אֶת־אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ הוֹצֵֽאתָ | Et Avotenu Hotseta — a yotser for Pesaḥ Sheni, by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer • the Open Siddur Project

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., acrostic, Acrostic signature, Alphabetic Acrostic, אתבש atbash, יוצר אור yotser ohr, יוצרות yotsrot, פיוטים piyyuṭim

Excerpt: A yotser for Pesaḥ Sheni. Each stanza is written with a threefold acrostic — the first two lines in atbash, the third spelling "Yitsḥaq Har'el Ḥazaq," and the fourth a verse from Numbers 9. . . .

Content:

A yotser for Pesaḥ Sheni. Each stanza is written with a threefold acrostic — the first two lines in atbash, the third spelling “Yitsḥaq Har’el Ḥazaq,” and the fourth a verse from Numbers 9.

This is part one of a five-part series of yotsrot for Pesaḥ Sheni (which the author literally just finished the night of).

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם יוֹצֵ֥ר אוֹר֙ וּבוֹרֵ֣א חֹ֔שֶׁךְ עֹשֶׂ֥ה שָׁל֖וֹם וּב֣וֹרֵא אֶת־הַכֹּל:	Blessed are You, Cause our God, sovereign of existence, who crafts light and creates darkness, makes peace and creates all.
אוֹר עוֹלָם אוֹצַר חַיִּים אוֹרוֹת מֵאֹֽפֶל אָמַר וַיֶֽהִי׃	Eternal light, the vault of life; lights from the murk They said and it was.
אֶת־אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ הוֹצֵֽאתָ מִמִּצְרַֽיִם בִּתְנַאי תִּזְכֹּר אֶת־חֵרוּתְכֶם בִּזְמַנָּהּ לְפָנַי יִשְׂרָאֵל זִכְרוּ אֶת־מִצְוַת יְהֹוָה וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהֹוָ֣ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה בְמִדְבַּר־סִ֠ינַ֠י׃ (במדבר ט:א)	Our ancestors You brought from Egypt on condition: Remember your freedom at its time before Me! Israel remembered the commandment of the Cause. And the Cause said to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai… (Numbers 9:1)
בְּחֶֽבֶל חוֹרֵב לָמַֽדְנוּ אֶת־הַנֻּסָּח שֶׁעַל־אָבִֽינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׂדֶה הוּא שָׂח צִדְקָתוֹ לְהִוָּלֶד בְּיוֹם שָׁמוּר וְלֹא־מֻסָּח וְיַעֲשׂ֧וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶת־הַפָּ֖סַח׃ (במדבר ט:ב)	In the borders of Ḥorev we learned the custom of which our ancestor who conversed in the field^[1] Isaac, who was said by the rabbis (Rosh haShanah 11a) to have been born on Pesaḥ merited to be born on the day guarded and unmovable. And the children of Israel will keep the pesaḥ. (Numbers 9:2)
גָּר וְאֶזְרָח בֹּֽאוּ לִפְנֵי הָאָיֹם רָאוֹ יֵרָאֶה בְּמוֹעֵד הַפִּדְיוֹם חָתוּם וְקָבֽוּעַ לְהַלֵּל בְּאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם בְּאַרְבָּעָ֣ה עָשָֽׂר־י֠וֹם׃ (במדבר ט:ג)	Immigrant and native-born, come before the Awesome One! One will be seen, seen, on the season of redemption. Signed and ordained to praise on that very day, on the fourteenth day. (Numbers 9:3)
דַּרְשָׁן הַתּוֹרָה לָעָם חָבִיב־אֵל קָרָא לְכׇל־עֲדַת אֲרִיאֵל קְהַל יְשֻׁרוּן אֶת־מַאֲמַר אִמְרַת־אֵל וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל׃ (במדבר ט:ד)	The preacher of Torah to the God-beloved people called to the congregation of Ariel, the community of Jeshurun, the words of God’s word. And Moses spoke to the children of Israel. (Numbers 9:4)
הַנִּבְחָרִים מִכׇּל־עַם וְלָשׁוֹן צוֹפֵי מַעֲבַר נַחְשׁוֹן הֵם שָׁמְרוּ לֵיל שִׁמּוּר כְּאִישׁוֹן וַיַּעֲשׂ֣וּ אֶת־הַפֶּ֡סַח בָּרִאשׁ֡וֹן (במדבר ט:ה)	Those chosen from every people and tongue, who gazed upon Naḥshon’s crossing,^[2] Sotah 37a. Naḥshon is said to have entered the Reed Sea first. kept the night guarded as one’s own pupil, and they did the Pesaḥ in the first month. (Numbers 9:5)
