Kol Meqadesh Shevi'i

"Kol Meqadesh Shevi'i" is an ancient hymn, possibly composed by Moses b. Qalonymus. The hymn is first found in the 11th-century Machzor Vitri and is either the first or second hymn given there for Sabbath Eve, depending on the manuscript. Over the generations it has been set to many tunes. Ashkenazi Jews customarily sing it on Sabbath Eve.[1]

Each stanza has four lines; the first three continue the acrostic and the fourth is a Biblical verse or verset.

Words


Hebrew text	Transliteration	Literal Translation	Poetic Translation of Herbert Loewe[2]
כָּל מְקַדֵּשׁ שְׁבִיעִי כָּרָאוּי לוֹ כָּל שׁוֹמֵר שַׁבָּת (כַּדָּת) מֵחַלְּלוֹ שְׂכָרוֹ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד עַל פִּי פָעֳלוֹ אִישׁ עַל מַחֲנֵהוּ וְאִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ	kāl mǝqaddēš šǝbîʿî kārāʾûy lô kāl šômēr šabbāt kaddāt mēḥallǝlô śǝkārô harbê mǝʾōd ʿal pî pāʿŏlô ʾîš ʿal maḥănēhû wǝʾîš ʿal diglô	All who sanctify the Sabbath as it deserves All who protect the Sabbath from its breakers[lower-alpha 1] His reward is very great, correspondant to his act, "Each according to his camp, and each according to his flag."[lower-alpha 2]	Who duly keeps Sabbath, who welcomes the Bride, Who truly protects her, God's Law for his guide, A guerdon as Abram's his faith shall provide: So inch, in your tents, 'neath your banners abide.
אוֹהֲבֵי ה' הַמְחַכִּים בְּבִנְיַן אֲרִיאֵל בְּיוֹם הַשַׁבָּת שִׂישׂוּ (וְשִׂמְחוּ) כִּמְקַבְּלֵי מַתַּן דת נַחֲלִיאֵל גַּם שְׂאוּ יְדֵיכֶם קוֹדֶשׁ וְאִמְרוּ לָאֵל בָּרוּךְ ה' אֲשֶׁר נָתַן מְנוּחָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל	ʾôhăbê h' hamḥakkîm bǝbinyan ʾărîʾēl bǝyôm hašabbāt śîśû wǝśimḥû kimqabbǝlê mattan naḥălîʾēl gam śǝʾû yǝdêkem qôdeš wǝʾimrû lāʾēl bārûk h' ʾăšer nātan mǝnûḥâ lǝʿammô yiśrāʾēl	Lovers of God, who hope for the rebuilding of Ariel[lower-alpha 3] On the Sabbath, celebrate[lower-alpha 4] like they who received the gift of Nahaliel's law[lower-alpha 5] Also lift up your hands toward the Holy[lower-alpha 6] and say to God, "Blessed is the LORD who gave[lower-alpha 7] rest to his people Israel."[lower-alpha 8]	Who yearn for Ariel rebuilded once more, Take Sabbath in joy from the Torah's rich store, Come, lovers of God, let us praise and adore Our God Who gave rest to His people of yore.
דוֹרְשֵׁי ה' זֶרַע אַבְרָהָם אוֹהֲבוֹ הַמְאַחֲרִים לָצֵאת מִן הַשַּׁבָּת וּמְמַהֲרִים לָבֹא וּשְׂמֵחִים לְשָׁמְרוֹ וּלְעָרֵב עֵרוּבוֹ זֶה הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה ה' נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ	dôrǝšê h' zeraʿ ʾabrāhām ʾôhăbô hamʾaḥărîm lāṣēʾt min haššabbāt ûmǝmahărîm lābōʾ ûśǝmēḥîm lǝšāmǝrô ûlǝʿārēb ʿērûbô zê hayyôm ʿāśâ h' nāgîlâ wǝniśmǝḥâ bô	Seekers of God, seed of Abraham his beloved, Who delay ending the Sabbath, and hurry to begin it.[lower-alpha 9] And who are happy to keep it, and to make its eruv.[lower-alpha 10] "This is the day which God made -- celebrate and rejoice on it!"[lower-alpha 11]	O seek Him, ye children of Abram His friend, Be glad Sabbath's frontiers and bounds to defend, Too late is her coming, too soon is her end, This day of God's making: let gladness ascend!
זִכְרוּ תּוֹרַת משֶׁה בְּמִצְוַת שַׁבָּת גְּרוּסָה חֲרוּתָה לְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי כְּכַלָּה בֵּין רֵעוֹתֶיהָ מְשֻׁבָּצָה טְהוֹרִים יִירָשׁוּהָ וִיקַדְּשׁוּהָ בְּמַאֲמַר כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה	zikrû tôrat mšê bǝmiṣwat šabbāt gǝrûsâ ḥărûtâ lǝyôm haššǝbîʿî kǝkallâ bên rēʿôtêhā mǝšubbāṣâ ṭǝhôrîm yîrāšûhā wîqaddǝšûhā bǝmaʾămar kāl ʾăšer ʿāśâ wayǝkal ʾĕlōhîm bayyôm haššǝbîʿî mǝlaʾkǝtô ʾăšer ʿāśâ	Recall the Law of Moses,[lower-alpha 12] which records the Sabbath commandment![lower-alpha 13] Set for[lower-alpha 14] the seventh day, like a bride arranged between her maids[lower-alpha 15]. The pure will inherit her, and sanctify her by recalling her deeds, "And God completed on the seventh day all the work which he had done."[lower-alpha 16]	God's Law gave us Sabbath His Law be obeyed A bride 'mid her maids in fair samite arrayed; The pure are her heirs, they proclaim as 'tis said "God rested and blessed all His works He had made."
