🆕 הַאֲזִינוּ אַבִּירִים | Ha’azinu Abirim — the ofan piyyuṭ for Shabbat Teshuvah (minhag Polin) by Menaḥem ben Makhir

Contributor(s):

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut), Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation) and Menaḥem ben Makhir

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17 September 2026 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

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11th century C.E., 49th century A.M., Acrostic signature, phonetic alphabetic acrostic translation, Alphabetic Acrostic, German translation, Minhag Polin, ofanim, פיוטים piyyuṭim, שבת תשובה Shabbat Teshuvah, יוצר אור yotser ohr

The ofan piyyuṭ for Shabbat Shuva, minhag Polin, by the great payṭan Menaḥem ben Rabbi Makhir. A half-acrostic, each stanza begins with a word from parashat Ha’azinu, usually read on Shabbat Shuva, and ends with a verse that includes the word “holy” or “sanctify” in it.

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)	Translation (German)
הַאֲזִ֥ינוּ אַבִּירִים בְּנֵי אֵלִים מׄוֹרָא מִקְדָּשׁ כְּמֵהֵֽינוּ בְּהַֽדְרַת קֹֽדֶשׁ שִֽׂימוּ פְּנֵיכֶם לְתַלְפִּיּוֹת גׇּבְהֵֽנוּ גַּם בְּמִקְדָּשׁ מְעַט הַיְשִֽׁירוּ עַפְעַפֵּי גִּיהֵֽנוּ וְֽ֭הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְהַ֣ר קׇדְשׁ֑וֹ כִּי־קָ֝ד֗וֹשׁ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ (תהלים צט:ט)	Give ear,^[1] Deuteronomy 32:1 awesome children of the divine, our hope in the revered Temple! By the holy Footstool set your faces, to our high spoken-mound. Grade straight your lidded eyes in the small sanctuary^[2] Find Ezekiel 11:16. The synagogue. as well, and bow to Their holy mountain, for the Cause our God is holy! (Psalms 99:9)	Höret, ihr Braven, Söhne der Mächtigen, die ihr euch sehnet nach dem hehren Tempel, richtet euch in heiliger Furcht nach dem hohen Tempelhügel! Auch in dem kleinen Heiligtum erhebt zu ihm die Augen und werfet euch nieder vor seinem heiligen Berge; denn heilig ist der Ewige, unser Gott.
יַעֲרֹ֤ף דֶּֽבֶב לֶֽקַח לְקוּחָה נֹֽׄפֶת תַּטֵּף לְמׇתְקָהּ הָעֵת יוֹשֶֽׁבֶת בַּגַּנִּים קוֹל קִלּוּס לְוִתְקָהּ וְעוּדִים חֲבֵרִים מַקְשִׁיבִים מַחְשִׁים דְּמִמָּה דַּקָּה וַיִּגְבַּ֛הּ יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט וְהָאֵל֙ הַקָּד֔וֹשׁ נִקְדָּ֖שׁ בִּצְדָקָֽה׃ (ישעיה ה:טז)	Let drip,^[3] Deuteronomy 32:2 dripping like sweet honeycomb, the speech of God’s taken teaching, even as she sits in the gardens^[4] Song of Songs 8:13. Here referring to the people Israel sitting in the synagogue. to praise it in beautiful sound, and the equal councils^[5] The angelic hosts listen to the still small whispers and the Cause our God is high in justice, and the holy Deity sanctified in justice. (Isaiah 5:16)	Es trieft das Wort der uns geschenkten Gotteslehre süß wie Honigseim, zur Zeit, wo die Gemeinde zum Hochgesange sich versammelt, und leise flüsternd vereinigen sich die Himmelswesen, um zu lauschen, und es erhebt sich der Ewige Zebaoth im Gerichte und geheiligt wird der heilige Gott in Gerechtigkeit.
כִּ֛י שֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶקְרָ֑א זֶה יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִלּוֹת חֵֽׄלֶף גֵּאִיתִיו גֵּאַֽנִי חִין קְדֻשּׁוֹת שְׁלׇשְׁתָּן לְהִתְפָּאֵר בָּם נִשְּׂאַֽנִי טֶֽכֶס שְׁתַּֽיִם מֵהֶם גְּמוּל טוֹב הֶרְאֵֽנִי וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙ וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אָ֑נִי (ויקרא יא:מד)	For the name of the Cause I call!^[6] Deuteronomy 32:3 Zeal-seated, for my exaltation I am exalted; how by the Trisagion’s glorifying grace I am raised. Two of them are shown to me, lain as a good reward: And be sanctified and be holy, for I am holy.^[7] This verse has the word holy in it twice. (Leviticus 11:44)	Wenn ich des Ewigen Namen rufe, der unter Lobgesängen thronet, so erhöhet er mich, weil ich ihn erhöhe mit dem Gesange des dreimalheilig; zwei davon legt er auf mich, als treffliche Belohnung, wie er dies in den Worten zeigt: „Ihr sollt euch heiligen und heilig sein, denn ich bin heilig!“
הַצּוּר֙ יִדֹּדוּן מַלְאֲכֵי צְבָאוֹת מְׄרוּצָתָם בְּלִי לַעֲקֹב כִּוּוּן עֵת רָצוֹן כַּוֵּי רְקִיעִים לִקֹּב לְהַעֲרִיץ לְהַמְלִיץ סְגֻלָּה מִכְתָּב מְבֹאָר לִנְקֹב יַקְדִּ֣ישֽׁוּ שְׁמִ֑י וְהִקְדִּ֙ישׁוּ֙ אֶת־קְד֣וֹשׁ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב׃ (ישעיה כט:כג)	The Rock,^[8] Deuteronomy 32:4 You are to whom angelic forces rush without delay; considering the desired time to pierce the chambers of the firmaments, lionizing and defending the chosen, as the writing is clearly interpreted: They will sanctify My name and sanctify Jacob’s Holy One. (Isaiah 29:23)	In unaufgehaltener Eile schweben die Engelsscharen dahin zum Schöpfer, die Gnadenzeit beachtend, wo die Himmelspforten geöffnet sind, um das erkorne Volk kräftig zu verteidigen. So steht ausdrücklich geschrieben: „Diese heiligen meinen Namen und Jene heiligen den Heiligen Jakobs“
מְסֻיָּם בְּאַלְפֵי שִׁנְאָן בִּׄקְדוֹשֵׁי רִׄבֵּׄיׄ רִבּוֹאוֹת נוֹרָא בִּבְנֵי אֵלִים בְּתוֹךְ צְבָאוֹ אוֹת סוֹבְבִים כִּסֵּא כְּבוֹדוֹ בְּשָׁלֹשׁ כִּתּוֹת לְהַנְאוֹת קָד֧וֹשׁ ׀ קָד֛וֹשׁ קָד֖וֹשׁ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת׃ (ישעיה ו:ג)	Myriad myriads of holy ones, thousands of millions, but among them, noteworthy among the children of the divine, amid Their force a sign, surrounding Their glorious throne in three parties to laud; Holy, holy, holy is the Cause of Forces! (Isaiah 6:3)	Erkennbar ist der Herr unter den tausendfältigen Myriaden Heiligen, gefürchtet von allen Götterwesen, ausgezeichnet in seinem Heere. Sie stehen um den Thron seiner Herrlichkeit in drei Lager geteilt und rufen das liebliche „Heilig, heilig, heilig ist der Ewige Zebaoth“ –

