Franz Rosenzweig 
Ninety-Two Poems and Hymns of Yehuda Halevi 

This is the first publication in English of Franz Rosenzweig’s 1927 translation of and commentaries on ninety-two poems and hymns of the greatest medieval ‘singer of Zion, ‘ Yehuda Halevi (born circa 1080). Franz Rosenzweig (1886-1929) is widely recognized as one of the greatest Jewish philosophers of the modern period and his Star of Redemption is considered one of the most important twentieth-century contributions to Jewish—and Christian—theology.



Rosenzweig’s original and brilliant commentaries open a window into the final developments of his own thought: his debates with Protestant theology, his reservations regarding modern science and culture, and his progressive appreciation for the wisdom of the Jewish tradition. They are a testament not only to the profound vision of Judaism embedded in the poetry of Yehuda Halevi, but to the ever vibrant and deepening sagacity of Franz Rosenzweig himself.

Table of Content

Editor’s Note




Introduction: Rosenzweig’s Rebbe Halevi:

From the Academy to the Yeshiva




Richard A. Cohen




Poetry Translator’s Note




Gilya Gerda Schmidt




Commentary Translator’s Note




Eva Jospe




Preface




Franz Rosenzweig




God




1. Praised!




2. The All-Powerful One




3. Longing




4. At Night




5. Event




6. Excursus: Day of Revelation***




7. All My Bones




8. The Incomparable One




9. None but You




10. The Lovers*




11. Judgment Day




12. Homecoming*




13. Hear*




14. The True One




15. Your God*




16. His Peace




17. The All




18. The Remote-and-Near-One




19. The Name*




20. Hallowed




21. Your Dwellings*




22. The God of the Spirits*




23. Holy*




24. The Helper Soul




25. Here I Am




26. Soul




27. Soul in Exile




28. With You




29. Prayer




30. Human Weakness*




31. Return




32. The Reward




33. This Soul Here




34. Delusion and Truth*




35. The World as Woman*




36. Wise Teachings




37. Servants*




38. World




39. The Sick Physician




40. To the Sabbath




41. Free*




42. Sabbath Morning*




43. Life*




44. The Day




45. Turn Back! Turn Back!




46. The Ascent*




47. Breath of All Life People




48. In Eternity




49. God Speaks




50. Festival of Lights




51. Morning Service




52. Light




53. Conquered Darkness




54. The Day at the Sea of Reeds*




55. My King*




56. Out of My Straits




57. To the Redeemer*




58. Excursus: A Linguistic Stunt***




59. Upward Gaze*




60. Maiden Israel’s Sabbath*




61. Home




62. Elijah’s Miracles*




63. The Jew




64. The Promise*




65. Loving One’s Enemies




66. Miracle of Love




67. Irate Love




68. Dream Vision*




69. Faithfulness




70. Consoling Love




71. Finding Each Other Again Zion




72. Up




73. Glad Tidings




74. Calculating Salvation*




75. In the Sanctuary




76. Carpets of Solomon




77. Nocturnal Tear




78. The City on High




79. Between East and West




80. Reply




81. The Pilgrim




82. All of This Means Little*




83. A Compelling Force




84. Supplication




85. The Flood




86. Excursus: Storm**




87. Spoken to the Heart*




88. Calm after the Storm (Fragment)




89. To the West Wind*




90. In the Harbor*




91. On Egyptian Soil*




92. The River (1924 title: ‘Up the Nile’)




93. Hither . . . *




94. Presentiment*




95. To Zion [also known as ‘Zionide’]




Selected Bibliography




Index of Introductions and Commentaries

About the author

Richard A. Cohen, Isaac Swift Distinguished Professor of Judaic Studies, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is editor of
Face to Face with Levinas, also published by SUNY Press, author of
Elevations: The Height of the Good in Rosenzweig and Levinas and translator of four books by Emmanuel Levinas:
Ethics and Infinity, Time and the Other, Discovering Existence with Husserl, and
New Talmudic Readings.