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🆕 יוצר לשבת לפני שבעות | Yotser for the Shabbat before Shavuot by Rabbi Binyamin bar Zeraḥ

This yotser, by the great eleventh-century payṭan R. Binyamin bar Zeraḥ, goes through the entire alphabet with which the Torah was written, giving midrashic and mystical interpretations of each letter. As a yotser, it is recited immediately after the petiḥah of the Yotser Or blessing.

This is the first piyyut of a complete set of yotsrot (piyyutim inserted into the reading of the Shema) in the old Ashkenazi rite, for the Shabbat before Shavuot, including alphabetical gender-neutral translations.

Note: “The CAUSE” is used to translate the Divine Name YHVH, based on the philosophical idea of God as the Prime Mover and on the interpretation of the Name as a causative form of the copula – “causes to be.” This translation also uses the plural pronouns They/Their/Them to refer to God as a pluralis majestatis, and to avoid the implications of God being assigned a gender. (Find Ibn Ezra’s commentary on Genesis 1:1 for a discussion of the pluralis majestatis when referring to God.) All divine referents (pronouns, epithets, names) are rendered in unicase.


Source (Hebrew)Translation (English)
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ
מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
יוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבֽוֹרֵא חֹֽשֶׁךְ
עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא אֶת־הַכֹּל׃
אוֹר עוֹלָם בְּאוֹצַר חַיִּים
אוֹרוֹת מֵאֹֽפֶל אָמַר וַיֶּֽהִי׃
Blessed are You,
Cause, our God,
Sovereign of the Universe,
Maker of light and Creator of darkness,
Maker of peace and Creator of all.
Eternal light in life’s storehouses,
lights from tenebrosity They said, and it was.
אֲהַלֵּל בְּצִֽלְצְלֵי שָֽׁמַע לָאֵל אֱלֹהִים יְהֹוָה
אוֹתִיּוֹת תּוֹרָתוֹ אֲבָאֵר לְעַם הֲמוֹנַי
אֲשֶׁר הִפְלִיא וְהִגְדִּיל וּמָסַר לְמֹשֶׁה מִסִּינַי׃
As I praise with clashing cymbals the Deity, God, the Cause,
I will explain to my myriad people the letters of Their Torah
that They wondrously, greatly bequeathed to Moses on Sinai.
אָלֶ״ף
אוֹת רִאשׁוֹנָה אַחַת הִיא וְנִקְרֵאת בְּשָׁלֹשׁ
רֶֽמֶז לְיִחוּד הַשֵּׁם הַנִּקְדָּשׁ בִּקְדֻשּׁוֹת שָׁלֹשׁ
זֶה פְּרוּשׁוֹ אֶחָד וְאוֹתִיּוֹת שָׁלֹשׁ׃
Alef
Atop the alphabet, the first, but read with three,[1] The word אָלֶ״ף in Hebrew is written with three letters.   
alluding to the unified Name, sanctified with three holinesses;[2] Referring to the Trisagion of Isaiah 6:3 
this is the interpretation of the first and its three letters.
בֵּי״ת
בֵּין שְׁתַּֽיִם מְנוּיָה וּטְעָמֶֽיהָ מוֹדִיעִים
כִּי עָתִיד עוֹלָם לֵחָרֵב פַּעֲמַֽיִם בְּשִׁקּוּעִים
אַחַת בְּדוֹר הַמַּבּוּל וְאַחַת בְּשֵֽׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וְשָׁלֹשׁ וְתִשְׁעִים׃
Bet
Between two are its meanings and place,[3] Bet is the second letter, and it has two sounds.  which lets us know  
that the world is destined to be destroyed in floods twice,
once in the Deluge era, and once in the year 6093.[4] Find the Alphabet of Rabbi Akiva, section 20, for this specific apocalyptic prediction. Watch out, people of the year 2332-2333 CE! 
