and writing the community’s correspondence and maintaining contacts with other communities. It was probably at this time that he began sermonizing, not in Damascus, but in the nearby village of Jubar. In his old age, Najara settled in Gaza as its marbiṣ torah (rabbi). The reasons for this move, too, are unclear, but it has been suggested that he went to Egypt for a time and on his way back stopped off in Gaza. The Jewish community there took the opportunity to implore him to remain as their rabbi. Whatever the circumstances, Najara and his family settled in Gaza and Najara became the community’s rabbi, a position which remained in his family for several generations. He died in Gaza in 1625.

Najara’s writings span many different areas, including poetry, exegesis, sermons, responsa, halakha, ethics (musar), and letters.

1. Poetry

Zemirot Yisraʾel (Songs of Israel) was his first printed book of poetry (Safed, 1587; and several other editions). The book is divided into three parts: ‘Olat Tamid (Daily Sacrifice), ‘Olat Shabbat (Sabbath Sacrifice), and ‘Olat ha-Ḥodesh (Monthly Sacrifice).

She’erit Yisraʾel (The Remnant of Israel), his second book of poetry, contains songs written and compiled after his first book was published. Although never published in full as a single volume, parts of this work were published in various editions at different times.

Najara’s liturgical poetry (Heb. piyyuṭ ) and love poetry enjoyed great popularity among Jews in the Muslim world. His Aramaic hymn for the Sabbath Yah Ribbon ʿAlam (O Lord of the World) was adopted throughout the Jewish world.

2. Exegesis and Sermons

Piṣʿe Ohev (Wounds from a Loved One) is a commentary on the Book of Job. Only individual pages of this work remain. The commentary is organized in two parts. Najara begins by translating difficult words and analyzing them linguistically, and then gives a comprehensive interpretation of the entire chapter or parts of it, often referring to other commentaries.

Miqve Yisraʾel (The Hope/Ritual Bath of Israel) is a collection of sermons, each of which is called a se’a, a term designating a measure of water. The book’s title derives from the fact that it contains forty sermons and a ritual bath (miqve) holds forty se’im. Most of the sermons are for special occasions, both funereal and festive; the last four are on special topics. The book was not published until 2004.

Maʿarkhot Yisraʾel (The Battles of Israel) is a commentary on the Torah.

3. Law (Halakha) and Ethics (Musar)

Kli Maḥaziq Berakha (A Vessel Containing Blessing) is a small book on the Grace After Meals (Venice, 1615; and many subsequent editions).

Shoḥaṭe ha-Yeladim (The Children’s Ritual Slaughterers) presents the laws of ritual slaughter in a form understandable to children, using rhymes and short prose passages as a mnemonic device. Although never published as an independent book because of its brevity, it was often printed together with other works. It appeared in Amsterdam in 1718 in Moses Ventura’s Yemin Moshe .

Najara also wrote several responsa, found together with the responsa of Yom Ṭov Ṣahalon (d. after 1638).

4. Letters

Meme Yisraʾel (The Waters of Israel) is a collection of letters and songs sent to various people by Najara, containing polemics and blessings, praise and criticism. First published in Venice in 1605, it is divided into an introduction and six chapters.

Mesaḥeqet ba-Tevel (Rejoicing in the World) is a letter by Najara included at the end of his Meme Yisraʾel. It deals with the world and man’s life in it. The letter is actually a series of verses making up the acrostic “I am Israel the son of Moses ḥazaq.” It begins and ends with a song. According to Moses David Gaon, it was printed in Safed in 1587.

Shaul Regev

Bibliography

Beeri, T. “R. Levi—An Unknown Son of R. Israel Najara and His Piyyu ṭ im,” Tarbi ṣ 64 (1994): 275–300 [Hebrew].

Benayahu, M. “R. Israel Najara,” Asufot 4 (1990): 203–284 [Hebrew].

Mirsky, Aharon. "Twenty Songs of Redemption by R. Israel Najara," Sefunot 5 (1961): 207-234 [Hebrew].

. "New Poems of R. Israel Najara," Sefunot 6 (1962): 259-302 [Hebrew].

Najara, Israel. Miqve Israel, intro. Saul Regev (Ramat Gan: Bar-Ilan University Press, 2004), pp. 11–119 [Hebrew].

Regev, S. “R. Israel Najara’s Commentary on Job, Pi ṣ ʿei Ohev,” Asufot 4 (1990): 325–356 [Hebrew].

Yahalom, Joseph. “R. Israel Najara and the Revival of Hebrew Poetry in the East after the Expulsion from Spain,” Peʿamim 13 (1982): 96–124 [Hebrew].

Citation Shaul Regev. " Najara, Israel ben Moses." Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World. Executive Editor Norman A. Stillman. Brill Online , 2012. Reference. Jim Harlow. 09 December 2012 <http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopedia-of-jews-...>

רבי ישראל נג'ארה (צפת, 1555 – עזה, 1628) רב, פרשן ומשורר. מגדולי המשוררים והפייטנים העבריים בכל הזמנים.