וָתִיקִים זָכְרוּ כְּמַתְאִים פִּעְנַח הַיּוֹצֵא מִבֵּית כְּלָאִים רָבְצָה שְׁבוּעָתוֹ עַל־הַנִּקְרָאִים וַיְהִ֣י אֲנָשִׁ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָי֤וּ טְמֵאִים֙ (במדבר ט:ו)	Elders remembered, as befitting, the interpreter^[3] Joseph. According to Sukkah 25a, the impure men whose petition led to the establishment of Pesaḥ Sheni were the bearers of Joseph’s coffin. Joseph made Israel swear an oath to bury his bones in the land. who went out from the prison-house; laying his oath upon the called. And there were men who were impure. (Numbers 9:6)
זוֹכְרֵי הַבְּרִית לְקׇבְרוֹ בַּאֲדָמָה עָמְדוּ לִפְנֵי בֶּן עֶֽשֶׂר אַמָּה אֲרוֹן הַצַּדִּיק נָשָׂאנוּ בַּשְּׁמָמָה וַ֠יֹּאמְר֠וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֤ים הָהֵ֙מָּה֙ (במדבר ט:ז)	Those who remembered the covenant to bury him in the land stood before the ten-cubit man^[4] Moses — Berakhot 54b — “The coffin of the righteous one we bore in the wastes!” And these men said… (Numbers 9:7)
חָלִֽילָה לְךָ מוֹרֶה הַדֵּעָה סַרְסוּר בֵּין מָרוֹם וְהָאֻמָּה הַיְּדוּעָה לְהַדִּירֵנוּ עַל־שְׁמִירַת הַשְּׁבוּעָה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֖ם מֹשֶׁ֑ה עִמְד֣וּ וְאֶשְׁמְעָ֔ה (במדבר ט:ח)	“Far be it from you, teacher of knowledge, intermediary between on High and the known nation, to exclude us for keeping the oath!” And Moses said to them, “Stand and I will listen.” (Numbers 9:8)
טֻמְּאוּ אָמַר הַמַּרְכִּיב עַל־חֲמוֹר נָאַֽמְתָּ הִטָּהֲרוּ לָשִׁיר לִי מִזְמוֹר חָמַק וְעָבַר הָאָבִיב קָחֵם אֶל־הַר הַמֹּר וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (במדבר ט:ט)	“They were defiled!” said the one who set others on a donkey.^[5] Moses — Exodus 4:20 “You declared, purify to sing Me a psalm! The spring has passed and gone; take them to the Mount of Myrrh!^[6] The Temple, a purposeful anachronism. ” And the Cause spoke to Moses and said… (Numbers 9:9)
יַֽעַן כִּי לְהַלֵּל לַקָּדוֹשׁ הוּא צָמֵא מִכָּאן שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם עַד הַיּוֹם הַדּוֹמֶה זַכִּים וּטְהֹרִים לֹא יַעֲלוּ בַּהוֹמֶה אִ֣ישׁ אִ֣ישׁ כִּי־יִהְיֶֽה־טָמֵ֣א׃ (במדבר ט:י)	Since he thirsts to praise the Holy One, from here, thirty days until the similar day. The clean and pure will not go up with the crowds — each man, be he impure. (Numbers 9:10)
כָּתוּב בְּדִבְרֵי חֹק הָאֵל הָאָיֹם לַחְגֹּג אִם־בְּצֹֽרֶךְ אַחֲרֵי שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם קַֽמָּא כִּי כְּבָֽתְרָא הוּא חַג הַפִּדְיוֹם בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֜י בְּאַרְבָּעָ֨ה עָשָׂ֥ר י֛וֹם׃ (במדבר ט:יא)	Written in the words of the law of the Awesome God, to celebrate — be it necessary — after thirty days. The latter is like the former as a holiday of redemption, in the second month on the fourteenth day. (Numbers 9:11)
קָדוֹשׁ׃	Holy!

Notes

Notes
1	Isaac, who was said by the rabbis (Rosh haShanah 11a) to have been born on Pesaḥ
2	Sotah 37a. Naḥshon is said to have entered the Reed Sea first.
3	Joseph. According to Sukkah 25a, the impure men whose petition led to the establishment of Pesaḥ Sheni were the bearers of Joseph’s coffin. Joseph made Israel swear an oath to bury his bones in the land.
4	Moses — Berakhot 54b
5	Moses — Exodus 4:20
6	The Temple, a purposeful anachronism.