ליום חמישי דעשי"ת 8

צב. ע"פ א"ב. חתום שלמה בר גבירול:

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ

Our God and God of our fathers!

אָז בְּהַר מֹר

Then on Mount Mor¹Poetic form of Moriah.

דָּץ יוֹנַת אֵלֶם.

the mute dove²Isaac who accepted his role silently. rejoiced

בְּקַחְתּוֹ אֵיתָן

when Ethan³Literally “giant”—a reference to Abraham. took him

לְעוֹלָה וָשֶׁלֶם.

as a burnt whole offering

גֵּאֶה בְּחָנוֹ

the proud One tested him,

קַח נָא זֶה הָעֶלֶם.

“Take this lad

תְּרוּמָה לַיהֹוָה קֹדֶשׁ:

as a raise-offering to Adonoy, sanctified.”

דַּת הַטֶּנֶא

“Like the law for the basket,⁴The basket of first fruits; see Devorim 26:4.

לְפָנַי לְהַנִּיחֵהוּ

place him before Me

הֵן קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ

your son here,

לְאֶשְׁכָּר סְפָחֵהוּ.

bring him as a bread offering;

וַאֲנִי בְּחַרְתִּיו קוּם מְשָׁחֵהוּ

I have chosen him, come anoint him

שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת קֹדֶשׁ:

with the oil of sanctified anointment.”

זָךְ בְּשָׁמְעוֹ

The pure one, upon hearing,

לִבּוֹ לֹא דָאַב.

did not worry;

חֵפֶץ צוּרוֹ חָשַׁק וְתָאַב.

the will of His Rock was all he desired

טָפְלוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם הַבֵּן וְהָאָב.

united, both father and son

וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַיהֹוָה

bowed to Adonoy

בְּהַדְרַת קוֹדֶשׁ:

in the splendor of holiness.

יִעֵד עֵצִים וְלִשְׁפֹּת עָרַךְ.

He prepared wood intending to kindle it.

כָּמַהּ וְתָמַהּ יָחִיד וְרַךְ.

The only son wondered and hoped

לִהַג אַיֵּה הַשֶּׂה הַנֶּעֱרַךְ.

saying, “Where is the lamb of offering

לְהַקְדִּישׁוֹ בְּמִקְדַשׁ קֹדֶשׁ:

sanctified sacred to Adonoy?”

מָרוֹם יִרְאֶה־לוֹ הַשֶּׂה

“The One Above will show the lamb,”

וְהוּא יָשִׁיב.

he replied,

נֶפֶשׁ אֵם עֲקֶרֶת שְֹמֵחָה לְהָשִׁיב.

“to satisfy, make happy the mother’s soul.⁵Sarah would rejoice if God would choose an animal and Isaac would return.

סוֹקֵר סְפוּנוֹת בְּנִי

He Who sees the hidden, my son,

שַׁוְעָךְ יַקְשִׁיב.

will heed your prayer,

יִשְׁלַח עֶזְרְךָ מִקֹּדֶשׁ:

He’ll send you aid from the sanctified place.”

עֲמָד נָא אָבִי וּקְשֹׁר הַטֶּבַח.

“Stop, please, father and bind the sacrifice

פֶּן אָגוּר מִפְּנֵי הָאֶבַח.

lest I move in fear of the blade.

צַמְדֵּנִי פֶּן אֲחַלֵּל הַזֶּבַח.

Tie me down lest I desecrate the offering

וּלְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַקֹּדֶשׁ:

and spoil its sanctity.”

קָפַץ לִבְכּוֹת כֹּפֶר אֶשְׁכּוֹל.

Kofer Eshkol⁶An allusion to Isaac. See Shir HaShirim Raba 1:14. burst into tears

רְאוֹתוֹ אָבִיו

when he thought of his father

נִשְׁכַּל שָׁכוֹל.

bereft of his son.

שָׁלַח יָדוֹ לַעֲשֹוֹת

He grabbed the knife to perform

אֶת־כֹּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבוֹדַת־הַקֹּדֶשׁ:

the entire sanctified service.

תַּרְשִׁישִׁים צָעֲקוּ בִּשְׁמֵי מְרוֹמִי.

Angels screamed up in Heaven,

יוֹנַת אֵלֶם

“The mute dove’s slaughter,

הֲיוּכַל יֶחֱזֶה מִי.

who can watch?”

לָז לְלָז יֶהְגוּ אַל־תִּתְּנוּ דֳמִי.

One to the other declared, “Don’t keep silent,

שְֹאוּ יְדֵיכֶם קֹדֶשׁ:

raise your hands in sanctity.”

מָרוֹם הִבִּיט עוֹקֵד וְנֶעֱקַד.

The One Above gazed at binder and bound,

הַשֶּׂה עָקוּד וְהָאֵשׁ תּוּקַד.

the bound lamb and the burning flame.

בּוֹחֵן טְהָר־לֵב

The Tester of puremindedness

זָכַר וּפָקַד.

recalled the pitied

וְנִשְׁמַע קוֹלוֹ

and His voice was heard

בְּבֹאוֹ אֶל־הַקֹּדֶשׁ:

entering the Sanctum.

רָחַשׁ מֵלִיץ בְּקַחְתּוֹ מִשְׁלַחַת.

Spoke the “advocate”⁷The angel in the Name of God. as he took the knife,

יְחִידְךָ פְּדָעֵהוּ מֵרֶדֶת שַׁחַת.

