יְדִידֶֽיךָ אַל יְלִידֵי אִישׁ תָּם | Yedidekha El Yelidei Ish Tam — a piyyuṭ before Qaddish (after the Megillat Antiokhus reading) on Shabbat Ḥanukkah by Yaaqov ibn Tsur

Contributor(s):

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut), Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation) and Yaaqov ibn Tsur

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19 December 2025 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

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18th century C.E., 55th century A.M., Acrostic signature, Maghrebi Jewry, Megillat Antiokhus, Meknes, Morocco, פיוטים piyyuṭim, זמירות zemirot

Yedidekha El Yelidei Ish Tam — a piyyuṭ intended to be sung before Qaddish (after the Torah Reading) of Shabbat Ḥanukkah — was written by the great Moroccan paytan Yaaqov ibn Tsur (1673–1753) of Fez. It was first put to print in the Sefer ‘Et l-Kol Ḥefetz, printed by ibn Tsur’s descendants in 1893 in Alexandria. It may be sung according to the tune of “El Asher Yetzarani b-Ḥokhma.”

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
יְדִידֶֽיךָ אַל יְלִידֵי אִישׁ תָּם בְּבוֹא עֲלֵיהֶם יָוָן בִּזְדוֹנָם עָמַדְתָּ לָהֶם בְּעֵת צָרָתָם רַבְתָּ אֶת־רִיבָם דַּנְתָּ אֶת־דִּינָם׃	Endeared to You, Deity, are those borne of the simple man.^[1] Jacob When Greece rose against them in their arrogance, You stood for them at their time of trouble, argued their case, judged their judgment.
מוֹנִים גַּם שׂוֹטְנִים עָלַי נֶאֱסָֽפוּ כִּזְאֵבִים טוֹרְפִים אוֹתִי רָדָֽפוּ לְהַשְׁמִיד גִּזְעֵי כׇּל־מַחְשְׁבוֹתָם מִרְמוֹת גַּם הַוּוֹת תַּחְשֹׁב לְשׁוֹנָם׃	Inimical enumerators gathered against me, like tearing wolves they pursued me, to destroy the race of all their conspiracies; deceit and calamity their tongue‘s thoughts.
יַֽחַד נוֹעֲצוּ עַל־עַם סְגֻלָּה לְבַטֵּל שַׁבָּת חֹֽדֶשׁ וּמִילָה אַתָּה הֵפַֽרְתָּ כׇּל־מֹעֲצוֹתָם וְגַם קִלְקַֽלְתָּ אֶת־כׇּל־עִנְיָנָם׃	Gathering together against the treasured people, they would nullify sabbath, new moon, and circumcision. You overturned all their schemes, and made naught of all their matter.
חַסְדְּךָ נוֹדֶה בְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר כִּי נָפַל חָלָל הַשַּׂר נִיקָנוֹר כָּשְׁלוּ וְנָפְלוּ כׇּל־חֵילוֹתָם רָגְזוּ וְחָלוּ רֻבֵּי הֲמוֹנָם׃	Harp and lyre we acknowledge Your kindness, for the corpse of the general Nicanor fell. All their forces stumbled and fell, angered and sickened were their myriad crowds.
נְזַמֵּר שִׁמְךָ וְגַם נַעֲרִיץ כִּי בָּאֵשׁ נִשְׂרַף בַּגְרִיס הַפָּרִיץ בְּאַף פָּרַֽצְתָּ כׇּל־גְּדֵרוֹתָם מָחַֽצְתָּ רֹאשָׁם גָּדַֽעְתָּ קַרְנָם׃	To Your name let us sing and exult, for in fire Bagris the nobleman burned! In rage You breached all their fences, crushed their heads, hacked off their horns.
וַיִּבְרַח מַלְכָּם הוּא אַנְטִיּֽוֹכוֹס בּֽוֹשׁוּ הִכָּֽלְמוּ כׇּל־שַׂר וְדֽוּכּוֹס מַֽטָּה מַמְלַכְתָּם מַֽטָּה מֶמְשַׁלְתָּם נָדַד קְצִינָם נִגְעַל מָגִנָּם׃	Decamped their king that is, Antiochus; each general and duke was embarrassed and ashamed. Down with their kingdom, down with their regime; their captain wandered, their shield detested.
כֹּהֲנֵי אֵל חַי בְּנֵי חַשְׁמוֹנַאי הֵרִָימוּ קֶָרֶן עֲדַת אֱמוּנַי פֶָּרַח הֵצִיץ נֵץ נֵס יְשׁוּעָתָם נוֹדְעוּ בָעַמִּים פִּלְאֵי פֻרְקָנָם׃	As the Hasmoneans, priests of the living Deity, raised the horn of my faithful people, a flower bloomed, the miracle of their salvation; the wonder of their rescue was known among the peoples.
