צֶדֶק טוּב | Tsedeq Tuv, a piyyuṭ by Isaac A. Kahenzade

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

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21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., נאש דידאן Nash Didan, פיוטים piyyuṭim

This is an original Hebrew tehillah/piyyuṭ that I composed in January 2025 for my local Nash Didan (Persian-Azerbaijani-Assyrian-Jewish) community. The composition weaves together classic liturgical motifs, echoing the themes of Psalms 1, Ashrei, and Aleinu, while remaining a distinct, contemporary composition. It may be recited during Pesuqei d’Zimra, as a supplementary reading near the conclusion of a service, or however best its cadence speaks to the heart of the worshipper — be it chanted in the polyphonic chorus of a congregation or whispered in solitary devotion. The piyyuṭ also functions as a Maskilic shibutz “domestication” of the Gathic Avestan manthras — an endeavor inspired by Rav Meshullam Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s reclamation of universal sacred sparks, clothing ancient wisdom in the living vestments of the Holy Tongue.

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)	Transliteration (romanized Hebrew)
צֶדֶק טוּב, וּמֵטִיב לַכֹּל מִכֹּל וּבְכֹל מֵאֲשֶׁר אֹשֶׁר לַמְּאֻשָּׁר בְּמִישׁוֹר אַשְׁרֵי־הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר צַדִּיק לְמַעַן צֶדֶק׃	Righteousness is virtue, and (is) a benefactor to all, from all, and in all. From which (is) fortune to the fortunate in forthrightness. Fortunate (is) the man who (is) just for the sake of justice.	Ṣed̲eq ṭûḇ, û-mēṭîḇ la’kōl mi’kōl û-ḇə’k̲ōl, Mēʾăsher ʾōsher la-məʾushâr bə’mîshôr ʾAshrei hâʾîsh ʾăsher ṣaddîq lə-maʿan ṣed̲eq.
רְצוֹן־הָאָדוֹן תּוֹרַת־תִּפְאֶרֶת תָּמִיד חֹק־הַשֹּׁפֵט מִשְׁפַּט־צֶדֶק נִצְחִי אָכֵן כֵּן הוּא הָרֹעֶה לִירֵאָיו לְעֹלָם׃	The Will of the Lord is the Law of Splendor, always. The Statute of the Judge is the Ordinance of Justice, eternally. Indeed, thus He (is) the Shepherd to His reverent (ones), forever.	Rəṣôn hâʾAd̲ôn Tôrat̲ Tifʾeret̲ tâmîd̲, Ḥōq ha-Shōfēṭ Mishpaṭ Ṣed̲eq niṣ’ḥî ʾAk̲ēn kēn hûʾ hâ-Rōˤeh l’yîrēʾâv ləˤōlâm.
וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁחָפֵץ לְהַצְדֵּק וִירַנְּנוּ עַמּוֹ עִמּוֹ בְּרִנָּה נְהִירָה כִּי אֵלָיו הַמַּמְלָכָה לְעֹלְמֵי עֹלָמִים	And they shall bow to the King who desires to justify, And they shall rejoice —His people— with Him in elation resplendent. For to Him (is) the Kingdom forever and ever.	Va’yishtaḥăvû la-Melek̲ she’ḥâfēṣ lə-haṣdēq, V’yîrannənû ˤammô ˤimmô bə’rinnâh nəhîrâh, Kî ʾēlâv ha-Mamlâkhâh ləˤōləmê ˤōlâmîm,
אָמֵן׃	Amen.	ʾÂmēn.

“Tsedeq Tuv” is an original piyut by Isaac A. Kahenzade first published, with the accompanying English translation and romanized transliteration, on his personal blog. The author welcomes any alterations that may be sought to the translation to better reflect diverse liturgical voices, or to the transliteration to accommodate different regional or historical pronunciations of Hebrew. It is his hope that these words may be adapted, embraced, and given new breath wherever they find a home.

Isaac A. Kahenzade

Isaac A. Kahenzade is an aspiring philologist of Urmian-Jewish descent based in New York City. He finds his daily sustenance in the study of the humanities, traced along the indelible palimpsest of Jewish heritage, the refulgent wisdom of the Ben Ish Ḥai and the Arizal, and the cherishment of his loved ones.

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Bejt haKnesset kəMinhag Bnej Rōmah, deutsch ‚Synagoge nach Brauch der Kinder Roms‘; einst in Conegliano, 1701-1719 erbaut) im ersten Stock des Alten Hospizes (Rechov Hillel 25), 1885-1887 von Theodor Sandel. Ner Tamid vor Bekrönung des Torahschreins, dessen blattvergoldete geschnitzte Lünette angeschnitten (credit: Ulf Heinsohn, license: CC BY-SA)

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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)

צֶדֶק טוּב | Tsedeq Tuv, a piyyuṭ by Isaac A. Kahenzade

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