Yedidi Ro'i Mekimi - Revision history

Larry: typos

2026-06-06T02:24:12Z

typos

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:24, June 6, 2026
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	The meter of the tune is [[Unusual Meters \| unusual]], as is common in the Moroccan tradition of baqashot. It consists of two measures of three beats each followed by four measures of two beats each: 3-3-2-2-2-2. This meter repeats without exception through the entire song, though the pattern is ''very'' hard to hear during the outro.		The meter of the tune is [[Unusual Meters \| unusual]], as is common in the Moroccan tradition of baqashot. It consists of two measures of three beats each followed by four measures of two beats each: 3-3-2-2-2-2. This meter repeats without exception through the entire song, though the pattern is ''very'' hard to hear during the outro.

	The recording we dance to is by Yigal Haroush, from his album A'ira Shachar ("I Will Awaken Dawn"), a collection of Moroccan baqashot. Curiously, in the original, the meter of the intro is different; it is 3-3-2-2-2 until the singer enters. This has somehow been "fixed" in the recording for the dance, where the intro ~~too~~ is 3-3-2-2-2-2.		The recording we dance to is by Yigal Haroush, from his album A'ira Shachar ("I Will Awaken Dawn"), a collection of Moroccan baqashot. Curiously, in the original, the meter of the intro is different; it is 3-3-2-2-2 until the singer enters. This has somehow been "fixed" in the recording for the dance, where the intro is also 3-3-2-2-2-2.

	=== The Dance ===		=== The Dance ===

	The dance consists of five parts, which Mitch calls "bits" rather than "sections" or "parts". The entire sequence repeats twice and then ends with the ~~seccond~~ bit in the third repetition.		The dance consists of five parts, which Mitch calls "bits" rather than "sections" or "parts". The entire sequence repeats twice and then ends with the second bit in the third repetition.

	=== Links ===		=== Links ===

Larry: criticism of najara; minor edits

2026-06-06T02:21:04Z

criticism of najara; minor edits

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:21, June 6, 2026
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	This particular poem, Yedidi Ro'i Mekimi, is an allegory based on sheep and shepherds—indeed, every stanza ends with the word "tzoan" (sheep). There is a fascinating connection with the Tanach: the end of the first stanza is "עַל מִי נָטַשְׁתָּ מְעַט הַצֹּאן" ("with whom have you left those few sheep [in the wilderness]"). These are the exact words of Eliav, oldest brother of David, upbraiding David for abandoning his post as shepherd to battle Goliath (1 Samuel 17:28). Similar allusions are rife in Najara's works.		This particular poem, Yedidi Ro'i Mekimi, is an allegory based on sheep and shepherds—indeed, every stanza ends with the word "tzoan" (sheep). There is a fascinating connection with the Tanach: the end of the first stanza is "עַל מִי נָטַשְׁתָּ מְעַט הַצֹּאן" ("with whom have you left those few sheep [in the wilderness]"). These are the exact words of Eliav, oldest brother of David, upbraiding David for abandoning his post as shepherd to battle Goliath (1 Samuel 17:28). Similar allusions are rife in Najara's works.

			(Not everyone was a fan of Najara. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayyim_ben_Joseph_Vital Hayyim Vital], a contemporary and a Kabbalist, attacked Najara, accusing him of using foul language, being a drunkard, being a homosexual, and having sexual relations with non-Jewish women. It's hard to take these denunciations seriously, since Vital based them on mystic revelations rather than on fact. Najara was also criticized for poetry describing God and Israel as a married couple, but there is a longstanding tradition of this metaphor, especially in the [https://larry.denenberg.com/song-of-songs.txt allegorical translation of the Song of Songs].)