גִּֽימֶ״ל
גְּמוּל חַסְדּוֹ אֲשֶׁר גָּמַל בְּעוֹלָמוֹ
מֵכִין נְשָׁמוֹת וּמִחְיָה וְעֵצָה מְעִמּוֹ
וּשְׁאָר צׇרְכֵּי יְצוּרָיו הַחוֹסִים בִּשְׁמוֹ׃
קָדוֹשׁ׃
Gimel
Grace They granted upon Their world,  
affirming souls and life and counsel from with Them,
and the other needs of Their works who trust in Their name.
Holy!
דַּֽלֶ״ת
דְּמוּת פָּנֶֽיהָ לָמָּה כְּלַפֵּי הֵ״א מוּבָא
כִּי כל־מַצְלִֽיחַ בָּזֶּה יִדַּל לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא
כְּגוֹן עֵשָׂו וַחֲבֵרָיו עוֹשֵׂי רָעָה רַבָּה׃
Dalet
Does its form open towards hei for a reason?  
All who succeed in this world will be impoverished[5] Dal, starting with a dalet.  in the next —
such as Esau and its fellows,[6] The powerful antisemitic regimes of the world. In many printings written “Amalek and his fellows” to appease Christian censors.  who do great evil.
הֵ״א
הֶגְיוֹנָהּ מְשֻׁנֶּה מִכׇּל־אוֹתִיּוֹת
בְּכֻלָּם הֶרְגֵּשׁ שָׂפָה וּבְהֵ״א אֵינוֹ מָצוּי לִהְיוֹת
לְלַמֶּדְךָ כִּי בְּהֵ״א נִבְרְאוּ תּוֹלְדוֹת חוּג וַעֲלִיּוֹת׃
Hei
…has a pronunciation different from all other letters.  
They all require a place of articulation but such is not found for hei,[7] As a glottal consonant, /h/ has no place of articulation other than the glottis. But /h/ is unique in that it often doesn’t have a point of articulation in the glottis either. This means that it is unique from all other consonants, more like a vowel in some ways, and very difficult for phoneticians to classify. 
teaching you that in hei the generations of the globe[8] Literally “circle.” See Isaiah 40:22 for its usage as a metonymy for “earth.”  and heights were created.[9] Find Bereshit Rabbah 12:10 
וָי״ו
וָוֵי עַמּוּדֵי אֵשׁ צָגִים פְּנֵי אֵל אֵלִים
הֵם שֵׁמוֹת הַמְּפֹרָשִׁים וּמִכׇּל־שֵׁמוֹת מְעֻלִּים
בְּסוֹד רָזֵיהֶם מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁים אֶרְאֵלִים׃
Waw
Waiting before the Deity of deities are the hooks[10] wawim  of the fire-pillars,  
which are the Explicated Names, highest of all names;
the lion-angels make use of their secret mysteries.
זַֽיִ״ן
זֶה כֹּֽחַ שֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מַפְתְּחוֹת
כְּגוֹן רֶֽחֶם וּמָטָר וְקִבְרֵי מֵתֵי רוּחוֹת
וְאַחֲרוֹנָה שֶׁבְּכֻלָּם מַפְתֵּֽחַ עֲלוּקוֹת שׁוּחוֹת׃
Zayin
Zeal of the sixteen keys this is,  
including the womb, rain, and the graves of dead spirits,[11] The keys of rain, birth, and resurrection of the dead are mentioned in Taanit 2a as three matters that God deals with directly rather than entrusting an angel to them. The idea that there are sixteen is, to my knowledge, not found anywhere prior to this poem, but Ḥazal is a big field so I may have missed it. Perhaps it is related to the idea that God’s sword has sixteen faces (Midrash Tehillim 78:16) 
and last of all, the key of the pit-leeches.[12] Probably referring to Gehinom. 
חֵי״ת
חֵטְא פֵּרוּשׁוֹ אֲשֶׁר חוֹטְאִים רִשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
עֲתִידִים לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה וּלְהָעִיד אֵין כָּאֵל
וּמִיָּד יֵחָשְׁבוּ כִּשְׁאָר צַדִּיקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
Ḥet
Checkered ones of Israel, sinners — for sin [ḥeṭ] is its interpretation —  
will in the future do repentance to testify none is like the Deity
and then they will be considered like the other righteous of Israel.