יוֹם קָדוֹשׁ הוּא מִבּוֹאוֹ וְעַד צֵאתוֹ כָּל זֶרַע יַעֲקֹב יְכַבְּדוּהוּ כִּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ וְדָתוֹ לָנוּחַ בּוֹ וְלִשְׂמוֹחַ בְּתַעֲנוּג אָכוֹל וְשָׁתוֹ כָּל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל יַעֲשׂוּ אוֹתוֹ	yôm qādôš hûʾ mibbôʾô wǝʿad ṣēʾtô kāl zeraʿ yaʿăqōb yǝkabbǝdûhû kidbar hammelek wǝdātô lānûaḥ bô wǝliśmôaḥ bǝtaʿănûg ʾākôl wǝšātô kāl ʿădat yiśrāʾēl yaʿăśû ʾôtô	A holy day is it,[lower-alpha 17] from its arrival to its departure All the seed of Jacob[lower-alpha 18] glorify it according to royal decree To rest on it and to celebrate by eating and drinking delicacies[lower-alpha 19] "All the community of Israel will do this."[lower-alpha 20]	All holy her night and all holy her day: Then come, sons of Jacob, your King's word obey Rejoice o'er your flagons, with feasting be gay, All Israel united to rest and to pray.
מְשֹׁךְ חַסְדְּךָ לְיֹדְעֶיךָ אֵל קַנֹּא וְנוֹקֵם נוֹטְרֵי (לַ)יּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי זָכוֹר וְשָׁמוֹר לְהָקֵם שַׂמְּחֵם בְּבִנְיַן שָׁלֵם בְּאוֹר פָּנֶיךָ תַּבְהִיקֵם יִרְוְיֻן מִדֶּשֶׁן בֵּיתֶךָ וְנַחַל עֲדָנֶיךָ תַשְׁקֵם	mǝšōk ḥasdǝkā lǝyōdǝʿêkā ʾēl qannōʾ wǝnôqēm nôṭǝrê layyôm haššǝbîʿî zākôr wǝšāmôr lǝhāqēm śammǝḥēm bǝbinyan šālēm bǝʾôr pānêkā tabhîqēm yirwǝyun middešen bêtekā wǝnaḥal ʿădānêkā tašqēm	Disburse charity to those who recognize you, O jealous and vengeful God, The guards of the seventh day, to establish "recall" and "keep". Celebrate[lower-alpha 21] in the complete building,[lower-alpha 22] by the light of your face you'll illuminate them "They will overflow with the abundance of your houses, and with your delicious spring you will water them."[lower-alpha 23]	Who know Thee, who guard Sabbath's twofold behest, O grant them Thy mercy, O shorten their quest For Salem rebuilt; in Thy light be they blest, By Thy streams of delight bring them safely to rest.
עֲזוֹר (לַ)שּׁוֹבְתִים בַּשְּׁבִיעִי בֶּחָרִישׁ וּבַקָּצִיר עוֹלָמִים פּוֹסְעִים בּוֹ פְּסִיעָה קְטַנָּה, סוֹעֲדִים בּוֹ לְבָרֵךְ שָׁלשׁ פְּעָמִים צִדְקָתָם תַּצְהִיר כְּאוֹר שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָבָה תָמִים (ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּשׁוּעַת עוֹלָמִים)	ʿăzôr laššôbǝtîm baššǝbîʿî beḥārîš ûbaqqāṣîr ʿôlāmîm pôsǝʿîm bô pǝsîʿâ qǝṭannāh, sôʿădîm bô lǝbārēk šālš pǝʿāmîm ṣidqātām taṣhîr kǝʾôr šibʿat hayyāmîm h' ʾĕlōhê yiśrāʾēl ʾahăbat tāmîm (h' ʾĕlōhê yiśrāʾēl tǝšûʿat ʿôlāmîm)	Help those who keep the Sabbath on the seventh, in plowing and in harvest forever[lower-alpha 24] They take on it a small step,[lower-alpha 25] they feast on it to bless three times Their righteousness shines like the light of the seven days "LORD god of Israel, give a sign!"[lower-alpha 26] (LORD god of Israel, eternal savior.)[lower-alpha 27]	Nor sowing nor reaping their Sabbath profanes; They rest and they feast thrice with grateful refrains: Their goodness a sevenfold radiance remains, Their stronghold the Lord Who eternally reigns.
קדשם במצותיך וטהרם כעצם השמים לטוהר, רוחך תניחנו כבהמה בבקעה תרד מן ההר, שבטיהם תשכנם בנחלת הסהר כנחלים נטיו (ו)כגנות עלי נהר	qdšm bmṣwtyk wṭhrm kʿṣm hšmym lṭwhr, rwḥk tnyḥmw kbhmh bbqʿh trd mn hhr, šbtm tšknm bnḥlt hshr knḥlym nṭyw kgnwt ʿly nhr	Sanctify them, and make them as pure as the very sky.[lower-alpha 28] Let your spirit give them rest, like a beast coming off a mountain into a valley.[lower-alpha 29] Settle their tribes[lower-alpha 30] in the territory of the moon,[lower-alpha 31] "Like groves they will spread out, like gardens by the river."[lower-alpha 32]	Thy word make us pure as the sky, Thy pure veil! O let Thy grace guide us as herds in the dale, Reposing at ease, while the moonbeams grow pale, On meads by still streams whose cool waters ne'er fail