	=== The Music ===		=== The Music ===

	The tune we dance to is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baqashot baqasha], a song sung in some Sephardic Jewish communities on Shabbat morning from ~~the early hours of the morning~~ until dawn, especially in winter when the dawn comes late. The order and structure of the baqashot can be extremely complex. This particular baqasha comes from the Moroccan ~~tradition~~, which was heavily influence by Najara. In that tradition, there is a separate baqasha for each parsha of the Torah~~, and in fact~~ the melody for ~~the~~ dance is the Moroccan baqasha for parshat ~~Vayera~~.		The tune we dance to is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baqashot baqasha], a song sung in some Sephardic Jewish communities on Shabbat morning from after midnight until dawn, especially in winter when the dawn comes late. The order and structure of the baqashot can be extremely complex. This particular baqasha comes from the Moroccan sequence, which was heavily influence by Najara. In that tradition there is a separate baqasha for each parsha of the Torah; the melody for this dance is the Moroccan baqasha for parshat Vayeira (Genesis 18:1–22:24, including the Akeda).
	(Yedidi Ro'i Mekimi is also sung by Lubavitch to a completely different tune that has its own interesting story.)		Yedidi Ro'i Mekimi is also sung by Lubavitch to a completely different tune that has its own interesting story.

	The meter of the tune is [[Unusual Meters \| unusual]], as is common in the Moroccan tradition of baqashot. It consists of two measures of three beats each followed by four measures of two beats each: 3-3-2-2-2-2. This meter repeats without exception through the entire song, though the pattern is ''very'' hard to hear during the outro.		The meter of the tune is [[Unusual Meters \| unusual]], as is common in the Moroccan tradition of baqashot. It consists of two measures of three beats each followed by four measures of two beats each: 3-3-2-2-2-2. This meter repeats without exception through the entire song, though the pattern is ''very'' hard to hear during the outro.
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	The original: Yigal Haroush [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOhhOxzi-bY singing] Yedidi Ro'i Mekimi (includes Hebrew lyrics)		The original: Yigal Haroush [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOhhOxzi-bY singing] Yedidi Ro'i Mekimi (includes Hebrew lyrics)

	The entire album [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD7TmVj9_9c&list=OLAK5uy_m6i29rGWurRB9AmbPINu05i7Z9EKwkQ_g A'irah Shachar], including other Moroccan baqashot (like Yedid Nefesh) ~~all~~ in ~~interesting meters~~		The entire album [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD7TmVj9_9c&list=OLAK5uy_m6i29rGWurRB9AmbPINu05i7Z9EKwkQ_g A'irah Shachar], including other Moroccan baqashot (like Yedid Nefesh) in unusual meter

	[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_ben_Moses_Najara Rabbi Israel ben Moses Najara] at Wikipedia (English)		[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_ben_Moses_Najara Rabbi Israel ben Moses Najara] at Wikipedia (English)

Larry: wordsmithing

2026-06-06T01:50:08Z

wordsmithing

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:50, June 6, 2026
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	Hebrew: ידידי רועי מקימי (My Friend, My Shepard, My Support). Circle dance by [[Mitch Ginsburgh]], 2026.		Hebrew: ידידי רועי מקימי (My Friend, My Shepard, My Support). Circle dance by [[Mitch Ginsburgh]], 2026.

	Each ~~part~~ of this ~~dance~~ is independently interesting. We take them in order.		Each aspect of this work is independently interesting. We take them in order.

	=== The Lyrics ===		=== The Lyrics ===

Larry: Created page with "Hebrew: ידידי רועי מקימי (My Friend, My Shepard, My Support). Circle dance by Mitch Ginsburgh, 2026. Each part of this dance is independently interesting. We take them in order. === The Lyrics === The words were written by Rabbi Israel ben Moses Najara, who was born in Damascus in about 1555. He later moved to Safed, but after a pogrom in 1579 his family moved to Gaza, where Najara eventually succeeded his father as Chief Rabbi of Gaza (a position wh..."

