Psalm Two – Translation of the Song

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2,1 Why were the peoples gathered in a tumult and why will nations speak empty plotting?
2,2 Kings of the land will stand in readiness and rulers conspire together against ADONAI and against His mashiah:
2,3 “Let us tear off their cords, cast away their ropes from us”.
2,4 The One Who sits enthroned in heaven will laugh, the Master will ridicule them.
2,5 Then He will speak to them in His indignation, before His rage they will shudder with utter terror:
2,6 “But I have anointed My king over Zion, My holy mountain”.
2,7 I tell of the decree engraved in our memory: “Adonai spoke to me, ‘You are my son, I, from today on, give birth to you.
2,8 Ask of Me and I will give the peoples for your estate, and your holding, the ends of the earth.
2,9 You will smash them with a rod of iron; like a potter’s vessel, you will shatter them.’ ”
2,10 And now, kings, be wise; be ethical, judges of the earth.
2,11 Worship ADONAI in awe, and rejoice with trembling.
2,12 Act purely; if not, He will be indignant, and your way will be lost, because in a little while His indignation will blaze.
Happy all who shelter in Him.  

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Notes on Translation, Psalm Two:

2.1: “Why”, in English, is a simple question. The Hebrew, however, לָמָּה, suggests a reproof; the questioner is berating the peoples and the nations.

 

2.1: the verb in the first phrase is in past tense; in the second, future. The entire verse is customarily translated in English as present tense; the sense of the Hebrew, however, is of a continual action, taking place in the past but continuing into the future.

 

2.1: the English inverts the order of the Hebrew. The literal Hebrew reads, “Why gathered were peoples in a tumult and [why] nations will speak empty plotting?” (The second “why” in the English is not repeated but is understood in the Hebrew.)

 

2.1: the Hebrew uses two distinct words for “peoples” and for “nations”, but the second noun implies a nation state, rather than an assembly.

 

2.2: the kings are gathering in a counsel of war. Again, the English reverses the Hebrew word order. The literal Hebrew reads, “Will stand in readiness the kings of the land”.

 

2.2: the root of the Hebrew word “conspire”, נוֹסְדוּ, has the connotation of “secret” and of “establish”. That is, the plotters establish in secret their rebellion.

 

2.3: the Hebrew for “cords”, מוֹסְרוֹתֵימוֹ, is a term used for the binding of animals and for enemy leaders taken captive in war. “Cords” has, as well, in Hebrew, the connotation of “ethics” (see Note, verse 6).

 

2.5: the image, in the Hebrew, of both “indignation” and “rage” is of steam coming out of an angry creature’s nose. The Hebrew for “indignation”, אַפּוֹ,  implies “nose” and for “rage”, חֲרוֹנוֹ, steam. (For a fuller explanation of this image, see “Notes on Translation”, Psalm 6, v. 2.)

 

2.7: both verbs, “tell” and “give birth”, are, in the Hebrew  — אֲסַפְּרָה, יְלִדְתִּיךָ—in present progressive tense; that is, they indicate an action that is continuing and continual.

 

2.7: the phrase, “engraved in memory”, has been added to the single Hebrew word, “decree”, חֹק,  in order to convey the implicit meaning in the Hebrew. The decree is not an explicit law, but rather one known to the people Israel.

 

2.8: in King David’s time, “the peoples” would refer to the inhabitants of the land of Canaan.

 

2.9: the Hebrew word for “smash”, תְּרֹעֵם, has the same letters as that for “thunder”, רַעַם (see Psalm 29, verse 3). The Hebrew for “shatter” has the connotation of “spread out”; the image, then, is of shattered shards of pottery.

 

2.10: the word “ethics”, הִוָּסְרוּ, has the same root, in Hebrew, as “cords”, מוֹסֵרוֹת. Thus, the cords that the kings wish to cast off, in verse 3, are established as God-given codes of ethics in verse 10.

 

2.11: “worship”, in Hebrew, עִבְדוּ, can also mean “serve”.

 

2.12: the verb “act” in Hebrew, נַשְּׁקוּ, also means, as a noun in Hebrew, “kiss” or “connection”.