Content of the hymn

The hymn praises those who keep the Sabbath, and stresses the reward waiting anyone who keeps the Sabbath. The hymn stresses the Sabbath experiences, the hope of the redemption of Jerusalem and the imminent rebuilding of the Temple.

Most prayerbooks omit the final stanza which completes the acrostic, and instead insert the line "O LORD, god of Israel, eternal savior." According to legend, the final stanza is omitted because the original author of the poem died with the poem incomplete and it was written by an entirely different author.

Rabbi Abraham Abba of Pittsburgh, who did not realize that the acrostic was complete in manuscript, wrote an alternative final stanza:[4]


קדושים ישראל מאז ולעולמים, רצים למגדלך ובשמך נשגבים, שבתות קדשך מייחדים ומענגים ובך נדבקים, תיקון השלם ישיגו בחיינו בחסד וברחמים ובקרב הימים	qdwšym yšrʾl mʾz wlʿwlmym, rṣym lmgdlk wbšmk nšgbym, šbtwt qdšk myyḥdym wmʿngym wbk ndbqym, tyqwn hšlm yšygw bḥyynw bḥsd wbrḥmym wbqrb hymym	Holy are Israel, from yore and for all time. they rush to your tower and exalt your name.[lower-alpha 33] Your holy Sabbaths are unique and enjoyable; they are attached to them. The full repair will occur in our days, in kindness and in mercy and quickly.

Notes

Prayerbooks insert "according to the law."
Numbers 1:52
This phrase comes from Yannai's Sanctifications for the sabbaths of tragedy and comfort.
Prayerbooks insert "and rejoice."
viz. the Torah. Thus b. Eruvin 54a's homiletical interpretation of Numbers 21:19. So MSS; prayerbooks read only "gift of Nahaliel," having apparently moved "law" into the first stanza (see note [a]).
Psalms 134:2
A scribal error in Machzor Vitry leaves out "gave."
1 Kings 8:56
A scribal error in Machzor Vitry has "Who delay ending the Sabbath, and delay beginning it."
In Machzor Vitry, "to pray its evening service." May also be read, "to enjoy its delights."
Psalms 118:24
In Machzor Vitry, "of Moses my servant".
In Machzor Vitry, "records like the Sabbath commandment", meaning obscure.
In Machzor Vitry, "Set on the seventh day."
In Machzor Vitry, "her two maids".
Genesis 2:2
In Machzor Vitry, "A holy day is this".
In Machzor Vitry, "all Israel."
Machzor Vitry adds, "on the Sabbath."
Exodus 12:47
Machzor Vitry reads, "They celebrate . . ."
Some inaccurately translate "building of [Jeru]salem." The phrase comes from Yannai's Sanctifications for the sabbaths of tragedy and comfort.
"You caused grief/
You will make joy/
You destroyed/
You will build/
A complete building/
A full building/
A surpassing building/
A settled building/
A set building/
A solid building/
An established building/
A finished building."
This line is also quoted by Moses b. Asher in the colophon to Codex Cairensis.
Psalms 36:9
cf. Exodus 34:21
b. Shabbat 113b rules that one should not take large steps on the Sabbath, as these are characteristic of weekday travel.
1 Samuel 14:41. Some prayerbooks contain a later version, "LORD god of Israel, love of the pure," which does not fit the scheme of the hymn.
This line appears only in printings. Rabbi Jacob Emden, unaware that the acrostic is complete in manuscript, suggests that it is the fourth line of the final stanza and its addition to the penultimate stanza represents a shortening of the hymn.[3]
Exodus 24:10
cf. Isaiah 63:14
Thus Add MS 27200. Some MSS and printings erroneously read "their Sabbaths".
Song of Songs 7:3, "Your navel is like the basin of the moon." Numbers Rabbah 1:4 interprets, "This refers to the Sanhedrin . . . as the navel is at the center of the body, so the Sanhedrin is at the center of the Temple."
Numbers 24:6
cf. Proverbs 18:10

