Note: “The CAUSE” is used to translate the Divine Name YHVH, based on the philosophical idea of God as the Prime Mover and on the interpretation of the Name as a causative form of the copula – “causes to be.”
| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
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אֲבָרֵךְ לְמַלְכִּי
בְּנֹעַם חִכִּי גּוֹי קָדוֹשׁ הַמְלִיכִי דָּתוֹ בְּסִינַי חַנְּכִי וְהַשְּׁמִיעִי אָנֹכִי הֵן לָעַד נְיַחֶלָךְ וּבַכֹּל נְהַלֶּלָךְ זִיהַרְתָּנוּ זָר לֹא יִהְיֶה לָךְ חָנַנְתָּנוּ בְּמִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה נַקְרִיב לָךְ כַּכָּתוּב — וּבְי֣וֹם הַבִּכּוּרִ֗ים בְּהַקְרִ֨יבְכֶ֜ם מִנְחָ֤ה חֲדָשָׁה֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה בְּשָׁבֻעֹ֖תֵיכֶ֑ם מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֽׂוּ׃ (במדבר כח:כו) וְנֶאֱמַר — פּוֹתֵ֥חַ אֶת־יָדֶ֑ךָ וּמַשְׂבִּ֖יעַ לְכׇל־חַ֣י רָצֽוֹן׃ (תהלים קמה:טז) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַזָּן אֶת־הַכֹּל׃ |
I will bless my Sovereign
With the sweetness of my palate Holy nation, acknowledge as sovereign! God’s law at Sinai teach me, and make me hear! Aye, forever, we will hope in You And in all, we will praise You You warned us: Thou shalt not have a foreign god You graced us with a new gift-offering we will give to You As it is written: “And on the day of the first-fruits, when you offer a new gift-offering to the CAUSE, in your Weeks, a holy event you shall have, no laborious work shall you do.”[1] Numbers 28:26. And it is said: “You open up Your hand and satiate all life as willed.”[2] Psalm 145:16. Blessed are You, CAUSE, who feeds all. |
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טוֹבִים אֳמָרֶיךָ וּבָם נִתְעַלְּסָה
יָהּ מִמָּרוֹם עָלֵינוּ חוּסָה כְּפָצִיתָ בַּסִּינַי לֹא תִּשָּׂא לְשָׁוְאוֹ שֵׁם אֵל רָם וְנָשָׂא מִמָּרוֹם הִשְׁמַעְתָּנוּ אָיֹם נֹעַם זָכוֹר אֶת־יוֹם סוֹבְלֶיךָ לִמְאוֹד תְּכַבֵּד עַל אֶרֶץ דָּת וּבְרִית תַּתָּה מִצְוַת כָּבֵד כַּכָּתוּב — כַּבֵּ֣ד אֶת־יְ֭הֹוָה מֵהוֹנֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מֵרֵאשִׁ֗ית כׇּל־תְּבוּאָתֶֽךָ׃ (משלי ג:ט) וְנֶאֱמַר — וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבֵֽרַכְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ עַל־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לָֽךְ׃ (דברים ח:י) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה עַל הָאָרֶץ וְעַל הַמָּזוֹן׃ |
Good are Your sayings and in them we will have pleasure.
O SOURCE on High, have mercy on us! Just as You proclaimed on Sinai, “Do not take in its vain the name of the High and Exalted God.” From on High You, Awesome One, made us hear, The sweetness of “Remember the day…” You bore us to greatness, You are honored. For the land of law and covenant You gave the the commandment of “honor…” As it is written: “Honor the CAUSE with your property, with the first of all your crop.”[3] Proverbs 3:9. And it is said: “And you shall eat and you shall be sated and you shall bless the CAUSE your God for the good land given you.”[4] Deuteronomy 8:10. Blessed are You, CAUSE, for the land and for the food. |
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פֹּעַל בִּדְמוּת לֹא תִּרְצָח
צִוָּה וְהִזְהִיר דּוֹדִי צַח קָצַף מִמְּךָ הִרְחִיק וְאַף רָם נָם וּבְחֵיק נָכְרִיָּה לֹא תִּנְאָף שׇׁרְשָׁךְ לָעַד יָנוּב אִם לֹא תִּגְנֹב שָׁוְא לֹא תַּעֲנֶה וְרָעָה אֵלֶיךָ לֹא תְּאֻנֶּה תִּתְאַוֶּה אִם לֹא תַּחְמֹד וְתֵהָנֶה וְעִם עוֹלָה רְגָלִים תִּמְנֶה כַּכָּתוּב — שָׁל֣וֹשׁ פְּעָמִ֣ים ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֡ה יֵרָאֶ֨ה כׇל־זְכוּרְךָ֜ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י ׀ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ בַּמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִבְחָ֔ר בְּחַ֧ג הַמַּצּ֛וֹת וּבְחַ֥ג הַשָּׁבֻע֖וֹת וּבְחַ֣ג הַסֻּכּ֑וֹת וְלֹ֧א יֵרָאֶ֛ה אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה רֵיקָֽם׃ (דברים ט: טז) וְנֶאֱמַר – בּוֹנֵ֣ה יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֣ם יְהֹוָ֑ה נִדְחֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל יְכַנֵּֽס׃ (תהלים קמז:ב) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה בּוֹנֶה בְרַחֲמָיו יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אָמֵן׃ |
A deed in the form of “You shall not murder”
Commanded and clarified my ruddy beloved Enraged at us, withdrawing and angry, The High declared: “And in the lap of a foreigner you shall not commit adultery. Your root will eternally flourish if you do not steal. Do not testify falsely and evil will not be caused you. What you desire, if you do not covet it, you will enjoy, And with a whole-burnt festival offering you will count.” As it is written: “Three times in the year all your men will be seen before the face of the CAUSE your God in the place God chooses: on the festival of Flatbread, the festival of Weeks, and the festival of Shelters; and you shall not be seen before the CAUSE your GOD empty-handed.”[5] Deuteronomy 16:16. And it is said: “Rebuilder of Jerusalem is the CAUSE, who gathers the exiles of Israel.” Blessed are You, CAUSE, who mercifully rebuilds Jerusalem, amen. |
This is a reconstruction of a liturgy for a Birkat haMazon for Shavuot witnessed in the Cairo Geniza fragment T-S H6.37 (page 4, recto and verso).
Source(s)
Cairo Geniza fragment T-S H6.37 (4r) Cairo Geniza fragment T-S H6.37 (4v)
