יוֹם זֶה לְיִשְׁרַאֵל | Yom Zeh l’Yisrael, a piyyut by Rabbi Yitsḥaq Luria (translation by Nina Salaman, 1914)

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Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription), Nina Davis Salaman (translation) and Yitsḥak Luria

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18 September 2021 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

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Se'udat Yom Shabbat

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Acrostic signature, יום זה לישראל Yom Zeh l'Yisrael, זמירות zemirot, פיוטים piyyutim, 16th century C.E., 54th century A.M.

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Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
יוֹם זֶה לְיִשְׁרַאֵל אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה שַׁבָּת מְנוּחָה׃	This day is for Israel light and rejoicing, A Sabbath of rest.
צִוִּֽיתָ פִקּוּדִים בְמַעֲמַד סִינַי שַׁבָּת וּמוֹעֲדִים לִשְׁמוֹר בְכׇל־שָׁנַי לַעֲרוֹךְ לְפָנַי מַשְׂאֵת וַאֲרוּחָה שַׁבָּת מְנוּחָה׃	Thou badest us standing assembled at Sinai That all the years through we should keep thy behest— To set out a table full-laden, to honour The Sabbath of rest.
חֶמְדַּת הַלְּבָבוֹת לְאֻמָּה שְׁבוּרָה לִנְפָשׁוֹת נִכְאָבוֹת נְשָׁמָה יְתֵרָה לְנֶֽפֶשׁ מְצֵרָה יָסִיר אֲנָחָה שַׁבָּת מְנוּחָה׃	Treasure of heart for the broken people, Gift of new soul for the souls distrest, Soother of sighs for the prisoned spirit— The Sabbath of rest.
קִדַּֽשְׁתָ בֵּרַֽכְתָ אוֹתֽוֹ מִכׇּל־יָמִים בְּשֵֽׁשֶׁת כִּלִּֽיתָ מְלֶֽאכֶת עוֹלָמִים בּוֹ מָצְאוּ עֲגוּמִים הַשְׁקֵט וּבִטְחָה שַׁבָּת מְנוּחָה׃	When the work of the worlds in their wonder was finished, Thou madest this day to be holy and blest, And those heavy-laden found safety and stillness, A Sabbath of rest.
לְאִסּוּר מְלָאכָה צִוִיתָֽנוּ נוֹרָא אֶזְכֶּה הוֹד מְלוּכָה אִם שַׁבָּת אֶשְׁמֽוֹרָה אַקְרִיב שַׁי לַמּוֹרָא מִנְחָה מֶרְקָחָה שַׁבָּת מְנוּחָה׃	If I keep Thy command I inherit a kingdom, If I treasure the Sabbath I bring Thee the best The noblest of offerings, the sweetest of incense A Sabbath of rest.
וְשִׁיר אֶעֱרָךְ לְךָ בְנִגּוּן וּנְעִימָה מוּל תִפְאֶרֶת גָדְלְךָ נַפְשִׁי לְךָ כָמַהּ לִסְגֻלָה תְמִימָה קַיֵם הַבְטָחָה שַׁבָּת מְנוּחָה׃
רְצֵה תְפִלָתִי כְמוֹ קָרְבַן נַחְשׁוֹן וְיוֹם מְנוּחָתִי בְרִנָה וּבְשָׂשׂוֹן חָבִיב כְבַת אִישׁוֹן בְרֹב הַצְלָחָה שַׁבָּת מְנוּחָה׃
יִשְׁעֲךָ קִוִינוּ יָהּ אַדִיר אַדִירִים בֶן דָוִד מַלְכֵנוּ שְׁלַח נָא לָעִבְרִים וְיִקְרָא לִדְרוֹרִים רֶוַח וַהֲנָחָה שַׁבָּת מְנוּחָה׃
חַדֵּשׁ מִקְדָּשֵֽׁנוּ זָכְרָה נֶהֱרֶֽבֶת טוּבְךָ מוֹשִׁעֵֽנוּ תְּנָה לַנֶּעֶצֶֽבֶת בַּשַּׁבָּת יוֹשֶֽׁבֶת בִּזְמִיר וּשְׁבָחָה שַׁבָּת מְנוּחָה׃	Restore us our shrine —O remember our ruin And save now and comfort the sorely opprest Now sitting at Sabbath, all singing and praising A Sabbath of rest.