טֵי״ת
טִיט הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא שֶׁחֲסִידִים מֶֽנּוּ נִצְמָחִים
כִּתּוֹת וַחֲבוּרוֹת יְקָרִים וּמְשֻׁבָּחִים
וְרֵֽיחַ לְבוּשֵׁיהֶם כְּרֵֽיחַ נִיחוֹחִים׃
Ṭet
Turf of the world to come, from which the pious will grow,  
sects and groups, honored and praised,
and the scent of their clothes like sweet-smelling offerings.
יוֹ״ד
יָד וָשֵׁם וַעֲטֶֽרֶת תִּפְאֶֽרֶת
יַעֲנִיד לִסְגֻלָּתוֹ בְּרַאֲיָה וּמָסֹֽרֶת
שֵׁ֤ם עוֹלָם֙ אֶתֶּן־ל֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֥א יִכָּרֵֽת׃
Yod
Yes, a monument and name, and a crown of splendor  
will be made to adorn Their treasure in evidence and tradition —
an eternal name I will give them that will not be cut off.[13] Isaiah 56:5 
כַּ״ף
כַּפָּיו אֵל יִסְפֹּק בְּשַׂמֵּֽחַ אֹם מֵאֻמּוֹת
בְּנַחֲלַת שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וַעֲשָׂרָה עוֹלָמוֹת
וְתַעֲנוּג זִיז שָׂדַי לִוְיָתָן וּבְהֵמוֹת׃
Kaf
Keeping up support, the Deity makes the nation of nations rejoice  
in the inheritance of three hundred and ten universes,[14] M. ‘Oktzin 3:12 
and the pleasure of the ziz sadai, leviathan, and behemoth.[15] The three primordial beasts destined to be served as courses at the banquet of the World to Come. 
לָֽמֶ״ד
לֵב אָדָם שָׁקוּל כְּכׇל־הָאֵבָרִים
בְּעַֽיִן וְאֹֽזֶן וְדִבּוּר וּבְרֹב שְׁאָר דְּבָרִים
וּבוֹ סְמוּכָה וּתְלוּיָה יִרְאַת מַשְׁפִּיל וּמֵרִים׃
Lamed
Let the human heart be weighed like all the organs —  
eye and ear and speech and all the other things —
for upon it hangs the awe of the One who lowers and raises.
מֵ״ם
מַה טַֽעַם מָשָׁל לִשְׁנַֽיִם דָּרִים בְּאֶחָד מָדוֹר
כִּי בְּכִסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד מְקַלְּסִים וְשׂוֹחֲחִים לִסְדֹּר
מַֽלְכוּתְךָ֗ מַלְכ֥וּת כׇּל־עֹלָמִ֑ים וּ֝מֶֽמְשַׁלְתְּךָ֗ בְּכׇל־דּ֥וֹר וָדֹֽר׃
Mem
Meaning? A parable of two dwelling in one dwelling,  
for in the Throne of Glory they praise and bow down to arrange;
Your sovereignty is a sovereignty of all universes; Your rule is in all generations![16] Psalms 145:13 
נוּ״ן
נֵר יְהֹוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם וְלֹא־נִשְׁמַת בְּהֵמָה
אַף כִּי לְפִי מִיתָתָם זוֹ לְזוֹ דּוֹמָה
לִתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים לְרֽוּחַ אָדָם תְּקוּמָה׃
Nun
Not the soul of a beast is the Cause’s light, but the human soul;  
although their death is similar one to another,
at the resurrection of the dead the human spirit rises.
סַמֶ״ךְ
סוֹד מִשְׁכָּן שֶׁסּוֹמְכִים לוֹ אֲמָנָה
מַחֲנֵה יְהוּדָה מִזְרָֽחָה וּמַחֲנֵה רְאוּבֵן תֵּימָֽנָה
וּמַחֲנֵה אֶפְרַֽיִם יָֽמָּה וּמַחֲנֵה דָּן צָפֽוֹנָה׃
Samekh
Secret of the Tabernacle, upon which the pact hangs:  
the camp of Judah eastwards, and the camp of Reuben southwards,
and the camp of Ephraim westwards, and the camp of Dan northwards.