2026-06-06T01:49:04Z

Created page with "Hebrew: ידידי רועי מקימי (My Friend, My Shepard, My Support). Circle dance by Mitch Ginsburgh, 2026. Each part of this dance is independently interesting. We take them in order. === The Lyrics === The words were written by Rabbi Israel ben Moses Najara, who was born in Damascus in about 1555. He later moved to Safed, but after a pogrom in 1579 his family moved to Gaza, where Najara eventually succeeded his father as Chief Rabbi of Gaza (a position wh..."

New page

Hebrew: ידידי רועי מקימי (My Friend, My Shepard, My Support). Circle dance by [[Mitch Ginsburgh]], 2026.

Each part of this dance is independently interesting. We take them in order.

=== The Lyrics ===

The words were written by Rabbi Israel ben Moses Najara, who was born in Damascus in about 1555. He later moved to Safed, but after a pogrom in 1579 his family moved to Gaza,
where Najara eventually succeeded his father as Chief Rabbi of Gaza (a position which is currently vacant).

Najara was among other things a liturgical poet. He wrote hymns, poems, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piyyut piyyutim], sermons, and commentary. His most famous work is likely Yah Ribon Olam, sung by Jews of many traditions on Friday night.

This particular poem, Yedidi Ro'i Mekimi, is an allegory based on sheep and shepherds—indeed, every stanza ends with the word "tzoan" (sheep). There is a fascinating connection with the Tanach: the end of the first stanza is "עַל מִי נָטַשְׁתָּ מְעַט הַצֹּאן" ("with whom have you left those few sheep [in the wilderness]"). These are the exact words of Eliav, oldest brother of David, upbraiding David for abandoning his post as shepherd to battle Goliath (1 Samuel 17:28). Similar allusions are rife in Najara's works.

=== The Music ===

The tune we dance to is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baqashot baqasha], a song sung in some Sephardic Jewish communities on Shabbat morning from the early hours of the morning until dawn, especially in winter when the dawn comes late. The order and structure of the baqashot can be extremely complex. This particular baqasha comes from the Moroccan tradition, which was heavily influence by Najara. In that tradition, there is a separate baqasha for each parsha of the Torah, and in fact the melody for the dance is the Moroccan baqasha for parshat Vayera.
(Yedidi Ro'i Mekimi is also sung by Lubavitch to a completely different tune that has its own interesting story.)

The meter of the tune is [[Unusual Meters | unusual]], as is common in the Moroccan tradition of baqashot. It consists of two measures of three beats each followed by four measures of two beats each: 3-3-2-2-2-2. This meter repeats without exception through the entire song, though the pattern is ''very'' hard to hear during the outro.

The recording we dance to is by Yigal Haroush, from his album A'ira Shachar ("I Will Awaken Dawn"), a collection of Moroccan baqashot. Curiously, in the original, the meter of the intro is different; it is 3-3-2-2-2 until the singer enters. This has somehow been "fixed" in the recording for the dance, where the intro too is 3-3-2-2-2-2.

=== The Dance ===

The dance consists of five parts, which Mitch calls "bits" rather than "sections" or "parts". The entire sequence repeats twice and then ends with the seccond bit in the third repetition.

=== Links ===

The original: Yigal Haroush [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOhhOxzi-bY singing] Yedidi Ro'i Mekimi (includes Hebrew lyrics)

The entire album [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD7TmVj9_9c&list=OLAK5uy_m6i29rGWurRB9AmbPINu05i7Z9EKwkQ_g A'irah Shachar], including other Moroccan baqashot (like Yedid Nefesh) all in interesting meters

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_ben_Moses_Najara Rabbi Israel ben Moses Najara] at Wikipedia (English)

[https://www.soulwords.org/video/yedidi/ Commentary] on the song by Rabbi Shais Taub (but beware: he's talking about the Lubavitch melody, not the Moroccan baqasha)

The [https://mechon-mamre.org/i/t/t08a17.htm# first book of Samuel, chapter 17] (Hebrew)

{{AussieRokdim |11788 |69fdb7b1fc4cd15a4ece4391}}

{{Dancelists|[[Unusual Meters]]}}

[[Category:Dances]]

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