Baqashot - בקשות של שבת

Overview

The custom of singing Baqashot originated in Spain towards the time of the expulsion, but took on increased momentum in the Kabbalistic circle in Safed in the 16th century. Baqashot evolved out of the tradition of saying petitionary prayers before dawn and was spread from Safed by the followers of Isaac Luria (16th century). With the spread of Safed Kabbalistic doctrine, the singing of Baqashot reached countries all round the Mediterranean and became customary in the communities of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Rhodes, Greece, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Turkey and Syria. By the turn of the 20th century, Baqashot had become a widespread religious practice in several communities. The songs principally consist of the praise of God, songs for Shabbat, songs of longing for the Holy Land and so on, and include some poems taken from the main body of the prayer book. These songs are considered more ancient and sacred than the other pizmonim. Many of the songs contain acrostics identifying the author of that specific composition. Baqashot are full of mystical allusions and traditions. Some contain references to some of the most sacred Jewish traditions.

The singing of Baqashot expanded to vast proportions. Special books were compiled showing the tunes and maqamat together with the text of the hymns, in order to facilitate the singing of Baqashot by the congregation. It was customary to wake up in the middle of the night on Shabbat in the winter months, and assemble in synagogue to sing Baqashot for four hours until the time for the morning service.

In Aleppo, this custom seems to go back about 500 years. Most of the community would arise very early to sing Baqashot and to listen to the voices of their cantors. When they arrived at "Mizmor Shir LeYom HaShabbat," they would break to listen to a sermon by one of the Rabbis who discussed the Weekly Torah Portion.

The Syrian tradition was introduced to Jerusalem by Raphael Altaras, who came to that city from Aleppo in 1845 and founded a Baqashot circle at the Kehal Sion synagogue. In this way, the custom of Baqashot became part of the mainstream Jerusalem Sephardic tradition. Another important influence was Jacob Ades (1857-1925), who immigrated to Jerusalem in 1895 and introduced the tradition to the Persian and Bukharan communities. The main center of the tradition today is the Ades Synagogue in the Nahlaot neighborhood, where the leading spirit was Haim Shaul Aboud.

The Baqashot did not only reach Jerusalem, the Jews of Aleppo took this custom with them wherever they went: to Istanbul, Cairo, Mexico, Buenos Aires and New York. Each of these communities preserved this custom in the original Halabi style.

The first Baqashot book, called "Miqra Qodesh," was puublished in Aleppo in 1864, and only had 43 Baqashot songs. Nine years later, in 1873, a new version of "Miqra Qodesh" came out with more than 70 Baqashot songs. In 1930, the Aleppo community living in Cairo, under the leadership of Hakhamim Aboud Antar, Abraham Shehebar, and Yosef Ashkenazi, published another Baqashot song book also called "Miqra Qodesh," and this is similar to the 1873 book. The Baqashot in our pizmonim book today only has 66 songs.

Included in most baqashot collections is a poem by Eleazar Azikri (1533-1600), a kabbalist who lived in Safed. The poem “Yedid Nefesh” was one of several which were published in 1601 in Venice in his “Sefer Haredim”. The collection also includes other famous poems of similar date, such as "Yom Zeh Leyisrael" by Isaac Luria and "Yah Ribbon Alam" by Israel Najara. Other composers, from the 12th to the 19th century, include: Abraham Maimon, Solomon Ibn Gabirol, Abraham Ibn Ezra (who wrote "Agadelcha"), and Shelomo Laniado (who wrote "Shalom vatzedek").

Cover page of "Miqra Qodesh," Aleppo, 1873

Order of Baqashot

In the 9 years from 1864 to 1873, there was a huge surge in baqashot and pizmonim. Small reduction of songs from 1873 to 1964.

Cover page of "Miqra Qodesh", Cairo, 1930