 

2.12: as in verse 5, God’s rage is imagined as a nose emitting an emotional force, but whereas in verse 5 the image is of steam erupting, here it is of fire.

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These translations are by Rabbi Maccabi and Dr. Rosenberg. The translations are as close to the literal Hebrew as possible.

Click here to study “Literary analysis of Psalm 2”

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King James Psalms 2 Translation:

[1] Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
[2] The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
[3] Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
[4] He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
[5] Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
[6] Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
[7] I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
[8] Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
[9] Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
[10] Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
[11] Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
[12] Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

 

Psalm One – Translation of the Song

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1,1 Happy the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked ones,
and in the way of sinners has not stood , and in the gathering of the scornful has not sat.
1,2 Rather, the Torah of ADONAI is his desire; and on His Torah does he ruminate all day long and all night long.
1,3 And he will become like a tree planted by streams of water,
that gives its fruit in its proper time, and its leaf does not wither, and all that he does will succeed.
1,4 Not so the wicked one; rather, like the chaff that is shaken by wind.
1,5 Because of that, the wicked ones will not rise up to be vindicated in judgment, nor  sinners in the assembly of the righteous ones.
1,6 For ADONAI knowingly guards the way of the righteous ones and the way of the wicked ones will be lost.

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Notes on Translation, Psalm 1:

  1. 1: the Hebrew word for “happy”, אַשְׁרֵי, has a moral implication that the English word lacks; the Hebrew connotes “praiseworthy”.

 

  1. 1: the verb “to sin” in Hebrew, לַחֲטוֹא, has the same root as “to miss (a target)”, לְהַחֲטִיא; that is, the sinner has lost his moral direction.

 

  1. 2: the verb, יֶהְגֶּה, translated here as “ruminate”, has the same root as the noun, הֶגְיוֹן, translated in Psalms 19, v. 15 and 37, v. 30 as “logic”.

 

  1. 3: the Hebrew for “to succeed”, יַצְלִיחַ, has the same root as that for “to cross a bridge”, חֲצָיָה. Again, as in verse 1, a direction is implied in the Hebrew.

 

  1. 3: the phrase, “all that he does will succeed’, can also be translated as “he will succeed in all that he does”: in the first instance, his actions will result in success; in the second, he himself will prosper.

 

  1. 4: the Hebrew for “to shake”, תִּדְּפֶנּוּ, shares a common root with “to evaporate”, הִתְנַדֵּף.

 

  1. 5: the Hebrew word translated here as “assembly”, עֲדַת, is translated as “pack” in Psalm 22, v. 77, since the sinners of Psalm 22 have forfeited their humanity and become like “curs”; here the righteous, in contrast, form a congregation.

 

  1. 5: the English translation inverts the Hebrew word order for the sake of clarity: the literal Hebrew is, “Because of that, will not rise up to be vindicated the wicked ones in judgement”.

 

  1. 5: the Hebrew יָקֻמוּ, translated here as “rise up to be vindicated”, implies “cease to exist”. Thus the Hebrew, in both verses 4 and 5, infers that the wicked will be obliterated so completely that their very existence –past, present and future—will be erased.

 

  1. 6: in the Hebrew, the verb יוֹדֵעַ, translated here as “knowingly guards”, precedes the word “Adonai”. The literal Hebrew is thus: “For knowingly guards Adonai the way of the righteous ones”. The inversion is necessary for the sense and sound of the phrase in English.

 

  1. 6: both “to know” and “to guard” are implied in the one Hebrew verb יוֹדֵעַ, necessitating two words in English to convey both connotations.

 

  1. 6: the Hebrew verb “to know”, לַדָעַת, has the connotation of “to love” that the English does not imply.