עַיִ״ן
עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לְעוֹשֶֽׂיהָ כַּאֲפַרְכֶּֽסֶת אׇזְנַֽיִם
מְעִידָה עַל־עַֽיִן וּמַכְרַֽעַת צֶֽדֶק בְּמֹאזְנַֽיִם
מִצְוַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֥ה בָּ֝רָ֗ה מְאִירַ֥ת עֵינָֽיִם׃
‘Ayin
Of those who do it, it is a tree of life, like the auricle of the ear,  
Testifying upon the eye, and deciding justice in scales;
The Cause’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes.[17] Psalms 19:9 
פֵּ״א
פֶּה שֶׁל כְבַד־פֶּ֛ה וּכְבַ֥ד לָשׁ֖וֹן
פָּץ תְּנָה־לִּי שִׂיחָה כִּי לְכָךְ נוֹצַר הַלָּשׁוֹן
הֱשִׁיבוֹ מִ֣י שָׂ֣ם פֶּה֮ לָֽאָדָם֒ הָרִאשׁוֹן
Pe
…pertains to the heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue,[18] Moses, see Exodus 4:10   
who cried, “Give me rhetoric, for for this the tongue was made!”
They responded, “Who gave a mouth to the human[19] Exodus 4:11  primeval?”
צָֽדִ״י
צִדְקַת אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ עִם־בָּשָׂר וָדָם
מְלַמְּדָם דֶּֽרֶךְ צֶֽדֶק וְרַב־טוּב לְהַעֲתִידָם
גְּבוּרוֹת מִפְעֲלוֹתָיו לְהוֹדִֽיעַ לִבְנֵי אָדָם׃
Tsadi
It’s the righteousness our God has with flesh and blood,  
teaching them the righteous path and much good intending for them;
to make Their mighty wonders known to humanity.
קוֹ״ף
קֶֽרֶן עוֹר פְּנֵי פוֹדֶה הִקִּיף כׇּל־דְּבַר חׇכְמָה
דִּבּוּרוֹ כְּצֵאת שַׁלְהֶֽבֶת וּפָנָיו כְּזִיו הַחַמָּה
לְהָקֵל עֹל הַכָּבֵד מֵעַל־יוֹנָה תַּמָּה׃
Qof
Quasaric beams of the skin of the face of the Freer encircling every wise matter;  
Whose word is like flame going out and Whose face is like the glow of the sun,
to lighten the heavy burden from upon the pure dove.
רֵי״שׁ
רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאַת בְּנֵי שְׁלֹֽשֶׁת אָבוֹת
נְתוּנִים לְכׇל־אֻמָּה לְרֹאשׁ וְלֹא־לִזְנָבוֹת
הַיֹּשְׁבִ֥ים רִאשֹׁנָ֖ה בַּמַּלְכֽוּת רֹכֵב עֲרָבוֹת
Resh
Reckoned are the first-fruits of the children of the three patriarchs  
to every nation as head and not as tails,
dwelling first in sovereignty,[20] Esther 1:14  the Rider of Clouds.
שִׁי״ן
שְׁלֹשָׁה עֲנָפִים יֶשׁ לָהּ כְּמוֹ כִּסֵּא מַשְׁבֵּר
כִּי שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים שִׁנֵּי רְשָׁעִים יְשַׁבֵּר
וּלְעַמּוֹ יִתְר֥וֹן הַכְשֵׁ֖יר וַחֲיָלִ֖ים יְגַבֵּ֑ר
Shin
She has three branches,[21] The letter shin has three branches  like a birthstool,[22] Many birthstools have a three-branched structure. Find here, an example.   
for thrice the teeth of the wicked will shatter,
and to Their people profit in skill and might will strengthen.[23] Find Ecclesiastes 10:10 
תָּי״ו
תַּאֲוַת אָדָם מִתְאַוֶּה לִדְבָרִים רַבִּים
לְעֹשֶׁר וּגְדֻלָּה וְכָבוֹד וּבוֹרוֹת חֲצוּבִים
וּבְמוֹתוֹ לֹא־יְלַוּֽוּהוּ כִּי־אִם תּוֹרָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים׃
Thaw
Though human cravings crave for many things,  
wealth and greatness and honor and dug pits,
in death, only Torah and good deeds accompany you.
