Mariage juif a Mogador-Asher Knafo-David Bensoussan
- Le drapeau national de certains pays figure parfois dans les ketoubot enluminées, car de nombreux Juifs dans la ville de Mogador occupaient des fonctions de consul ou de vice- consul. Ainsi, dans une ketouba de 1869, un drapeau américain est majestueusement déployé, le père de la mariée ayant occupé la fonction de Vice-consul des États-Unis. Quand le Maroc devint Protectorat français en 1912, les drapeaux juifs et français y figurent l'un vis-à-vis de l'autre. Dans une ketouba de 1907, David Elkaïm conçoit le drapeau juif par un lion doré sur fond vert avec l'inscription : "Lionceau de Juda
- Dans une ketouba de 1927 le drapeau juif est une version ancienne du drapeau israélien à trois bandes horizontales de largeur égale, la bande du milieu blanche. les deux autres bleues. Sur la bande inférieure figure une petite étoile de David . Par la suite, d'autres artistes ont représente le drapeau israélien dans leurs ketoubot.
- La ville de Jérusalem apparaît parfois dans les enluminures. Elle vient rappeler le serment de placer Jérusalem au sommet de toutes ses joies (Psaumes 137-6). Lors de la cérémonie du mariage, le marié promet solennellement de ne jamais oublier Jérusalem. Le lion de Juda, symbole de la souveraineté juive, figure dans certaines ketoubot
- La représentation des personnes n'est pas de mise dans les enluminures car l'un des dix commandements proscrit les images ou les sculptures qui pourraient devenir des objets d'adulation (Exode 20-4 à 20-5). Pourtant, il est intéressant de remarquer que, dans une ketouba datant de 1858, l'artiste a peint un visage d'homme et un visage de femme : l'homme est affublé de six ailes comme les anges de la vision d'Isaïe (Isaïe 6-2). Quant à la femme, elle a un corps de lionne avec deux ailes. Dans une ketouba de 1859, qui semble provenir du même artiste, l'on ne voit qu'une tête d'homme et une tête de femme à deux ailes.
- Mais cette représentation à forme humaine est plutôt l'exception. Des oiseaux sont parfois présents, notamment la colombe symbole de paix et d'apaisement, la colombe ayant rapporté à l'Arche de Noé la preuve de la fin du Déluge (Genèse 8-11). La colombe est également un terme d'amour dans le Cantique des Cantiques (Cantique des Cantiques 2-14, 5-2 et 6-9). Le poisson, symbole de la fertilité (Genèse 48- 16), représente le souhait d'une grande progéniture pour le nouveau couple
- Parfois, on trouve d'autres motifs tels la corne d'abondance ou la lyre. Dans une ketouba d'un Cohen, c'est-à-dire d'un descendant du Grand-prêtre Aaron, ce sont les accessoires du Temple qui constituent les motifs de décoration. Dans des ketoubot plus modernes, on retrouve également les symboles des douze tribus d'Israël ou les signes du zodiaque
Marriage in Mogador- Asher Knafo-David Bensoussan
Mogador-Essaouira, a maritime metropolis of the South, younger than the northern towns ( Fez, Meknez, Tetouan, Rabat, Salé ) and its big neighbour Marrakesh, brimming with its many and varied activities, participated, in spite of its recent history, in the grand destiny of Jewish Morocco and the Sherifian Empire. It was famous for its important role in opening up the whole country to the outside world, its economic and cultural influences, and its tujjar a־s-sultan, the traders of the King, who were not only exporters and importers of goods – produce of the land and artisans – but were also erudite, belonging to the tradition of businessman-scholar (the artisan-scholar also belonged in this category), who pursued the double quest of science and fortune.
The scholarly writer of Essaouira, the one who was known throughout the past two centuries, has the same intellectual profile and the same spiritual destiny as those like him in the past or present in the cities of Fez, Meknez, Tetouan or Marrakech. He was often their disciple or emulator, or sometimes even master in certain subjects and disciplines such as poetic creativity, both Hebrew and dialectical, and the playing of Andalousian music, whether classical or popular.
