Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=51581
open_content_license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft licenseDate: 2023-06-12
Last Updated: 2023-06-12
Categories: Arvit l'Shabbat, Morning Baqashot
Tags: 15th century C.E., 19th century C.E., 53rd century A.M., 57th century A.M., doctrinal, statements of belief, יגדל yigdal, פיוטים piyyutim
Excerpt: This is the philosophical-creed-as-piyyut, Yigdal, by Daniel ben Judah Dayyan. Yigdal means “Magnify [O Living God]” and is based on the 13 Articles of Faith formulated by Maimonides (1135-1204). Daniel ben Judah spent eight years improving his piyyut, completing Yigdal in 1404. This was not the only metrical presentment of the 13 Articles of Faith; but it has outlived all others, whether in Hebrew or in the vernacular. The English translation here by Israel Zangwill was transcribed from Arthur Davis & Herbert Adler's מַחֲזוֹר עֲבֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד: עֲבֹדַת חַג הַכִּפּוּרִים Maḥzor Avodat Ohel Moed: Avodat Yom haKippurim Part II: Morning Service (1904), p. 2. . . .
Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
---|---|
יִגְדַּל אֱלֹהִים חַי וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח
נִמְצָא וְאֵין עֵת אֶל מְצִיאוּתוֹ׃ |
1. The living God O magnify and bless,
Transcending Time and here eternally. |
אֶחָד וְאֵין יָחִיד כְּיִחוּדוֹ
נֶעְלָם וְגַם אֵין סוֹף לְאַחְדּוּתוֹ׃ |
2. One Being, yet unique in unity;
A mystery of Oneness measureless. |
אֵין לוֹ דְמוּת הַגּוּף וְאֵינוֹ גּוּף
לֹא נַעֲרֹךְ אֵלָיו קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ׃ |
3. Lo I form or body He has none, and man
No semblance of His holiness can frame. |
קַדְמוֹן לְכָל דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר נִבְרָא
רִאשׁוֹן וְאֵין רֵאשִׁית לְרֵאשִׁיתוֹ׃ |
4. Before Creation’s dawn He was the same;
The first to be, though never He began. |
הִנּוֹ אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם לְכָל נוֹצָר
יוֹרֶה גְּדֻלָּתוֹ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ׃ |
5. He is the world’s and every creature’s Lord;
His rule and majesty are manifest, |
שֶׁפַע נְבוּאָתוֹ נְתָנוֹ
אֶל אַנְשֵׁי סְגֻלָּתוֹ וְתִפְאַרְתּוֹ׃ |
6. And through His chosen, glorious sons exprest
In prophecies that through their lips are poured. |
לֹא קָם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה עוֹד
נָבִיא וּמַבִּיט אֶת תְּמוּנָתוֹ׃ |
7. Yet never like to Moses rose a seer,
Permitted glimpse behind the veil divine. |
תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת נָתַן לְעַמּוֹ אֵל
עַל יַד נְבִיאוֹ נֶאֱמַן בֵּיתוֹ׃ |
8. This faithful prince of God’s prophetic line
Received the Law of Truth for Israel’s ear. |
לֹא יַחֲלִיף הָאֵל וְלֹא יָמִיר דָּתוֹ
לְעוֹלָמִים לְזוּלָתוֹ׃ |
9. The Law God gave He never will amend,
Nor ever by another Law replace. |
צוֹפֶה וְיוֹדֵעַ סְתָרֵינוּ
מַבִּיט לְסוֹף דָּבָר בְּקַדְמָתוֹ׃ |
10. Our secret things are spread before His face;
In all beginnings He beholds the end. |
גּוֹמֵל לְאִישׁ חָסִיד כְּמִפְעָלוֹ
נוֹתֵן לְרָשָׁע רָע כְּרִשְׁעָתוֹ׃ |
11. The saint’s reward He measures to his need,
The sinner reaps the harvest of his ways. |
יִשְׁלַח לְקֵץ יָמִים מְשִׁיחֵנוּ
לִפְדּוֹת מְחַכֵּי קֵץ יְשׁוּעָתוֹ׃ |
12. Messiah He will send at end of days,
And all the faithful to salvation lead. |
מֵתִים יְחַיֶּה אֵל בְּרֹב חַסְדּוֹ
בָּרוּךְ עֲדֵי עַד שֵׁם תְּהִלָּתוֹ׃ |
13. God will the dead again to life restore
In His abundance of almighty love. |
|
Then blessed be His Name, all names above,
And let His praise resound for evermore. |
This is the philosophical-creed-as-piyyut, Yigdal, by Daniel ben Judah Dayyan. Yigdal means “Magnify [O Living God]” and is based on the 13 Articles of Faith formulated by Maimonides (1135-1204). Daniel ben Judah spent eight years improving his piyyut, completing Yigdal in 1404. This was not the only metrical presentment of the 13 Articles of Faith; but it has outlived all others, whether in Hebrew or in the vernacular. The English translation here by Israel Zangwill was transcribed from Arthur Davis & Herbert Adler’s מַחֲזוֹר עֲבֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד: עֲבֹדַת חַג הַכִּפּוּרִים Maḥzor Avodat Ohel Moed: Avodat Yom haKippurim Part II: Morning Service (1904), p. 2.
Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)
Co-authors:
Featured Image:
Title: yigdal (Israel Zangwill 1904) – cropped
Caption: yigdal (Israel Zangwill 1904) - cropped