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These translations are by Rabbi Maccabi and Dr. Rosenberg. The translations are as close to the literal Hebrew as possible.
Click here to study “Literary analysis of Psalm 1”

Sing & Learn: listen to a song composed over Psalm 1 here

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King James Psalms 1 Translation:

[1] Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
[2] But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
[3] And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
[4] The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
[5] Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
[6] For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

 

Psalm Thirty seven – Translation of the Song

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37,1 By David.
Do not be goaded by evildoers, do not be jealous of those who commit injustice.
37,2 For, like the grasses, they will quickly dry out, and, like seasonal greens, will wilt away.
37,3 Trust in ADONAI, and do good. Dwell in the land, and shepherd faith.
37,4 Take pleasure in ADONAI and He will give you your heart’s desires.
37,5 Turn your way to ADONAI and trust that He will act.
37,6 And He will bring forth your righteousness like the light and your justice like the midday.
37,7 Be quiet before ADONAI, and yearn for Him.
Do not be goaded by the man whose way prospers because of his scheming.
37,8 Let go of anger, and leave behind fury. Do not be goaded, it only brings about harm.
37,9 For evildoers will be cast off, but those who hope in ADONAI, they will inherit the land.
37,10 And in a little while, the wicked is no more; you will look carefully at his place, and he is not.
37,11 But the humble will inherit the land, and take pleasure in abundant wholeness.
37,12 The wicked schemes against the righteous, and gnashes at him with his teeth.
37,13 The Master will laugh at him, for He saw that his day will come.
37,14 The wicked have drawn open their sword, and have stretched tight their bow,
to bring down the poor and the impoverished, to slaughter those of upright ways.
37,15 Their sword will come into their own hearts and their bows will be broken.
37,16 Better is the little of the righteous than the plenitude of the mighty wicked.
37,17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but ADONAI holds up the righteous.
37,18 ADONAI knowingly guards the days of those who are perfect, cleansed of offences, and their estate will be for all time.
37,19 They will not be shamed in the time of hardship, and in the days of hunger they will be satisfied.
37,20 For the wicked will be lost, and the enemies of ADONAI, like the choicest of succulents, will be extinguished — in smoke, extinguished.
37,21 The wicked borrows and will not pay, while the righteous, favoured, gives.
37,22 For those who are blessed will inherit the land and those who are cursed will be cast off.
37,23 Guided by ADONAI, a man’s footsteps are firm; his way will be desirable.
37,24 Though he is brought down, he will not be thrown, for ADONAI holds up his hand.
37,25 A youth I was, and have become old,
and yet have not witnessed the righteous abandoned, nor his seed asking for bread.
37,26 All the day he deals favourably, and lends; and his seed, blessed.
37,27 Turn away from evil and do good; and dwell for all time.
37,28 For ADONAI loves justice, and will not abandoned His devout ones: they are guarded for all time,
while the seed of the wicked, cast off.
37,29 Righteous ones will inherit the land and will dwell on it forever.
37,30 The mouth of the righteous will speak wisdom’s logic and his tongue will utter justice.
37,31 The Torah of his God is in his heart; his gait does not falter.
37,32 The wicked scouts out the righteous, craving to kill him.
37,33 ADONAI will not abandon him to his hand and will not let him be convicted when he is judged.
37,34 Hope for ADONAI and guard His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land — you will witness the wicked being cast off.
37,35 I have witnessed the wicked tyrant, rooted like a native, invigorated.
37,36 Yet, it passed, and behold, he is not. I asked for him, but he was not found.
37,37 Guard perfection and witness uprightness; for there is a sure future for the man of wholeness.
37,38 But offenders will be destroyed altogether, the future of the wicked surely cast off.
37,39 Yet the deliverance of the righteous is from ADONAI, their stronghold in time of torment.
37,40 And ADONAI will aid them and will rescue them, will rescue them from the wicked and will deliver them, for they have sheltered in Him.  

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Notes on Translation, Psalm 37

  1. 16: in Hebrew, the word for “plenitude”, [הֲמוֹן], connotes the Hebrew word for “tumult” or “turmoil”, מְהוּמָה, perhaps suggesting that overabundance can provoke discord.

 

  1. 20: the Hebrew word for “succulents”, [כָּרִים], can refer either to the most tender part of meadow greens or of the grazing animals, both are which are vulnerable simply because of their succulence.

 

  1. 21: the Hebrew is ambiguous. The “favoured”, [חוֹנֵן], can refer to the righteous who act favourably in their relations with others or who are themselves granted favour. In both meanings, they are favoured because of their favourable acts.

