April 27, 2024 ~ PESAH. SIGAH/AJAM/BAYAT.
Maqam Rahawi ( רהאווי / רהאוו ) Nawah ( נאווה ) symbolizes the end of something. Nawah and Rahaw are two different maqams. Nawah is the maqam used to chant mishnayot as well as the maqam of the Qabbalat Shabbat and Arbit of Shabbat services. The last verse of Psalm 93,"lebetekha nava qodesh...", which is said prior to Qaddish on Friday night, alludes to Maqam Nawah, because nava read in the Syrian-Hebrew manner would be nawa and not nava. Nawah is suggested to be used on Friday night also because Mishnah ("Bameh Madliqin") is said during Qabbalat Shabbat.
Rahaw is the maqam of the Pesah Haggadah as well as the pizmon "Emounim 'Irkhu Shebah" therefore it is closely associated with Pesah, and we use it for Shabbat Morning prayers on Shabbat HaGadol, the Shabbat prior to Pesah.
Nikriz pentachord: starting on C
| Pizmon | Page | Song | Commentary | Recordings | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 433 | 357 | את רעיה |  Abraham Rahaw. Abraham Sitehon Manuscript Mosseri-Kozli Manuscript Yabess Manuscript |
Recording Recording (MB) Nishmat (MB) |
נשמת |
| 434 | 358 | מגן אל צורי |  Moshe Tabbush Manuscript |
G. Shrem I. Cabasso- Qedusha G. Shrem Recording Isaac Cabasso- Qaddish I Cabasso Moshe Dwek Moshe Dwek - Qaddish Moshe Dwek - Qaddish |
קדיש |
| 435 | 358 | מעלפת ספירים | Mordechai Attiah Manuscript Abraham Sitehon Manuscript |
G. Shrem G. Shrem Qaddish (MB) |
קדיש |
| 436 | 359 | אמונים ערכו שבח | אהרן כהן Emunim (RAHAW, page 359), or "The Faithful," is an important Sephardic hymn for Pesah; specifically for the Leil HaSeder. It can be found in Mahzor Aram Soba (1527), making it one of our oldest pizmonim still in active transmission. It has the acrostic of "Aharon Kohen." Each of the 7 stanzas end with the words "Va'amartem Zebah Pesah..." (ואמרתם זבח פסח); referring to the commandment mentioned in Exodus 12:27 to offer the Qorban Pesah to God. Other Missvot relating to Pesah are also referred to, such as, eating Massa and Maror, drinking the four cups of wine, and retelling of the story of the exodus from Egypt (ending with receiving the Torah). The last verse ends "Your doings are wondrous; Your miracles are powerful; all those who seek refuge in You will say 'It is good to take refuge in the Lord' (Psalm 118:8)." The hymn is traditionally sung at the Seder in the Magid portion, and the melody of this hymn is applied to the prayers for Semehim of Shabbat Hagadol, and Naqdishakh of Ereb Pesah. Mahzor Aram Soba 1527 Abraham Sitehon Manuscript Yabess Manuscript A Z Idelsohn notes, 1923 |
Yosef Hamaoui G. Shrem G. Shrem 2 Fule Yanani G. Shrem Recording Recording M Habusha Moshe Dwek Moshe Dwek - Semehim / Mimisrayim Moshe Dwek - Emunim |
שמחים |
| 437 | 360 | מלך המפואר | משה חזק Rahawi. Rosh Hashana, but also may be used for Pesah. Attiah Manuscript Abraham Sitehon Manuscript Yabess Manuscript Mosseri-Kozli Manuscript A Z Idelsohn notes, 1923 |
G. Shrem G. Shrem 2 G. Shrem Recording |
שמחים |
| 438 | 361 | בנה לי זבול משכני | רפאל (חזק) "Build Me An Abode For My Dwelling" (NAWAH, page 361) is a song for Pesah. It is composed by the early nineteenth century Aleppian poet H Raphael Dwek HaKohen (acrostic: רפאל). It's melody is transposed from the Arabic song "Ya Sahee El Sabree." In this four stanza rhyming song with a repeating chorus, the author speaks from God's point of view in the first person. God, through the lens of the author, is describing what He desires to see in a future messianic era. He asks the Jewish people to build a place for Him to dwell (like the Mishkan). In this sanctuary, the Kohen will bring sacrifice offerings, the Levites will return and sing from their posts, and the Israelites will come with their families to celebrate good times. The second