שאלת הזיקה בין שירות עולת השבת לספרות ההיכלות: היבטי לשון וסגנון

Numerous affinities and parallels between the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice and Hekhalot literature have led scholars to the commonly held assumption that these texts are genetically linked, although the exact nature of their affiliation has not been clarified. This paper offers a linguistic reconsideration of this assumption. Based on methodological considerations, the article suggests, in contrast to what has been assumed to date, that lexical similarity cannot be used as proof of direct literary dependence. Many Second Temple works are parabiblical or exegetical in nature, and their lexicon thus seems to be remarkably "biblical". Instead of focusing on the lexicon, closer attention should be paid to phraseology, since the distinctive style and ideology of postbiblical authors is often revealed by their new combinations of words (which in themselves may be quite common). This paper therefore offers a detailed study of two case studies – two lexemes reflecting prominent fields of interest in both the Songs and in Hekhalot literature: cosmogony and the architecture of the heavenly temple. It analyzes the occurrences and distribution of the various collocations of the words שמים 'heaven' and פרוכת 'veil', paying special attention to the diachronic implications of the linguistic discussion. With regard to the collocations discussed, it concludes that: (1) no real link between the Songs and Hekhalot literature can be detected, and (2) Hekhalot literature cannot be linguistically linked to Second Temple Hebrew; it is rather an integral part of later rabbinic Hebrew, and can often be directly linked to its latest phases (e.g., Tanḥuma literature).