Abstract
Ḥatanu poems – poems containing the refrain ‘we have sinned, our Maker; forgive us, our Creator' – have long been considered a subgenre of seliḥot. However, a study of the Cairo Genizah fragments containing ḥatanu poems – over 400 in number – reveals an entirely different picture. Here the ḥatanu poems consistently fill a liturgical role distinct from that of seliḥot. For instance, on the weekday fast days, the seliḥot were recited in the sixth benediction of the ʿ Amidah prayer, while the ḥatanu poems were recited as part of taḥanun. In this article I elucidate the specific liturgical role filled by the ḥatanu poems, consider the implications regarding their origin, and, overall, argue that ḥatanu poems should not be categorized as a subgenre of seliḥot poems, but rather as a distinct genre.
Original language | Hebrew |
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Pages (from-to) | 87-113 |
Number of pages | 27 |
Journal | תרביץ: רבעון למדעי היהדות |
Volume | 83 |
Issue number | 1-2 |
State | Published - 2014 |
IHP Publications
- ihp
- Cairo Genizah
- Piyyutim
- Selihot
- גניזה קהירית
- סליחות
- פיוטים