Or 17050

The Order of the Circumambulations (haḳafot) for the Festival of the Celebration of the Torah / Śimḥat Torah, by Hakham Ezra Reuben Dangoor (HED)

The custom of carrying out seven joyous circumambulations on the Festival of the Celebration of the Torah (Śimḥat Torah) took shape in the circle of the Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534 - 1572). The basic liturgy used by eastern Jews, including the Baghdadis, in conjunction with the circumambulations was established by Rabbi Ḥayyim Joesph David Azulai, known as the ḤIDA (1724 – 1806). (See היכל עבודת השם by Abraham Shalom Shaki, pp. 279 – 282.) In Baghdad, this basic liturgy was variably augmented with various liturgical poems and songs, some going back to the medieval Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra, some to Rabbi Israel Najara (1555 – 1625), and many from the recent Baghdadi sage Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim ben Elijah (1834 - 1909), known in Baghdad by his acrostic ReYaḤ Tov (lit. ‘pleasing fragrance’), author of Ben Ish Ḥay - hereafter ‘Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim of Baghdad’ (unless context calls for inclusion of his father's name, Elijah). Hakham Ezra Reuben Dangoor’s liturgy is his unique version of the Baghdadi tradition.

Note: in some cases, Hakham Dangoor gives the full text of the liturgical poems, in other cases he gives only part of the text, and in yet other cases he gives only the title / opening words. In the latter cases, the identification of the poems may be uncertain.

Between the ḤIDA, Baghdadi custom, and Hakham Dangoor’s own choices, Hakham Dangoor’s liturgy includes the following elements:

(folio 1r, top): Invocation: ‘For the sake of the union of the Holy Blessed One and his Shekinah’ etc. / לשם יחוד. (ḤIDA)

(mid folio 1r – top 1v): Liturgy for the first circumambulation: poem śimḥu na śimḥu na be-śimḥat ha-Torah / שמחו נא שמחו נא בשמחת התורה (Rejoice, yea rejoice on Simḥat Torah) [by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim of Baghdad]; Psalm 29 (ḤIDA); Psalm 150 (ḤIDA).

The liturgy recited following each circumambulation follows the following pattern: [a] Proclamation of divine unity and kingship, by the recitation of shema‘ / שמע (‘Listen, O Israel’, Deuteronomy 6:4) & (twice) ha-shem melekh etc. / ה’ מלך (‘the Lord is King, the Lord was King, the Lord will be King for all eternity’, drawing on Psalm 10:16, ibid. 97:1, and Exodus 15:18) (ḤIDA); [b] two or more topical songs; [c] biblical verses on the theme of that one of the seven divine attributes which is correlated with the given circumambulation (ḤIDA); [d] a line of the poem אנא בכח, in sequence (ḤIDA); [e] a topical supplication (ḤIDA); [f] topical verses from Psalms, the first letters of which form the acrostic of the name of the relevant divine attribute (ḤIDA); [g] the supplication from Psalm 19:15; & [h] two or more additional topical songs.

The unique aspects of each circumambulation are enumerated below:

(folios 1v – 2r): After the 1st circumambulation, which is correlated with the divine attribute of ḥesed / חסד = ‘lovingkindness’: [b] song Yigdal Elohim Ḥay / יגדל אלהים חי (‘Aggrandize the Living God’) plus songs as on other joyous occasions; [h] songs mi-pi ’El / מפי אל (from the mouth of God may Israel be blessed), and yom śimḥah / יום שמחה (‘it is a day of joy’) [by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim of Baghdad].

(folios 2v – top 3v): After the 2nd circumambulation, which is correlated with the divine attribute of gevurah / גבורה = ‘power / strength’: [b] songs Elohe ḳedem / אלהי קדם (Pre-existent God) and ‘et dodim kalah / עת דודים כלה (Time of love, O bride) [by Rabbi Ḥayyim ben Sahal]; [h] song tsuri go’ali yah / צורי גואלי יה (‘Ya – the Lord is my Rock and Redeemer’) (acrostic ‘Israel son of Moses’ / ישראל בר משה = composer Rabbi Israel Najara], and song haleli haleli ra‘yati haleli / הללי הללי רעיתי הללי (‘Praise, praise, O my beloved praise!’) [by Rabbi Jacob ben Jonah].