 

  1. 25: the Hebrew verb for “witness”, [רָאִיתִי], used as well in verses 35 and 37, denotes the ability “to see through” the words and character of another, an insightfulness gained through experience; an ability, then, that the singer attributes to his old age.

 

  1. 32: the Hebrew for “craving” is the same word as “asking for” in v. 25, [וּמְבַקֵּשׁ]. However, the context of the two verses differs: the children of the righteous will be provided for, the singer asserts; they will not need to “ask”. The wicked, however, do “ask” but only in the sense of their own compulsion; their hatred grants them permission to kill.

 

  1. 35: the wicked are commonly described in English translations as spreading like a tree. The Hebrew word for “tree” does not actually appear in the verse. Rather, [כְּאֶזְרָח רַעֲנָן] means either vegetation or a person native to a particular climate or soil.

 

  1. 36: the Hebrew word, [וַיַּעֲבֹר], is ambiguous. It can refer to both the passage of time or the death of an individual.

 

  1. 37: the Hebrew word for “perfection” denotes both the path of the perfect and the one who follows that path.

 

  1. 38: the Hebrew for “altogether’, [יַחְדָּו], has a double intent: it can mean that all offenders alike will be destroyed or that they will be utterly destroyed – a subtle difference. In either possibility, their destruction is certain.

 

  1. 39: the Hebrew word for “torment”, [צָרָה], has the same root as the word for “Egypt” – narrow or constricted. The similarity would seem to be an implicit reference to the Israelites’ enslavement in the land of Egypt.

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These translations are by Rabbi Maccabi and Dr. Rosenberg. The translations are as close to the literal Hebrew as possible.

Click here to study “Literary analysis of Psalm 37”

Sing & Learn: click here to hear a song composed for Psalm 37

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King James Psalms 37  Translation:

[1] Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
[2] For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
[3] Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
[4] Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
[5] Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
[6] And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
[7] Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
[8] Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
[9] For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
[10] For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
[11] But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
[12] The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
[13] The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
[14] The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
[15] Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
[16] A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
[17] For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
[18] The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
[19] They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
[20] But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
[21] The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
[22] For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
[23] The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
[24] Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
[25] I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
[26] He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
[27] Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
[28] For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
[29] The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
[30] The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
[31] The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
[32] The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
[33] The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
[34] Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
[35] I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
[36] Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
[37] Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
[38] But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
[39] But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
[40] And the LORD shall help them and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

 

Psalm Twenty nine – Translation of the Song

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29,1 A Song by David.
Offer to ADONAI, children of the strong, offer to ADONAI glory and might.

29,2 Offer to ADONAI the glory of His name; bow down to ADONAI in holy splendour.

29,3 The voice of ADONAI on the water, God of glory thunders, ADONAI on great waters.

29,4 The voice of ADONAI in force; the voice of ADONAI in splendour.

29,5 The voice of ADONAI breaking cedars; ADONAI will break the cedars of Lebanon.

29,6 And He makes them dance like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young antelope.

29,7 The voice of ADONAI hews them with flames of fire.

29,8 The voice of ADONAI makes the wilderness shake ecstatically; ADONAI makes the wilderness of Kadesh shake ecstatically.

29,9 The voice of ADONAI makes the deer give birth, and strips the forests bare. And in His sanctuary all speak glory.

29,10 Adonai sat in judgement, sending the Flood;
and sits enthroned as king for all the world’s time.

29,11 ADONAI will give might to His nation. ADONAI will bless His nation with wholeness.

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Notes on Translation, Psalm 29

  1. 1: the Hebrew word for “song” used in this verse, [מִזְמוֹר], is unique to The Book of Psalms. It indicates a song to be sung by the Levites in the Temple envisioned by David, but built by his son, Solomon.

 

  1. 1: the “strong” are not named in the song. Rabbinic commentary identifies them as the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

 

  1. 1: the Hebrew, and, accordingly, the English, of the last phrase is ambiguous; it is unclear, that is, who the possessor is of “glory and might”. The singer may be suggesting that the strong offer up their qualities of strength, their “glory and might”, to Adonai, or that these are the attributes of God that the strong should acknowledge. In either interpretation, a contrast is implied between the might of God and that of the strong.

