תהלים קמ״ט | Psalms 149, translated by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=20984

Date: 2018-08-03

Last Updated: 2025-02-05

Categories: Tehilim Book 5 (Psalms 107–150), Psalms 149

Tags: bigotry, Daily Hallel, devotional interpretation, interpretive translation, Psalms 149, rebuke, הללו־יה hallelu-yah, חסידים ḥassidim, פסוקי דזמרה pesuqei dezimrah, תוכחות tokheḥot

Excerpt: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z”l, included his translation of Psalms 149 in his Siddur Tehillat Hashem Yidaber Pi (2009). . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ ׀ שִׁ֣ירוּ לַֽ֭יהוָה שִׁ֣יר חָדָ֑שׁ תְּ֝הִלָּת֗וֹ בִּקְהַ֥ל חֲסִידִֽים׃ יִשְׂמַ֣ח יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל בְּעֹשָׂ֑יו בְּנֵֽי־צִ֝יּ֗וֹן יָגִ֥ילוּ בְמַלְכָּֽם׃ יְהַֽלְל֣וּ שְׁמ֣וֹ בְמָח֑וֹל בְּתֹ֥ף וְ֝כִנּ֗וֹר יְזַמְּרוּ־לֽוֹ׃ כִּֽי־רוֹצֶ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה בְּעַמּ֑וֹ יְפָאֵ֥ר עֲ֝נָוִ֗ים בִּישׁוּעָֽה׃ יַעְלְז֣וּ חֲסִידִ֣ים בְּכָב֑וֹד יְ֝רַנְּנ֗וּ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָֽם׃ רוֹמְמ֣וֹת אֵ֭ל בִּגְרוֹנָ֑ם וְחֶ֖רֶב פִּֽיפִיּ֣וֹת בְּיָדָֽם׃ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת נְ֭קָמָה בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם תּֽ֝וֹכֵחֹ֗ת בַּל־אֻמִּֽים׃ לֶאְסֹ֣ר מַלְכֵיהֶ֣ם בְּזִקִּ֑ים וְ֝נִכְבְּדֵיהֶ֗ם בְּכַבְלֵ֥י בַרְזֶֽל׃	Hallelu-Yah! Sing a brand new song to Yah. This, is how he is celebrated Among the Ḥassidim. Yisrael, is happy Knowing his Maker. Tsiyyon’s children, Delight in their King. Dancing, they chant his Name, Making rhythm, With drums and strings. Yah, loves his people. The self-effacing, Can count on him for help. Ḥassidim, savor His awesome Presence. Even on their bed, they hum his praises. They exalt God, in inner speech. Such praise is a potent weapon, Repelling antagonists, Scolding bigots, To immobilize their commanders, And arrest their agitators.
לַעֲשׂ֤וֹת בָּהֶ֨ם ׀	Rebuke them, as they deserve!
מִשְׁפָּ֬ט כָּת֗וּב הָדָ֣ר ה֭וּא לְכָל־חֲסִידָ֗יו הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃	All this, because God’s Ḥassidim Gives honor to him in splendor. Hallelu-Yah!

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Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z”l, included his translation of Psalms 149 in his Siddur Tehillat Hashem Yidaber Pi (2009). To the best of my ability, I have set his English translation side-by-side with the Hebrew verses comprising Psalms 149. I have replaced some anglicizations and removed capitalization for divine pronouns. –Aharon N. Varady

Source(s)

Contributor: Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (translation)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (translation)
  Bio: Rabbi Dr. Zalman Meshullam Schachter-Shalomi, affectionately known as "Reb Zalman" (28 August 1924 – 3 July 2014) was one of the founders of the Jewish Renewal movement. Born in Żółkiew, Poland (now Ukraine) and raised in Vienna, he was interned in detention camps under the Vichy Regime but managed to flee the Nazi advance, emigrating to the United States in 1941. He was ordained as an Orthodox rabbi in 1947 within the ḤaBaD Hasidic movement while under the leadership of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, and served ḤaBaD communities in Massachusetts and Connecticut. He subsequently earned an M.A. in psychology of religion at Boston University, and a doctorate from the Hebrew Union College. He was initially sent out to speak on college campuses by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, but in the early 1960s, after experimenting with "the sacramental value of lysergic acid", the main ingredient in LSD, leadership within ḤaBaD circles cut ties with him. He continued teaching the Torah of Ḥassidut until the end of his life to creative, free and open-minded Jewish thinkers with humility and kindness and established warm ecumenical ties as well. In September 2009, he became the first contributor of a siddur to the Open Siddur Project database of Jewish liturgy and related work. Reb Zalman supported the Open Siddur Project telling its founder, "this is what I've been looking forward to!" and sharing among many additional works of liturgy, an interview he had with Havurah magazine in the early to mid-1980s detailing his vision of "Database Davenen." The Open Siddur Project is proud to be realizing one of Reb Zalman's long held dreams.
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalman_Schachter-Shalomi
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/zalman-schachter-shalomi-translation
• 
  Name: Unknown Author(s)
  Bio: Sometimes the best we can do in attributing a historical work is to indicate the period and place it was written, the first prayer book it may have been printed in, or the archival collection in which the manuscript was found. We invite the public to help to attribute all works to their original composers. If you know something not mentioned in the commentary offered, please leave a comment or contact us.
  Website:
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/unknown
• 
  Name: the Masoretic Text
  Bio: The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the Tanakh for Karaite and Rabbinic Judaism. It was primarily copied, edited and distributed by a group of Jews known as the Masoretes between the 7th and 10th centuries CE. The Masoretic Text defines the Jewish canon and its precise letter-text, with its vocalization and accentuation known as the Masorah.
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masoretic_Text
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/mesorah

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