(folios 3v – 4v): After the 3rd circumambulation, which is correlated with the divine attribute of tiferet / תפארת = ‘glory’: [b] song Yah ribon ‘olam / יה רבון עלם (O Ya – Lord, Master of the world) [by Rabbi Israel Najara], plus the second previously-mentioned song; [h] song Kyri Ram, Kyri Ram, ‘al yad Mosheh ben ‘Amram / כירי רם כירי רם על יד משה בן עמרם (‘Exalted Master, Exalted Master, through the agency of Moses son of Amram) [by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim of Baghdad], forming the acrostic ahavah ḥemlah / אהבה חמלה = ‘love, compassion’; song Ḥonenu Yah ḥonenu bi-zekhut Mosheh rabenu / חננו יה חננו בזכות משה רבינו (Be gracious to us O Ya / Lord, be gracious to us in the merit of Moses our Rabbi) [by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim of Baghdad]; and song Ḥonenu Yah ḥonenu bi-zekhut Raḥel Imenu / חננו יה חננו בזכות רחל אמנו (Be gracious to us O Ya / Lord, be gracious to us in the merit of Rachel our Matriarch) [by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim of Baghdad].

(folios 5r – 6r): After the 4th circumambulation, which is correlated with the divine attribute of netsaḥ / נצח = eternity / victoriousness: [b] songs Yomar na Yisra'el / יאמר נא ישראל (Proclaim, O Israel) [by Rabbi Israel Najara], and Hashem boḳer ’e‘erokh-lekha / ה’ בקר אערוך לך (O Lord, in the morning I order before You); [h] song Hene El yeshu‘ati bo evṭaḥ / הנה אל ישועתי בו אבטח (Behold! God is my salvation, in Him shall I trust) (acrostic: I am Israel son of R. Moses, be strong! / אני ישראל בר משה חזק) [presumably = Rabbi Israel Najara], song Eli Eli lamah lo tivneh mishkan Shiloh / אלי אלי למה לא תבנה משכן שילה (My God, my God, why do You not build the Tabernacle of Shiloh?), song Bene bene hekhali / בני בני היכלי (Build, yea build my Temple), song Ḥon ‘alenu ’Elohenu ’adirenu / חון עלינו אלהינו אדירינו (Condescend to us, our God, our Mighty One).

(folios 6v – 7v): After the 5th circumambulation, which is correlated with the divine attribute of hod / הוד = thanksgiving / splendour: [b] songs ‘Avadim hayinu / עבדים היינו (We were slaves) (from the ancient Jewish liturgy), lefikhakh ’anaḥnu / לפיכך אנחנו (therefore we), ’emunim / אמונים (Believers) [by Aaron ha-Kohen?], ’Atah ga’alta / אתה גאלת (You redeemed); [h] songs Bo’i kalah … ha-kelulah / בואי כלה … הכלולה (Come O perfect bride) (acrostic: Elijah Ḥay be strong! / אליהו חי חזק) [by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim (ben Elijah) of Baghdad], Śimḥu bene ha-gevirah / שמחו בני הגבירה (Rejoice O children of the noblewoman) (acrostic: Torah of Life / תורת חיים) [by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim of Baghdad], Lo yanum ṿelo yishan ’adir hu ṿe-lo yanum / לא ינום ולא יישן אדיר הוא ולא ינום (He neither slumbers nor sleeps, He is majestic and does not slumber), ‘Et dodim kalah bo’e le-gani / עת דודים כלה בואי לגני (A time of love, O bride, come to my garden) (acrostic: Ḥayim / חיים), ’Adir boneh beto / אדיר בונה ביתו (The Majestic one builds His house), Yom gilah … yavo / יום גילה … יבוא (The day of rejoicing will come), Ya bene … bet ha-miḳdash / יה בני … בית המקדש (Ya / Lord, build the Holy Temple), Shirah le-’El neranenah / שירה לאל נרננה (Let us sing a song to God).

