הֲלֹא אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי מָלֵא | Do not I fill heaven and earth? (Liqutei Tefilot I:7 part 1) by Reb Noson Sternhartz of Nemyriv (ca. 1820s), translated by Rabbi Morrison David Bial (1962)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=46655

Date: 2022-09-08

Last Updated: 2025-02-18

Categories: Shavuot

Tags: 19th century C.E., 56th century A.M., English Translation, Prayers for Praying, אנה אמצאך ana emtsaeka, חסידי ברצלב Ḥasidei Bratslav (Breslov)

Excerpt: “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” is a translation by Rabbi Morrison David Bial of a portion of Reb Nosson of Nemyriv's Liqutei Tefilot I:7.1, as adapted from the teachings of Rebbe Naḥman of Bratslav in Liqutei Moharan I:7.1. The translation was first published in his anthology, An Offering of Prayer (1962), p. 76, from where the English was transcribed. I have set this translation side-by-side with the Hebrew noting some elisions in Rabbi Bial's adaptation. --Aharon Varady . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
…כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב, אִם יִסָּתֵר אִישׁ בַּמִּסְתָּרִים וַאֲנִי לֹא אֶרְאֶנּוּ נְאֻם יְהֹוָה הֲלֹא אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי מָלֵא.	“Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24)
מָלֵא רַחֲמִים חָפֵץ לְהֵיטִיב, אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה לְבַד בָּרָאתָ עוֹלָמֶךָ, אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם, וְכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים אַלְפֵי אֲלָפִים וְרִבֵּי רְבָבוֹת עַד אֵין שִׁיעוּר וּמִסְפָּר, כְּדֵי לְגַלּוֹת אֱלָהוּתְךָ בָּעוֹלָם, כְּדֵי שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ לְהַכִּיר אוֹתְךָ בָּעוֹלָם הַשָּׁפָל הַזֶּה. כִּי אַתָּה טוֹב וּמֵטִיב לַכֹּל, וְרָצִיתָ לְהֵטִיב מִטּוּבְךָ לָנוּ, וּלְהַרְאוֹת לָנוּ רַחֲמָנוּתֶיךָ וַחֲנִינוֹתֶיךָ. עַל כֵּן בָּרָאתָ עוֹלָמְךָ בִּרְצוֹנְךָ הַטּוֹב, כְּדֵי שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לֵידַע וּלְהַכִּיר אוֹתְךָ, וְלַחֲזוֹת בְּנוֹעַם זִיוָךְ, אֲשֶׁר זֹאת [הִיא] הַטּוֹבָה הַגְּדוֹלָה שֶׁבְּכָל הַטּוֹבוֹת, טוֹבוֹת הָאֲמִתִּיּוֹת וְהַנִּצְחִיּוֹת,	Filled — with mercy and desiring to do good. For this alone hast Thou created Thy world, The heavens and the earth and all their hosts. That have neither count nor number: To reveal Thy divinity in the world, That through Thy mercies we may merit to recognize Thee in this humble world. For Thou art good and doest good to all. And Thou desirest in Thy goodness to do good unto us, … To be revealed in the brightness of Thy glory, Which is the greatest of all Thy benefits to us. The essential and necessary goodness.
וְאֵין שׁוּם טוֹבָה אַחֶרֶת בָּעוֹלָם כְּלָל. וְכָל הַטּוֹבוֹת וְכָל הַנִּסִּים וְנִפְלָאוֹת שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ עִם אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְעִמָּנוּ, וַאֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה עַתָּה עִמָּנוּ בְּכָל יוֹם וּבְכָל שָׁעָה, כֻּלָּם הֵם רַק בִּשְׁבִיל תַּכְלִית הַטּוֹב הַזֶּה כְּדֵי שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לֵידַע מִמְּךָ, אֲשֶׁר זֹאת הִיא הַתַּכְלִית שֶׁל כָּל הַטּוֹבוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם.	There is no other real good but this, That all the benefits and all the wonders Thou has performed for our fathers and us, And which Thou now performest day by day, All are really but signs of this greatest good: That we may merit to know Thee …
עַל כֵּן רַחֵם עָלֵינוּ אֲדוֹן כֹּל, וְתִקְבַּע אֱמוּנָתְךָ בְּלִבֵּנוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד, וְשַׂבְּעֵנוּ מִטּוּבֶךָ, וּתְזַכֵּנוּ לַחֲזוֹת בְּנוֹעַם זִיוָךְ. וְתַעֲזֹר לָנוּ בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לְפָנֶיךָ תְפִלּוֹתֵינוּ בְּכָל לֵב וָנֶפֶשׁ…	Therefore have mercy upon us, O Lord of all, And affix Thy faith in our hearts forever That we may merit to see the brightness of Thy glory. And help us in Thy mercies to pray before Thee with all our heart and soul.

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“Do not I fill heaven and earth?” is a translation by Rabbi Morrison David Bial of a portion of Reb Nosson of Nemyriv’s Liqutei Tefilot I:7.1, as adapted from the teachings of Rebbe Naḥman of Bratslav in Liqutei Moharan I:7.1. The translation was first published in his anthology, An Offering of Prayer (1962), p. 76, from where the English was transcribed. I have set this translation side-by-side with the Hebrew noting some elisions in Rabbi Bial’s adaptation with ellipses. –Aharon Varady

Source(s)

 

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Morrison David Bial
  Bio: Born in New York in 1917, Morrison David Bial studied at Princeton Theological Seminary, served as a chaplain at Mitchell Field during World War II, and was ordained from the Jewish Institute of Religion in 1945. Rabbi Bial spoke from pulpits in the United States as well as in Dublin, Glasgow, and London. He led a number of tours to Israel, and published thirteen books, including The Rabbi’s Bible: Torah and The Rabbi’s Bible: Prophets (began in 1966, co-authored with Solomon Simon), Liberal Judaism at Home: the Practices of Modern Reform Judaism (1971), and Your Jewish Child (1978). Rabbi Bial spent over thirty years serving Temple Sinai in Summit, New Jersey, from 1953 until he became Rabbi Emeritus in 1985. From 1985–1995, Rabbi Bial joined Temple Beth Shalom in Ocala, Florida, revitalizing its interfaith movement, and served as Rabbi Emeritus until his death in 2004.
  Website:
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/morrison-david-bial
• 
  Name: Noson Sternhartz of Nemyriv
  Bio: Nathan of Bratslav (January 22, 1780 – December 20, 1844), also known as Reb Noson, born Nathan Sternhartz in Nemyriv, was the chief disciple and scribe of Rebbe Naḥman of Bratslav, founder of the Bratslav stream of Ḥasidut. Reb Noson is credited with preserving, promoting and expanding the Breslov movement after the Rebbe's death. Rebbe Naḥman himself said, "Were it not for Reb Noson, not a page of my writings would have remained." (from his entry in Wikipedia)
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_of_Breslov
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/nathan-sternhartz
• 
  Name: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)
  Bio: 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.)
  Website: https://aharon.varady.net
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/aharon-varady-transcription

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Caption: "Cairngorm mountains, looking north, taken from the "Windy Ridge Path" to the Cairn Gorm summit, showing cumulus clouds" (credit: Oliver Arend, license: CC BY-SA)