אֲמַר יִצְחָק | Amar Yitsḥaq (Announced Isaac) — a targum-piyyuṭ for introducing the fifth of the ten commandments on Shavuot

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

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45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, phonetic alphabetic acrostic translation, Alphabetic Acrostic, Aqédat Yitsḥaq, Aramaic, Decalogue, martyrdom, פיוטים piyyuṭim, self-sacrifice, תרגום targum, יצחק Yitsḥaq

Nowadays, the only Jewish community with a custom to recite the Aramiac targum translation of the Torah portion is the Yemenites. But this was not always the case. For a very long time, Ashkenazim, Italkim, and some other related communities preserved a custom to read the targum on two specific days — the seventh day of Pesaḥ and the first day of Shavuot (Maḥzor Vitry, Hilkhot Pesaḥ 106:7). On those two days, mass communal miracles happened to the Jewish people — the splitting of the sea on the former, the revelation at Sinai on the latter — and the targum, the translation designed for the purpose of making the story accessible, was preserved for the sake of pirsumei nissa. Since the use of targum became a special rare occasion, Jews did what we do for special rare occasions — we write piyyutim. An extensive series of Aramaic piyyutim were written, to be inserted into the recitation of the targum (or the ‘seder meturgeman’) itself. On Shavuot, a massive series of piyyutim, one for every one of the ten commandments and then some, were written. On Pesaḥ, a similar number of piyyutim were composed for important moments. Since the mass acceptance of the Shulḥan Arukh, the custom of the recitation of the targum on these special days has been lost from Ashkenazi practice, and as a consequence the vast majority of the seder meturgeman piyyutim themselves have been abandoned. A small number of Shavuot seder meturgeman piyyutim are still in use (specifically, Aḳdamut Milin and Yetsiv Pitgam), but taken out of their original context. (As an example, why do we read Yetsiv Pitgam after the first verse of the haftarah? Because it’s meant to introduce the targum!) I personally love Aramaic, piyyutim, and liturgy, so I’ve taken it upon myself to translate a selection of seder meturgeman piyyutim.

This piyyut, “Amar Yitsḥaq,” was originally written as an introduction to the fifth commandment, the commandment of honoring your father and mother. In the eyes of the payṭan, the quintessential example of honoring your father is an incredibly morbid one — Isaac, encouraging his father to go through with it on the altar and begging him to strike true, so that the sacrifice isn’t rendered unfit! It incorporates midrashic narratives about Isaac’s total willingness to go through with the sacrifice, as well as his longing for his mother in the process. To our modern eyes it is quite a disturbing work! But it’s worth remembering that there were many cases in medieval Europe of Jewish parents so desperate and terrified on account of the Crusades that they killed their own children rather than have them submit to baptism. Perhaps this poem provided those who heard such horrific stories some comfort.

The text here is as found in the Goldschmidt maḥzor, with some major textual variants (those that affect the meaning rather than just the spelling) marked. Also included is an phonetic alphabetical acrostic translation.

