The source sheet contains the four s'lihot we will consider in this shiur. We will examine how the authors of the s'lihot used Tanakh passages in their compositions. How faithful were they to the biblical text? Did they use Tanakh as a source or springboard for their works which followed the biblical models, or did they see their compositions as a form of "midrash" to these passages?
I. Ya'aleh
Anonymous. Reverse acrostic.
Based upon Leviticus 23:32 (below).
Petition that our prayers, continuously recited throughout the day, will ultimately reach Him - successfully. An appropriate introduction to our YK prayers, recited evening, morning and until the next evening.
Introduces the round of Yom Kippur prayers with the familiar Shalosh Regalim prayer. Brings a hint of the joy and celebration of the Hagim to the Yamim Noraim.
The next two S'lihot were composed by authors from Germany and England.
II. S'lah-na
Maharam (Meir) of Rothenburg, d.1293
Major legal authority, "Meir haGolah," who enlightened the (entire) Exile; over a 1000 of his responsa have survived; wrote Tosafot to various tractates. Left many pupils, including the Rosh (R. Asher ben Yehiel). He wrote liturgical poetry, including his elegy upon witnessing the public burning of the Talmud in Paris in 1242.
When taxes were imposed upon the Jews by King Rudolf (1286) as well as taxes by local authorities, many Jews attempted to leave their German cities. He was captured and held in prison; an enormous sum was requested for his redemption. He refused to be released for fear of setting a precedent.
Biblical source: used Moshe's terminology in his petition for s'liha after the spies sequence in Humash.
In the Humash passage, Moshe refers to "this people." He distances them from God, as seems appropriate in the context of their rebellion.
In the s'liha, Maharam used the second person possessive throughout: "they are Your people."
In the first line of each couplet he declares a specific iniquity of the people Israel, but then, in the second line, he asks God to forgive them nonetheless.
For example, in the sixth couplet he acknowledges the hypocrisy of "pious" folk -
"Forgive the deceit of those who bow before thee...." - and then he proceeds to ask God to forgive them.
Note: S'liha is forgiveness; very different from m'hila, a pardon.
III. Omnam-ken...Salahti
By R. Yom Tov ben Isaac of York, England (b.France). (See biographical note in Birnbaum Mahzor.) Third Crusade, in England. Died by suicide in 1190 to resist forced Baptism on Shabbat before Passover.
Acrostic. Desires to hear God declare the same response to the Jews in the Late Middle Ages as He did in the Torah - "salahti."
Line "peh" refers to the disgraced status of the Jews as sufficient punishment for their sins - "Look at our disgrace, count it as our punishment; Remit sin, and to those who trust in thee declare - "I forgive."
IV. Ki Hineh
Anonymous.
Refers to the ability of seven different craftsmen to determine the shape (destiny) of their product - the potter, mason, welder, seamen, glazier, draper and smith - "So are we in thy hand, God, Heed the pact, heed not the accuser."
Theme is God's control over all.
"Pact" and "Accuser" are defined variously. Pact could be the 13 Attributes of Divine Mercy; the Covenant with Israel, via Abraham or at Mt. Sinai.
The "Yetzer" could refer to God's inclination - His consideration to punish sinful Israel; it could refer to the Evil Intent of the people; or it could represent the Accuser who calls upon God to punish Israel.
The text is based upon phrase and imagery of Jeremiah 18 (see below).
