Prière Pour la Fête de Hanouka | Prayer for the Festival of Ḥanukkah, by Jonas Ennery & Rabbi Arnaud Aron (1848)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=48043

Date: 2022-12-21

Last Updated: 2022-12-21

Categories: Ḥanukkah

Tags: 19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., French Jewry, French vernacular prayer, teḥinot in French, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: This is the "Prière Pour la Fête de Hanouka" as found in אמרי לב Prières D’un Cœur Israélite, a collection of paraliturgical prayers and teḥinot in French by Jonas Ennery & Rabbi Arnaud Aron (Consistoire central israélite de France 1848/53). In the 1848 edition, the prayer can be found on pages 158-160. In the 1852 edition, on pages 401-403. . . .

Content:

Source (French)	Translation (English)
Prière Pour la Fête de Hanouka.	Prayer for the Festival of Ḥanukkah.
“Le regard du Seigneur veille sur ceux qui l’adorent, sur ceux qui espérent en sa bonté” (Ps. 33, 18).	“The eyes of the Lord watch over those who worship him, over those who hope in his goodness” (Psalms 33:18).
Être miséricordieux! tu as toujours été le protecteur, le bouclier d’Israël; tes nombreux miracles pour sauver nos pères de l’oppression et de la tyrannie attestent ton amour pour les descendants des patriarches. Souvent ils t’offensèrent, tu les châtias; mais ton indignation ne durait qu’un moment, et quand dans leur détresse ils revenaient de leurs égarements et imploraient ton assistance, tu venais à leur secours, et tu les délivrais de leur affliction.	You have always been the protector, the shield of Israel; your many miracles in saving our fathers from oppression and tyranny attest to your love for the descendants of the patriarchs. Often they offended you, you chastised them; but your indignation lasted only for a moment, and when in their distress they returned from their errors and implored your assistance, you came to their aid, and delivered them from their affliction.
C’est ainsi que la tradition révérée que nous ont léguée nos pères, raconte la délivrance de nos ancêtres des mains d’Antiochus.	This is how the revered tradition handed down to us by our fathers tells of the deliverance of our ancestors from the hands of Antiochus.
Ce roi de Syrie voulut les forcer à renoncer à leur Dieu, et à violer la loi que tu nous ordonnes de sanctifier. Irrité de la résistance glorieuse de nos ancêtres, ce prince que l’orgueil rendait insensé ne mit plus de frein à sa cruauté. Une foule de nos aïeux moururent en martyrs; l’impie n’épargna ni l’âge ni le sexe; des vieillards, des femmes, des enfants même périrent courageusement pour rester fidèles à la foi d’Israël. Antiochus semblait te défier, ô mon Dieu, jusque dans ton temple qu’il profana d’une main audacieuse et sacrilège.	This king of Syria wanted to force them to renounce their God, and to violate the law that you command us to sanctify. This prince, angered by the glorious resistance of our forefathers, and made foolish by his pride, no longer restrained his cruelty. Many of our forefathers died as martyrs; the godless man spared neither age nor sex; old men, women, and even children died bravely to remain faithful to the faith of Israel. Antiochus seemed to defy you, O God, even in your temple, which he profaned with a bold and sacrilegious hand.
C’est alors, Seigneur, que la confiance en ta divine Providence exalta le courage d’une petite troupe de fidèles, à la tête desquels se plaça l’héroïque famille sacerdotale des Machabées.	It was then, Lord, that confidence in your divine Providence aroused the courage of a small band of faithful, headed by the heroic priestly family of the Macabees.
Animés par ton amour, ô Seigneur, soutenus par la foi, ils attaquèrent et défirent l’innombrable armée des Syriens. Bientôt Israël victorieux rentra au chant des hymnes dans la résidence sacrée, purifia le temple profané, célébra la féte de la consécration par des cantiques, des actions de grâces, et ralluma le candélabre sacré.	Motivated by your love, O Lord, and sustained by faith, they attacked and defeated the innumerable army of the Syrians. Soon Israel, victorious, returned to the sacred residence with hymns, purified the desecrated temple, celebrated the feast of consecration with hymns and thanksgiving, and rekindled the sacred candelabra.
Le souvenir du triomphe de nos pères est conservé parmi nous par la solennité de ce jour. Quand nous voyons brûler les lumières consacrées, ce pieux souvenir se réveille Chaque année dans notre cœur, et fortifie notre confiance et notre espoir dans le Dieu de secours.	The memory of the triumph of our fathers is kept among us by the solemnity of this day. When we see the consecrated lights burning, this pious memory awakens in our hearts every year, and strengthens our trust and hope in the God of help.
Assiste, Seigneur, les enfants, ainsi que lu as assisté leurs pères, car tu es toujours le gardien d’Israël. Amen.	Help the children, Lord, as you helped their fathers, for you are always the guardian of Israel. Amen.

