Shemuel Moursiye

Pizmonim

Section	Pizmon	Page	Song	Commentary	Recordings	Application
Baqashot	25	33	שיר חדש זמרו	Maqam Mehayar-Bayat This pizmon (BAQASHOT, page 33), whose title translates as "Sing A New Song," is composed by H Shemuel Moursiye (acrostic: Shemuel Hazaq) of Aleppo. There are six stanzas in this song, and each stanza ends with a Biblical reference to a verse with God's name. This song recalls a historic event of what was perceived as a miracle for Aleppo's Jewish community. In Aleppo, in the year 1850 (Hebrew year 5611 = as seen by numeric value of the word 'קשורה' in the fifth stanza), on the 11th day in the month of Heshvan, there was a Muslim attack against the Christians. The Muslims took their possessions, killed many, and burnt churches. Apparently, just when the Christians thought that they were safe, on the second day of Kislev (the following month), a new leader of Aleppo arose, further attacked the Christians, and most of their community was pillaged. In all this chaos, the assets of the Jewish community were spared and undamaged. The author attributes the safeguard of the Jewish community to the Jewish community’s robust safeguarding of the Sabbath and the holidays. This piece was written in appreciation to God for saving the community and as a prayer for redemption against all future attacks. The melody of this is classified as Maqam Mehayar-Bayat, and it can be applied to Shav'at Aniyim. Aharon Rahamim Hares Baqashot Manuscript, 1917	Archives	שועת עניים