by Rabbi Yair Hoffman There is an oustanding Rabbinic figure in Persian Jewish history that is not so well known outside of the Persian Jewish community, but he stands as the earliest and most accomplished  commentators and poets in Jewish Persian history. Mulana Shahini Shirazi lived during the time of the late Rishonim and was one of Persian Jewry’s greatest commentators – fully fluent in Shas, Yerushalmi, and the various Targumim. His writing showed intimate mastery  of the major midrashic works, including Bereishis Rabbah, Shemos Rabbah, Vayikra Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma and Midrashim that are no longer extant. He incorporated insights from Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer and clearly also consulted Saadia Gaon’s groundbreaking Arabic translation of the Torah.  His name, which translates to “Our Master, the Royal Falcon of Shiraz,” reflects his prominent status in Persian-Jewish literature. The title Mullah according to Persian-Jewish tradition stands for the Roshei Teivot of Mi Lashem Ailai indicating their dedication to Torah-true Judaism. Shahin and Hafiz Shahin  lived during Sultan Abu Sa’id’s reign (1316-1335), yet much of his life remains shrouded in mystery. He lived in Shiraz around the same time as the famous Persian poet Hafiz. Shams-ud-din Muhammad Hafiz (c. 1320-1389) was one of the most renowned and beloved poets in Persian literature. He is widely regarded as one of the seven literary wonders of the world, a view shared by eminent figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Emerson, the celebrated American philosopher and poet, was particularly effusive in his praise of Hafiz. He famously said of Hafiz, “He fears nothing. He sees too far, he sees throughout; such is the only man I wish to see or be.” Emerson even went so far as to bestow upon Hafiz the grand compliment of calling him “a poet for poets.” Persian Jews who are familiar with the works of both of them say that Shahin was even a greater poet than Hafiz Scholars remain uncertain about Shahin’s birth, death, and general occupation. Sources also disagree about his origins, with some claiming he was buried in Shiraz, while others suggest he came from Kashan. The Major Works and Their Structure Shahin created two main collections of epic poetry that transformed biblical narratives into Persian poetic verse. His first collection included masterful versions of Bereishis, Iyov, and extensive sections about Moshe Rabbeinu. The second collection wove together the stories of Ardashir, Esther, and Ezra into a complex narrative tapestry. The Moshe Rabbeinu narrative, composed first in 1327, demonstrated his early mastery of the craft as he rendered Midrashim from Shemos, Vayikra, Bamidbar, and Devarim into Persian verse. For this work, he chose the hazaj musaddas makbūd meter, a Persian poetry style that was commonly used in Persian literature. This extensive work contained approximately 10,000 verses. Later, in 1358, he composed his Bereishis work, a slightly shorter piece spanning 8,700 verses. These works sometimes appear in separate manuscripts, allowing them to circulate independently among different audiences. Torah Narratives In his Bereishis text, he included two particularly notable selections: a dramatic rendering of Satan’s fall from divine grace and a deeply moving account of Yaakov’s grief over losing Yosef. After completing his discussion of Eisav’s descendants, he added a fascinating 170-verse version of Iyov. In this condensed retelling, he made the striking choice to omit […]