בְּׄכֵן אֲשֶׁר בְּחָרָן וְצָר בָּהֶן כׇּל־מְלַאכְתּוֹ
נָׄטַע חוּג לַהֲדוֹמוֹ וְשַׁחַק לִמְכוֹן שִׁבְתּוֹ
יִׄפָּה צַר וָאוֹר וּמַזָּלוֹת מֶמְשַׁלְתּוֹ׃
By these, the One who chose and formed all Their work with them[24] Find Sefer Yetzira §2.2 
enrooted the globe[25] Literally “circle.” Find Isaiah 40:22 for its usage as a metonymy for “earth.”  for Their footstool and the welkin for Their seat
jazzing up the moon and sun[26] Literally: narrow one and light one. Find Isaiah 5:30  and the constellations of Their sovereignty.
מֵׄימוֹת שׇׁעֳלוֹ לְצַד הָעוֹלָם הֵשִׂים
יִׄשֵּׁב וּמִלֵּא כׇּל־קְצוֹת אֶֽרֶץ וַאֲפָסִים
נָׄפַשׁ לְסוֹף פֹּֽעַל וְשָׁבַת מִכׇּל־הַמַּעֲשִׂים׃
Measuring-days gone and since, They set the side of the universe,
imbuing and filling all the earth’s corners and voids,
near work’s end, resting and ceasing from all labors.
גִּֽימֶ״ל
גְּמוּל חַסְדּוֹ אֲשֶׁר גָּמַל בְּעוֹלָמוֹ
מֵכִין נְשָׁמוֹת וּמִחְיָה וְעֵצָה מְעִמּוֹ
וּשְׁאָר צׇרְכֵּי יְצוּרָיו הַחוֹסִים בִּשְׁמוֹ׃
קָדוֹשׁ׃
Gimel
Grace They granted upon Their world,
affirming souls and life and counsel from with Them,
and the other needs of Their works who trust in Their name.
Holy!

 

Notes

Notes
1The word אָלֶ״ף in Hebrew is written with three letters.
2Referring to the Trisagion of Isaiah 6:3
3Bet is the second letter, and it has two sounds.
4Find the Alphabet of Rabbi Akiva, section 20, for this specific apocalyptic prediction. Watch out, people of the year 2332-2333 CE!
5Dal, starting with a dalet.
6The powerful antisemitic regimes of the world. In many printings written “Amalek and his fellows” to appease Christian censors.
7As a glottal consonant, /h/ has no place of articulation other than the glottis. But /h/ is unique in that it often doesn’t have a point of articulation in the glottis either. This means that it is unique from all other consonants, more like a vowel in some ways, and very difficult for phoneticians to classify.
8Literally “circle.” See Isaiah 40:22 for its usage as a metonymy for “earth.”
9Find Bereshit Rabbah 12:10
10wawim
11The keys of rain, birth, and resurrection of the dead are mentioned in Taanit 2a as three matters that God deals with directly rather than entrusting an angel to them. The idea that there are sixteen is, to my knowledge, not found anywhere prior to this poem, but Ḥazal is a big field so I may have missed it. Perhaps it is related to the idea that God’s sword has sixteen faces (Midrash Tehillim 78:16)
12Probably referring to Gehinom.
13Isaiah 56:5
14M. ‘Oktzin 3:12
15The three primordial beasts destined to be served as courses at the banquet of the World to Come.
16Psalms 145:13
17Psalms 19:9
18Moses, see Exodus 4:10
19Exodus 4:11
20Esther 1:14
21The letter shin has three branches
22Many birthstools have a three-branched structure. Find here, an example.
23Find Ecclesiastes 10:10
24Find Sefer Yetzira §2.2
25Literally “circle.” Find Isaiah 40:22 for its usage as a metonymy for “earth.”
26Literally: narrow one and light one. Find Isaiah 5:30

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