🆕 מִי אֵֽדֶר וָהוֹד | Mi Eder va-Hod — a piyyuṭ in Nishmat Kol Ḥai for Shabbat Bereshit and Shavuot, from the Maḥzor Worms

Contributor(s):

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation) and Unknown

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

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Maḥzor Worms, נשמת כל חי Nishmat kol ḥai, פיוטים piyyuṭim, rhyming translation

An anonymous piyyuṭ, inserted into Nishmat Kol Ḥai, which, in the old Worms rite (as well as, according to some commentators, the Mainz rite), was recited on Shabbat Bereshit and day 1 of Shavuot. It describes God being clad in the ten midrashic divine garments at creation, the giving of the Torah, and the defeat of enemies.

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.”

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
…כׇּ‍֥ל עַצְמוֹתַ֨י ׀ תֹּאמַ֮רְנָה֮ יְהֹוָ֗ה מִ֥י־כָ֫מ֥וֹךָ מַצִּ֣יל עָ֭נִי מֵחָזָ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְעָנִ֥י וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן מִגֹּֽזְלֽוֹ׃	…All my bones say: Cause, who is like You? Saving the poor from those stronger than them, and the poor and needy from their oppressor!
מִי אֵֽדֶר וָהוֹד עָלָיו הׇעֳלַם כָּמֽוֹךָ בְּיוֹם בְּרֵאשִׁית בְּרִיַּת עוֹלָם׃	Who, upon whom are hidden majesty and illumination, is like You on the day of the universe’s start of creation?
מִי גֵּאוּת לָבֵשׁ וְהֻכְלַל בְּכַרְבּוּל כָּמֽוֹךָ בְּיוֹם דִּין דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל׃	Who, clad in triumph, like a cloak subsumed, is like You on the day that the flood generation was doomed?
מִי הִתְאַזַּר עֹז כָּמֽוֹךָ בְּיוֹם וַֽעַד מַתַּן עֹז׃	Who, girt in strength, is like You on the day of counsel of giving strength?^[1] In Maḥzor Worms, a later handwritten note says ע׳׳כ — read until here. The next lines, up until resh, were not recited at the time of the marginal additions. Note that the vav verse is directly about the giving of the Torah, and thus stopping there makes sense for Shavuot.
מִי זַךְ כַּשֶּֽׁלֶג לְבוּשׁוֹ כָּמֽוֹךָ בְּיוֹם חַת בֵּל לְהוֹבִישׁוֹ׃	Who, pure as snow clad, is like You on the day Bel is shamed and adread?
מִי טֻכְסַס בְּתִלְבֹּֽשֶׁת נְקָמָה כָּמֽוֹךָ בְּיוֹם מִמַּדַּי נִפְרַֽעְתָּ בְּקִנְאָה׃	Who, arrayed in garb of a vengeful feel, is like You on the day from Media you repaid with zeal?
מִי כַּמְּעִיל טַלִּית נִתְנָאָה כָּמֽוֹךָ בְּיוֹם לְשַׂר יָוָן עוֹרַֽרְתָּ קִנְאָה׃	Who, like a tallit robe of pleasant relief, is like You on the day You aroused zeal for Greece’s chief?
מִי מַדּוֹ כַּשִּׁרְיָן צְדָקָה כָּמֽוֹךָ בְּיוֹם נִכְשָׁלִים חַֽיִל לְחַזְּקָה׃	Who, measured like armor of right, is like You on the day forces are crushed by might?
מִי סוּדָרוֹ כּוֹבַע יְשׁוּעָה כָּמֽוֹךָ בְּיוֹם עֻטַּר בְּכׇל־שָׁעָה׃	Who, whose hat is a helmet of salvation is like You on the day in each hour, of decoration?
מִי פּוֹרֵֽעַ בִּלְבוּשׁוֹ אָדוֹם כָּמֽוֹךָ בְּיוֹם צֹעֶה בְּכֹֽחַ מֵאֱדוֹם׃	Who, repaying in garments of red, is like You on the day You strongly from Edom tread?
מִי קָשׁוּט פּוֹרְפֵּרוֹן הָדוּר כָּמֽוֹךָ בְּיוֹם רִבְבָן שְׁבָחוֹ סָדוּר׃	Who adorned in purple splendid, is like You on the day ordered myriads commended?
מִי שֻׁפַּר בְּגִלּוּמִים חֲבוּשִׁים כָּמֽוֹךָ בְּיוֹם תִּפְאֶֽרֶת עֲשָׂרָה לְבוּשִׁים׃	Who,^[2] Before this word, in Maḥzor Worms, is a later handwritten note which is blurry, but may read מוסיף — add. These final two lines were recited aloud before returning to Nishmat Kol Ḥai. beautified in tightly wrapped capes is like You on the day of ten garments of splendid shapes?
מִי יִדְמֶה לָּךְ וּמִי יִשְׁוֶה לָּךְ וּמִי יַעֲרׇךְ לָךְ…	Who is akin to You and who is equal to You and who is comparable to You…

Source(s)

mi eder vahod (Mahzor Worms, 1272), fol. 111r

mi eder vahod (Mahzor Worms, 1272), fol. 111v

Notes

Notes
1	In Maḥzor Worms, a later handwritten note says ע׳׳כ — read until here. The next lines, up until resh, were not recited at the time of the marginal additions. Note that the vav verse is directly about the giving of the Torah, and thus stopping there makes sense for Shavuot.
2	Before this word, in Maḥzor Worms, is a later handwritten note which is blurry, but may read מוסיף — add. These final two lines were recited aloud before returning to Nishmat Kol Ḥai.

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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mi eder vahod (Mahzor Worms, 1272), fol. 111r

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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)