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A magen piyyut (recited as part of the first blessing of Shaḥarit) for the second day of Rosh haShanah by Rabbi Shimon bar Isaac “the Great” of Mainz. Here translated preserving the acrostic, slightly edited from its form as part of a day 2 service maḥzor I designed two years ago.
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.” All divine referents (pronouns, epithets, names) are rendered in unicase.
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| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
מִסּוֹד חֲכָמִים וּנְבוֹנִים וּמִלֶּֽמֶד דַּֽעַת מְבִינִים אֶפְתְּחָה פִי בִּתְפִלָּה וּבְתַחֲנוּנִים לְחַלּוֹת וּלְחַנֵּן פְּנֵי מֶֽלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים וַאֲדוֹנֵי הָאֲדוֹנִים׃ |
By the counsel of the wise and insightful, And the knowledge taught by the understanding, Let me open my mouth in prayer and petition, To beg for mercy before the Sovereign, Sovereign of sovereigns and Master of masters. |
אָתִֽיתִי לְחַנְּנָךְ בְּלֵב קָרֽוּעַ וּמֻרְתָּח בַּקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים כְּעָנִי בַפֶּֽתַח גַּלְגֵּל רַחֲמֶֽיךָ וְדִין אַל תִּמְתַּח׃ אֲ֭דֹנָי שְׂפָתַ֣י תִּפְתָּ֑ח׃ (תהלים נא:יז) |
As I come before you with heart aflutter, Begging for mercy like a poor man at the door, Give me vision of Your mercy, do not judge us harshly. O Master, open my lips. (Psalms 51:17) |
דָּבָר אֵין בְּפִי וּבִלְשׁוֹנִי מִלָּה הֵן יְהֹוָה יָדַֽעְתָּ כֻלָּהּ וּמִמַּעֲמַקֵּי הַלֵּב לְפָנֶֽיךָ אוֹחִֽילָה׃ אֶ֥חֱסֶ֨ה בְסֵ֖תֶר כְּנָפֶ֣יךָ סֶּֽלָה׃ (תהלים סא:ה) |
Deficit is my tongue of speech, my mouth of words, Even so, Cause, You know all, Via the depths of my heart let me hope in You. Let me shelter in Your wings’ hiding place — selah! (Psalms 61:5) |
זַלְעָפָה וּפַלָּצוּת אֲחָזֽוּנִי בְמוֹרָא חַלּוֹת פְּנֵי נוֹרָא בְּנֶֽפֶשׁ יְקָרָה טוּב טַעַם וָדַעַת קָטֹנְתִּי לְחַסְּרָה׃ עַל־כֵּ֖ן זָחַ֥לְתִּי וָאִירָ֓א׃ (איוב סא:ה) |
Zealous trembling and terror grip me, Humbly I implore Your awesome Presence. Tact and knowledge I lack. Therefore was I awed and feared. (Job 32:6) |
יָגַעְתִּי בְאַנְחָתִי אֵיךְ לַעֲמוֹד לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃ כִּי אֵין מַעֲשִׂים לְזַכּוֹת בְּעֵינֶֽיךָ לְחַלּוֹתְךָ שְׁלָחֽוּנִי מַקְהֲלוֹת הֲמוֹנֶֽךָ׃ תָּכִ֥ין לִ֝בָּ֗ם תַּקְשִׁ֥יב אׇזְנֶֽךָ׃ (תהלים י:יז) |
I am faint with sighing — how could I stand before You? Know that I lack the deeds to merit in Your sight. Look, Your people sent me to entreat You. You make their heart firm, Your ear listens. (Psalms 10:17) |
מָה אֲנִי וּמֶה חַיַּי תּוֹלֵעָה וְרִמָּה נִבְעַר מִדַּֽעַת וּבְאֶֽפֶס מְזִמָּה סָמַֽכְתִּי יְתֵדוֹתַי בְּסֵֽפֶר הַחׇכְמָה׃ מַֽעֲנֶה־רַּ֭ךְ יָשִׁ֣יב חֵמָ֑ה׃ (משלי טו:א) |
Me, what am I, what is my life? I am a worm, Never knowing, without understanding! So I place my trust in the Book of Wisdom: A soft answer turns back wrath. (Proverbs 15:1) |
