Yannai was one of the great liturgical poets who flourished in the Land of Israel in either the sixth or seventh centuries. For many years, little of his poetry was thought to have survived. This changed with the gradual discovery of numerous fragments from the Cairo Genizah.

In 1937, the scholar Menachem Zulai (formerly Billig) published a collection of his poetry recovered from the Genizah.

In 2010, Dr. Laura Lieber published a selection of Yannai’s “Qedushtaot” (a Qedushta was the section of liturgical poetry recited in Eretz Yisrael congregations during the Shabbat morning services. It was arranged according to the weekly Torah portion) on the book of Genesis. (See https://press.huc.edu/yannai-genesis-invitation-piyyut/#.X-oMvqhArnH.)

Many of Yannai’s verses are based on Midrash Rabbah (or Genesis Rabbah), the earliest of the midrashic corpus. Reading this poetry often gives us Yannai’s unique take on a given topic.

This week marks the last portion of the book of Genesis.

The portion of Vayechi tells of the last days of the patriarch Jacob—the blessings of Jacob to his sons and the eventual mourning and celebration of his life and legacy.

Yannai begins with the tradition cited in Genesis Rabbah 48:1 that sickness began with Jacob. This was instituted in order to encourage repentance and to give a person the chance to settle all his matters before he departs from the world.

Sickness Begins With Jacob

Joseph’s Oath to Jacob; Pining for Home

In Genesis 48:1, Joseph is summoned to his father’s deathbed, where he makes him swear that he will not bury him in Egypt but rather carry him back to Canaan.

The symbolism here is unmistakable. Yannai is of the opinion that Joseph did indeed swear an oath on his circumcision that he will not bury his father “a lamb among asses.” Israel is likened to a lamb among wolves and the Egyptians as the “land of asses” in other midrashic literature.

Paternal Love and Honoring Thy Father

Here the theme of paternal love is emphasized. Yannai also emphasizes the great love that Joseph had for his father (and his own two sons).

Jacob gathers his remaining strength to sit up for his beloved son. He calls on Joseph first because he is still his favorite. Joseph honors his father and brings along his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, so they too can receive paternal blessings as “grandsons are considered as sons” (a concept found in other early literature and in the Talmud).

On the Theme of Fraternal Jealousy

Although in Genesis 48:1 Jacob famously reverses the order, putting his right hand on the younger Ephraim rather than the firstborn Manasseh (seemingly continuing a pattern that did not end well last time around), Yannai stresses that there is no inferior or superior brother; both are equal and will be great in their own right.

Jacob’s Final Testament. Sometimes Hidden Things Must Remain Hidden

This reflects many early midrashic traditions wherein Jacob intended to reveal to his children the secrets of the final redemption but upon seeing the Divine Presence hovering above him he demurred and offered ethical advice instead (either because he changes his mind or he experienced divinely inspired amnesia).

A fitting ending. Yannai lived in Byzantine-ruled Eretz Yisrael, where security and prosperity was hardly assured for the long term. As tempting as it would be to know the meaning of the present and the mysteries of the future, it is better for man to live in the moment and leave the mysteries to the Divine.

Post-genesis, the relatively prosperous and secure future of the Israelites will undergo a radical change, but it is all for the eventual greater good. Above all, there is hope and faith that whatever happens is divinely ordained.

The author is a historian and freelance writer and translator. He can be reached at [email protected].