I would like to evoke here a few illustrious figures who I have known personally in my childhood, and for whom I have preserved wonderful and moving memories. These include my masters of Talmud and Midrash, Rabbi David Attar and Rabbi Pinhas Abisror, Rabbi Braham Bensoussan, and Rabbi David Knafo. I remember also my grandparents Rabbi Meir Zafrani and Rabbi Abraham Ben David ve- Yossef, talmudists and kabbalists of whom I was a disciple, and those great cantors and poets Rabbi David Elkai'm and Rabbi David Iflah. These two liturgical singers, as well as many others, knew how to preserve, enrich, transmit and teach piyyut (liturgical poetry) and songs, a thousand year old musical heritage still present in the memories and hearts of Moroccan Jews.
If Rabbi David Iflah, known as Sheikh David, the "Dean" of the community, was the great master of Andalousian music, a specialist known and respected by Jews and Muslims of his generation, Rabbi David Elkai'm was also an artisan and artist-carver by profession, an engraver, draftsman, and painter. His many manuscripts, epitaphs and ketubot are masterpieces due to their admirable calligraphy and the illuminations with which they were often illustrated. His poetic oeuvre is assembled in his diwan entitled Shiray Dodim (Songs of Loves.)
The collection of ketubot, which is so remarkably presented in the present collection, contributes to our knowledge of a world that has now disappeared. It also contributes to the awakening of an interest in research, memory and identity. This is an undertaking worthy of high praise. I hope that it will be followed by other comparable works which will bring to light the richness and the diversity of the faces and the cultural heritage of Moroccan Jewry in general, and that of Mogador-Essaouira in particular.
Dr Haim Zafrani
Paris, January 24, 2002
Mariage juif a Mogador-fran-angl
Foreword – Besimana Tava
This work is a celebration of the past.
The institution of marriage today is no longer what it was. In Mogador, as in the entire Jewish world, the celebration of a marriage was once so important that it took place over several weeks and monopolised the attention of the entire community.
A lyric poem glorifying marriage customs of the past in Mogador and a vast choice of ketubot, or marriage certificates, illuminated by Mogadorian artists form the basis of this book. What could be better than a poem to evoke not only the details of marriage, but also the emotions, the thrills, the tears, the laughter, in short, the very distinctive ambience of a marriage in Mogador!
Marriage in Mogador, written in the tradition of the piyout (songs of praise to G-d), was composed based on information received from the late Shlomo-Hax Knafo and his wife Esther. The illuminated ketuba is a marvellous tradition jealously kept by the Jewish community of Mogador.
During the 2000 Montreal Sephardic cultural festival la "Quinzaine sepharade", under the chairmanship of David Bensoussan a beautiful exhibition of Judeo- Moroccan ketubot, mostly from Mogador, was on display at the National Library of Quebec. Asher Knafo, himself an illuminator of ketubot, presented some of his works as well as a major unpublished poem, Marriage in Mogador. It was an astounding meeting, as Asher Knafo and David Bensoussan, each of whom had written books about their beloved city, decided on the spot to devote a book to the poem Marriage in Mogador and the tradition of illuminated ketubot.
This was the start of a fascinating adventure. During their research of the ketubot, Knafo and Bensoussan came to know a great number of families, who made available their illuminated manuscripts kept so carefully over the years, at times for over a century. These families merit our heartfelt thanks. We saw fit to include texts of Isaac D. Knafo (1912-1979), Mogadorian poet and illuminator of ketubot.
The authors acknowledge the help of various institutions and organisations which made it possible for this project to come into being : The National Library of Quebec, the Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal, the Foundation for Sephardic Culture, the Jewish Community Centre of Montreal, The Israel National Lottery, National Library of Israel, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Ben-Zvi Institute in Jerusalem, the Bernard Gallery in Tel Aviv and the Bill Gross Collection.
Rabbis Israel Maïmaran, David Sabbah and Moshé Amar also deserve thanks for their help in deciphering some difficult parchments. Special appreciation is due to Daniel Martel and Avraham Elarar for their artistic advice, Janice Rosen for her translations, Raphaël Serfaty, Marsha Bensoussan, Barry Orkin and Melina Stojanac for their linguistic revisions and Aimé Bensoussan for taking on the delicate task of overseeing the funding for the work.
