אֲשׁוֹרֵר שִׁירָה | Ashorer Shirah, a piyyut in honor of the Torah by Ḥakham Raphael Baruch Toledano (ca. 20th c.)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=29744

Date: 2020-01-29

Last Updated: 2025-04-11

Categories: Shavuot, Shemini Atseret (and Simḥat Torah)

Tags: 20th century C.E., 57th century A.M., התורה the Torah, זמירות zemirot, Needing Source Images

Excerpt: A piyyut in honor of the Torah. . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
אֲשׁוֹרֵר שִׁירָה לִכְבוֹד הַתּוֹרָה מִפָּז יְקָרָה זַכָּה וּבָרָה	I will sing a song in honor of the Torah, Who is more precious than gold, clear and pure
תּוֹרָה תְּמִימָה נְעִימָה רַבָּה פֶּתִי מַחְכִּימָה עַיִן מְאִירָה	The perfect Torah is extremely pleasant Who makes the simpleton wise and brings light to all eyes
אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר עַל יִצְרוֹ גּוֹבֵר מֵישָׁרִים דּוֹבֵר בּוֹחֵר בַּתּוֹרָה	Fortunate is the one who rules over desire Who speaks justly and chooses the Torah
נֶאֱמָן שְׁמוֹ בּוֹחֵר בְּעַמּוֹ לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לִשְׁמוֹ אוּמָּה נִבְחֲרָה	God whose name is “Trustworthy” and who chose God’s people To be for Godself a chosen people
נִתְּנָה לָנוּ עַל יַד רוֹעֵנוּ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ בְּחִיר הָאֻמָּה	It was given to us by our shepherd Mosheh our teacher the chosen one of the people

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“Ashorer Shirah” was composed by Ḥakham Raphael Baruch Toledano (1890-1971), rabbi of Meknes, Morocco.

The English translation here by Honi Sanders was published in the birkon for his wedding, Siman l’Vanim (Dimus Parrhesia Press 2019). –Aharon Varady

Source(s)

 

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Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Honi Sanders (translation)
  Bio: Honi Sanders is a neuroscience researcher in Massachusetts. His family birkon, Siman l'Vanim, was published by Dimus Parrhesia Press in 2019.
  Website: https://cbmm.mit.edu/about/people/sanders
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/honi-sanders
• 
  Name: Raphael Barukh Toledano
  Bio: Rabbi Raphael Barukh Toledano (1890-1971), rabbi of Meknes, Morocco, immigrated to Israel in 1963. He worked to strengthen the tradition and identity of Moroccan Jews who immigrated to Israel.
  Website: https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/רפאל_ברוך_טולדנו
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/raphael-barukh-toledano
• 
  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

Featured Image:

Title: Sifrei Torah (Yossi Rosenstein)
Caption: Sifrei Torah (Yossi Rosenstein)