Note: 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 (Aramaic)	Translation (English)
אֲמַר יִצְחָק לְאַבְרָהָם אֲבוּהִי מַה־נָאֶה מַדְבְּחָא דִּבְנֵית לִי אַבָּא׃	Announced Isaac to Abraham his father, “How pleasant is the altar that you built for me, dad!
בִּפְרִיע פְּשׁוֹט יְדָךְ וְסַב סַכִּינָךְ עַד דַּאֲנָא מְצַלִּי קֳדָם רִיבּוֹנִי׃	Briskly stretch your hand and lift your knife, until I pray before my Lord.
גַּלֵּי אֶדְרְעָךְ וְאֵסוֹר חַרְצָךְ וְתֶהֱוֵי כְגִבָּר דְעָבֵיד שֵׁירוּי לְמָרֵיהּ׃	Gird your loins, draw your arm, and be like a man who does services for his Master!^[1] Some texts say כִגְּבַר דְּלָא־חָס עַל־בְּרֵיהּ like a man who has no mercy for his son instead
דֵּין הוּא יוֹמָא דְּיֶהֱווּן אָמְרִין אַבָּא לָא־חָס עַל־בְּרֵיהּ וּבְרֵיהּ לָא־עַכַּב׃	Deeming of this day they will say ‘A father had no mercy on his son and his son did not hinder.’
הֵיךְ תֵּיזִיל וְתֵימוּר לְשָׂרָה אִמִּי הֵיךְ תִּפְרוֹשׁ מִינִּי וְתֵיזִיל לְבֵיתָא׃	Even so, how will you go talk to Sarah my mother? How will you separate from me and go home?”
וּנְשַׁק יִצְחָק לְאַבְרָהָם אֲבוּהִי וּפַקֵּיד יָתֵיהּ וְהַכְּדֵין אֲמַר לֵיהּ׃	When Isaac kissed Abraham his father, he instructed him and thus said to him:
זְרוֹק דְּמִי עַל גַבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא וּכְנוֹשׁ קִטְמִי וְאוֹבִילֵיהּ לְאִמִּי׃	“Zenithally on the altar drizzle my blood, and gather my ashes and bring them to my mother.^[2] Some texts say לְשָׂרָה אִמִּי to Sarah my mother
חַיֵּי וּמוֹתָא כּוּלָּא בִּידֵיהּ וּמוֹדֵי אֲנָא לֵיהּ דְּהַכְּדֵין בְּחַר בִּי׃	Holding life and death, all is in Their hands,^[3] Some texts add דְּמָרֵי עַלְמָא of the Master of Existence and I thank Them that They thus chose me.
טוּבָךְ אַבָּא דְּיֶהֱווּן אָמְרִין דַּאֲנָא אִימַּר עָלָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא חַיָּיא׃	Tranquil are you, Dad, that they will say that I am a whole-offering lamb to the Living Sovereign.
יִתְקוֹף רוּגְזָךְ וַחֲמָתָךְ אַבָּא וְתֶהֱוֵי כִגְּבַר דְּלָא־חָס עַל־בְּרֵיהּ׃	Invigorate your rage and your wrath,^[4] Many texts say עַל רַחֲמָךְ over your mercy father, and be like a man who has no mercy for his son,
כִּגְבַר אַכְזְרִי סַב סַכִּינָךְ וְתִיכּוֹס יָתִי וְלָא תְסָאֵיבְנִי׃	Cruelly, lift your knife, and slaughter me and don’t render me unfit!
לָא תָהֵי^[5] Some texts add קׇרְבָּנָא this sacrifice or דָּא this here דִידִי דְלָא אִיעַכְּבָךְ דְּלֵית אֲנָא מִן־יְדָךְ נָסֵיב גַּרְמִי׃	Look, don’t be shocked that I am not hindering you, that I am not taking myself from your hand.
מַה תִּבְכֵּי אֲמַר יִצְחָק לְאַבְרָהָם אֲבוּהִי טוּבִי דִּבְחַר בִּי קִירִיס מִכׇּל־קוֹזְמוֹז׃	Must you cry?” said Isaac to Abraham his father. “I’m glad that the Liege^[6] From the Greek κύριος chose me of all cosmos!^[7] From the Greek κόσμος
נִיחָא רוּחָא דְּשָׂרָה אִמִּי הֵיךְ נַפְקִינָּן תְּרֵינַן בְּלִיבָּא שְׁלֵימָה׃	Now my mother Sarah’s spirit departed when the two of us left wholeheartedly.
סַכִּינָךְ הַב לִי אַבָּא וַאֲגוֹשִׁינֵיהּ בְּבָעוּ מִינָךְ דְּלָא תְסָאֵיבְנִי׃	So give me the knife, dad, so I can feel it. Please I beg of you, don’t render me unfit!
עֵינַי חָמְיָין קֵיסִין מְסַדְּרִין נוּר דָּלֵיק בְּיוֹם קׇרְבָּנִי׃	Ordered branches my eyes see, kindled fire on the day of my sacrifice.
פְּתַח פּוּמָךְ וּבָרֵיךְ אַבָּא וְאֶשְׁמַע אֲנָא וְאֵימַר אָמֵן׃	Pry open your mouth and bless,^[8] The blessing over a sacrifice. dad, and I will hear and say “amen!”
צַוָּארִי פְּשׁוּט לָךְ אַבָּא וּמַה דְּנִיחָא לָךְ קוּם עִבֵיד׃	Stretched out is my neck for you, dad! What is pleasant for you get up, do it!”^[9] In some texts, this entire line is replaced with צַיֵּית לְמֵימְרֵיהּ אַבָּא / וּנְטַל סַכִּינָא לְמֵיכּוֹס יָתֵיהּ׃ The father hearkened to his word, and raised the knife to slaughter him.
קָמוּ מַלְאֲכַיָּא וּמְפַיְּיסִין לְמָרֵיהוֹן בְּבָעוּ מִינָךְ חוּס עַל־טַלְיָיא׃	Queried the angels standing before their master, “Please, we beg of you, have mercy on the lad!
רַחֲמוֹי דַּאֲבוּהִי אֲנַן מַדְכְּרִינַּן דְּאַכְלִינַּן עִימֵּיהּ מְלַח בְּבֵיתֵיהּ׃	Remembing are we of his father’s love,^[10] Some texts add גְּבַר a man with whom we ate salt^[11] Some texts say לְחֵים bread in his home!”
שַׁדַּי אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָא תִדְחַל טַלְיָא דַּאֲנָא הוּא פָרוֹקָא וְאֶפְרוֹק יָתָךְ׃	“Show no fear, lad,” said the Delimiter to him, “for I am the Redeemer and will redeem you.”
תַּקִיף הוּא אֱלָהַנָא וְתַקִּיפִין עוֹבָדוֹהִי לֵית אֳחׇרָן כְּוָתֵיהּ וְלֵית דְּדָמֵי לֵיהּ׃	Thus our God is strong, Their servants are strong; no other like Them, and none compares to Them!

Recordings

Notes

Notes
1	Some texts say כִגְּבַר דְּלָא־חָס עַל־בְּרֵיהּ like a man who has no mercy for his son instead
2	Some texts say לְשָׂרָה אִמִּי to Sarah my mother
3	Some texts add דְּמָרֵי עַלְמָא of the Master of Existence
4	Many texts say עַל רַחֲמָךְ over your mercy
5	Some texts add קׇרְבָּנָא this sacrifice or דָּא this here
6	From the Greek κύριος
7	From the Greek κόσμος
8	The blessing over a sacrifice.
9	In some texts, this entire line is replaced with צַיֵּית לְמֵימְרֵיהּ אַבָּא / וּנְטַל סַכִּינָא לְמֵיכּוֹס יָתֵיהּ׃ The father hearkened to his word, and raised the knife to slaughter him.
10	Some texts add גְּבַר a man
11	Some texts say לְחֵים bread

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.

Unknown

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Aqeidat Yitsḥaq – Tiny Ashkenazi Mahzor, JTSA Ms. 8972 fol. 121

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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)