This is a context notes page for “At The Hour Of Closing” by Rabbi Moshe Ibn Ezra. The notes will provide a more detailed explanation that would have been too long to include as a footnote within the original poetry page. The notes will refer to either a footnote from the original poetry page, or to an entire strophe. The notes for this poem largely focus on strophe 4 but also highlight other content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Orthographically related word pairs are highlighted on this page<\/a>, where words at the midpoint and endpoint of each strophe line are isolated together. These isolated word pairs typically capture the strophe’s overall philosophical or religious meaning. The word pairs (translated to English) for strophe 4 are: Refuge, Dreadful Plight \/ Joy, Closing. This sequence of midpoint and endpoint words illustrates the primary Jewish biblical narrative: that of national suffering (Dreadful Plight) and redemption (Refuge) through the mercy and miracles of God (Joy).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, the biblical narrative of national suffering and redemption in strophe 4 is important to the poem’s overall message. Relief from national suffering is described in the plural possessive (grant us <\/em>pardon (strophe 1).. fearful in our <\/em>prayer (strophe 2, Sefaria)\u2026 our <\/em>refuge (strophe 4, Sefaria).. rescue us <\/em>from dreadful plight (strophe 4, Sefaria).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The closing lines of strophe 3 leading into the opening lines of strophe 4 capture the redemption aspect of this narrative powerfully: \u201cShall be one pardoned of sin, as thy gates are closed this night\u201d (strophe 3, Sefaria). These two lines of strophe 3 capture the miracle that the entire poem centers around \u2014 that of Yom Kippur, where God wipes the soul of all transgressions and re-fortifies the Jew\u2019s connection to God. And then, going into strophe 4, this promise is affirmed: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGod, our refuge strong and sure, Rescue us from dreadful plight;\u201d (Strophe 4, Sefaria).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Hebrew word used for rescue\/refuge \u201c\u05dc\u05b0\u05e1\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4\u201d connects this line to Psalm 91, which writes \u201c\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e1\u05b5\u05a3\u05ea\u05b6\u05e8\u201d during its reflection on the contrast of God protecting the righteous from demons and spirits while allowing the wicked to perish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An analysis of the psalm by Professor Matthias Henze states that Psalm 91 is understood by some metaphorically, \u201cas an expression of trust in God\u2019s protection anywhere.\u201d The contrast between the protection of the righteous and the forsaking of the wicked is described as \u201cmiraculous\u201d in its dramatic picture of faithful people escaping terror unscathed:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c91:7 Though a thousand fall at your side<\/p>\n\n\n\n and ten thousand at your right hand,<\/p>\n\n\n\n you it will not reach\u201d (Henze)1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n The drama of the miracle of protection is also conveyed through the psalm\u2019s description of evil existing both day and night, from both supernatural and mundane sources. Therefore, God must provide refuge for the righteous at all times.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a context notes page for “At The Hour Of Closing” by Rabbi Moshe Ibn Ezra. The notes will provide a more detailed explanation that would have been too long to include as a footnote within the original poetry page. The notes will refer to either a footnote from the original poetry page, or… Continue reading At The Hour Of Closing Context Notes<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":106,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-86","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/robbins.digitalscholar.rochester.edu\/medhebrew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/86","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/robbins.digitalscholar.rochester.edu\/medhebrew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/robbins.digitalscholar.rochester.edu\/medhebrew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robbins.digitalscholar.rochester.edu\/medhebrew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robbins.digitalscholar.rochester.edu\/medhebrew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/robbins.digitalscholar.rochester.edu\/medhebrew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/86\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":532,"href":"https:\/\/robbins.digitalscholar.rochester.edu\/medhebrew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/86\/revisions\/532"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robbins.digitalscholar.rochester.edu\/medhebrew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/robbins.digitalscholar.rochester.edu\/medhebrew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Indeed, the imagery of \u201cGod as a shelter\u201d is connected to the miracle of Sukkot, where, after the Hebrew nation was liberated from Egypt, they were protected from harm day and night by a pillar of fire and cloud, i.e., \u201cthe seven clouds of glory\u201d (Exodus 13:21<\/a>.)2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\nFootnotes <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
1. Henze, M.\u201cGod Shelters the Faithful: The Prayer of Psalm 91.\u201d TheTorah.com. 2020. https:\/\/thetorah.com\/article\/god-shelters-the-faithful-the-prayer-of-psalm-91<\/a> <\/h6>\n\n\n\n
2. \u201cShemot – Exodus – Chapter 13.\u201d The Complete Jewish Bible (with Rashi Commentary)<\/em>. https:\/\/www.chabad.org\/library\/bible_cdo\/aid\/9874\/jewish\/Chapter-13.htm<\/a>. Rpt. in, \u201cLEINING MASTER – INDIVIDUAL PARSHA DOWNLOADS – SEPHARDIC\u201d Wieder, Rabbi Jeremy<\/a>. The Judaica Press<\/em>, Print.<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"