“Spare your only one from going to death.

הִנֵּה כְּתוּבָה לְפָנַי

This is written before me,

פַּתֵּחַ מְפֻתַּחַת.

clearly inscribed,

פִּתּוּחֵי חוֹתָם קֹדֶשׁ:

inscribed in sanctified etching.

וַאֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי דַּרְכְּךָ בְּשֶׁפֶר

“I know the beautiful integrity of your way.

דּוּץ וְרוּץ וְקַח אַיִל

Rejoice and take a ram

תַּחַת עֹפֶר

instead of the buck.⁸An allusion to Isaac. See above.

הֲכִינוֹתִי כֹפֶר

I’ve prepared a substitute

לְאַשְׁכֹּל הַכֹּפֶר.

for the Eshkol Hakofer⁶An allusion to Isaac. See Shir HaShirim Raba 1:14.

וְהָיָה הוּא וּתְמוּרָתוֹ

and he and his replacement

יִהְיֶה קֹדֶשֹ:

will be sanctified.”

גָּמוּל נִמְלַט מֵאֶבַח הַנִשְׁחַז.

The youngster was saved from the sharp blade;

בְּפָשְׁטוֹ צַוָּארוֹ

from outstretched throat

דָּמוֹ לֹא־נִפְחַז.

his blood did not flow.

יְמִינוֹ אָחַז בְּיוֹבֵל הַנֶּאֱחַז.

His right grasped the gripped ram,

לְהַקְדִישׁוֹ לַיהֹוָה קֹדֶשׁ:

to sanctify it holy to Adonoy.

רַחוּם

Merciful One!

תִּתֵּן שָׁלוֹם לְאַחֲרִיתוֹ.

You provided him a peaceful ending.

וּזְכוֹר הַיּוֹם

Till this day You recall

לְגִזְעוֹ בְּרִיתוֹ.

his covenant for his seed.

לְיֶתֶר הַפְּלֵיטָה

For the rest of the remnant,

וּשְׁאָר שְׁאֵרִיתוֹ.

what is left of his remainder,

תִּהְיֶה פְּלֵיטָה וְהָיָה קֹדֶשׁ:

let there be a haven in sanctity.

אֵל מֶֽלֶךְ.

Almighty! King!

יוֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא רַחֲמִים.

Who sits on the throne of mercy,

מִתְנַהֵג בַּחֲסִידוּת.

governs with kindness

מוֹחֵל עֲו‍ֹנוֹת עַמּוֹ.

forgives the iniquities of His people.

מַעֲבִיר רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן.

He removes their sins one by one,

מַרְבֶּה מְחִילָה לְחַטָּאִים

increasing forgiveness to sinners,

וּסְלִיחָה לְפוֹשְׁעִים.

and pardon to transgressors.

עוֹשֶׂה צְדָקוֹת

Acting righteously

עִם כָּל בָּשָׂר וָרֽוּחַ.

with all who are of flesh and spirit;

לֹא כְרָעָתָם

not according to their wickedness

תִּגְמוֹל:

does He repay them.

אֵל

Almighty!

הוֹרֵיתָ לָנוּ לוֹמַר

You instructed us to recite

שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה.

the thirteen Divine attributes;

וּזְכָר לָֽנוּ הַיּוֹם

remember unto us this day

בְּרִית שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה.

the covenant of thirteen Divine attributes,

כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוֹדַֽעְתָּ

as You made them known

לֶעָנָו מִקֶּֽדֶם.

to the humble Moses of old,

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב

as it is written,

וַיֵּרֶד יְהֹוָה בֶּֽעָנָן

“And Adonoy descended in the cloud,

וַיִּתְיַצֵּב עִמּוֹ שָׁם

and stood with him there,

וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה:

and proclaimed the Name, Adonoy.

קהל וחזן:

Congregation and Chazzan:

וַיַּֽעֲבֹר יְהֹוָה עַל פָּנָיו

And Adonoy passed before him [Moses];

וַיִּקְרָא:

and proclaimed:

יְהֹוָה יְהֹוָה

Adonoy, Adonoy,

אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן

Almighty, Merciful, Gracious,

אֶֽרֶךְ אַפַּֽיִם

Slow to Anger,

וְרַב חֶֽסֶד וֶֽאֱמֶת:

and Abundant in Kindness, and Truth.

נֹצֵר חֶֽסֶד

Keeper of kindness

לָאֲלָפִים

for thousands of generations,

נֹשֵׂא עָו‍ֹן וָפֶֽשַׁע

Endurer of iniquity, and transgression,

וְחַטָּאָה

and sin;

וְנַקֵּה:

and Acquitter of those who repent.”

וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲו‍ֹנֵֽנוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵֽנוּ

“And pardon our iniquity and our sin,

וּנְחַלְתָּֽנוּ:

and take us for Your inheritance.”

סְלַח לָֽנוּ אָבִֽינוּ כִּי חָטָֽאנוּ.

Pardon us our Father, for we have sinned,

מְחַל לָֽנוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ כִּי פָשָֽׁעְנוּ:

forgive us our King, for we have transgressed.

כִּי אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי

“For You, my Master,

טוֹב וְסַלָּח

are good and forgiving,

וְרַב חֶֽסֶד

and abounding in kindness

לְכָל קֹרְאֶֽיךָ:

to all who call upon You.”