A Hebraica Blog of Great Interest

You might think that posts which dive into the fine details of ancient texts are of interest to very few people indeed. That’s true enough, but in response to posts like this one, I often receive emails from scholars and students who appreciate them.

Dr. Ezra Chwat of the Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts, Jewish National and Hebrew University Library located in Jerusalem writes to inform me of a blog he and Dr. Avraham David of the Institute keep. It’s entitled גילוי מילתא בעלמא  Giluy Milta B‘alma, in which they present new and interesting findings in Hebrew Manuscripts, particularly from the Cairo Genizah.

It is a Hebraica blog of great interest, and I will add it to my sidebar. As the blog's name makes clear, it's also an Aramaica blog. The name is Talmudic Aramaic, “the uncovering of a matter in the world,” and means, in the context of halakhah, the deduction of a matter by logic. For the purposes of the blog, the sense is “the revelation of the text to the world."

The correct vocalization of the phrase, which by convention is not made clear in transliteration is:

 

גִּילּוֹי מִילְּתָא בְּעַלְמָא

Ezra’s latest post provides the text to באי כלה, “Enter, O bride!”, a very old alternative welcoming in of the Sabbath, קבלת שבת. The better known welcoming, of course, is לכה דודי Lekha Dodi, which begins like this:

לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה

פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה

Come, my love, to meet the bride,

Shabbat in person* let us receive.

*Lit., the face of Shabbat

 The beginning of Boi Kallah is no less beautiful:

בֹּאִי כַלָּה בֹּאִי כַלָּה

כְּלִילַת יוֹפִי כְּלוּלָה

 

בֹּאִי אַתְּ שַׁבָּת מַלְכְּתָא

אֶל־עַמְּךָ עַם סְגוּלָּה

Come, O bride, come, O bride,

perfect crown of beauty!

 
Come, O queen Shabbat,

to your people, the treasured nation!

 Boi Kallah is less didactic and more lyrical than Lekha Dodi. A surprising statement, perhaps. Make the comparison yourself, if you don’t believe me. Boi Kallah certainly deserves to be better known.

For the entire, vocalized text of Lekha Dodi, go here. For a transliteration, translation, and background, go here. For the text of Boi Kallah, see Ezra’s post. For a recording of Lekha Dodi that will keep you singing through the day, go here. Go to לכה דודי .4 for a version in Ashkenazi pronunciation. For a YouTube celebration of Lekha Dodi in high style, go here. Okay, that may not be to everyone’s taste: here’s an example that is easier on the eyes.

For the book on the topic, by Reuven Kimelman, go here. Here is what is in the pipeline.

 

Comments

[Menachem Mendel]

For a number of tunes for Lecka Dodi see both here and here. When I find my favorite Tunisian version I'll send it to you.

[JohnFH]

Thanks, Michael.

[Yehudi]

I absolutely love your blog. I've really enjoyed reading through it and will add you to my blogroll!

[JohnFH]

Yehudi,

I see you have a great blog yourself. Feel free to comment and ask questions.

[resume writing services]

This issue is of my great interest. I love those works of ancient time with their unique philosophy.