The child—there was no one like him

Yeshu‘a ben Nathan

ca. 1026

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This touching Hebrew lament, in commemoration of the death of the author’s six-year-old son Josiah, survives in several manuscripts in the Cairo Geniza. This poem reflects the father’s pain and also illustrates the ideals that a boy would have been expected to live up to in his day. Yeshu‘a praises Josiah’s keeping of the Sabbath and his commitment to the study of Jewish texts. The reference to Nehemiah alludes to the laws of picking up objects and moving them on the Sabbath. In m. Shabbat 17:4, it reads: “All vessels may be moved [on the Sabbath], either for a purpose or for no purpose. R. Nehemiah says: ‘They may not be moved [on the Sabbath] unless for a purpose.’” This son, the poet suggests, was stricter even than R. Nehemiah, as he would not move a vessel even for a purpose.

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The child—there was no one like him,
Tender in years, but old in knowledge.
How did he suddenly depart, and he is gone?
He left me forlorn, bereft, mourning,
Crying and wailing that he has been snatched away.
When I come back, I remember his ways, his deeds,
When I turn here and there, and do not see him.
He would arise early in the morning, to go to his tutor.
He would read scripture all day, without losing breath.
His thoughts were constantly about the Torah.
Even for a short while, it would not depart from his mouth.
And he would say, “Father, what does this verse mean?”
And “this,” and “this,” and “this,” until he finished.
He observed the Sabbath in the right manner.
He would not move a vessel, not even as Nehemiah said.
From the time he was a baby until his death,
He would not play in the street with other children, nor alone in the house.
He sickened at night, and I embraced him on his bed.
He recited the passage about fringes [see Numbers 15:38–40], on his tongue.
He rests in paradise, his soul in eternal life.
He was snatched away—may this be an atonement for all my sins.
How can I be consoled for such a one? This is only part of his praise.
How can I be quiet or silent, and how can I forget him—
Until consolation comes from the lofty, awesome, and holy One!
Translated by Gabriel Wasserman.

Credits

Bibliothèque nationale de France, Department of Manuscripts, Arabe 3929, fol. 78r, detail.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 3: Encountering Christianity and Islam.

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This touching Hebrew lament, in commemoration of the death of the author’s six-year-old son Josiah, survives in several manuscripts in the Cairo Geniza. This poem reflects the father’s pain and also illustrates the ideals that a boy would have been expected to live up to in his day. Yeshu‘a praises Josiah’s keeping of the Sabbath and his commitment to the study of Jewish texts. The reference to Nehemiah alludes to the laws of picking up objects and moving them on the Sabbath. In m. Shabbat 17:4, it reads: “All vessels may be moved [on the Sabbath], either for a purpose or for no purpose. R. Nehemiah says: ‘They may not be moved [on the Sabbath] unless for a purpose.’” This son, the poet suggests, was stricter even than R. Nehemiah, as he would not move a vessel even for a purpose.

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Related Guide

Early Medieval Poetry

7th to 12th Century

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