Shalom Shabazi

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Rabbi Shalom ben Yosef Shabbazi, also Abba Shalem Shabbezi or Salim Elshabizi (Hebrew: שלום שבזי‎, Arabic: سالم الشبزي‎) was one of the greatest Jewish poets who lived in 17th century Yemen. Shabbazi was born in 1619 at Jewish Sharab, close to Ta'izz, and lived most of his life in Ta'izz from which he was expelled, along with most of the Yemenite Jews in 1679. He died in 1720. His father, Yosef ben Abijad bin Khalfun was also a Rabbi and a poet. Shabbazi's extant poetic diwan, comprising some 550 poems, was published for the first time by the Ben-Zvi Institute in 1977. He wrote in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic. Shabbazi's other writing include a treatise on astrology and a cabbalistic commentary on the Torah. Shabbazi's grave in Ta'izz is revered by Jews and Muslims alike.

He wrote a commentary on the Torah called Chamdoth Yomim. His leadership was instrumental in helping the Jews of Yemen survive some of the worst persecution in its history. Mori (Yemenites do not call their spiritual leaders rabbi but "Mori", Aramaic for "my master") Shabazi wrote a kinah or lamentation for recitation during the Ninth of Av, recalling the terrible exile of Jews in his lifetime from all cities and towns in Yemen to an inhospitable desert called Moza, during the time the Jews were banished there a full 20% of their number perished. The Diwan of Mori Shabazi has become an essential part of Yemenite Jewry's spiritual and cultural lives. Mori Shabazi wrote nearly 1500 diwan on nearly all topics in Judaism, unfortunately only about 300 survived the ravages of persecution, time and the lack of a priniting press in Yemen. He wrote his Diwan(poems/songs) in Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic.

[edit] Shabazi in Popular Culture

Shabazi's poem Im Nin'Alu (אם ננעלו) became a hit single sung by Israeli singer Ofra Haza. Many other songs such as As'alk (أسألك) were performed by Zion Golan, Aharom Amram and Shoshana Dhamari. Another famous poems, "Et Dodim Kallah", was performed by the Mizrahi music legend Zohar Argov.