The reading of the ketuba is one of the most solemn moments of the marriage ceremony. It begins with the phrase Besimana Tava – Under the sign of good fortune. May the reading of this work also be undertaken under the favourable auspices of these words : Besimana Tava!
Marriage in Mogador – Poem
Good folk, listen to me
Incline your ears and you will see
How, oh you who are wise,
We, in Mogador, A marriage solemnized.
A marriage in Mogador, yes,
It was something marvelous!
What am I saying? It was a work of great art…
In which, through these words, I will let you take part.
So, my friends follow me
These things not occurring naturally,
Know that,
Complicated though it may have been It was truly of great simplicity.
How did the bonds come to be tied?
How came the two to stand
Before the Rabbi?
Through a matchmaker? No!
What then could it be?
A meeting? A letter? A reverie?
But not at all!
It happened this way :
On Yom Kippur Day
Walking slowly, between two prayers,
Our young men would step out for air
In the Mellah or Medina1. And who met them there
With graceful little steps?
Our young girls, of course
All slender of waist,
Barely painted of face,
And all in white their dress.
Then,
The boys dared a glance.
And the girls?
They batted their lashes
And looked in turn.
Their eyes met
Blush rosied her face
The bashful young man
Stood petrified in place.
And at Sukkot, my friends,
The parents of the young girl
Received a visit
From an emissary
Who declared quite openly :
"I have been sent by Mr. ׳X'
Give to him your daughter so lovely!"
Then,
If before they made reply
They served him a drink
And some food besides,
He understood them by this, to voice :
"Go find another
This boy is not our choice."
But,
If before serving him,
They spoke, and discussed
On and on, without end, Then, my friends,
This indicated
That they found the boy worthy
Of being accepted,
And that they were ready, from the very next day,
To grant him their daughter's hand.
This, you see,
We learn
From the sages,
Who must be followed in all cases.
Took at the biblical precedent
When to Rivka's kin Eliezer went!
The proposal accepted
The days are counted.
One meeting, then another ensues :
"Here are our terms,
What are yours?
Where and when?
Who will for the wedding provide?
And the house, on what floor
Will they reside?
And, tell me, what will be brought
As a Sora by the bride?"
Mariage juif a Mogador
All is carefully arranged,
The youth can visit his betrothed.
But the reverse?
My heavens, no!
That cannot be done!
At the future bride's abode,
As for battle
They are girding,
Everyone preparing
En garde No time for shirking!
Artisans come to do their part
Some arrive as others depart.
Here we see the mattress-maker.
Sitting on the ground is he.
The making of a marriage bed
Is a crucial event;
It's ceremony carried out
In the presence of
Both families.
From his knotted hand
There surges an enormous needle,
Brandished
Like a battle sword.
He plunges this weapon in the cloth
And behold!
A fine mattress emerges.
But,
Before sewing it up,
Here, my friends
Is what is done.
At the very top we slip
A Kalb of sugar well wrapped up.
This is what will guarantee
Tender nights, all worry-free.
Then the laughs begin
And allusions mingle
One conjugates :
I love, you love, he loved
And we throw upon the mattress
Many gifts, and also Ghrama
Three weeks before the wedding
The invitations are announced
Not in writing, be aware!
But aloud, by an A'rrad7
The words were rendered into verse
Of this you can be assured.
The A'rrad, his voice resonant and strong
Blending wishes and hopes in his song.
Sam'o, ya eulad Souira
Kal senior flann ou siniora
A'ndna Iferh'a kbira
Bass n'a'rdo a'leikeum
Ou'la eidadkeum
Bass tkeuno m'a'na
Fel a'rss di eidadna
Obzehd Llah Meulana
Nerdolkeum felfarh' ya hoina
Oulah ykter hirkeum bla kiass
Onkeulo tenkiou, vierci ougracias
Which means :
Listen sons of Essaouira
Thus sav 'Senor' and his Seiiora
It is with joy and with delight
We have the honor to invite
You to attend
The marriage of our children
And, with the help of God,
Merciful and also good,
We will in turn reciprocate.
