יִגְדַּל מֻתְקָן | Yigdal (adapted), by Havurat Shalom (2014/2022)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=52598

Date: 2023-09-07

Last Updated: 2025-03-27

Categories: Morning Baqashot, Arvit l'Shabbat

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., statements of belief, יגדל yigdal, פיוטים piyyuṭim

Excerpt: This adaptation of Yigdal, appears in מַחְזוֹר בִּרְכַּת שָׁלוֹם Maḥzor Birkat Shalom, an egalitarian Rosh haShanah & Yom Kippur maḥzor (Havurat Shalom 2014/2022), at the end of the Maariv service, pp. 62-63. . . .

Content:

Yigdal is a poetic summary of Maimonides’ thirteen articles of Jewish faith. Disputes about the validity of these articles of faith are as old as the articles themselves.

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Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
יִגְדַּל אֱלֹהִים חַי וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח, נִמְצָא וְאֵין עֵת אֶל מְצִיאוּתוֹ.	The Living God is ever-growing and praiseworthy. God is eternally present, God’s existence is timeless.
אֶחָד וְאֵין יָחִיד כְּיִחוּדוֹ, נֶעְלָם וְגַם אֵין סוֹף לְאַחְדּוּתוֹ.	God is One, unique in Oneness; God’s Oneness is mysterious and endless.
אֵין לוֹ דְמוּת הַגּוּף וְאֵינוֹ גּוּף, לֹא נַעֲרֹךְ אֵלָיו קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ.	God has no body, nor image of a body. Nothing compares with God’s holiness.
קַדְמוֹן לְכׇל־דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר נִבְרָא, רִאשׁוֹן וְאֵין רֵאשִׁית לְרֵאשִׁיתוֹ.	God preceded all created things. There is no beginning but God’s.
הִנּוֹ אֶֽדֶן עוֹלָם, וְכׇל־נוֹצָר יוֹרֶה גְּדֻלָּתוֹ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ.	God is the Foundation of the world. Every creature teaches God’s greatness and unity.
שֶֽׁפַע נְבוּאָתוֹ נְתָנוֹ אֶל אַנְשֵׁי סְגֻלָּתוֹ וְתִפְאַרְתּוֹ.	God has given abundant prophecy to seers reflecting God’s extraordinary beauty.
לֹא קָם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה עוֹד נָבִיא וּמַבִּיט אֶת־תְּמוּנָתוֹ.	No prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whose vision touched the Ultimate.
תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת נָתַן לְעַמּוֹ אֵל, עַל יַד נְבִיאוֹ נֶאֱמַן בֵּיתוֹ.	God gave Israel Torah, for us to discern truth; it was given through Moses, God’s faithful prophet.
לֹא יַחֲלִיף הָאֵל וְלֹא יָמִיר דָּתוֹ לְעוֹלָמִים לְזוּלָתוֹ.	God will never alter essential truths: they are in the fabric of the universe.
צוֹפֶה וְיוֹדֵֽעַ סְתָרֵֽינוּ, מַבִּיט לְסוֹף דָּבָר בְּקַדְמָתוֹ.	God knows our hidden thoughts and feelings. God foresees the outcome from the onset.
שׁוֹמֵר לְעוֹשֶׂה חֶֽסֶד תְּמִימוּת נַּפְשׁוֹ, נוֹתֵן לְעוֹשֶׂה רָע יַד לִתְשׁוּבָתוֹ.	God protects the integrity of the righteous’ soul, and gives a helping hand for evildoers to repent.
יִשְׁלַח לְקֵץ יָמִין מְשִׁיחֵֽנוּ, לִפְדּוֹת מְחַכֵּי קֵץ יְשׁוּעָתוֹ.	God will send redemption at the end of days to free those longing to be saved.
מֵתִים יְחַיֶּה אֵל בְּרֹב חַסְדּוֹ, בָּרוּךְ עֲדֵי עַד שֵׁם תְּהִלָּתוֹ׃	With great love, God will restore life to the dead. Endless blessings and praise to You, God.

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This adaptation of Yigdal, appears in מַחְזוֹר בִּרְכַּת שָׁלוֹם Maḥzor Birkat Shalom, an egalitarian Rosh haShanah & Yom Kippur maḥzor (Havurat Shalom 2014/2022), at the end of the Maariv service, pp. 62-63.

The original 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.

Source(s)

 

Contributor: the Ḥavurat Shalom Siddur Project

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: the Ḥavurat Shalom Siddur Project
  Bio: Ḥavurat Shalom is a small egalitarian ḥavurah in Somerville, Massachusetts. Founded in 1968, it is not affiliated with the major Jewish denominations. Ḥavurat Shalom was the first countercultural Jewish community and set the precedent for the national ḥavurah movement. Founded in 1968, it was also significant in the development of the Jewish renewal movement and Jewish feminism. Originally intended to be an "alternative seminary", instead it evolved into a "model ḥavurah." Founders and members of Ḥavurat Shalom have included Edward Feld, Merle Feld, Michael Fishbane, Everett Gendler, Arthur Green, Barry Holtz, Gershon Hundert, James Kugel, Alfred A. Marcus, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Jim Sleeper, Michael Strassfeld, and Arthur Waskow. Historian Jonathan Sarna has noted that among these members were "the people who would be leading figures in Jewish life in the second half of the 20th century.”
  Website: https://www.thehav.org
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/havurat-shalom
• 
  Name: Daniel ben Yehudah Dayyan
  Bio: Daniel ben Yehudah Dayyan was a Jewish liturgical poet, who lived at Rome in the middle of the fourteenth century CE. He was the grandfather of Daniel ben Samuel ha-Rofe, rabbi at Tivoli. According to Samuel David Luzzatto, Daniel ben Yehudah was the author of the well-known piyyut "Yigdal" containing a doxology based upon the thirteen articles of belief of Maimonides. This piyyut, which forms part of the morning prayer among the Ashkenazim, and is sung by the Sephardim on the eve of Sabbaths and holy days, is included in the Romaniote ritual for Saturday evening. (adapted from wikipedia)
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_ben_Judah
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/daniel-ben-judah

Featured Image:

Title: Abraham Counting the Stars (Ephraim Moses Lilien 1908)
Caption: "Abraham Counting The Stars" (Ephraim Moses Lilien, from Die Bücher der Bibel, 1908)