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| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
Standing | |
עָלֵֽינוּ לְשַׁבֵּֽחַ לַֽאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל לָתֵת גְּדֻלָּה לְיוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית׃ שֶׁלֹּא עָשָֽׂנוּ כְּגוֹיֵי הָֽאֲרָצוֹת וְלֹא שָׂמָֽנוּ כְּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָֽאֲדָמָה׃ שֶׁלֹּא שָׂם חֶלְקֵֽנוּ כָּהֶם וגֽוֹרָלֵנוּ כְּכׇל־הֲמוֹנָֽם׃ שֶׁהֵם מִשְׁתַּֽחֲוִים לְהֶֽבֶל וָרִיק (ישעיה ל:ז חלק) וּמִתְפַּלְּלִים אֶל־אֵל לֹא יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃ (ישעיה מה:כ חלק) וַֽאֲנַחְנוּ מִשְׁתַּֽחֲוִים לִפְנֵי מֶֽלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא׃ |
It is for us to praise the Lord of all, To acclaim the might of the yotser of creation. For THEY have not made us heathens,[1] goyei aratsot — lit. the nations of the Earth. By translating goyei aratsot instead as “heathens,” Rabbi de Sola Pool is reinforcing a reading of this prayer as a statement of faith that does not contravene that of other Abrahamic declarations of faith, a complaint famously leveled against this prayer since the 14th century. I would also note that the de-emphasis of a national-political reading here also prevents it from re-inscribing a conception of Israel as being fated to be perpetually landless, and thus allows the people of Israel to “land” centered, as with other peoples and nations. Nor allowed us to be a pagan people;[2] mishpaḥot ha’adamah — lit. the clans of the fertile-earth. See note above. Nor given us the inheritance And the destiny of the masses That bow down to vanity and hollowness,[3] cf. Isaiah 30:7. “And pray to an el that saves not.”[4] Isaiah 45:20 part. [5] It is customary to bow here. But we bow ourselves before the supreme King of kings, The blessed Holy One. |
שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֶה שָׁמַֽיִם וְיֹסֵד אָרֶץ. וּמוֹשַׁב יְקָרוֹ בַּשָּׁמַֽיִם מִמַּֽעַל. וּשְׁכִינַת עֻזּוֹ בְּגׇבְהֵי מְרוֹמִים׃ הוּא אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וְאֵין עוֹד אַחֵר. אֱמֶת מַלְכֵּֽנוּ וְאֶֽפֶס זֽוּלָתוֹ. כַּכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה׃ וְיָדַעְתָּ֣ הַיּ֗וֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ֮ אֶל־לְבָבֶ֒ךָ֒ כִּ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ ה֣וּא הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם מִמַּ֔עַל וְעַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ מִתָּ֑חַת אֵ֖ין עֽוֹד׃ (דברים ד:לט) |
It is THEY [who] stretched forth the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth. THEIR glorious abode is in the heavens above, The domain of their might in exalted heights. THEY are our elo’ah, there is no other, In truth our King, there is none else. Even thus it is written in the Torah: “This day know and lay it to thy heart, that YHVH is Elohim in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. There is none else.”[6] Deuteronomy 4:39. |
בקצת קהילות מוסיפין (וְ)עַל־כֵּן נְקַוֶּה לְּךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ לִרְאוֹת מְהֵרָה בְּתִפְאֶֽרֶת עֻזֶּֽךָ לְהַֽעֲבִיר גִּלּוּלִים מִן הָאָֽרֶץ וְהָֽאֱלִילִים כָּרוֹת יִכָּֽרֵתוּן לְתַקֵּן עוֹלָם בְּמַלְכוּת שַׁדַּי וְכׇל־בְּנֵי בָשָׂר יִקְרְאוּ בִשְׁמֶֽךָ לְהַפְנוֹת אֵלֶֽיךָ כׇּל־רִשְׁעֵי אָֽרֶץ׃ יַכִּֽירוּ וְיֵֽדְעוּ כׇּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵֽל כִּי לְךָ תִּכְרַע כׇּל־בֶּֽרֶךְ תִּשָּׁבַע כׇּל־לָשׁוֹן׃ לְפָנֶֽיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ יִכְרְעוּ וְיִפּֽוֹלוּ וְלִכְבוֹד שִׁמְךָ יְקָר יִתֵּֽנוּ וִיקַבְּלוּ כֻלָּם ׀ אֶת עֹל מַלְכוּתֶֽךָ וְתִמְלוֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶם מְהֵרָה לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד׃ כִּי הַמַּלְכוּת שֶׁלְּךָ הִיא וּלְעֽוֹלְמֵי עַד תִּמְלוֹךְ בְּכָבוֹד׃ כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ: יְהוָ֥ה ׀ יִמְלֹ֖ךְ לְעֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃ (שמות טו:יח) |