(א) הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֣ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ מֵאֵ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ב) ק֥וּם וְיָרַדְתָּ֖ בֵּ֣ית הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר וְשָׁ֖מָּה אַשְׁמִיעֲךָ֥ אֶת־דְּבָרָֽי׃ (ג) וָאֵרֵ֖ד בֵּ֣ית הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר (והנהו) [וְהִנֵּה־ה֛וּא] עֹשֶׂ֥ה מְלָאכָ֖ה עַל־הָאׇבְנָֽיִם׃ (ד) וְנִשְׁחַ֣ת הַכְּלִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה֥וּא עֹשֶׂ֛ה בַּחֹ֖מֶר בְּיַ֣ד הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר וְשָׁ֗ב וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ כְּלִ֣י אַחֵ֔ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשַׁ֛ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י הַיּוֹצֵ֖ר לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ {ס} (ה) וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֽוֹר׃ (ו) הֲכַיּוֹצֵ֨ר הַזֶּ֜ה לֹא־אוּכַ֨ל לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לָכֶ֛ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה הִנֵּ֤ה כַחֹ֙מֶר֙ בְּיַ֣ד הַיּוֹצֵ֔ר כֵּן־אַתֶּ֥ם בְּיָדִ֖י בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {ס} (ז) רֶ֣גַע אֲדַבֵּ֔ר עַל־גּ֖וֹי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה לִנְת֥וֹשׁ וְלִנְת֖וֹץ וּֽלְהַאֲבִֽיד׃ (ח) וְשָׁב֙ הַגּ֣וֹי הַה֔וּא מֵרָ֣עָת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עָלָ֑יו וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָשַׁ֖בְתִּי לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לֽוֹ׃ {ס} (ט) וְרֶ֣גַע אֲדַבֵּ֔ר עַל־גּ֖וֹי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה לִבְנ֖וֹת וְלִנְטֽוֹעַ׃ (י) וְעָשָׂ֤ה (הרעה) [הָרַע֙] בְּעֵינַ֔י לְבִלְתִּ֖י שְׁמֹ֣עַ בְּקוֹלִ֑י וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל־הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָמַ֖רְתִּי לְהֵיטִ֥יב אוֹתֽוֹ׃ {ס} (יא) וְעַתָּ֡ה אֱמׇר־נָ֣א אֶל־אִישׁ־יְהוּדָה֩ וְעַל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלַ֜͏ִם לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י יוֹצֵ֤ר עֲלֵיכֶם֙ רָעָ֔ה וְחֹשֵׁ֥ב עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם מַחֲשָׁבָ֑ה שׁ֣וּבוּ נָ֗א אִ֚ישׁ מִדַּרְכּ֣וֹ הָרָעָ֔ה וְהֵיטִ֥יבוּ דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃ (יב) וְאָמְר֖וּ נוֹאָ֑שׁ כִּֽי־אַחֲרֵ֤י מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ נֵלֵ֔ךְ וְאִ֛ישׁ שְׁרִר֥וּת לִבּֽוֹ־הָרָ֖ע נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ {פ}
(יג) לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה שַֽׁאֲלוּ־נָא֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם מִ֥י שָׁמַ֖ע כָּאֵ֑לֶּה שַֽׁעֲרֻרִת֙ עָשְׂתָ֣ה מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(1) The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD: (2) “Go down to the house of a potter, and there I will impart My words to you.” (3) So I went down to the house of a potter, and found him working at the wheel. (4) And if the vessel he was making was spoiled, as happens to clay in the potter’s hands,-a he would make it into another vessel, such as the potter saw fit to make. (5) Then the word of the LORD came to me: (6) O House of Israel, can I not deal with you like this potter?—says the LORD. Just like clay in the hands of the potter, so are you in My hands, O House of Israel!
(7) At one moment I may decree that a nation or a kingdom shall be uprooted and pulled down and destroyed; (8) but if that nation against which I made the decree turns back from its wickedness, I change My mind concerning the punishment I planned to bring on it.
(9) At another moment I may decree that a nation or a kingdom shall be built and planted; (10) but if it does what is displeasing to Me and does not obey Me, then I change My mind concerning the good I planned to bestow upon it.
(11) And now, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus said the LORD: I am devising disaster for you and laying plans against you. Turn back, each of you, from your wicked ways, and mend your ways and your actions!
(12) But they will say, “It is no use. We will keep on following our own plans; each of us will act in the willfulness of his evil heart.”
(13) Assuredly, thus said the LORD:
Inquire among the nations:
Who has heard anything like this?
Maiden Israel has done
A most horrible thing.
The author of this s'liha deviated from the meaning of the Jeremiah passage. God used the illustration of the potter to demonstrate to the prophet and to the people, that they are NOT like the clay, which cannot resist the controlling artistry and will of the potter.
Israel can choose to alter its character and return to God. It can determine its fate and future; it is not passive in this process. Its forthcoming destruction is because it stated, "We will keep on following our own plans; each of us will act in the willfulness of his evil heart.”
The s'liha uses the metaphor in Jeremiah to convey the absolute sovereignty of God. The Jeremiah passage contrasts the immutability of the clay with the potential for human/communal change.