This poem, “This day is for Israel light and rejoicing,” is remarkable for the lyric pathos of its second verse. It introduces the idea of the over-soul, which resides in man during the Sabbath (T. B. Betsa 16, Taanith 27)—the Sabbath quietude and delight raise the soul as it were to a higher spiritual sphere. Among the Scriptural references are Esther 8:16, Psalm 76:12, Psalms 119:4, Genesis 2:2, Genesis 43:34, Exod. 20:10, Jeremiah 40:5, Jeremiah 48:41. The author of the poem is named in the acrostic “Isaac,” and Zunz includes this author among the writers of the thirteenth century (Literaturgeschichte 555). Hirschfeld attributes the hymn to Isaac Luria (16th century). He detects the name Luria in the fourth verse. He also suggests the reading חַזֵּק for חַדֵּשׁ at the beginning of the fifth verse, thus completing the acrostic signature to יצחק לוריא חזק. The translation is by Mrs R.N. Salaman. –Israel Abraham

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. Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication . 1.0 . Universal .

“יוֹם זֶה לְיִשְׁרַאֵל | Yom Zeh l’Yisrael, a piyyut by Rabbi Yitsḥaq Luria (translation by Nina Salaman, 1914)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

Nina Davis Salaman (translation)

Paulina Ruth "Nina" Salaman (née Davis) (פָּאוּלִינָה רוּת ”נִינָה” דֵעוִיס שָׂלָמָן‏; 1877 – ‎1925) was a British Jewish poet, translator, and social activist. She is best known for her English translations of medieval Hebrew poetry, especially of the poems of Judah Halevi. Paulina Ruth Davis was born on 15 July 1877 at Friarfield House, Derby, the second of two children of Louisa (née Jonas) and Arthur Davis. Her father's family were secular Jewish precision instrument makers, who had immigrated to England from Bavaria in the early nineteenth century. A civil engineer by trade, Arthur Davis became religiously observant and mastered the Hebrew language, becoming an accomplished Hebraist noted for his study of cantillation marks in the Tanakh. The family moved to Kilburn, London when Nina was six weeks old, later settling in Bayswater. There, Davis gave his daughters an intensive scholarly education in Hebrew and Jewish studies, teaching them himself each morning before breakfast from the age of four, and taking them regularly to the synagogue. The Davises moved in learned Jewish circles, and friends of Nina's parents included the families of Nathan Adler, Simeon Singer, Claude Montefiore, Solomon Schechter, Herbert Bentwich, and Elkan Adler. Arthur Davis was one of the "Kilburn Wanderers"—a group of Anglo-Jewish intellectuals that formed around Solomon Schechter in the 1880s—members of which took an interest in Nina's work and helped her find publication for her writings.

Yitsḥak Luria

Yitsḥak Luria Ashkenazi (1534 – July 25, 1572) (Hebrew: יִצְחָק בן שלמה לוּרְיָא אשכנזי, English: Isaac ben Solomon or Yitzhak ben Shlomo Lurya Ashkenazi), commonly known as "Ha'ARI" (meaning "The Lion"), "Ha'ARI Hakadosh" [the holy ARI] or "ARIZaL" [the ARI, Of Blessed Memory (Zikhrono Livrakha)], was a foremost rabbi and Jewish mystic in the community of Safed in the Galilee region of Ottoman Syria. He is considered the father of contemporary Kabbalah, his teachings being referred to as Lurianic Kabbalah. The works of his disciples compiled his oral teachings into writing and spread his fame which led to his veneration and the acceptance of his authority. Every custom of the Ari was scrutinized, and many were accepted, even against previous practice. Luria died at Safed on July 25, 1572 (5 Av 5332). He was buried in the Old Cemetery of Safed (from wikipedia)

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יוֹם זֶה לְיִשְׁרַאֵל | Yom Zeh l’Yisrael, a piyyut by Rabbi Yitsḥaq Luria (translation by Rabbi David Aaron de Sola, 1857)

יוֹם זֶה לְיִשְׁרַאֵל | Yom Zeh l’Yisrael, a piyyut by Rabbi Yitsḥaq Luria (abridged rhymed translation by Alice Lucas, 1898)

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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