Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=9758
open_content_license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft licenseDate: 2014-11-06
Last Updated: 2021-11-14
Categories: Mishlei (Proverbs), Se'udat Leil Shabbat
Tags: acrostic, Alphabetic Acrostic, devotional interpretation, interpretive translation, role models, אשת חיל eshet ḥayil, זמירות zemirot
Excerpt: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's interpretive translation of Proverbs 31:10-31, popularly read before the first festive meal for shabbat on Friday night. . . .
Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
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אֵשֶׁת חַיִל מִי יִמְצָא וְרָחוֹק מִפְּנִינִים מִכְרָהּ
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א An accomplished woman who can find; beyond pearls is your worth. |
בָּטַח בָּהּ לֵב בַּעְלָהּ וְשָׁלָל לא יֶחְסָר
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ב By your integrity your husband’s heart is secure; nothing is lacking where you are in charge. |
גְּמָלַתְהוּ טוֹב וְלֹא רָע כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיה
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ג Good are you to me, never vexing, all your days (and especially our nights). |
דָּרְשָׁה צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים וַתַּעַשֹ בְּחֵפֶץ כַּפֶּיהָ
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ד Designing in wool and linen, your hands do your bidding with alacrity. |
הָיְתָה כָּאֳנִיּות סוחֵר מִמֶּרְחָק תָּבִיא לַחְמָהּ
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ה High business acumen is yours, like that of a world trader, importing food from afar. |
וַתָּקָם בְּעוד לַיְלָה וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ וְחֹק לְנַעֲרֹתֶיהָ
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ו Well before dawn you rise to apportion meals for our family and tasks for your helpers. |
זָמְמָה שָׂדֶה וַתִּקָּחֵהוּ מִפְּרִי כַפֶּיהָ נָטְעָה כָּרֶם
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ז Zealously you assess your purchases before buying; a vineyard you plant, the fruit of your hands |
חָגְרָה בְעוֹז מָתְנֶיהָ וַתְּאַמֵּץ זְרוֹעוֹתֶיהָ
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ח How mightily you gird your loins. Your embraces are warm and strong. |
טָעֲמָה כִּי־טוב סַחְרָהּ לא־יִכְבֶּה בַלַּיְלָה נֵרָהּ
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ט Tastily, you offer your wares; your light radiates undimmed through the night. |
יָדֶיהָ שִׁלְּחָה בַכִּישׁור וְכַפֶּיהָ תָּמְכוּ פָלֶך
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י Your hands are firm in what they weave together; your palms support the spinning wheels. |
כַּפָּהּ פָּרְשָׂה לֶעָנִי וְיָדֶיהָ שִׁלְּחָה לָאֶבְיוֹן
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כ Kindly, you support the poor, your hands at the service of the needy. |
לֹא תִירָא לְבֵיתָהּ מִשָּׁלֶג כִּי כָל בֵּיתָהּ לָבוּשׁ שָׁנִים
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ל Lily white clean is our home and brightly colored its appointments. |
מַרְבַדִּים עָשְֹתָה־לָּהּ שֵׁשׁ וְאַרְגָּמָן לְבוּשָׁהּ
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מ Many textured are your weaves; you wear silks and purples in elegance. |
נוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעְלָהּ בְּשִׁבְתּוֹ עִם זִקְנֵי אָרֶץ
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נ Named and known am I as your husband when I sit in the councils of the elders. |
סָדִין עָשְֹתָה וַתִּמְכֹּר וַחֲגור נָתְנָה לַכְּנַעֲנִי
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ס Sheer are the garments you design; your enterprise is valued by the people. |
עֹז וְהָדָר לְבוּשָׁהּ וְתִשׂחַק לְיוֹם אַחֲרוֹן
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ע On you dresses become beauty and strength, and your future is happily assured. |
פִּיהָ פָּתְחָה בְחָכְמָה וְתוֹרַת חֶסֶד עַל לְשׁוֹנָהּ
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פ Pearls of wisdom come from your lips; your speech is gentle and kind. |
צוֹפִיָּה הֲלִיכוֹת בֵּיתָהּ וְלֶחֶם עַצְלוּת לֹא תֹאכֵל
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צ Certain is the way you conduct our home, and immaculate is our kitchen. |
קָמוּ בָנֶיהָ וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ בַּעְלָהּ וַיְהַלְלָהּ
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ק Courteous are your relatives and friends in their praise of you, and your husband raves about you. |
רַבּוֹת בָּנוֹת עָשׂוּ חָיִל וְאַתְּ עָלִית עַל כֻּלָּנָה
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ר Ravishing and skillful are many good women, but you are even more stunning than they. |
שֶׁקֶר הַחֵן וְהֶבֶל הַיֹּפִי אִשָּׁה יִרְאַת ה’ הִיא תִתְהַלָּל
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ש Shameless is mere charm and mere dazzling is vain. How you are in God awareness, that is worth extolling! |
תְּנוּ לָהּ מִפְּרִי יָדֶיָה וִיהַלְלוּהָ בַשְׁעָרִים מַעֲשֶׂיהָ
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ת Thousandfold may you reap your rewards for your fame deserves to be widely acknowledged. |
We are grateful to Gabbai Seth Fishman for his transcription of Reb Zalman’s translation of Eyshet Hayil, originally posted at his website, Jewish Renewal Hasidus.
Contributor: Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
Co-authors:
Featured Image:
Title: Kay McNulty, Alyse Snyder, and Sis Stump operate the differential analyzer in the basement of the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, circa 1942-1945.
Caption: Kay McNulty, Alyse Snyder, and Sis Stump operate the differential analyzer in the basement of the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, circa 1942-1945.