The Rock of the cosmos

Eli ben Ezekiel ha-Kohen

Mid-11th Century

The Rock of the cosmos decides the time of birth,
and after eight days he is circumcised.
The circumcised child shall live a long life.
He shall be a blessing among the nations.
He shall live well all his days and nights.
He shall be sated with a good life among his folk.
The circumcised one shall be blessed by God from above.
The child shall live for his father and his mother.
Thou shalt bring mercy to Thy people from heaven.
Thou shalt give them strength with shield and armor.
Thou wilt see their poverty and grant them pardon.
And the child will be seen as offspring of Elkanah and Hannah.
Those gathered together this day to this vow of unification
will merit honor as they bestow it.
The child will be blessed from every direction and angle
and will become the brother of seven and the father of eight.
The Rock has bestowed life and grace unto His servant.
He remembers the covenant to Abraham His ally.
We are called on this day to honor and single Him out.
Praise be to the Lord for goodness, for His grace is eternal.
Translated by Karen Alkalay-Gut.

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

Engage with this Source

According to Jewish law, male children are circumcised eight days after birth. In this poem, written for such an occasion, the poet praises the infant and wishes him well, even comparing him to the “offspring of Elkanah and Hannah”—that is, to the prophet Samuel. The last stanza is devoted to praising God for bestowing life and grace unto His servants and remembering His covenant with Abraham.

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Related Guide

Early Medieval Poetry

9th to 12th Century

Creator Bio

Eli ben Ezekiel ha-Kohen

11th Century

Eli ha-Kohen he-Ḥaver ben Ezekiel ha-Ḥazan ben Solomon he-Ḥaver was a businessman and a leader of the Jerusalem Jewish community, many of whose writings are preserved in the Cairo Geniza. He was a scholar and poet who came to serve as parnas (a community leader) in the second half of the eleventh century. Active between the 1030s and the 1070s, he was responsible for, among other things, arranging for the payment of communal taxes to the Muslim authorities. He often turned to Jews living in Fustāt (Old Cairo) for assistance in various matters. From other evidence, it seems he dealt in flax, which he sold from a store in Jerusalem, and was involved in local politics. Several letters show Eli raising funds for poor Jews, sometimes to cover tax debts. He composed poems in honor of the leaders of the Palestinian academy and for special occasions, some of which survive in the original copies.

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