stanza describes how the Pesah offering will be brought at the right time, as well as the 'Omer offering, and everything will return back to the pre-exilic normal. The song then focuses on describing the sorry state of affairs of the Jewish people in exile, and how God commits to sending help via a messenger from King David's household (the Messiah). The fourth stanza is God pleading for the Jewish people not to return to God empty handed, but rather take what belongs to them, and overcome their troubles by defeating their enemies. The imagery of returning to the Land of Israel and bringing the Pesah offering to the future Beit Hamiqdash makes this pizmon especially meaningful and appropriate for the Pesah festival. The melody of this pizmon is often applied to various pieces of prayers on Shabbat Hagadol (the Shabbat prior to Pesah), and the pizmon itself is sung at the beginning of the Pesah holiday. Attiah Manuscript Abraham Sitehon Manuscript Yabess Manuscript Mosseri-Kozli Manuscript A Z Idelsohn notes, 1923 British Library Or. 10375 |
G. Shrem G. Shrem 2 Fule Yanani G. Shrem Recording Isaac Cabasso- Rau Banim D Binker-Duek Moshe Dwek Moshe Dwek - Naqdishakh Moshe Dwek - Rau Banim |
נקדישך |
| 439 | 361 | מי ימלל | Mordechai Abadi This pizmon, (Maqam NAWAH, page 361), is composed by H Mordekhai Abadi (Aleppo, 1826, - Jerusalem, 1884), author of "Dibre Mordekhai," and other Halakha responsa. There are a total of 5 stanzas in this pizmon; corresponding to מ-ר-ד-כ-י. "Who can recount the strengths and wonders of the most perfect and wise?" the poem begins, and then proceeds to list the miracles that God orchestrated as the Children of Israel leave Egypt. Starting with the third stanza, the 10 plagues that occurred in Egypt are poetically described. In the last verse, after the festival of Pesah is mentioned, there is a reference to the belief that Pesah, a time of a previous redemption, will be the season in the future when "we will be redeemed." As per the Hazzanut notes of H Moshe Ashear, this song is reserved for Shabbat Bo and Shabbat Hagadol. The Ades synagogue in Jerusalem, however, has a tradition of using this song one week earlier on Shabbat Vaera. Abraham Sitehon Manuscript |
Yosef Hamaoui G. Shrem Fule Yanani G. Shrem Recording Y Nahari I Cabasso Maury Blanco |
ממצרים |
| 440 | 363 | יצא למלוך מבית סורים | ישראל בר משה בר לוי חזק This pizmon (NAWAH, page 363), is a retelling of the Joseph story (Genesis 39-41) in poetic form. This piece by H Israel Najara (1555-1625) has the acrostic: Israel Bar Moshe Bar Levi Hazaq. There are 16 stanzas in this poem and as a rule, the first three phrases of each stanza rhyme with the last phrase of the preceding stanza (AAAB- BBBC- CCCD etc). The last two stanzas of this poem indicate that the story of Joseph is a source of inspiration for our people; a people who experienced the hardships of poverty (אביון) and oppression (עבד) throughout the ages. The last stanza is the call for redemption of the nation and the hope that God will raise us just like He raised Joseph from the dust of poverty to the power of royalty. According to H Moshe Ashear, this song is traditionally applied for Semehim or Mimisrayim on Shabbat Vayesheb or as a Pizmon Sefer Torah for Shabbat Miqes. Abraham Sitehon Manuscript Mosseri-Kozli Manuscript |
G. Shrem G. Shrem A Mouhadeb |
שמחים |
| 441 | 365 | דר רומה | Shabbat Vayera. A Z Idelsohn notes, 1923 |
Yosef Hamaoui G. Shrem G. Shrem Recording Moshe Dwek - EH Moshe Dwek - Rau Banim |
אל ההודאות |
| 442 | 366 | אל מתנשא לכל לראש לפניך היום תדרוש סליחתם | Abraham I Antebi Nawah. אברהם. Composed by H Abraham Antebi (1765-1858), Chief Rabbi of Aleppo from 1817. Pizmon found in "Ohel Yesharim" book from 1843. Attiah Manuscript Abraham Sitehon Manuscript Shire Zimrah, Algiers, 1889 A Z Idelsohn notes, 1923 |