 

  1. 2: “in” here can mean “in a place” or “with”; thus the complete phrase might be “in a place of holiness” or “with” holiness of thought and act. In the latter, the “holy splendour” is an attribute of the worshipper; in the former, of the place of worship.

 

  1. 2: the Hebrew word for “splendour”, [בְּהַדְרַת], also means “exalted”.

 

  1. 6: the Hebrew for “antelope”, [רְאֵמִים], is used for horned animals.

 

  1. 7: the Hebrew translates literally as “the voice of Adonai hews flames of fire”. The “them” and “with” are understood in the verb “hews”: since only wood, not fire, can be hewn, it must be the cedars of verse 5 that God’s voice is acting upon.

 

  1. 8: the verb “shake” has, in Hebrew, [יָחִיל], the same root as the verbs “dance” (in a circle) and “begin”. The wilderness can be seen as trembling with ecstasy or with fear.

 

  1. 9: the Hebrew for the verbs “to birth”, [יְחוֹלֵל], and to “shake” (v. 8) share a common root.

 

  1. 9: “all speak glory” has, in both Hebrew and English, a dual meaning: all those living in God’s sanctuary, be it in heaven or earth, declare God’s praises; all reveal God’s glory simply by their own presence in the sanctuary.

 

  1. 10: the Hebrew uses the verb “to sit” in the past tense in the first phrase, יָשָׁב; the present tense in the second, וַיֵּשֶׁב. However, in the first use, it connotes judgement; in the second, enthronement, kingship.

1.10   v. 10: The Hebrew phrase, [לְעוֹלָם], translated here as “for all the world’s time”,
connotes both time and space. There is no equivalent in English, though it is commonly translated
“forever”. We have chosen the translation corresponding most literally to the Hebrew.

  1. 11: the Hebrew “shalom”, [שָּׁלוֹם], usually translated as “peace”, has other meanings: it can signify completeness, “wholeness”, as used here; and it is also one of the names given to God in the Jewish tradition.

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These translations are by Rabbi Maccabi and Dr. Rosenberg. The translations are as close to the literal Hebrew as possible.

Click here to study “Literary analysis of Psalm 29”

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King James Psalms 29 Translation:

[1] Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
[2] Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
[3] The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
[4] The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
[5] The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
[6] He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
[7] The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
[8] The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
[9] The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
[10] The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.
[11] The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.

Psalm Twenty two – Translation of the Song

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22,1 For the Leader; on Ayeleth haShahar. A Song by David.
22,2 My God, my God, why have You abandoned me? Far from my deliverance, far from the roars that I utter.
22,3 My God, I cry out all the day, but You do not answer, and all the night, but no quietude for me.
22,4 And yet You are holy, dwelling in the praises of Israel.
22,5 In You trusted our fathers, trusted, and You rescued them.
22,6 To You they called in distress, and they escaped; in You they trusted, and they were not disappointed.
22,7 But myself, I am a worm, and not a man; insulted by men, and despised by the nation.
22,8 All who see me ridicule me; they dismiss me with a curl of the lips, with a  shake of the head:
22,9 ”Roll your way to ADONAI! He will rescue him, He will save him, for He desires good for him.”
22,10 For You burst me out of the belly; You ensured my trust when I was on my mother’s breasts.
22,11 I was propelled to You from the womb, from my mother’s belly to You, my God.
22,12 Do not distance Yourself from me, for torment is nearby, for there is no one to help.
22,13 Strong bulls have surrounded me; the mighty bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
22,14 They have opened wide their mouths at me — a ravenous, roaring lion.
22,15 Like water, I was spilled out, and all my bones came apart;
my heart was like wax, melted in my bowels.
22,16 Dried up like clay is my strength, and my tongue cleaves to my palate, and You will set me in the dust of death.
22,17 For the curs have surrounded me; a pack of evildoers has closed in on me; the prey of a lion, my hands and my feet.
22,18 I speak for all my bones. They watch and stare at me.
22,19 They will divide my raiments among them, and for my garments they will cast lots.
22,20 But You ADONAI be not distant; You, my strength, hasten to my aid.
22,21 Save from sword my soul; from the grip of the cur my essence.
22,22 Deliver  me from the mouth of the lion; from the horns of the bull You did answer me.
22,23 I will speak Your name to my brothers; within the congregation I will praise You:
22,24 “Those who are in awe of ADONAI, praise Him. All the seed of Jacob, glorify Him. And fear Him, all the seed of Israel.
22,25 For He did not despise and did not detest the pleading prayer of the needy, and did not conceal His face from him;
when he implored Him, He heard.”
22,26 From You comes my praise in the multitude of the congregation; my vows I will fulfill in front of those who are in awe of Him.
22,27 The humble will eat and be satisfied; they will praise ADONAI those who are in search of Him.
May your hearts live forever.
22,28 One end of the earth to the other will remember and return to ADONAI and all the family of nations will bow down before You.
22,29 For ADONAI’s is the kingship and He rules the nations.
22,30 Eat and bow down, all of earth’s fattened; before Him kneel, all those who will go down to the dust, those whose souls cannot be revived.
22,31 A seed will worship Him and will tell of the Master to the generations to follow.
22,32 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people being born, all that He has done.  

