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This meorah, by R. Avraham bar Shmuel of Speyer (fl. ca. 1150-1250, the elder brother of R. Yehuda he-Ḥasid and a great scholar in his own right) is recited on Shabbat Naso. This is usually after Shavuot, but sometimes (in 2025, for instance) it is before. This meorah is a poetic interpretation of the Priestly Blessing, and a plea for vengeance against the antisemitic nations. As a meorah, it is recited prior to the final line of the guf and the ḥatima of the Yotser Or blessing.
This is the third piyyut of a complete set of yotsrot (piyyutim inserted into the reading of the Shema) in the old Ashkenazi rite, for the Shabbat before Shavuot, including alphabetical gender-neutral translations.
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.” 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 (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
אֲשֶׁר יַחְדָּו עַם יְדִידָיו עוֹבְדִים לוֹ אֶחָד שְׁכֶם אֶל־יְרֵאָיו בְּיַד נְבִיאָיו פָּץ יָרוּם לְרַחֶמְכֶם אַל־תִּירְאוּ עֵת תִּרְאוּ מַפָּלַת שׂוֹנְאֵיכֶם זֶה חֶלְקָם יוֹם נָקָם שְׁנַת שִׁלּוּם לְרִיב עִירְכֶם וְהֶֽרֶג רַב בְּגוֹי חָרַב מִשְׁכָּנִי אֲשֶׁר־בְּתוֹכְכֶם שְׁמִי עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶֽצַח וַאֲנִי אֲבָרְכֵם׃ |
As for those together, Their beloved people, serving Them shoulder-to-shoulder, to Their reverent, by Their prophets’ hand, the Exalted opened to have mercy on you. Do not fear the time you see your enemies’ fall. This is their portion: the vengeance day, the year of payback for attacking your city. And much killing of the nation that ruined My Tabernacle among you. “My name over the children of Israel forever, and I will bless them.” |
בַּעֲדַת אֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׂאוּ אֶת־קוֹל כֹּהֲנַי אֱמֹר לָהֶם לִבְנֵיהֶם יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יְהֹוָ֖ וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ מִצָּרְךָ וְרוֹמֵמָה יְמִין יְהֹוָה אֵלֶ֖יךָ בְּאׇהֳלֶֽיךָ יָאֵ֨ר פָּנָ֛יו יְהֹוָ֧ה וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ וַעֲוֺנֶֽיךָ יִשָּׂ֨א בְרַחֲמָיו יְהֹוָה וְיוֹם מְהוּמָה לְמִזָּה וְשַׁמָּה וּנְקָמָה בְּיַד גֹּאַלְכֶם שְׁמִי עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶֽצַח וַאֲנִי אֲבָרְכֵם׃ |
By the Deity’s congregation, Israel, my priests will raise their voice. Say to them, to their children, “The Cause bless you and keep you” from your stress, and the Cause’s exalted right hand “upon you” in your tents, “may the Cause shine Their face and grace You,” and your sins the Cause will take up in mercy. And a day of tumult for Mizza and Shamma,[1] Two of the named descendants of Esau, mentioned in Genesis 36:13, with the evocative names of “Fear” and “Wasteland.” Here used as a metonymy for Christianity, as Edom usually is in this sort of poem. and vengeance by your Redeemer’s hand. “My name over the children of Israel forever, and I will bless them.” |
רְבוֹת גׇּדְלְךָ יָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ שָׁלֽוֹם לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹֽעַם לָהֶם נִשְׁבַּע עַל־אַרְבַּע לְאַב הָמוֹן בְּכׇל־הָעָם לָשׂוּם שְׁמוֹ בְּתוֹךְ עַמּוֹ מִמְּצוּקוֹת לְהוֹשִׁיעָם בְּלִי לְהַכְרִית שׁוֹמְרֵי בְרִית בְּיוֹם עֶבְרָה וָזַֽעַם שְׁמִי יִקְרְאוּ וְהֵם יִרְאוּ בִּרְבוֹת כַּחוֹל זַרְעָם בְּגִיל וְרִנָּה תְּבִיאֶֽנָּה בְּהֵיכַל מֶֽלֶךְ צוּרְכֶם שְׁמִי עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶֽצַח וַאֲנִי אֲבָרְכֵם׃ |
Ramping up your greatness, They will grant you peace to see in pleasantness. To them They swore four times[2] Genesis 12:1–9, Genesis 13:14–18, Genesis 15:1–21, Genesis 17:1–21. That’s four seperate vows to Abraham. to the Parent of Multitudes in all the nation to set Their name among Their people, to save them from troubles, never to cut off the covenant-keepers on the day of rage and wrath. “My name they will call and they will see their seed increase like sand!” In joy and cheer you will bring it in the palace of the Sovereign, your Rock. “My name over the children of Israel forever, and I will bless them.” |
הֶחֱזַקְתִּי זָעַקְתִּי לִפְנֵי שׁוֹכֵן מְרוֹמִים פֶּן־יַקְשִׁיב שְׁבוּת לְהָשִׁיב מְפֻזֶּֽרֶת בְּמִתְקוֹמְמִים וּבָא לְכַנֵּס עֹמֵד לְנֵס וְנָשָׂא נֵס לָעַמִּים אָז יֹאמְרוּ לְכוּ וּבַחֲרוּ אׇרְחוֹת יַעֲקֹב תְּמִימִים כִּי מַלְכָּם הִדְרִיכָם לְהִתְהַלֵּל בַּנְּעִימִים מְעוֹן הָאֵל בְּׄיִשְׂרָׄאֵל מַחְמָד הוּא בְּכׇל־אֻמִּים שְׁמוֹ אֲ הֵבוּ לְׄכוּ שֽׁוּבוּ לָכֶם אֶל־אׇהֳלֵיכֶם שְׁמִי עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶֽצַח וַאֲנִי אֲבָרְכֵם׃ |
Holding on, I shouted before the Dweller on High. At that, They may listen, returning the exile, scattered among the ascendant. May They come to assemble, standing for a miracle, and raising a banner for the nations. Then they will say, “Let us go and choose the pure paths of Jacob!” But their Sovereign attended to them, really sweet, how praiseworthy. My God’s abode unto Israel is pleasant over all nations. Enamored be of Their Name, let’s go, return, you all, to your tents! “My name over the children of Israel forever, and I will bless them.” |
אוֹר חָדָשׁ עַל־צִיּוֹן תָּאִיר וְנִזְכֶּה כֻלָּנוּ מְהֵרָה לְאוֹרוֹ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה יוֹצֵר הַמְּאוֹרוֹת׃ |
A new light You will shine upon Zion, and we all will merit its light speedily. Blessed are You, Cause, who makes the luminaries. |
Notes
| 1 | Two of the named descendants of Esau, mentioned in Genesis 36:13, with the evocative names of “Fear” and “Wasteland.” Here used as a metonymy for Christianity, as Edom usually is in this sort of poem. |
|---|---|
| 2 | Genesis 12:1–9, Genesis 13:14–18, Genesis 15:1–21, Genesis 17:1–21. That’s four seperate vows to Abraham. |
“מאורה לשבת לפני שבעות | Meorah for Shabbat Naso (either before or after Shavuot) by Avraham bar Shmuel of Speyer” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft 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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