Who is like You

Isaac Aboab da Fonseca

ca. 1646

Who is like You [see Exodus 15:11]; there is none like You,
Who is similar to You; there is none similar to You
God, God, the Lord [see Psalms 50:1],
High above all high ones [see Psalms 113:4], who dwells in my abode,
I will mention His name [see Exodus 20:20] in my congregation of faith.
We will shout for joy to Him with songs (Psalms 95:2).
For my transgressions I was thrown to a distant land,
And He fulfilled in me the words of His prophets.
If I fell from the heights to the depths—
Happy is the man who has the strength;
The waves of the sea passed over my head [see Jonah 2:4],
And yet, despite this, my soul yearned
And I was not false to my Holy One [see Psalms 44:18],
But remained faithful in my covenant to Him.
My spirit cleaved unto Him,
My steps did not stray from His steps.
My soul laughs with His speech,
Therefore I will hope in Him [see Lamentations 3:24],
Declare that His name is exalted [Isaiah 12:4];
He has lifted up a horn for His people (Psalms 148:14),
The people that He chose as His inheritance (Psalms 33:12).
It came to pass in the fifth millennium,
And four hundred and six years,
I feared His harsh sword,
For we had sinned to Him.
Remember, O Lord, against the king of Portugal [see Psalms 137:7],
Whose rage rolled upon us;
Make his nobles like dung [see Psalms 83:11],
The captain of his forces.
He plotted in his heart to destroy my remnant
And to send forth his fire onto my precious ones.
He sent his troops to pursue my troops,
His heart gathered iniquity unto itself (Psalms 41:7).
He set a snare for me [see Psalms 140:6], while his counsel was
With another base fellow who shared his name.
He lifted him up from his dunghill [see Psalms 113:7]
To be a supporter and a stronghold for him [see Daniel 11:1].
A proud and haughty man, scorner is his name (Proverbs 21:24);
His mother was from Ethiopian families.
He did not know his father’s whereabouts—
This shall be counted a curse to him [see Proverbs 27:14].
He amassed much silver and gold
To rebel and rise against me through deceit.
The ministers did not believe the cunning plan—
One who belittles a thing shall suffer thereby (Proverbs 13:13).
He summoned Black men to him,
And when the matter became known to the ministers
He fled to hide in the woods;
Thick clouds covered him [see Job 22:14].
They were chased in all manners and ways
Until the arrival of his anticipated troops,
Which the king had selected to be gathered for him.
Like a wild ass alone by himself (Hosea 8:9).
Howling, wailing, and a time of trouble
It was for Jacob [see Jeremiah 30:7], a day of wrath (Zephaniah 1:15).
Who will fast for assistance,
That You may give him rest [see Psalms 94:13]?
My flesh shudders out of fear of my foe [see Psalms 119:120],
For I forgot my Creator in my wealth.
The serpent and my evil inclination beguiled me [see Genesis 3:13],
And I perceived Him not [see Job 9:11].
My heritage in his eyes was like a speckled bird of prey [see Jeremiah 12:9];
His councils advised to consume my remnant,
And he did not remember that God was with me,
He desired it for His habitation (Psalms 132:13).
Fear came upon me, and trembling (Job 4:14);
Pangs took hold upon me, like the pangs of a woman in travail (Isaiah 21:3),
For the oppressor ambushed my soul.
The hunger of the laboring man labors for him (Proverbs 16:26);
As my steps advanced, my soul became bitter in my sorrow.
The day trapped me; the sea was my enemy.
Through the thirst, he thought to return all my children to my innards.
The Lord will not be willing to pardon him (Deuteronomy 29:19).
The redeemer hearkened diligently with much heed [see Isaiah 21:7],
And he cried “Alas!” [see 2 Kings 6:5] over the exile of Ariel.1
Israel, widowed of his God [see Jeremiah 51:5]
wept and supplicated Him [see Hosea 12:5]:
Shepherd of Israel, awesome and terrible God,
Send redemption [pidyom] to Your people
And their cities; and let the day bring disaster [pid yom] to their foes,
As we cannot prevail against them [see Genesis 32:26].
He who inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:16), the mightiest of the mighty ones,
Will You turn and look upon Your people, who were sold for a small gain [see Psalms 44:13],
So that the waters that bring a curse [Numbers 5:24] will be passed over their heads,
And refrain from assisting them [see Exodus 23:5]?
Direct their hearts and let Your ear attend [see Psalms 10:17];
we will rejoice and be glad [see Psalms 118:24] in the glory of Your majesty.
For Your own right hand can save You (Job 40:14),
The poor also, and he who has no helper [see Psalms 72:12].
After all these events,
There was a terror of God was upon the cities [see Genesis 35:5],
And He lifted the siege from above the sea;
the ways of the world are His (Habakkuk 3:6).
They fled, though none were chasing them [see Leviticus 26:17];
Their eyes were sealed, that they could not see, and their hearts that they could not understand (Isaiah 44:18).
The Lord overturned the counsel [see Psalms 33:10]
Of he who devised to do evil [see Proverbs 24:8].
I had hoped like the rain that He would rescue me from my poverty,
And he drew back his right hand [see Lamentations 2:3].
As my people were drowning for my sins;
May He repay his good deed to him [see Proverbs 19:17].
It seemed my hope was in vain [see Job 41:1], my purposes broken off (Job 17:11)—
These were distanced from me,
While those were pushing me into a prison