—

Notes on Translation, Psalm 22:

v.1: “on” indicates that “Ayeleth haShahar” is a musical instrument. The literal translation of the Hebrew, however, is “deer of the sunrise” or “radiant deer”. (See Commentary, Psalm 22)
v. 4: “praises” translates the Hebrew word תְּהִלּוֹת or “Tehillim”, which is the Jewish title of “The Book of Psalms”.

v. 6: the word בוֹשׁוּ, translated here as “disappointed”, also has the meaning of “shame” or “embarrassment”.

v. 7: “man”, in the first instance of the word in the verse, is the Hebrew אִישׁ; in the second, אָדָם. The singer, in employing two different words, is re-iterating his despair that he is, without God’s full presence, no longer a man; and that, accordingly, he is scorned by all men — by all the children of Adam.

v. 9: Biblical Hebrew lacks quotation marks. Accordingly, the verse can be interpreted as the jeers the singer suffers from those who ridicule him — as it is here interpreted– or, without quotation marks, it can be the singer’s own self-reassurances that God will indeed deliver him. If the latter, the verse is in abrupt contrast to the preceding eight, which grieve only God’s absence.

v. 11: “womb” in Hebrew, רָחֶם, has the same root as “mercy”, רַחֲמִים.

v. 13: Bashan is first mentioned in the Tanach in Genesis 14:5. The region of Argob, in Bashan, came under Solomon’s rule with the defeat of the king of Bashan (1 Kings4:13).

v. 15: the Hebrew word for “bones” can also be translated “essence”. For a fuller explanation, see “Notes on Translation, Psalm 6”, verse 3.

v. 16: the Hebrew word for “clay” can also be read “soundless”.

v. 17: the Hebrew reads literally, “like a lion, my hands and my feet”. That he is not comparing his limbs to those of a lion is evident from his previous description of his lack of strength. Moreover, the “pack” of his enemies surround him; his limbs, therefore, their prey.

v. 18: “speak” in Hebrew — סִפֵּר — has the same root as “count”, סָפַר.

v. 20: “strength” in Hebrew, אֱיָל, has the same root as “deer”, “ayeleth”, of verse 1.

v. 21: “essence” here does not relate to “bones” of verse 15 (see Notes, v. 15). The words are not the same. Here its additional meaning is “one and only”.

v. 21: the Hebrew is actually “the hand” –מִיַּד–, not “the grip”. The English translation thus takes note of the fact that the “curs” are humans; whereas the Hebrew emphasizes their animality.

v. 24: “Israel” refers to the Israelite nation but also to Jacob, mentioned first in the verse. Jacob, after wrestling with an angel, received the name “Israel” (see Genesis 32:28 and 35:10).

v. 26: “fulfill” in Hebrew, אֲשַׁלֵּם, shares a common root with “shalom”, שָׁלוֹם, the Hebrew word usually translated “peace”.

v. 28: the Hebrew reads, literally, “all the edges of the earth”.

v. 30: the Hebrew word for “fattened” is translated in Psalm 23, verse 5, as “enriched”.

v. 31: “seed” is the Biblical word most often used for “descendants”.

