Showing posts with label writing and poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing and poetry. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

*ALL* YOUR CHILDREN

בס''ד


“And All Your Children Shall Be Learned: Women and the Study of Torah in Jewish Law and History" – Shoshana Pantel Zolty
1993 Jason Aaronson

Page 145 reads:

There is also indirect mention of a... female scribe in the Genizah documents: we are told that the Jewish community of Daquq (today called Tawuq), Iraq, was headed by Azarya, ‘son of the female copyist.’ He was praised by the Hebrew poet Yehudah al-Harizi for his noble descent and character as well as his munificence.”*


* Goitein, A Mediterranean Society, vol. 2, p.184


Copyright © A. Barclay
Originally published January 2005 at Netivat Sofrut: the Diary of a Soferet
Cross-posted on Facebook

Thursday, January 07, 2010

The Forward's Sisterhood Blog

בס''ד


Thanks to Andrea for sending me this link: please see the comment I left (I don't like to take credit for what I didn't do).
http://blogs.forward.com/sisterhood-blog/122324/


"Shalom! I'm humbled that you should include me in this list. I thank you on behalf of all the people who supported my learning and work over the years.

I'd like to point out that I'm only the first female Torah scribe in living memory, not the first one ever. The text in Devarim Shebichtav refers to a woman who wrote a Sefer Torah generations ago, so she, or perhaps one of her predecessors whose name we will never know, deserves the credit you are honouring me with.

For more information on some of the female scribes in our history, please see http://soferet.blogspot.com/2006/02/women-writing.html

Blessings and thanks for the work you do!"

Monday, September 07, 2009

Tehilim/Psalms Chapter 27

בס''ד


My loose translation of Tehilim/Psalm 27, traditionally recited daily during this Jewish month of Elul prayers...

לְדָוִד: יְהוָה, אוֹרִי וְיִשְׁעִי--מִמִּי אִירָא;
יְהוָה מָעוֹז-חַיַּי, מִמִּי אֶפְחָד
Of David: Ad@nai is my light and my saviour; who will I dread? Ad@nai is the stronghold of my life; who shall I be scared of?

בִּקְרֹב עָלַי, מְרֵעִים-- לֶאֱכֹל אֶת-בְּשָׂרִי:
צָרַי וְאֹיְבַי לִי; הֵמָּה כָשְׁלוּ וְנָפָלוּ
When malicious people caught me to devour my innards, my antagonists and my opponents, they tripped and fell.

אִם-תַּחֲנֶה עָלַי, מַחֲנֶה-- לֹא-יִירָא לִבִּי:
אִם-תָּקוּם עָלַי, מִלְחָמָה-- בְּזֹאת, אֲנִי בוֹטֵחַ
If an army sets up against me, my heart won't fear; even if war rises up against me, then I'll still be confident.

אַחַת, שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת-יְהוָה-- אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ:
שִׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית-יְהוָה, כָּל-יְמֵי חַיַּי;
לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם-יְהוָה, וּלְבַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ
One thing I've asked of Ad@nai, that I will pursue: that I may rest in the house of Ad@nai all the days of my life, to contemplate the pleasance of Ad@nai, and to visit early in His temple.

כִּי יִצְפְּנֵנִי, בְּסֻכֹּה-- בְּיוֹם רָעָה:
יַסְתִּרֵנִי, בְּסֵתֶר אָהֳלוֹ; בְּצוּר, יְרוֹמְמֵנִי
The Divine will hide me in the sukah on the day of broken-ness; conceal me in the shade of His tent; raise me up on a rock.

וְעַתָּה יָרוּם רֹאשִׁי, עַל אֹיְבַי סְבִיבוֹתַי, וְאֶזְבְּחָה בְאָהֳלוֹ, זִבְחֵי תְרוּעָה;
אָשִׁירָה וַאֲזַמְּרָה, לַיהוָה
And now my head is raised up above my enemies surrounding me; and I will offer sacrifices with trumpet-blast in His tent ; I will chant, I will sing to Ad@nai.

שְׁמַע-יְהוָה קוֹלִי אֶקְרָא; וְחָנֵּנִי וַעֲנֵנִי
Listen, Ad@nai, when I call with my voice, and be merciful to me, and answer me.

לְךָ, אָמַר לִבִּי--בַּקְּשׁוּ פָנָי; אֶת-פָּנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֲבַקֵּשׁ
To you my heart has said: 'Seek you My face'; Your face, Ad@nai, I'll seek.

אַל-תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ, מִמֶּנִּי-- אַל תַּט-בְּאַף, עַבְדֶּךָ:
עֶזְרָתִי הָיִיתָ; אַל-תִּטְּשֵׁנִי וְאַל-תַּעַזְבֵנִי, אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעִי
Don't hide Your face from me; don't reject Your servant in anger; You've been my help; don't cast me away, and don't forsake me, my G@d of my salvation.

כִּי-אָבִי וְאִמִּי עֲזָבוּנִי; וַיהוָה יַאַסְפֵנִי
For despite my father and my mother abandoning me, Ad@nai will gather me up.

הוֹרֵנִי יְהוָה, דַּרְכֶּךָ: וּנְחֵנִי, בְּאֹרַח מִישׁוֹר--לְמַעַן, שׁוֹרְרָ
Teach me Your way, Ad@nai; and lead me on a strait path, because of those who lie in wait for me.

אַל-תִּתְּנֵנִי, בְּנֶפֶשׁ צָרָי: כִּי קָמוּ-בִי עֵדֵי-שֶׁקֶר, וִיפֵחַ חָמָס
Don't deliver me over to the will of my tormentors; for liars have arisen against me, and they exhale HAMAS, violence.

לוּלֵא--הֶאֱמַנְתִּי, לִרְאוֹת בְּטוּב-יְהוָה: בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים
If I hadn't believed to envision the goodness of Ad@nai in the land of the living!

קַוֵּה, אֶל-יְהוָה: חֲזַק, וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ; וְקַוֵּה, אֶל-יְהוָה
Hope for Ad@nai; be strong, and let your heart feel encouraged; await Ad@nai.