tagged: lashon hara • the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶקְט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ

תהלים י״ב | Psalms 12, a mizmor by David translated by Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi

Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (translation) — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 01:17:58 +0000

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃	This psalm is to be played on the eight-string harp. A song of David
הוֹשִׁ֣יעָה יְ֭הֹוָה כִּֽי־גָמַ֣ר חָסִ֑יד כִּי־פַ֥סּוּ אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים מִבְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ שָׁ֤וְא ׀ יְֽדַבְּרוּ֮ אִ֤ישׁ אֶת־רֵ֫עֵ֥הוּ שְׂפַ֥ת חֲלָק֑וֹת בְּלֵ֖ב וָלֵ֣ב יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃ יַכְרֵ֣ת יְ֭הֹוָה כׇּל־שִׂפְתֵ֣י חֲלָק֑וֹת לָ֝שׁ֗וֹן מְדַבֶּ֥רֶת גְּדֹלֽוֹת׃ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָמְר֨וּ ׀ לִלְשֹׁנֵ֣נוּ נַ֭גְבִּיר שְׂפָתֵ֣ינוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ מִ֖י אָד֣וֹן לָֽנוּ׃ מִשֹּׁ֥ד עֲנִיִּים֮ מֵאֶנְקַ֢ת אֶבְי֫וֹנִ֥ים	Help me, YaH! It’s so difficult to find a kind person; it seems that people with faith are no longer to be found among human beings. Each one smooth-talks the other, but their heart is not with what they say with their mouth. YaH! Have them cut out their smooth talk, their boastful talk. They say, “Our words have the power; we control language— who can rule over us?” [They fill themselves with what] they rob from the poor and are deaf to the weeping of the powerless.
עַתָּ֣ה אָ֭קוּם יֹאמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֑ה אָשִׁ֥ית בְּ֝יֵ֗שַׁע יָפִ֥יחַֽ לֽוֹ׃	YaH! Please say that You will rise up! That You will become active in helping us! That You will sweep them away!
אִ֥מְר֣וֹת יְהֹוָה֮ אֲמָר֢וֹת טְהֹ֫ר֥וֹת כֶּ֣סֶף צָ֭רוּף בַּעֲלִ֣יל לָאָ֑רֶץ מְ֝זֻקָּ֗ק שִׁבְעָתָֽיִם׃	YaH’s words are pure words; all can see that they are like seven-fold refined silver.
אַתָּֽה־יְהֹוָ֥ה תִּשְׁמְרֵ֑ם תִּצְּרֶ֓נּוּ ׀ מִן־הַדּ֖וֹר ז֣וּ לְעוֹלָֽם׃ סָבִ֗יב רְשָׁעִ֥ים יִתְהַלָּכ֑וּן כְּרֻ֥ם זֻ֝לּ֗וּת לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃	YaH, please protect the poor; shield us from that evil generation where villains strut proudly, abusing human beings.

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s translation of Psalms 12 was first published in Psalms in a Translation for Praying (Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Philadelphia: 2014), p. 15. Reb Zalman was, in 2009, an early advocate of the Open Siddur Project and generously shared his liturgical and prayer work with the project following his vision of a common “Database Davvenen.” I have set his translation opposite the Masoretic Hebrew text of the psalm according to the phrasing he provided. –Aharon Varady

תהלים ה׳ | Psalms 5, a mizmor of David translated by Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi

Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (translation) — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 00:57:57 +0000