May God provide
All your hearts' desires
And let us all together express
Thank you, merci, and gracias.
But you still have seen nothing,
Here is the "Sabbath of Beginning."
The Shabbat el bdiann.
The Shabbat before the marriage
. All the city comes to pray,
Congregants crowd in together,
Some in front and some behind,
And everyone among them knows
That all expenses are defrayed
By the father of the bride.
The Paitanim
Singers of reputation
Sing their Piyuttimu
According to tradition.
After the prayers, our spirits gay,
We embrace, and hurry away.
We go to the betrothed's for an aperitif.
We sing, we drink, and we eat,
Then slip away on furtive feet.
The closest kin remain for Skhina,
And if they stay for Minha prayer,
It is because they are welcome there.
Mariage juif a Mogador-fran-angl
At the closing of Shabbat
We celebrate Lilt t-hmir
An undertaking that all admire
We eat, we drink, and we praise,
While the Andalousian orchestra plays.
Then we present to the couple a clay container,
In which is placed yeast – Hmira – and flour.
The fiancée puts her gloved hand in the bowl,
The young man lightly puts in his own.
The two hands stir, and touch together,
The Paitan sings with a voice from heaven.
Suddenly, the Zgharit stridently sounds,
The fiancés exchange glances.
We enjoy the delicacies, a fine repast,
And drink ’til we see the bottom of the cask.
Then, each guest steps up
He quips and laughs,
And places in the bowl his gift,
Then quietly leaves, and asks for pardon.
The mixing of Hmira17 is an omen
For the success of the marriage-to-be,
Together they will build their house,
Together they will live in peace.
The next day, Sunday,
Preparations commence.
We borrow from neighbors
Tables, chairs and sundries.
With all the silverware put out
We scrub, gesticulate, and shout.
There is with us a lovely custom,
Taking place on the Monday,
Two days before the wedding,
When the parents of the groom
Come to the parents of the bride.
The rabbis are also there
And the closest of their friends.
Around a table all sit down.
The rabbis tell the groom "Come close!"
This is a solemn point in time
When we invoke the terms of Tenaim
By a clasping of hands confirmed.
The young girl thus becomes his Kinyan,
The young man declaring to her :
I treat this Kinyan as a sincere decree
And commit myself to faithful be
In prosperous times and in difficulty.
On Tuesday eve
– Listen closely to me –
It is the Lilt el henna,
The night of the Henna
We prepare a great festivity
In the house, newly painted,
Of the much-loved fiancée.
The lamps glow,
The copper glints,
Tables overflow
With food and drink.
The Msem'inplay their melodies
We sing with them and we applaud.
The mothers are happy.
They announce triumphantly,
Tomorrow is the marriage day
Anoint vour hands
With henna dye."
Then someone amongst us
Declares with emotion,
"Come with me my, friends,
Look, open-eyed,
Touch with all your fingers, Admire how we have prepared,
Look how we have
For the fiancee A magnificent Sora made."
Then everyone goes
To the room across
And there we see.
.. My friends,
Hats off,
Lhiba! It's marvelous!
Splendid furniture,
Sparkling jewels,
Elegant gowns,
Finely embroidered tablecloths,
Trays, place settings and candelabras,
Boxes of Ar-ar, mother-of-pearl and marble!
Suddenly,
Everyone is quiet.
A great silence falls
As the fiancee, fair and delicate,
Returns from the ritual bath.
Gentle and blushing,
The young girl's
Lashes brush her cheeks,
And, in her mother's arms,
Comfort seeks.
Overcome by so much grace,
Her mother, with a loving embrace,
Consoles her with tenderness,
And together they cry
With sorrow,
Or perhaps with joy.
Then the mother
Shows her a mirror
And tells her kindly, "My daughter, my girl,
This face here You will see no more!"
The young girl looks at herself
With distress
Mariage juif a Mogador-fran-angl
But her friends
Dispel her sadness.
Leading her blithelv
In a whirl of lightheartedness.
Gailv, thev sing and dance,
Leaving behind all worry. The young girl feted here
, Crowned with flowers ear to ear,
Is ready for the ceremony
Of the Henna.
