tagged: שכינה Shekhinah • the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶקְט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ

מי ששכנה… היא תשכן עמנו | Mē She’shakhna… Hē Tishkon Imanu – a plea for the Divine Presence to dwell with us in the name of Biblical Women, by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer

Contributor(s):

There is a famous Seliḥot prayer where each of its lines has this structure: “May He who answered ___________, may he answer us.” The blank refers to assorted Biblical figures who faced great challenges, ranging from Avraham the Patriarch to Ezra the Scribe. The traditional list is also VERY male-focused, with the standard text only listing Esther from all the great Biblical women. This is a shame, and many have tried to remedy this. I have found myself under the opinion that all these remedies have a fault – they attempt to combine the original text with the new text. This means either the original text is shortened, or the full text is far too long. As well, the structure is very male-oriented as well, appealing to God’s male side and only using grammatically male language. . . .

אֶחָד | One, a song by Harry Nilsson (1967)

Contributor(s):

Harry Nilsson and Aharon N. Varady (translation)

A Hebrew translation of the lyrics to Harry Nilsson’s “One” (1967) as sung by Aimee Mann (1995) . . .

הַכְנִיסִינִי תַּחַת כְּנָפֵךְ | Take Me Under Your Wing, by Ḥayyim Naḥman Bialik (1905)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription), Ruth Nevo (translation), the Ben Yehuda Project (transcription) and Ḥayyim Naḥman Bialik

The prayer-poem, “Take Me Under Your Wing” (1905) by Ḥayyim Naḥman Bialik. . . .

Prinzessin Sabbat | Princess Shabbat, by Heinrich Heine (1851)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription), Margaret Armour (translation) and Heinrich Heine

“Prinzessin Sabbat” by Heinrich Heine, in Romanzero III: Hebraeische Melodien, (“Princess Shabbat,” in Romanzero III, Hebrew Melodies.), 1851 was translated into English by Margaret Armour (1860-1943), The Works of Heinrich Heine vol. 12: Romancero: Book III, Last Poems (1891). We have replaced “schalet” (unchanged in Armour’s translation) with cholent. . . .

אֲדוֹן הַכֹּל | Adon haKol, a piyyut by Rabbi Shalom Shabazi (ca. 17th c.)

Contributor(s):

Adam Zagoria-Moffet (translation) and Shalom ben Yosef ben Avigad Shabazi

The piyyut, “Adon haKol” by Rabbi Shalom Shabazi . . .

מימיני מיכאל | “Mikhael is on my right,” an apotropaic invocation of angelic protection in the Bedtime Shema from the Maḥzor Vitry (ca. 11th c.)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (translation), Dan Levene, Dalia Marx and Simḥah ben Shmuel of Vitry

An “angels on all sides” formula included with the Bedtime Shema service in the Maḥzor Vitry. . . .

כשיוצא אדם בלילה | When a person goes out at night: an apotropaic invocation of angelic protection in the Seder Rav Amram Gaon (ca. 9th c.)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (translation), Dan Levene, Dalia Marx and Amram Ben Rav Sheshna

An apotropaic prayer of protection for traveling at night containing an “angels on all sides” formula. . . .

מִימִינִי מִיכָאֵל | “Mikhael is on my right,” the angelic invocation for divine protection from the Ḳriyat Shema al haMitah

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription) and Unknown Author(s)

The “angels on all sides” formula included with the Bedtime Shema service in many contemporary siddurim. . . .

גבריאל מימינהון | “Gavriel is on the right,” an apotropaic invocation of angelic protection in the amulet bowl SD12 (ca. mid-first millennium C.E.)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (translation), Dan Levene and Dalia Marx

The text and translation of an amulet bowl discussed in “‘Gabriel is on their Right’: Angelic Protection in Jewish Magic and Babylonian Lore” by Dan Levene, Dalia Marx, and Siam Bharyo in Studia Mesopotamica (Band 1: 2014) pp.185-198. The apotropaic ward found in the amulet bowl, SD 12, contains an “angels on all sides” formula similar to that appearing in the Jewish liturgy of the bedtime shema. . . .

בִּרְכַּת הַקֶּשֶׁת | the Blessing upon observing a Rainbow (with art by Ilene Winn-Lederer)

Contributor(s):

Ilene Winn-Lederer, Aharon N. Varady and Unknown Author(s)

The prescribed rabbinic blessing upon observing the meteorological phenomena of a rainbow, together with exceptional art inspired by early rabbinic midrash. . . .