הֵיכַל הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ בָּֽאוּ פְּנִֽימָה וּצְלֹחִית שֶֽׁמֶן מָצְאוּ חֲתוּמָה בִּרְאוֹתָם אוֹתָהּ עָצְמָה שִׂמְחָתָם גָּדֵל מְשׂוֹשָׂם וְרַב שְׂשׂוֹנָם׃	Yonder they went to the holy palace, and found one sealed vial of oil. Upon seeing it, their joy strengthened, their gaiety and great joy greatened.
שַׁמְנָהּ שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים הִדְלִֽיקוּ וּמוֹרֵי צֶֽדֶק קָבְעוּ וְחָקְקוּ לְהַדְלִיק בָּהֶם תָּמִיד נֵרוֹתָם לִשְׂמֹאל כְּנִיסַת פִּתְחֵי מְלוֹנָם׃	So eight days they kindled its oil, and the righteous teachers ordained and enacted to always kindle their lights on them, left of the entrance of their lodgings’ openings.
מִשְׁתֶּה וְשִׂמְחָה רָאוּי לְהַרְבּוֹת לְפַרְסֵם נִסֵּי שׁוֹכֵן עֲרָבוֹת וּלְהוֹדוֹת לִשְׁמוֹ תּוֹךְ תְּפִלָּתָם וְגַם בִּבְרָכָה אַחַר מְזוֹנָם׃	Let one increase drinking and joy, to publicize the miracles of the Cloud-Rider, and to thank Their
וְהַלֵּל גָּמוּר יֹאמְרוּ בְּגִילָה וּבְנֵי יְוָנִים יִהְיוּ לְכָלָה כִּֽי־חִנָּ֣ם טָֽמְנוּ־לִ֭י שַׁ֣חַת רִשְׁתָּ֑ם הָשֵׁב עֲלֵיהֶם מַהֵר אֶת־אוֹנָם׃	Orate the complete hallel in cheer, as the Grecians were destroyed, for pointlessly they hid a netted pit for me;^[2] Psalms 35:7 speedily return their stamina upon them!
נִסִּים עֲשֵׂה עִם־עַמְּךָ כְּקֶֽדֶם שׇׁמְרֵם וְעׇזְרֵם עוֹד גַּם עוֹדְדָם הָחִישׁ פְּדוּתָם הָשֵׁב שְׁבוּתָם וּבְנֵה מִקְדָּשָׁם וּדְבִיר אַרְמוֹנָם׃	Now, as then, do miracles with Your people; guard them and help them and yet again encourage them. Hurry their liberation, return their exile, and build their Temple and the sanctum of their estate!
הֵן צִדְקוֹתֶיךָ תָּמִיד יְתַנּוּ וְלִכְבוֹד שִׁמְךָ יְקָר יִתֵּנוּ אֲזַי תִּתְגַּדֵּל בְּמַקְהֵלוֹתָם וְגַם תִּתְקַדֵּשׁ בְּטוּב הֶגְיוֹנָם׃	Granted, Your righteousnesses should always be told of, and to grant honor to Your glorious name, thus be magnified in their gatherings, and so too be sanctified in their good meditations.

Source(s)

Sefer Et l-Kol Ḥefets (Yaaqov ibn Tsur) page 33b

Sefer Et l-Kol Ḥefets (Yaaqov ibn Tsur) page 34b

Notes

Notes
1	Jacob
2	Psalms 35:7

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.

Yaaqov ibn Tsur

Yaaqov ben Reuven ibn Tsur, or Jacob Abensur (1673–1753), born in Fez, Morocco, was a poet, scholar and leading Moroccan rabbi of the 18th century. He studied under the rabbis Vidal Serfaty and Menahem Serero. In 1693, he was appointed as registrar at the bet din (rabbinical court) of Fez, and then as a rabbi and head of the bet din in 1704, a post which he held for another thirty years. Thereafter, oppressive taxation induced him to move to Meknès, where he became a member of the bet din for eleven years, and after that he moved to Tétouan to serve in its bet din for another seven years. Ibn Tsur authored Mishpat u-Tsedeqah be-Ya’aqov, a published collection of some of his responsa, as well as Et le-khol Ḥefeẓ, a collection of piyyutim.

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Mythical beast with elephants, about 1610-20, Mughal. Museum no. IM.155-1914.

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו׃ (תהלים צ:יז) · "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." (Psalms 90:17)