212 r Libby Garshowitz
Jacob ben Elazar’s Sippurei ’Ahava
Jacob ben Elazar was the scion of a distinguished family, a Toledan, a wan-
derer, and a grammarian who translated the Arabic-language version of
the book of animal fables, Kalila ve-Dimna, into Hebrew, and composed
allegorical philosophic works and poetry.^18
He penned his own ten-chapter maqāma or mahberet, Sefer Meshalim
(Book of Tales or Fables), also called Sippurei ’Ahava (Love Stories), in
about 1233. This work is described by its editor as “having no equal in this
literary genre in the medieval period.”^19 In this work the reader encounters
many of the subjects found in the scant examples of liturgical and secular
poetry cited above. However it is indebted in content to sources found in
other literatures—Greek, Persian, Provençal, Spanish and Hebrew.^20 Al-
legorical paeans on the soul’s yearnings—in dialogue with the heart—to
know wisdom, are reminders of Jacob ben Elazar’s magisterial philosophi-
cal works.^21 There are poems in praise of Hebrew, poetic descriptions of
the competitive nature of poets, and a diversionary debate between prose
and poetry (poetry wins)^22 and pen and sword (so does the pen), con-
cluding that both are subject to God.^23 Further enhancing this work are
animal fables, interspersed with ethical discussions, tales of treacherous
dealings between men and women, usually instigated by the latter and a
common theme in maqāma literature. Also included are a legion of the
usual suspects found elsewhere in medieval literature: bold hunters in
animal form, handsome young men, and beautiful young women, all in
pursuit of love, song, and dance. Ben Elazar demonstrates his wit, and
perhaps racism, in his description of fierce battles with wicked black gi-
ants (kushim) who lack wisdom and in his tales of Yoshefe’s ménage à trois
and “Kima’s and Sahar’s Love Story.”^24 His cast of characters also include
bearded hypocrites, middle-aged lechers, and deceitful young orphans.
These tales are provocative, filled with the vice and wickedness of the
townspeople that the travelers encounter. They are subtly woven tales of
morals and codes of conduct, as one might expect from authors who have
also written more somber works.
Jacob ben Elazar’s place in the Arab-Christian milieu was conducive to
the acquisition of consummate knowledge of the Arabic and Hebrew lan-
guages and cultures.^25 His travels to northern Spain and Provence would
also have brought him into contact with other literatures and poetry such