New Insights into Yona Wallach’s Poem ‘Tefillin’: Sefer Or Zaruʿa and Shabbtai Tzvi

Abstract

Abstract First published in Iton 77 in 1982, the poem ‘Tefillin’ by Yona Wallach sparked uproar and prompted various discussions by researchers (and journalists). This article discusses two aspects that have not been considered in previous research. First, ‘Tefillin’ was written as part of a play based on Jacob Horowitz’s book Sefer Or zaruʿa (Tel Aviv 1927). Second, the poem was inspired by a text about Shabbtai Tzvi. This view is complemented here by additional mystical sources. ‘Tefillin”s literary context alters prior perception of Wallach’s poetry and image as a writer: instead of being uninfluenced by literary traditions, I show how Wallach in fact participates in a tradition of texts. The insights and text analysis presented here put forward a crucial research agenda, claiming that Hebrew literary criticism can benefit from a thorough knowledge of Kabbalah research. The absence of this attitude from current research limits the commentarial potential.