Which is presented in a bowl
At the peak of the party.
With her hands and feet coated in Henna,
The fiancee prepares for sleep.
She is carried to her bed,
And falls asleep
With golden dreams.
Finally comes
The long-awaited moment.
Oh, my friends, what emotion!
The bride is queen,
The groom is king.
On Wednesday,
At around midday,
The invited guests arrive,
Overflowing with gaiety
At the house of the groom.
The engaged couple, upon their shoulders,
Are carried in a great brouhaha
To the house of Rah'a\
The Msem'in are already on hand
To play tunes of Ala25.
The boys sing and dance
Almost falling into a trance.
The girls trill Zgharit –
Their favorite melody.
And in the middle of the room,
There is a dais
Of embroidered velour.
It is the Talamon
In memory of King Solomon's throne
We lead the couple to the canopy
To celebrate the Huppah ceremony
The Rabbi, with solemn voice,
Blesses them for a life without worries.
The words Hare Atbarely said,
When the Zgharit commences anew
Soaring direct
To His Throne
To implore His blessing
For this splendid couple.
Elohim-
How thev are fair!
And bless them
And their new abode.
But what does the Hatan hold in his hand?
It is a fine crystal glass
That he shatters with a heavy key
If we break the glass in this way,
Believe me, it's not without reason –
The broken glass :
In memory of the destroyed House
The Temple of times past.
The key,
Symbol of the new home
Which the couple will make their own.
After having eaten and drunk,
After the speeches have been heard,
After the cakes and the tea,
Served with joy and gaiety,
All take leave of the couple, farewell!
And go, and leave them all alone.
Alone?
Not always;
Because at times,
My word,
They are so young,
Timid, without experience,
Nervous and without patience…
Then a goodly woman
Stays on a while,
And ardently explains to them
What, how and when.
Gently
She tells them
What is permitted
And what forbidden.
This woman is a fount of science
While I, your narrator, am reduced to silence.
The next day is called the "Sbah"
The couple, still drowsy,
Radiant and happy,
Host their two families.
And with them, friends,
Well-meaning and kind,
They have all come to hear
: "All is well, L'a'rossa a'la hir!
Mariage juif a Mogador-fran-angl
Then thev bring the Ketuba
And, in the space below,
The groom augments, in his own hand,
The down׳ value written there.
We hear the Zgharit of delight,
And the drinks flow
As it is right.
That same day, in the afternoon,
Something I have not yet said,
To the home of the newly-weds,
Gaily and happily
Come women of the family,
They sit upon the canape
As they eat the Palebe,
They talk and babble.
Praise or deride :
"This is ugly,
That is sublime!"
They point with their fingers
And chatter jokingly,
But, believe me,
Never spitefully.
And towards the eve,
At the time for tea,
We tell the men"
"Go up!
The newlyweds are there,
Awaiting your good wishes."
Then the men,
Sbah in hand,
And also, a jasmine bouquet,
Smiling, all excited
Rejoin their wives.
And, until late in the night, celebrate
With music, food and drink.
The Hatan cannot leave his house
And this, my friends,
Is not without reason,
For with the Kallah he must stay,
To love her without measure.
And so, he receives his guests,
His sisters, his brothers, and his friends,
Who come by to visit him
In his new abode.
And now the Shabat Hatan
Has come
It is the "Sabbath of the Groom.
" Dressed in a Zoha and Caftan
,His brothers go with him
To the synagogue, where await
His entire circle of friends,
Family, Rabbi and the Hazan
And more than one Paitan.
The bride, regal, in Kssoua Kbira
Takes her place in the Azara
As for the groom, he is led forward
And seated close to the Aron Ha'Torah
The singers raise their voice
As if in competition,
We hear the first of them,
He sings a song of happiness
: Be-siman tov ve-hatslaha
Tehi-ay le-adataynou
Ve-kol sasson ve-kol simha
Yeshama be-artsenou
Ve-azai tehi-ay Harvaha
Be-viat me-shihenou
(Good wishes and success
For our community,
And the voice of joy and happiness
Be heard throughout our land,
So that felicity ensues
And our Messiah soon appears.)