Source(s)

Die Piutim fur alle Sabbathe des Jahres, nach Polnischem Ritus (Seligman Baer 1862), p. 402

Die Piutim fur alle Sabbathe des Jahres, nach Polnischem Ritus (Seligman Baer 1862), p. 403

Die Piutim fur alle Sabbathe des Jahres, nach Polnischem Ritus (Seligman Baer 1862), p. 404

Die Piutim fur alle Sabbathe des Jahres, nach Polnischem Ritus (Seligman Baer 1862), p. 405

Notes

Notes
1	Deuteronomy 32:1
2	Find Ezekiel 11:16. The synagogue.
3	Deuteronomy 32:2
4	Song of Songs 8:13. Here referring to the people Israel sitting in the synagogue.
5	The angelic hosts
6	Deuteronomy 32:3
7	This verse has the word holy in it twice.
8	Deuteronomy 32:4

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut)

From a family of musicians, Isaac Gantwerk Mayer believes that creative art is one of the most powerful ways to get in touch with the divine. He composes music and poetry in Hebrew and English. (He also translates and authors his own original works.) Isaac runs a Jewish music transcription service, which will transcribe and set any Jewish music in any language, recorded or written. Contact his service on Facebook or via his music blog.

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation)

From a family of musicians, Isaac Gantwerk Mayer believes that creative art is one of the most powerful ways to get in touch with the divine. He composes music and poetry in Hebrew and English. (He also authors his own original works and transcribes Hebrew and Aramaic text, adding niqqud and t'amim as needed.) Isaac runs a Jewish music transcription service, which will transcribe and set any Jewish music in any language, recorded or written. Contact his service on Facebook or via his music blog.

Menaḥem ben Makhir

Menaḥem ben Makhir (fl. 11th c.) was German liturgist and a native of Ratisbon. His grandfather, also called Menahem b. Machir, was a nephew of Gershom b. Judah, and he himself was a cousin of Isaac b. Judah, Rashi's teacher. He is quoted in Rashi's "Pardes" (21d, 33c) and in the "Liḳḳuṭe Pardes" (19b; comp. "Pisḳe Reḳanaṭi," No. 589). Menaḥem witnessed the Jewish massacres of 1096 in Germany and commemorated them in a number of seliḥot. His piyyuṭim include: "Adam be-ḳum," for the Esther fast (quoted in Tos. to Ḥag. 11a); "Aḥalleh et pene Adonai," for Yom Kippur minḥah; "Amarer ba-beki," for the 17th of Tammuz; "Lammah Adonai ta'amod" (in ten strophes); a "ḳinah" for the 9th of Ab, beginning "Ebel a'orer"; five "yotserot," including one for the "Naḥamu" Sabbath and one for the "Shuvah" Sabbath; three "ofanim"; three "zulatot"; "Kehosha'ta elim," a "hosha'na" for the Sabbath of Tabernacles; "Ma'ariv," for the Feast of Tabernacles; "Nishmat, to be recited on Simḥat Torah; and a reshut for Ḥatan Torah, to be recited on the same day. Most of his piyyuṭim are alphabetically arranged, but all of them bear the author's signature.

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