Maury Blanco |
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| 443 | 367 | שמרתני וחיתני | Raphael Tabbush Hamaoui Manuscript Tabbush Manuscript |
G. Shrem G. Shrem Recording Moshe Dwek |
ממצרים |
| 444 | 367 | יגן אלי על קהלי | Missing melody. Tabbush Manuscript | ||
| 445 | 368 | מתי תשיר | Raphael Tabbush Hamaoui Manuscript Tabbush Manuscript |
G. Shrem G. Shrem Moshe Dwek Moshe Dwek - SA Moshe Dwek - Rau Banim |
שועת עניים |
| 446 | 368 | רם לי יה רם לי | Raphael Tabbush Hamaoui Manuscript Tabbush Manuscript A Z Idelsohn notes, 1923 |
G. Shrem G. Shrem Recording |
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| 447 | 369 | אל בנה נא | |
G. Shrem Arabic G. Shrem Recording |
נקדישך |
| 448 | 370 | מפי אל מפי אל | א״ב Maqam Girkah The pizmon “Mipi El” (RAHAWI-NAWAH, page 370), or “From the Mouth of God,” is commonly used for the Haqafot of Simhat Torah. The author is unknown, and renditions of this song are found in 19th century Aleppo manuscripts. The theme of "Mipi El" is the greatness of the Torah, and praise is given to four subjects; (1) God (author of the Torah), (2) Moses "Ben Amram" (who received the Torah), (3) the Torah itself, and (4) the nation of Israel (who receives the Torah from Moses). The song uses the Hebrew alphabet to provide adjectives for the four subjects above. In one version of the song, the long version, there are four adjectives of each letter to provide praise for the four subjects above (for a total of 22 stanzas). In the short version, however, there is only one adjective per letter (for a total of 6 stanzas). The use of the word “Ein” (translated as: 'there is none') in the song is based on the verse from the Prayer of Hanna in 1 Samuel 2:2 which says “Ein Qadosh KaHashem, Ki Ein Biltekha, v’Ein Sur Kelohenu.” In addition to Simhat Torah, the melody of this song is also used in association with Shabbat Vayesse due to the words “Yebarekh Et Yisrael” (He will bless Israel). Hamaoui Manuscript Attiah Manuscript Yabess Manuscript A Z Idelsohn notes, 1923 |
G. Shrem Fule Yanani G. Shrem Moshe Dwek |
אל ההודאות |
| 449 | 371 | סלח סלח | אהרן הכהן חזק Attiah Manuscript Abraham Sitehon Manuscript Mosseri-Kozli Manuscript |
G. Shrem G. Shrem Recording |
שמחים |
| 450 | 372 | אודך אל טובות גמלת | Raphael Tabbush This pizmon (RAHAWI-NAWAH, page 372), whose opening words translates as "I Will Give Thanks to You" is one of the few Syrian Sephardic songs in honor of Hanukah. It is composed by the legendary poet, H Raphael Tabbush, whose name appears in the acrostic (אני רפאל חזק). In its six stanzas, each clause of a given stanza rhymes with one another, and the last clause of each stanza rhymes with the preceding stanza. In the notes of H Moshe Ashear, it is only used as the PIZMON SEFER TORAH on the Shabbat prior to Hanukah, although it's melody can be used for the various pieces of prayers throughout the year. The pizmon starts by thanking God for all the good that He bestowed onto His chosen nation; for allowing Israel to defeat its foes. The second stanza says that a miracle was performed in the days of "Matitya" (מתתיה), and from a little oil, the entire Temple was lit. The word "Hanukah" appears in the fourth stanza as God tells the people to rejoice as they dedicate the Temple (חנכת הבית), and to retell the story of the miracles to their children. The last verse is a prayer for strength for the nation that assembles in their holy synagogues to exalt God's name. Tabbush Manuscript |
G. Shrem G. Shrem |
ממצרים |
| 451 | 373 | גואלך גואלך | Moses Ashear |
G. Shrem G. Shrem |
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| 2167 | יה מסי כבין רחמנא אסי כביהון לעם דנא יחמון ילדיהון מתבדרין | Abraham Sitehon Manuscript Yabess Manuscript |