(folios 8r – top 10v): After the 6th circumambulation, which is correlated with the divine attribute of yesod / יסוד = foundation: [b] songs ’El ’Eliyahu / אל אליהו (God of Elijah) [by Abraham Ibn Ezra], Ḥaviv ’Eli 'Eliyahu / חביב אל’ אליהו (The God of Elijah is precious) [presumably the Judeo-Arabic poem by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim (ben Elijah) of Baghdad], ’Eli haḳshev li / אלי הקשב לי (My God, hearken unto me) [presumably the poem with the acrostic Elazar / אלעזר], יקול מולא חסין (presumably in Judeo-Arabic), ז??י יא (presumably in Judeo-Arabic); [h] songs Tizkor zekhut ‘aḳedah la-kalah ha-ḥasudah / תזכור זכות עקידה לכלה החסודה (Remember the merit of the ‘Binding [of Isaac]’ unto the gracious bride), Matai Daṿid ḥish tifdeni / מתי דוד חיש תפדני (Oh when, O David! Hurry and redeem me), ’Adon ’adir ha-kol lekha lekha / אדון אדיר הכל לך לך (Majestic Master, all is Yours, Yours), Ya‘alah ya‘alah bo’i le-gani / יעלה יעלה בואי לגני (Gazelle O gazelle, come to my garden) (acrostic: Israel, be strong! / ישראל חזק) [by Rabbi Israel Najara], Yah shema‘ haḳem degel merkavi / יה שמע הקם דגל מרכבי (Lord, listen! Raise up the banner of my chariot) (acrostic: Isaac / יצחק), Mi ṿa-mi biltekha yotser / מי ומי בלתך יוצר (Other than You, who is a creator?!) (acrostic: Meir / מאיר).

(folios 10v – 13v [= end]): After the 7th circumambulation, which is correlated with the divine attribute of malkhut / מלכות = kingship: [b] songs: tsame’a nafshi / צמאה נפשי (my soul thirsts) [by Abraham ibn Ezra], mishle Shelomo / משלי שלמה (the proverbs of Solomon), yaḥid ḥon ṿeḥus / יחיד חון וחוס (Only One, be gracious and compassionate), yonati shuvah / יונתי שובה (my dove, return!) (acrostic: Jacob doubled, be strong! ייעעקקוובב חזק) [by Rabbi Jacob Birdugo], sukah ṿe-lulav / סוכה ולולב (covered booth and palm branch) [by Rabbi Moses ben Jacob Adahan], and ’Adon ’adir / אדון אדיר (Majestic Master) [by R. Abraham ibn Musa and his son R. Moshe]; [h] songs: song in honour of the 7 holy Ushpizin (visitors), may their merit protect us, Yah ’et sukat David taḳim bi-zekhut shivat ha-tsadiḳim / יה את סוכת דוד תקים בזכות שבעת הצדיקים (Ya/Lord, raise up the Tabernacle of David, in the merit of the seven saints) [by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim of Baghdad], Yisra'el bene melakhim / ישראל בני מלכים (Israel are children of kings) [by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim of Baghdad], in honour of our righteous Messiah, zeh ha-margiz mamlakhot / זה המרגיז ממלכות (he who stirs up governments) (mnemonic: tsemaḥ ḥai 3 / צמח חי ג’ = ‘the sprout [= Messiah] lives, 3) [by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim of Baghdad], ’ayumah ḳumi hitna‘ari / איומה קומי התנערי (Awesome one, arise, bestir thyself) [by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim of Baghdad], tizku le-shanim rabot ha-banim ṿeha-’avot / תזכו לשנים רבות הבנים והאבות (Merit many years, O children and parents) [by Rabbi Yosef Ḥayyim of Baghdad], haleli haleli ra‘yati haleli / הללי הללי רעיתי הללי (praise, praise, O companion of mine, praise) [by Jacob ben Jonah], yaḥid ḥon ṿe-raḥem ’al naḥalatekha / יחוד חון ורחם על נחלתך (Only One, be gracious to and have mercy upon Your heritage) (acrostic: Ezekiel Ezra, be strong! / יחזקאל עזרא חזק) [by Ezekiel Ezra ha-Levi].

End.