—

These translations are by Rabbi Maccabi and Dr. Rosenberg. The translations are as close to the literal Hebrew as possible.

Click here to study “Literary analysis of Psalm 22”

—

King James Psalms 22 Translation:

[1] My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
[2] O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
[3] But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
[4] Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
[5] They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
[6] But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
[7] All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying,
[8] He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
[9] But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.
[10] I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.
[11] Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
[12] Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
[13] They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
[14] I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
[15] My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
[16] For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
[17] I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
[18] They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
[19] But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
[20] Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
[21] Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
[22] I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
[23] Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
[24] For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
[25] My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
[26] The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
[27] All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
[28] For the kingdom is the LORD’s: and he is the governor among the nations.
[29] All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
[30] A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
[31] They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

Psalm Nineteen – Translation of the Song

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19,1 For the Leader. A Song by David.
19,2 The heavens tell God’s glory and the act of His hands is narrated by the sky.
19,3 Day surges speech to day and night shares knowledge with night;
19,4 There is no speech and there are no utterances; yet, without sound, their voice is heard.
19,5 In all the land their hope emerges, like the horizon, and their words to the edge of the world.
In their midst He has put a tent for the sun,
19,6 it is like a groom emerging from his canopy, like a hero exuberantly, about to run its course,
19,7 from the edge of the heavens, and its revolution to the ends of it; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
19,8 The Torah of ADONAI, perfect, reviving the soul; the covenant of ADONAI, steadfast, giving wisdom to the simple.
19,9 The precepts of ADONAI, upright, gladdening the heart; the command of ADONAI, clear, sending light to the eyes.
19,10 Awe for ADONAI, pure, standing forever; the statutes of ADONAI, true, altogether just.
19,11 Coveted more than gold, than bountiful fine gold; and sweeter than honey and the flowing of the honey.
19,12 Indeed Your servant is careful with them; in guarding them follows bountiful reward.
19,13 Errors, who can understand? Of ones hidden cleanse me.
19,14 Indeed spare Your servant deliberate malice, let it not govern within me;
then will I become perfect, and I will be cleansed of great offences.
19,15 May You will the speeches of my mouth and the logic of my heart, ADONAI my creator and my redeemer.  

—

Notes on Translation, Psalm 19:

  1. 2: the Hebrew word, [הַשָּׁמַיִם], translated here as “heavens”, describes a space beyond earth. “Sky”, however, has a more specific, contained meaning in Hebrew. [הָרָקִיעַ] connotes a dome or covering over the earth.

 

  1. 3: the verb “surges”, in Hebrew [יַבִּיעַ], has the connotation in Hebrew of singing.

 

  1. 3: the Hebrew for “shares”, [יְחַוֶּה], has the same root as the Hebrew word for “experience”.

 

  1. 4: “utterances” is, in Hebrew, [דְּבָרִים], the same word used for “commandments” as it in the description, ”The Ten Commandments”. Its sense, in Hebrew, is of speech rather than the English denotation of “orders” or “laws”.

 

  1. 5: the English “horizon” translates the Hebrew word קַוָּם, which actually means “line”. That is, the description is of the apparent line separating heaven and earth. “Line” has, in Hebrew, the same root as “hope”, so that, in Hebrew, the image is of a line of hope, bridging the two seemingly disparate places.

 

  1. 5: the Hebrew word, [אֹהֶל], translated here as “tent”, has the same root as the Hebrew for “lamp-shade”. The image is of the sky and heavens acting as a shade for the light of the sun. The earth, then, is not what is shaded from the sun’s heat. Rather, the sun, blazing, has, above it, the covering of the heavens.

 

  1. 7: “revolution” has, in Hebrew, the connotation of both space and time – [וּתְקוּפָתוֹ]; it shares a common root with the Hebrew for both “power” and “validity”.

 

  1. 8: the Hebrew word [מְשִׁיבַת], translated here as “reviving”, has the root of the Hebrew for “return”, suggesting the image of the soul leaving and returning to the body, in a reversal of the usual sequence of birth and death.