That has neither gates nor bars [see Jeremiah 49:31].
I proclaimed a fast for all my masses,
Perhaps I shall make atonement (Exodus 32:30) for my willful sins
And God will accept me,
Taking action on behalf of he who waits for Him [see Isaiah 64:3].
I will acknowledge my sin, and not hide it [see Psalms 32:5],
For one who covers up his transgressions will not be accepted [see Proverbs 28:13].
It shall be as a sweet savor, an offering [see, e.g., Exodus 29:41],
Through those who stand above Him [see Isaiah 6:2].
He heard my voice from His heavenly abode
And He set his face toward the wilderness [see Numbers 24:1].
He put aside from before Him [see Exodus 34:6; b. Rosh Hashanah 17a]
That I had sinned to Him.
Then He sent my written appeal to the angel
Appointed over the members of my people,
And struck with blindness he who had risen up against me,
Returning his own reproach upon him [see Daniel 11:18].
With a sudden fright [see Job 22:10] He pushed him back
And his heart died within him (1 Samuel 25:37).
Let the children of Israel, the people who are close to Him (Psalms 148:14),
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him (Psalms 105:2).
He did not recover the strength to fight,
For he had said “I will make an end of them [see Deuteronomy 32:26] and take them,
When I break their staff of bread [see Leviticus 26:26];
The Lord Himself will provide [see Genesis 22:8].
He conceived mischief [see Job 15:35]; he sought on that day in his rage
To burn ships trapped in his flames.
He did not fear the Lord and His anger,
The One who rules over all that is his [see Genesis 24:2].
I would have sunk into deep waters [see Psalms 69:3]
Had they not fought for me from the heavens [see Judges 5:20].
My strength failed for many a day
While his arm ruled for him [see Isaiah 40:10].
Without, the sword brought bereavement,
And in the chambers, terror [see Deuteronomy 32:25].
For within us there was a powerful conspiracy,
Which he had arranged for himself;
A descendant of Amalek was my troubler [see Judges 11:35],
A talebearer who revealed my secrets [see Proverbs 11:13] to my foes,
In order to hand over my strongholds through subterfuge.
His soul grew faint within him [see Isaiah 15:4],
For he spoke with knowledge, but his cutting declarations
Came back to slice him up into pieces,
As his recompense was destruction and death,
And he left behind all that was his [see Genesis 39:6].
It came to pass, as the days drew on [see Genesis 26:8],
A further terror fell upon me,
For there were many warriors among my people,
But they had no food.
My soul languished, for our windows
Were delayed in opening up to our aid.
The famine began and its meal—
It was given a regular meal [see 2 Kings 25:30].
My flesh and bones burned out of hunger
As I ate my weighted portion of bread,
While my people ate fish instead of bread;
For this my innards yearned for them [see Jeremiah 31:19].
This is the day of which the oppressor spoke:
“I have waited [see Isaiah 25:9] for the wayward nation
To be ruling in his own house [see Esther 1:22]
And over all that belongs to him [see Genesis 39:8];
His calamity is at hand [see Deuteronomy 32:35]–
God has left him;
We have found and seen his end
And how we can vanquish him.”
The Lord heard and grew wroth,
And removed His rage from upon His people,
While His great mercy toward us was overwhelming.
Happy is the nation for whom it is thus (Psalms 144:15).
We have thought upon Your lovingkindness, O Lord (Psalms 48:10);
Your hand is not shortened, that it cannot save [see Isaiah 59:1].
I will therefore remind Your beloved people:
“If He delays, wait for Him” [see Habakkuk 2:3].
On the ninth of the fourth month, two boats
From the north were a balm for my people.
For had they not arrived first,
We would have been left without even a remnant.
Remember this and write it down, my assembly of faith:
This is the day the Lord has made (Psalms 118:24),
For ever and ever, for my “ass’s colt” [see Genesis 49:11];
I will give Him an everlasting memorial (Isaiah 56:5),
In which I will recall His wondrous hand,
Which has performed awesome deeds for me from days of yore.
I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted (Exodus 15:1);
Give thanks to Him with a song of praise.
From the day He shook Pharaoh in the Red Sea
And saved the cherished people from his hand,
His memory shall not perish from them [see Esther 9:28].
Until the one sent by Him arrived
And took us out from the iron furnace [see Deuteronomy 4:20],
And He spread His cloud over us, to protect us;
He did not cease shining His path,
Like the appearance of fire, with a brightness to it [see Ezekiel 1:4].
My masses passed through on dry land,
As the Lord arranged it before me.
Then my faithful ones sang:
“Who is like You, O Lord, among the mighty?” (Exodus 15:11).

Translated by
Avi
Steinhart
.
Manuscript page of Hebrew text surrounded by ornate floral border.
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Three Works by Isaac Aboab (1605–1693). Copied by David Franco Mendes. Amsterdam, 1728. Includes a poem and prayer commemorating the Portuguese siege of Recife and its liberation by the Dutch in 1616.

Notes

[A name for the Temple altar; see, e.g., Ezekiel 43:16.—Trans.]

Credits

Collection Ets Haim — Livraria Montezinos, Amsterdam, EH 47 C12 005.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.

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