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ אֶֽל־הַנְּחִיל֗וֹת מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃	Conductor, this is to be accompanied with Neḥilot^[1] exact meaning uncertain A song of David.
אֲמָרַ֖י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה ׀ יְהֹוָ֗ה בִּ֣ינָה הֲגִיגִֽי׃ הַקְשִׁ֤יבָה ׀ לְק֬וֹל שַׁוְעִ֗י מַלְכִּ֥י וֵאלֹהָ֑י כִּֽי־אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ אֶתְפַּלָּֽל׃	YaH! Please hear what I tell You! Lend an ear to me; perceive my reflection. Attend to my pleading voice, my King and God, because it is to You that I am praying!
יְֽהֹוָ֗ה בֹּ֭קֶר תִּשְׁמַ֣ע קוֹלִ֑י בֹּ֥קֶר אֶעֱרׇךְ־לְ֝ךָ֗ וַאֲצַפֶּֽה׃ כִּ֤י ׀ לֹ֤א אֵֽל־חָפֵ֘ץ רֶ֥שַׁע ׀ אָ֑תָּה לֹ֖א יְגֻרְךָ֣ רָֽע׃	It is dawn; YaH, hear my voice. Morning has come as I place my prayer before You, trusting that You will answer. I trust because You are not a god who fancies malice; evil does not abide with You.
לֹֽא־יִתְיַצְּב֣וּ ה֭וֹלְלִים לְנֶ֣גֶד עֵינֶ֑יךָ שָׂ֝נֵ֗אתָ כׇּל־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃ תְּאַבֵּד֮ דֹּבְרֵ֢י כָ֫זָ֥ב אִישׁ־דָּמִ֥ים וּמִרְמָ֗ה יְתָ֘עֵ֥ב ׀ יְהֹוָֽה׃	You don’t allow cruelty in Your Presence; You abhor the fomenting of violence. You bring about the ruin of crooks; You, YaH, detest a bloodthirsty person who is a deceiver.
וַאֲנִ֗י בְּרֹ֣ב חַ֭סְדְּךָ אָב֣וֹא בֵיתֶ֑ךָ אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה אֶל־הֵיכַל־קׇ֝דְשְׁךָ֗ בְּיִרְאָתֶֽךָ׃	In the abundance of Your Kindness, I enter Your Home; In awe, I bow deeply as I face Your Sacred Dwelling.
יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ נְחֵ֬נִי בְצִדְקָתֶ֗ךָ לְמַ֥עַן שׁוֹרְרָ֑י (הושר) [הַיְשַׁ֖ר] לְפָנַ֣י דַּרְכֶּֽךָ׃ כִּ֤י אֵ֪ין בְּפִ֡יהוּ נְכוֹנָה֮ קִרְבָּ֢ם הַ֫וּ֥וֹת קֶֽבֶר־פָּת֥וּחַ גְּרֹנָ֑ם לְ֝שׁוֹנָ֗ם יַחֲלִיקֽוּן׃ הַ֥אֲשִׁימֵ֨ם ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים יִפְּלוּ֮ מִֽמֹּעֲצ֢וֹתֵ֫יהֶ֥ם בְּרֹ֣ב פִּ֭שְׁעֵיהֶם הַדִּיחֵ֑מוֹ כִּי־מָ֥רוּ בָֽךְ׃	Please, YaH, entrain me in righteousness; make straight Your path before me, despite my detractors. They have nothing good to say; their morals are confused. Their throats are like an open pit; woe to the one who falls into it. God! Let them feel their guilt; Let them be caught in their own trap. Be rid of them, because they revolt against You.
וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ כׇל־ח֪וֹסֵי בָ֡ךְ לְעוֹלָ֣ם יְ֭רַנֵּנוּ וְתָסֵ֣ךְ עָלֵ֑ימוֹ וְֽיַעְלְצ֥וּ בְ֝ךָ֗ אֹהֲבֵ֥י שְׁמֶֽךָ׃ כִּֽי־אַתָּה֮ תְּבָרֵ֢ךְ צַ֫דִּ֥יק יְהֹוָ֑ה כַּ֝צִּנָּ֗ה רָצ֥וֹן תַּעְטְרֶֽנּוּ׃	Let all those who find refuge in You rejoice and sing forever. Those who love Your Name keep celebrating, because You bless the tsadiqim crowning them with dignity and shielding them.

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s translation of Psalms 5 was first published in Psalms in a Translation for Praying (Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Philadelphia: 2014), pp. 5-6. Reb Zalman was, in 2009, an early advocate of the Open Siddur Project and generously shared his liturgical and prayer work with the project following his vision of a common “Database Davvenen.” I have set his translation opposite the Masoretic Hebrew text of the psalm according to the phrasing he provided. –Aharon Varady

Notes

Notes
1	exact meaning uncertain

Courage to Withstand the Ridicule of the Worldly, a prayer by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan (1945)

Mordecai Kaplan — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 06:21:15 +0000

Contribute a translation	English
	Courage to Withstand the Ridicule of the Worldly Suggested by Psalms 4
	O God, when I strive to live in accord with your will, to deal honestly, to act kindly, to pursue justice and peace, I find but few to hearten me.
	Many are they who deride me and mock my ways.
	Grant me, O YHVH, the strength to resist the swirling eddy of worldly ambition that would suck me into the vortex of envy, struggle, and hate.
	Give me the courage to withstand the derision of those who sneer at virtue, lest my spirit be cowed.
	To those who, in their unbridled greed, take joy in hoarding riches and wielding dominion I would retort: O, ye fools, in vain ye seek to slake your thirst for wealth and power.
	Your discontent must grow with each new draft.
	All your scheming and all your lying will bring you naught but failure.
	You will yearn in vain for a moment of inner peace and for a sign of God’s approval.
	Not such is my lot; though my means be slender, and they who befriend me few, yet my cup overflows with happiness.
	The zest I have in life all your wealth can never yield.
	Peacefully I lay me down at night to sleep, in calm reliance on God’s blessed love.

“Courage to Withstand the Ridicule of the Worldly,” by Rabbi Mordecai Menaḥem Kaplan can be found on p. 433-4 of his The Sabbath Prayer Book (New York: The Jewish Reconstructionist Foundation, 1945). I have adapted the original text of this prayer, replacing “thy” with ‘your’ and “Lord” with ‘YHVH’. –Aharon N. Varady

tagged: lashon hara • the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶקְט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ

תהלים י״ב | Psalms 12, a mizmor by David translated by Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi

תהלים ה׳ | Psalms 5, a mizmor of David translated by Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi

Courage to Withstand the Ridicule of the Worldly, a prayer by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan (1945)

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