Miyom qadmon

This is a special holiday song performed at the parties of the confraternities dedicated to the study of sacred texts that characterized the Portuguese Jewish community of Amsterdam. The poem was composed by Moshe de Judah Piza (1737-1808) and it is included in the compendium (edited among others by Piza himself) Shir emunim (Amsterdam, 1793, no. 28) under the title "Ahavah be-ta'anugim" ("O Love, with all its rapture", after Song of Songs 7, 7). This collection of poems includes the repertoire of songs performed at the gatherings of the diverse Jewish confraternities in Amsterdam. This specific song was performed at the anniversary celebrations of a society that was dedicated to the study of Hebrew literature. The numerical value of the first letters of the seven stanzas adds up to 1650, the year of the establishment of this confraternity.

Ahava be-ta'anugim is an unusual Hebrew poem. Its stanzas, in the Italian sesta rima pattern (ababcc), call to mind the characteristic dishes for each Jewish holiday. In some cases the poet choose Hebrew words that evoke the names of the foods, such as va- feleh ("and a miracle") for the famous Dutch waffles. The melody, in the spirit of a ländler, may be of Dutch origin and it is not at all inconceivable that it echoes the tune designed for this poem by the poet himself.