October 13, 2024 ~ SUKKOT. SIGAH/AJAM/BAYAT

Shimon Labi

Pizmonim

Section Pizmon Page Song CommentaryRecordings Application
Baqashot 53 61 בר יוחאי נמשחת Maqam Sigah The pizmon "Bar Yohai" (SIGAH, page 61), is written by H Simeon Labi (b. Spain, 1486- d. Tripoli, Libya,1585), in honor of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai, a 2nd century Tannaitic sage strongly associated with Jewish mysticism. Rabbi Simeon Labi, whose name forms the acrostic at the beginning of each stanza, was en-route to the Land of Israel, but on his way, he was stopped in Tripoli. Upon seeing the community's low spiritual situation, he decided to stay there his entire life, where he contributed to their revival of Jewish life. Excluding the first line, which is meant to be a repeating verse, there are ten stanzas to this song; all filled with rich allusions to Bar Yohai's life. In our tradition, there is a slow melody and a fast "Beirut" melody to this song. During the Baqashot of Shabbat, we use the slow melody for the first and last stanzas, and the fast melody for all the middle stanzas. On Lag La'Omer, which is the anniversary of his death, the slow melody of this pizmon is applied to Naqdishakh. A Z Idelsohn notes, 1923 Aharon Rahamim Hares Baqashot Manuscript, 1917 G. Shrem
Archives
G. Shrem
Ohabe Zion 1960
Recording
Beirut Version
I Cabasso - Naqdishakh
Y Bozo- Naqdishkah
נקדישך
samfranco.com