?'מתי נהגו לומר את 'שירות עולת השבת

Various proposals have been put forth for the pattern of recitation of the thirteen-song cycle of the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice. Carol A. Newsom argues that the Songs were recited only in the first quarter of the 364-day calendar adhered to by different groups during the Second Temple period (including the Qumran sect). Johann Maier suggests that the Songs were repeated during each quarter and that the numeration of the Sabbaths could be related to a quarterly rather than a yearly system. Newsom counters that the Sabbath Songs exhibit certain thematic correspondences with the festival cycle of the first quarter of the year but not to the other three quarters according to her understanding. In this note I show that the Song of the First Sabbath hints to the Day of Atonement in its mention of the angels that will "propitiate his goodwill for all who repent of transgression (ויכפרו רצונו בעד כול שבי פשע)... his mercies for eternal compassionate forgiveness (ח]סדיו לסליחות רחמי עולמים])" (in 4Q400 1 i 16, 18). Since the first Sabbath of the third quarter falls between the New Year and the Day of Atonement, these phrases suggest that the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice were recited at least twice a year, in the first and third quarters of the year, and this in turn supports Maier's conclusion that the Songs in the cycle were recited four times a year, during each thirteen-week quarter.