The soul of the holy progeny

This poem is a celebratory introduction to the Nishmat prayer (“May the soul [breath] of every living being”), written on the occasion of the marriage of an individual named Jacob. Zeraḥiah included the name Jacob in the last line of each stanza and he signed his name in the two acrostics, in the second word of the first line of each stanza and the first word of the last line. Zerahiah refers to Jacob’s upcoming wedding toward the end. Nishmat is one of the first important prayers recited in the Sabbath morning service; it was often elaborated in medieval Europe in honor of special occasions. On the Sabbath immediately after a wedding, the groom would appear in synagogue, accompanied by his friends, during the recitation of this prayer. In this poem, each stanza ends with a biblical reference that speaks of the Jewish people as “Jacob” (an alternate name for Israel), in honor of the groom’s name. The last line provides the continuation of the Nishmat prayer: “Even if our mouths were as full as the sea . . . we would not be able to praise You adequately.”