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This is the “Prière Pour la Fête de Hanouka” as found in אמרי לב Prières D’un Cœur Israélite, a collection of paraliturgical prayers and teḥinot in French by Jonas Ennery & Rabbi Arnaud Aron (Consistoire central israélite de France 1848/53). In the 1848 edition, the prayer can be found on pages 158-160. In the 1853 edition, on pages 401-403.

We welcome corrections and improvements. The transcription of the German from Latin script in Fraktur type provided machine-readable text for a machine translation by DeepL, which we then edited for accuracy and clarity. –Aharon Varady

Source(s)

 

 

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Aharon N. Varady (editing/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
• 
  Name: Arnaud Aron
  Bio: Arnaud Aron (March 11, 1807, in Sulz unterm Walde, Alsace – April 3, 1890), the Grand Rabbi of Strasbourg, began his Talmudic studies at an early age at Hagenau and continued them at Frankfort-on-the-Main. In 1830 he became rabbi of the small community of Hegenheim in Upper Alsace; and of Strasbourg in 1833. As he was under thirty, the age prescribed by law, he required a special dispensation to qualify for the office. In Strasbourg, Aron acquired the reputation of an eloquent and inspiring preacher and a zealous communal worker. He assisted in founding the School of Arts and Trades and took active interest in other useful institutions. In 1855 he convened an assembly of the rabbis of the department of the Lower Rhine for the consideration of religious questions. Aron was the author of the catechism used for confirmation as prescribed by the Consistory of Lower Alsace. In 1866 the French government acknowledged his services by appointing him a Knight of the Legion of Honor. In 1870, while Strasbourg was besieged, it was he, together with the archbishop, who raised the white flag on the cathedral. Subsequently he was decorated by the German emperor.
  Website:
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/arnaud-aron
• 
  Name: Jonas Ennery
  Bio: Jonas Ennery (Jan. 2, 1801, Nancy - May 19, 1863, Brussels) was a French deputy. He was for twenty-six years attached to the Jewish school of Strasbourg, of which he became the head. In collaboration with Hirth, he compiled a Dictionnaire Général de Géographie Universelle (4 vols., Strasburg, 1839–41), for which Cuvier wrote a preface. Soon afterward he published Le Sentier d'Israël, ou Bible des Jeunes Israélites (Paris, Metz, and Strasburg, 1843). At the request of the Société des Bons Livres he took part in the editorship of Prières d'un Cœur Israélite, which appeared in 1848. In 1849, despite anti-Jewish rioting in Alsace, Ennery was elected representative for the department of the Lower Rhine, and sat among the members of the "Mountain." He devoted his attention principally to scholastic questions. After the coup d'état he held to his socialist republican views and resisted the new order of things. For this, in 1852 he was exiled from France for life. He retired to Brussels, where he lived as a teacher until his death. Ennery's brother, Marchand Ennery, was the chief rabbi of Paris.
  Website:
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/jonas-ennery
• 
  Name: Consistoire central israélite de France
  Bio: The Consistoire central israélite de France (English: Israelite Central Consistory of France) is an institution originally created by Napoleon I by the Imperial Decree of 17 March 1808 to administer Jewish worship and congregations in France. Given Napoleon's political emancipation of the Jews, he wanted a representative body that could deal with his government. He also directed the establishment of regional Israelite Consistories, subordinate to the Central Consistory, across France and Italy. The consistories were ranked as établissements publics du culte (public-law corporations of worship). In its first year, the consistory was led by Rabbi David Sinzheim, who headed the Assembly of Notables and the Grand Sanhedrin that preceded it in organization.
  Website: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consistoire_central_israélite_de_France
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/consistoire-central-israelite-de-france

Featured Image:

Title: Prière Pour la Fête de Hanouka (Jonas Ennery and Arnaud Aron 1852) – cropped
Caption: Prière Pour la Fête de Hanouka (Jonas Ennery and Arnaud Aron 1852) - cropped