קורות חייו

נולד ב-1555 בצפת שתחת שלטון האימפריה העות'מאנית. מוצאו מהעיר נג'ארה בספרד ועל שמה נקרא שם משפחתו. למד אצל אביו ר' משה נג'ארה ואצל סבו ר' ישראל די קוריאל, מחכמי צפת ואחד מארבעת המוסמכים הראשונים. בבחרותו עבר לדמשק והיה שליח ציבור בקהילה הספרדית שם. לאחר תקופה שעבר בין ערים שונות במקומות שונים, בין היתר בסוריה, שב לדמשק לתקופה קצרה, ומשם חזר לעיר הולדתו צפת, הוא התחתן ונולדה לו בת.

בעקבות מגפה שבה שכל את בתו ואשתו חזר בשנת 1576 לדמשק, שם התחתן בשנית, ונולדו לו שלושה ילדים. לאחר תקופה בדמשק עבר לעזה, שם שימש כפוסק. בנו משה נג'ארה שימש כרבה הראשי של עזה אחריו. בהיותו בעזה היה מורה של אבטליון. נפטר ב-1628 בעזה, ונקבר בבית-העלמין היהודי בעיר.

על שמו קרויים רחובות במספר ערים בישראל, ביניהן: ירושלים, תל אביב, חולון, רעננה ורחובות.

פיוטיו

הרב ישראל נג'ארה התפרסם בעיקר כמשורר ופייטן. הדי השפעתו ניכרים במרחב הגדול ביותר של קהילות יהודיות מארצות הבלקן, רוב ארצות העולם המוסלמי ואף הודו. בפיוטיו ניכרת ההשפעה של שירת ספרד הן במשקל ובצורה הקפדניים, והן בנושאי השירה. בין פיוטיו המפורסמים: "יַעֲרַת דְּבַשׁ", "יָה רִבּוֹן עָלַם", "יוֹדוּךָ רַעְיוֹנַי", "יָעְלָה בּוֹאִי לְגַנִּי" ורבים נוספים.

בשירתו היה שילוב נדיר בין קדושה, קבלה וחולין, יחד עם התאמת השירה למנגינות מקומיות נפוצות ואהובות. מבחינה מוזיקלית חולל ר' ישראל מהפכה של ממש בכך שהתאים מנגינות עממיות אל שירת הקודש, קידש אף אותם, ובכך גרם לבני הקהילה, שהכירו את השירים העממיים, להחליף את הטקסט המקורי בטקסט עברי, המכוון כלפי שמים. "רכבות" אלו של מוזיקה עממית הובילו קרונות רבים של שירת קודש איכותית ופיוטים למרחבי העולם מאז ועד היום. הוא ככל הנראה המשורר העברי הראשון שמציין ביחס לכל שיר את המקאם של הלחן.

התנגדות

בעקבות כתיבת השיר "כתובת ישראל", המנוסח ככתובה בין ישראל לה' בעת מתן תורה, ביקר אותו מנחם די לונזאנו, בן דורו של נג'ארה, וכתב כי "התיר עצמו לומר לה' יתברך כל מה שהנואפים אומרים זה לזה" (מתוך ספרו "שתי ידות", דף קמב). בנוסף קבל על כך שנג'ארה משתמש בסגנון ובמשקל הערביים, הזרים לרוח ישראל. ואכן, החוקר יוסף יהלום גילה כי רבים משיריו של נג'ארה מתחילים באופן המזכיר שירי עגבים מוכרים של התקופה.

התנגדות נוספת הופנתה כלפי אישיותו של נג'ארה עצמו, ובאה מכיוון המקובל תלמיד האר"י, רבי חיים ויטאל (רח"ו). ביומנו האוטוביוגרפי "ספר החזיונות" (עמ' 68) כותב רח"ו כי אמנם פזמוניו של נג'ארה טובים, אך הוא עצמו "פיו דובר נבלה וכל ימיו שיכור" ולפיכך "אסור מי שידבר עמו ומי שיוציא מפיו הפזמונים שחיבר". הוא ממשיך ומספר כי נג'ארה חילל את השבת, קיים משכב זכור וכן שכב עם גויה, ולכן "אסור ליהנות לו ואסור לתת לו כתובה או גט לכתוב וכמעט שראוי לפוסלן". עם זאת, רבי חיים יוסף דוד אזולאי (החיד"א), בחיבורו "שם הגדולים", מזכיר ברמז את ההתנגדות לשירים בלבד, ומתעלם מדברי ויטאל, על אף שהכיר את ספרו. גם החוקר מרדכי מרגליות ב"אנציקלופדיה לתולדות גדולי ישראל" התייחס לדברי ויטאל בביטול, וכתב כי "הדברים הנאמרים במהדורות שלפנינו אינם מחוורים". ככלל, ההתנגדות לנג'ארה לא הכתה גלים בציבור הרחב, וכבר בימיו הוא הפך למשורר אהוב ומקובל על קהילות ישראל.

מספריו

זמירות ישראל - פיוטים* מערכות ישראל - פירוש לתורה* מקווה ישראל - דרשות* פצעי אוהב - פירוש על ספר איוב*

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