22 Oct Original Manuscript of the Piyyut “Yedid Nefesh”
Recently I came across the original manuscript of the Piyyut “Yedid Nefesh” in the original handwriting of the author, Rabbi Elazar Azikri. This famed poem is sung between various times during Shabbat dependent on one’s customs and traditions.
This beautiful poem is commonly attributed to the sixteenth century kabbalist, Rabbi Elazar ben Moshe Azikri (1533-1600), who first published it in SeferHaredim (published in Venice 1601), but Rabbi Elazar Azikri did not claim authorship of it and there have been other suggested authors such as Rabbi Yehuda Halevi, and others.
After conducting further research of the author of Yedid Nefesh it came to fruition that it was debatable of wether or not Rabbi Elazar Azikri is the actual author.
The Hebrew Manuscripts at Cambridge University Libraries by Stefan C. Reif (1997, page 93) refers to an appearance of Yedid Nefesh in the Commentary On the Book of Numbers by Samuel ben David ben Solomon, a manuscript dated to about 1438—long before Rabbi Azikri’s birth. Rabbi Azikri’s philosophy centred around the intense love one must feel for God, a theme that is evident in this piyyut (see further references in wikipedia ‘Yedid Nefesh’ which may not be fully reliable nonetheless it has some great sources). The first letters of each of the four verses make up the four letter name of G-d.
Photo Credit: Mark Halawa
Daniel
Posted at 17:10h, 06 JanuaryBeautiful manuscript! And a beautiful pen. A lot has ben done to efface our cursive submitting to the Ashkenazi pen. Could you make a post about the traditional writing? I searched online and only found some sources for Solitreo which is not exactly how our Hachamim write. Thanks!