At The Hour Of Closing

Note on the footnotes: The superscript symbols for the footnotes of the English text are in letter form, whereas the same symbol for the Hebrew text is in a numerical form. English text notes hold information pertaining specifically to the English translation (content meaning and translation comparisons), whereas Hebrew text notes hold information pertaining to the Hebrew text (content meaning and biblical allusions) There are superscript numbers in the English text to indicate that they reference the references phrase in the Hebrew text for which there is already a footnote. Many of the footnotes intertwine the discussion of biblical allusions and content meaning with translation comparisons.

Hebrew Footnotes

1. The ending word pair in strophe 1 both end in “לָה,” pronounced: “la,” creating a continuous flow of sounds. (Bring about, causing) “עֲלִילָה,” (closing) “הַנְּעִילָה.” Jastrow, Marcus. “עֲלִילָה (f.) [bringing about, causation].” Jastrow Dictionary, A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature, Philadelphia, c.1883 – c.1903 CE https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/260667.9?lang=bi&p2=Jastrow%2C_%D7%A2%D6%B2%D7%9C%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%9C%D6%B8%D7%94&lang2=bi 

For a longer context note on strophe 4, click here.

2. Imitating strophe 1’s linguistic continuity, in strophe 4 both lines end in similar sounds “ה” (ha) sounds: (from dreadful plight) “מִמְּאֵרָה” (closing) “הַנְּעִילָה.”

3. Sefaria’s translation reads, “grant us favor,” (Jastrow) and the Hebrew word for “grant” references a biblical passage: “Pes. 87ᵃ בני חֲנוּנֶיךָ children of thy favored ones, Abraham &c,” describing G-d’s promise to Abraham, the patriarch of Judaism and all monotheistic religions in general. Ezra enhances the gravity of the plea in his poem by connecting it to that promise.

4. “זְכֹר צִדְקַת,” literally translates to: remembering righteousness, fathers. Considering the Sefaria translation, the meaning of “the fathers (who) remember righteousness” is congruent to, “generations of sires.” Therefore, Ezra emphasizes memory and legacy when conceptualizing the holiness and morality of the “generation of sires.” In other words, to be holy one must not only act holy in the present but remember their ancestors’ holiness. “Rashi on Proverbs 16:31.”

5. Holiness is inspired and maintained through remembering the holiness of those before you. Therefore, seeing how this word is translated in “Rashi on Proverbs,” not only meaning “days,” but specifically the longevity inferred in the plural term, we see here how Ezra succinctly echoes the proverb: ‘”ע”י הצדקה מאריכין ימיהם:” through righteousness, they live long.’ Sefaria, https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Proverbs.

6. Judah: The Hebrew tribe from Jacob and Leah’s fourth son Judah. King David and Solomon, two great Jewish prophets, were born from this tribe. Scattered flock: likely refers to Israel’s “ten lost tribes” which were dispersed after the Assyrian Exile. Shurpin, Yehuda. “Where Are the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel?” Chabad.org, https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2500863/jewish/Where-Are-the-Ten-Lost-Tribes.htm. Posner, Yescheskel. “12 Tribes of Israel: The Shevatim.” Chabad.org, https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3798842/jewish/12-Tribes-of-Israel-The-Shevatim.htm. “Scattered flock” also alludes to the shepherd-sheep relationship between G-d and the Israelites present in the Old Testament. It also follows a continuity of animal imagery in the poem (see line 9, strophe 5, “וְרַחֵם”).

7. Zion’s rebuilt site: likely alluding to the Jew’s aspiration to rebuild Jerusalem’s Holy Temple, destroyed for a second and final time in 70 CE.(MyJewishLearning) (Chabad.org). Other translations of the Hebrew text – אָהֳלָה, Aholah, “her own tent,” Samaria as an adulteress with Assyria, a metaphor that blames the invasion of the Assyrians and destruction of the second temple of Jerusalem on the Jewish people’s assimilatory behavior (OpenScriptures). “Tisah B’Av History,” MyJewishLearning, https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/tisha-bav-history/. “The Destruction of the Second Holy Temple.” Chabad.org, https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/913023/jewish/The-Second-Temple.htm. “אׇהֳלָה (n-pr-f) x-pn 1. Aholah = “her own tent” 2. Samaria as an adulteress with Assyria (metaph)” Troidl, David, Dwyer, Ben, et al. “Open Scriptures.” GitHub. https://github.com/openscriptures/strongs. Here, “tent” is likely being used as a term for “site.”  

English Footnotes

A. The first line, “אֵל נוֹרָא עֲלִילָה” literally translates to, “bring about fear/trembling.” In identifying the actor of this phrase, Sefaria’s translation reads, “God of awe, God of might.”

B. “כָל לוֹחֵץ וְלוֹחֵם” literally translates to, “all who presses the warrior.” By translating the line to “but all who wrest the right and oppress,” Sefaria’s translation asserts that the title of the righteous is synonymous with that of a warrior.

C. “זְכֹר צִדְקַת,” literally translates to: remembering righteousness, fathers. Considering the Sefaria translation, the meaning of “the fathers (who) remember righteousness” is congruent to, “generations of sires.” Therefore, Ezra emphasizes memory and legacy when conceptualizing the holiness and morality of the “generation of sires.” In other words, to be holy one must not only act holy in the present but remember their ancestors’ holiness. “Rashi on Proverbs 16:31.” Sefaria. https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Proverbs.16.31?lang=bi.”

D. Bless this year with grace divine,” is pulled from the first half of the first line in Hebrew, “קְרָא נָּא שְׁנַת רָצוֹן.”