Then the second singer begins,
A song sung with all his soul :
Dar shamayim
Na'arats bekedusha
Asher bara sasson ve-simha
Hatan ve-kallah ve-ditsa...
(The One who in heaven resides,
Worshipped in His sanctity,
Who has created joy and happiness
For Groom and Bride and lightheartedness…)
After this comes forward a third,
To show in turn his worth.
Gazar El shohen sne
Bat ploni leploni
Arbaim yom milifnay
Yom assot Hachem
Reou kama gdola
Mitsvat Hatan veKallah
(E-l, revealed in the burning bush,
For the union was decreed
For the daughter of them and the son of those
Forty days before the Creation.
Oh, see how great is the Mitzvah
Of Hatan and Kallah.)
And when the Torah leaves the Ark,
All of us reach out our arms
In fervent murmurs, we express
Our wishes for much happiness.
Almost all the invited guests
Are called to the Torah and blessed,
Instead of seven, as before,
There are ten, fifteen, a score,
To such a point that, surfeited,
Someone calls out, "That's enough ־ Halas!"
And there is complete silence
Before the most important part.
The Rabbi makes some fine remarks,
He praises the couple, and glorifies them.
And the Hatan, without airs,
Intones the blessings of the prayer :
Barekhu et Adonai ha-mevorakh!
All the room is under the spell
Moved, the bride dries a tear as well,
She throws candies and sweets on her Hatan
, Caught by the children with greedy elan
The prayer ended,
All are conveyed
To the parents of the groom
Where an abundant feast
Awaits.
What a banquet it is, my friends!
Wait! Stay in your seat!
Here come pigeons, stuffed and sweet!
Eat on! Don't stop ־
This is only a prelude ־
Not even yet the meal itself.
Toward night,
Before the Sabbath has "departed,"
The Hatan is at his door.
He is handsome and finely dressed
As he calls out to his friends,
"Come on in! Let's celebrate!
Let no one tire,
And let all do
As they desire."
And this is how, dear friends,
Together, like brothers,
We spend an unforgettable week
Seated around the table,
Eating and drinking,
Singing and dancing,
Adding on ceremonies,
And vet, it is not complete!
Come! Closer still!
I will now narrate
The event of the next Wednesday,
But you have surely guessed,
It is the Lilt tkssir Ihout.
Mabrouk, mabrouk!
In the morning, our valiant Hatan,
Goes to the Souk.
He is not alone, thanks be to God,
For his friends are with him too.
He passes by the potter
While one of his friends, the canniest,
Furtively buys
A Keskass – a sieve –
Giving it to the flower seller.
"Look after it well," he says,
"It mustn't break!"
When the florist greets the Hatan,
He holds out a floral bouquet:
"Buy these flowers for your wife
Don't ever leave her in dismay!"
Our young husband takes
The flowers… and the sieve,
And no one sees him quietly leave.
Thus, armed with the stolen sieve
He returns to his house
To give the flowers to his spouse,
And to cosset her.
On his route –
Hear how pleasant is this feat –
His friends approach him in the street
And by force press
Into his pockets many gifts of coins.
Then they go to his abode
Where Mahia in glasses glows,
The young wife, her head covered
In a blue or green Sbniah
Welcomes them with an Asslama.
Several times this phrase is said,
The table is already set.
The cries of the Zgharit sound
And Ghrama is collected around.
And when night falls
We present the young couple
With a large fish,
Placed in the sieve.
Their task
Is to scale it
And to clean it,
And, joyfully, they comply
Under the vigilant eye
Of the two mothers.
The fish symbolizes
Fertility.
If in Him
We are confident
God in his goodness
Will give children to them.
The theft of the sieve
Lets it be understood
That our young groom
Would go so far as to steal
To provide for his brood.
And so this is how, my friends,
Surrounded by good omens
Two families, happy and content,
In joy and love
A fortnight spent.
As it is said in the Scriptures :
In order that happiness endures,
Man leaves his mother and father
A wife to take.
Riches and strength
He will give to her,
And thus,
In his domain,
Joy will reign.
English translation by Janice Rosen