עֻזִּי אֵלֶֽיךָ אֶשְׁמְרָה לְסַעֲדִי פֵּֽתַח דְּבָרֶֽיךָ הָאֵר לְהַגִּידִי צַדְּקֵֽנִי וְאַמְּצֵֽנִי וְתֵן לְאֵל יָדִי׃ כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים מִ֝שְׂגַּבִּ֗י אֱלֹהֵ֥י חַסְדִּֽי׃ (תהלים נט:יח) |
O my Stronghold, I wait for You to support me! Please let the opening to Your word enlighten me. Champion me and invigorate me, giving me strength, for God is my fortress, my steadfast God. (Psalms 59:18) |
קְהָלֶֽיךָ עוֹמְדִים לְבַקֵּשׁ מְחִילָתֶֽךָ רַחֲמֶיךָ יִכְמְרוּ לְרַחֲמָם בְּחֶמְלָתֶֽךָ שׁוֹפְכִים לֵב כַּמַּֽיִם לְעֻמָּתֶֽךָ׃ וְ֠אַתָּ֠ה תִּשְׁמַ֨ע הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם מְכ֤וֹן שִׁבְתֶּ֙ךָ֙׃ (מלכים א׳ ח:לט) |
Questing for Your pardon Your people stands. Rouse Your mercy to show them mercy in Your love. Shall they pour their hearts like water to You? May You hearken in Your dwelling place in the heavens! (I Kings 8:39) |
תְּחַזֵּק לְעַמְּךָ יָדָם הָרָפָה שְׁלַח מֵאִתְּךָ עֵֽזֶר וּתְרוּפָה נוֹאֲמֶֽיךָ יַשִּׂיגוּ לְחַזֵּק וּלְתׇקְפָה כׇּל־אִמְרַ֣ת אֱל֣וֹהַּ צְרוּפָ֑ה׃ (משלי ל:ה) |
Take Your people’s weakened hand and strengthen it, send them help and invigorate from maladies, On them bring them strength, through the prophetic word: Every saying of God is pure. (Proverbs 30:5) |
בּוֹ שׁׄוּעַֽנְנוּ מֵׄעׄוֹלָם וַׄיַּעֲנֵנֽוּ נׄוֹרָאוֹת בְּׄרִׄצּׄוּׄי חִׄנּוּנֵֽנוּ קַׄבֵּל כְּהַעֲלָאוֹת יְׄחַׄלְּצֵֽנוּ בְּמָגִנּוֹ מִתַּחֲלוּאֵיׄ תוֹצָאוֹת כְּצִפֳּרִ֣ים עָפ֔וֹת כֵּ֗ן יָגֵ֛ן יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת (משלי ל:ה) |
Our trust in God, who answers us awesomely. May our prayers be accepted as offerings. May the One protect us, shielded from troubling sicknesses. Like birds hover, so too the Cause of Multitudes will protect us. (Proverbs 30:5) |
זׇכְרֵֽנוּ לְחַיִּים… |
Remember us for life… |
“אָתִֽיתִי לְחַנְּנָךְ | Atiti l-Ḥan’nakh, the magen piyyut for the second day of Rosh haShanah by Shimon bar Isaac (ca. 10th c.)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.
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“Rosh Hashanah,” from The Holiday Series: Six Paintings of Jewish Holidays by Arthur Szyk (1948)
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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "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
![Blue and white synagogue tile decorated with Moorish arch and floral motif and inscribed with the Hebrew word אתה “atah” (you), Morocco, 18th century. This tile is most likely from one of the four imperial cities: Fez, Meknes, Marrakesh, or Rabat. Original record notes that this tile came from a Moroccan synagogue. Possibly from the formula “barukh atah bevo’echa uvarukh ata btsetekha” (ברוך אתה בבואך וברוך אתה בצאתך), Deuteronomy 28:6; cf. tiled inscriptions in Lazama synagogue, Marrakech. (From the Magnes Museum collection, Tile [77-275].)](https://opensiddur.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/4715290282-39071aaeb8-o-e1730011803183-250x250.png)
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