Yemenite Jewish poetry

Yemenite Jewish poetry, often referred to as "paraliturgical poetry" because of its religious nature, has been an integral part of Yemenite Jewish culture since time immemorial. The Jews of Yemen have preserved a well-defined singing arrangement which not only includes the very poetic creation itself, but also involves a vocal and dance performance, accompanied in certain villages outside Sana'a by drumming on an empty tin-can (tanakeh) or a copper tray. The Jews of Yemen, maintaining strict adherence to Talmudic and Maimonidean halakha, observed the gezeirah which prohibited playing^[1] musical instruments,^[2] and "instead of developing the playing of musical instruments, they perfected singing and rhythm."^[3] (For the modern Yemenite-Israeli musical phenomenon see Yemenite Jewish music.) This arrangement was integrated into the walks of life familiar to the Jews of Yemen. The texts used in the arrangement were put down in writing and later^[4] included in separate song collections (dīwāns). The social strictures and norms in Yemenite Jewish culture provide for separate settings for men and for women, where the sexes are never mixed. Men’s song usually expressed the national aspirations of the Jewish people,^[5] and it was far removed from the singing associated with the Muslim environment, whereas folk songs of Jewish women were sung by rote memory (unwritten poetry) and expressed the happiness and sorrows inherent in their daily life and was, as a rule, closer to that of Muslim women.^[6]

^ While also "listening" to musical instruments is proscribed by Maimonides, before he brings down this prohibition, however, he first speaks about the prohibitions of playing musical instruments and of rejoicing at the playing thereof. Understandably, there were instances where the Jews in Yemen, by no fault of their own, would hear music from their Arab neighbors (note Halikhoth Teiman p. 288), and there was no practice to shut one's ears in Yemen upon hearing, in passing, an Arab playing a musical instrument.
^ Maimonides, Mishneh Torah (Hil. Ta'niyyoth 5:14) (see Touger commentary, footnote 14); Maimonides (1989), vol. 2, responsum # 224 / vol. 4 [Rubin Mass and Makhon Moshe, Jerusalem, 2014] p. 137); Rabbi Yosef Qafih's commentary to Mishneh Torah, ibid., in note 27 following his citation of Maimonides' responsa, "לא דיים ששותים יין בכלי זמר שיש כבר שתי עברות כפי שמנה רבנו לעיל" (English: they drink wine with musical instruments, which alone involves two sins as our master enumerated above [prohibitions three and four of the five enumerated in responsum # 224]). Qafih, Y. (1989), vol. 2, p. 959, s.v. השירה והלחנים בתפילת יהודי תימן, which reads: "אין יהודי תימן מלווים שירתם בכלי ואפילו שירים הנאמרים בבתי משתאות בגלל האיסור שבדבר, קל וחומר תפילתם, כך שאין יהודי תימן מכירים שירה בכלי כלל (מה שמקצת כפרים מלווים את שירת משתיהם על פח איני יודע אם ימצא מי שהוא שיקרא לזה כלי שיר) לא כלי הקשה לא כלי פריטה ולא כלי נשיפה." English translation "Yemenite Jews do not accompany their song with instruments–even songs said in houses of feasting–due to the prohibition of the matter, all the more so their prayers. Thus Yemenite Jews do not at all recognize song with instruments (that which some villages accompany the songs of their feasts by tin, I don't know if there's anyone who would call this a musical instrument), neither percussion instruments, string instruments, nor wind instruments."
^ Spielberg Jewish Film Archive - Teiman: The Music of the Yemenite Jews: 4:32–4:48: "Drumming was used by all. Mourning the destruction of the second temple resulted in the prohibition of using musical instruments. The Yemenites, stringent in their observance, accepted this ban literally. Instead of developing the playing of musical instruments, they perfected singing and rhythm."
^ Ratzaby, Yehuda (1995), p. 228.
^ Sassoon, D.S. (1932), vol. 1 (Introduction), p. xxxvii.
^ Maswari-Caspi, Mishael (1973), pp. 87, 89.

[1] While also "listening" to musical instruments is proscribed by Maimonides, before he brings down this prohibition, however, he first speaks about the prohibitions of playing musical instruments and of rejoicing at the playing thereof. Understandably, there were instances where the Jews in Yemen, by no fault of their own, would hear music from their Arab neighbors (note Halikhoth Teiman p. 288), and there was no practice to shut one's ears in Yemen upon hearing, in passing, an Arab playing a musical instrument.

[2] Maimonides, Mishneh Torah (Hil. Ta'niyyoth 5:14) (see Touger commentary, footnote 14); Maimonides (1989), vol. 2, responsum # 224 / vol. 4 [Rubin Mass and Makhon Moshe, Jerusalem, 2014] p. 137); Rabbi Yosef Qafih's commentary to Mishneh Torah, ibid., in note 27 following his citation of Maimonides' responsa, "לא דיים ששותים יין בכלי זמר שיש כבר שתי עברות כפי שמנה רבנו לעיל" (English: they drink wine with musical instruments, which alone involves two sins as our master enumerated above [prohibitions three and four of the five enumerated in responsum # 224]). Qafih, Y. (1989), vol. 2, p. 959, s.v. השירה והלחנים בתפילת יהודי תימן, which reads: "אין יהודי תימן מלווים שירתם בכלי ואפילו שירים הנאמרים בבתי משתאות בגלל האיסור שבדבר, קל וחומר תפילתם, כך שאין יהודי תימן מכירים שירה בכלי כלל (מה שמקצת כפרים מלווים את שירת משתיהם על פח איני יודע אם ימצא מי שהוא שיקרא לזה כלי שיר) לא כלי הקשה לא כלי פריטה ולא כלי נשיפה." English translation "Yemenite Jews do not accompany their song with instruments–even songs said in houses of feasting–due to the prohibition of the matter, all the more so their prayers. Thus Yemenite Jews do not at all recognize song with instruments (that which some villages accompany the songs of their feasts by tin, I don't know if there's anyone who would call this a musical instrument), neither percussion instruments, string instruments, nor wind instruments."

[3] Spielberg Jewish Film Archive - Teiman: The Music of the Yemenite Jews: 4:32–4:48: "Drumming was used by all. Mourning the destruction of the second temple resulted in the prohibition of using musical instruments. The Yemenites, stringent in their observance, accepted this ban literally. Instead of developing the playing of musical instruments, they perfected singing and rhythm."

[4] Ratzaby, Yehuda (1995), p. 228.

[5] Sassoon, D.S. (1932), vol. 1 (Introduction), p. xxxvii.

[6] Maswari-Caspi, Mishael (1973), pp. 87, 89.

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