In some congregations the following prayer is added: On you we therefore wait, YHVH our elo’ah, speedily to see your mighty glory when you will remove idols from the earth and the non-gods (elilim) shall be utterly destroyed, when you will establish the world under your almighty rule (Shadai), all children of flesh shall invoke your name and all the wicked on earth shall be turned unto you. May all earth-dwellers perceive and understand that unto you every knee must bend, every tongue swear fealty. Before you, YHVH our elo’ah, may all bow and worship and give honor unto your glorious name. May they all accept the yoke of your sovereignty. Speedily rule over them evermore, for yours is the dominion, and evermore will you reign in glory, as is written in your Torah, “YHVH shall reign for ever and ever.”[7] Exodus 15:18 |
[ברגיל:] וְנֶאֱמַר: וְהָיָ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִהְיֶ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה אֶחָ֖ד וּשְׁמ֥וֹ אֶחָֽד׃ (זכריה יד:ט) |
[At regular times:] Again says the Torah, “YHVH shall be King over all the earth; on that day YHVH shall be One and THEIR name One.”[8] Zechariah 14:9 |
(על ראש השנה במלכויות:) וְנֶֽאֱמַר: לֹֽא־הִבִּ֥יט אָ֙וֶן֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־רָאָ֥ה עָמָ֖ל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וּתְרוּעַ֥ת מֶ֖לֶךְ בּֽוֹ׃ (במדבר כב:כא) וְנֶֽאֱמַר: וַיְהִ֥י בִישֻׁר֖וּן מֶ֑לֶךְ בְּהִתְאַסֵּף֙ רָ֣אשֵׁי עָ֔ם יַ֖חַד שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (דברים לג:ה) |
(During Rosh haShanah, during Malkhuyot:) Yea, it is written further in your Torah, “THEY have beheld no iniquity in Yaaqov, THEY have seen no perverseness in Yisrael. YHVH their elo’ah is with them, and a royal cry of triumph among them.”[9] Numbers 22:21. Again says the Torah, “THEY were King in Yeshurun when the leaders of the people with the tribes of Yisrael assembled together.”[10] Deuteronomy 33:5. |
The traditional attribution of Aleinu to Rav (Abba Arikha by Aybo, ca. 3rd c.) is due to his having set this portion of the prayer service for Rosh haShanah containing this prayer.
Aleinu is optionally read with a separate prayer, Al kein in the Sepharadi liturgical custom.
I have added citation references and additional annotation. I have also replaced archaisms including the gendered divine masculine with the singular THEY/THEIR. –Aharon Varady
Source(s)
Notes
| 1 | goyei aratsot — lit. the nations of the Earth. By translating goyei aratsot instead as “heathens,” Rabbi de Sola Pool is reinforcing a reading of this prayer as a statement of faith that does not contravene that of other Abrahamic declarations of faith, a complaint famously leveled against this prayer since the 14th century. I would also note that the de-emphasis of a national-political reading here also prevents it from re-inscribing a conception of Israel as being fated to be perpetually landless, and thus allows the people of Israel to “land” centered, as with other peoples and nations. |
|---|---|
| 2 | mishpaḥot ha’adamah — lit. the clans of the fertile-earth. See note above. |
| 3 | cf. Isaiah 30:7. |
| 4 | Isaiah 45:20 part. |
| 5 | It is customary to bow here. |
| 6 | Deuteronomy 4:39. |
| 7 | Exodus 15:18 |
| 8 | Zechariah 14:9 |
| 9 | Numbers 22:21. |
| 10 | Deuteronomy 33:5. |
“עָלֵינוּ לְשַׁבֵּחַ (מנהג הספרדים) | Aleinu, translated by Rabbi David de Sola Pool (1937)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.
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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
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