References

Kohn, Albert E. (2018-01-01). "SONGS WERE FOR ME YOUR STATUTES WHEREVER I MAY DWELL (PSALMS 119:54): A History of the Jewish Custom to Sing around the Table on the Sabbath (Shabbat Zemirot), 1200-1600". Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
Loewe, Herbert (1926). Mediæval Hebrew minstrelsy : songs for the bride queen's feast ; sixteen zemiroth. James Clarke. OCLC 82503829.
סידור בית יעקב להיעב"ץ pg. 314.
Aba, Abraham (1995). Emunas Abraham (in Hebrew). Kiryat Pittsburgh, Ashdod: Yad Itamar. pp. 154ff.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[3] Prayerbooks insert "according to the law."

[4] Numbers 1:52

[5] This phrase comes from Yannai's Sanctifications for the sabbaths of tragedy and comfort.

[6] Prayerbooks insert "and rejoice."

[7] viz. the Torah. Thus b. Eruvin 54a's homiletical interpretation of Numbers 21:19. So MSS; prayerbooks read only "gift of Nahaliel," having apparently moved "law" into the first stanza (see note [a]).

[8] Psalms 134:2

[9] A scribal error in Machzor Vitry leaves out "gave."

[10] 1 Kings 8:56

[11] A scribal error in Machzor Vitry has "Who delay ending the Sabbath, and delay beginning it."

[12] In Machzor Vitry, "to pray its evening service." May also be read, "to enjoy its delights."

[13] Psalms 118:24

[14] In Machzor Vitry, "of Moses my servant".

[15] In Machzor Vitry, "records like the Sabbath commandment", meaning obscure.

[16] In Machzor Vitry, "Set on the seventh day."

[17] In Machzor Vitry, "her two maids".

[18] Genesis 2:2

[19] In Machzor Vitry, "A holy day is this".

[20] In Machzor Vitry, "all Israel."

[21] Machzor Vitry adds, "on the Sabbath."

[22] Exodus 12:47

[23] Machzor Vitry reads, "They celebrate . . ."

[24] Some inaccurately translate "building of [Jeru]salem." The phrase comes from Yannai's Sanctifications for the sabbaths of tragedy and comfort.
"You caused grief/
You will make joy/
You destroyed/
You will build/
A complete building/
A full building/
A surpassing building/
A settled building/
A set building/
A solid building/
An established building/
A finished building."
This line is also quoted by Moses b. Asher in the colophon to Codex Cairensis.

[25] Psalms 36:9

[26] . Exodus 34:21

[27] . Shabbat 113b rules that one should not take large steps on the Sabbath, as these are characteristic of weekday travel.

[28] 1 Samuel 14:41. Some prayerbooks contain a later version, "LORD god of Israel, love of the pure," which does not fit the scheme of the hymn.

[30] This line appears only in printings. Rabbi Jacob Emden, unaware that the acrostic is complete in manuscript, suggests that it is the fourth line of the final stanza and its addition to the penultimate stanza represents a shortening of the hymn.[3]

[31] Exodus 24:10

[32] . Isaiah 63:14

[33] Thus Add MS 27200. Some MSS and printings erroneously read "their Sabbaths".

[34] Song of Songs 7:3, "Your navel is like the basin of the moon." Numbers Rabbah 1:4 interprets, "This refers to the Sanhedrin . . . as the navel is at the center of the body, so the Sanhedrin is at the center of the Temple."

[35] Numbers 24:6

[37] . Proverbs 18:10

[1] Kohn, Albert E. (2018-01-01). "SONGS WERE FOR ME YOUR STATUTES WHEREVER I MAY DWELL (PSALMS 119:54): A History of the Jewish Custom to Sing around the Table on the Sabbath (Shabbat Zemirot), 1200-1600". Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

[2] Loewe, Herbert (1926). Mediæval Hebrew minstrelsy : songs for the bride queen's feast ; sixteen zemiroth. James Clarke. OCLC 82503829.

[29] סידור בית יעקב להיעב"ץ pg. 314.

[36] Aba, Abraham (1995). Emunas Abraham (in Hebrew). Kiryat Pittsburgh, Ashdod: Yad Itamar. pp. 154ff.