 

  1. 8: “covenant”, [עֵדוּת], here has the meaning of “witnessing” or “testimony”, unlike psalm 6 verse 5 where “covenant” is suggested in the use of the word for “compassion”.

 

  1. 10: the Hebrew for “just”, [צָדְקוּ], implies compassion and righteousness, suggesting a justice that is tempered.

 

  1. 12: the Hebrew [נִזְהָר], translated here as “careful”, shares a common root with the Hebrew for “shine”. The suggestion, then, in Hebrew, is of illumination, of a light that is the radiance of righteousness.

 

  1. 14: the Hebrew is ambiguous: the “malice” can be that of those who want to harm the singer or cause him to harm himself by sinning (accordingly, the pronoun, in the phrase following, is, in the Hebrew, plural, not singular. Clarity, in English, demands “it”, rather than the literal “them”.) Or, “malice” can identify the nature of the sins themselves; that is, sins that are intentional, and thereby the acts of a malicious will.

 

  1. 14: ambiguity again closes the verse: “great” in Hebrew, [רָב], can describe either quantity or quality; can mean, that is, either a large number of offenses or offences that are serious ones. The ambiguity resolves, however, as we understand that a great many offenses are surely a serious deviation from the “precepts” and “statutes” of God that the singer is extolling.

 

  1. 15: the Hebrew word translated here as “logic”, [וְהֶגְיוֹן], also has the meaning, in the Torah, of “chanting”. Thus the image suggested in Hebrew is of the singer’s heart beating to God’s will, its beats themselves mimicking the swaying motion so often accompanying the chanting of Jewish prayers.

 

  1. 15: the Hebrew for “creator”, [צוּרִי], can mean “fashioner” (in the sense of shaping, sculpting, or painting), thus describing the activity of creating as well as naming that activity. But, unique to the Hebrew, the word can also mean “rock”, defining, at the same time, both aspects of creation –creator and created (see “Commentary, Psalm 19”).

—

These translations are by Rabbi Maccabi and Dr. Rosenberg. The translations are as close to the literal Hebrew as possible.

Click here to study “Literary analysis of Psalm XXX”

—

King James Psalms 19 Translation:

[1] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
[2] Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
[3] There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
[4] Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
[5] Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
[6] His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
[7] The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
[8] The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
[9] The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
[10] More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
[11] Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
[12] Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
[13] Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
[14] Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalm Thirteen – Translation of the Song

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13,1 For the Leader. A Song by David.
13,2 How long, ADONAI, will You forget me? Eternally? How long will You hide Your face from me?
13,3 How long will I seek counsel in my soul, grief in my heart all day long?
How long will my enemy be raised up over me?
13,4 Watch over and answer me, ADONAI my God; send light to my eyes. If not, I will sleep the sleep of death.
13,5 If not, my enemy will say, “I bettered him”; my tormentors will rejoice in my stumbling.
13,6 But as for me, in Your compassion I trust; my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance.
I will sing to ADONAI, for He has bestowed favour upon me.  

—

Notes on Translation, Psalm 13:

13.1: the phrase “how long” is, in English, a question about time. In Hebrew, however, the combination here of the two words [עַד] and [אָנָה] is an unusual one. [עַד], meaning “to what extent” or “until”, refers to both time and space or location, but [אָנָה], meaning “where”, refers specifically to space.

13.4: in Hebrew, the word for “answer”, [עֲנֵנִי], has the same root as “anguish” or “torture”. Perhaps the similarity hints at the hope that suffering will ultimately be answered, be assuaged.

13.5: the literal meaning in Hebrew is “I could [have] him”, [יְכָלְתִּיו] — the threat issued by the enemy that he has the capacity to do whatever he wishes to the singer, that his power over him is absolute.

13.6: the Hebrew for “bestowed favour”, [גָמַל עָלָי], has the connotation of a parent’s cradling of her baby.

—

These translations are by Rabbi Maccabi and Dr. Rosenberg. The translations are as close to the literal Hebrew as possible.

Click here to study “Literary analysis of Psalm 13”

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King James Psalms 13 Translation:

[1] How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
[2] How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
[3] Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
[4] Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
[5] But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
[6] I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

Sing & Learn: hear a song composed for Psalm 13

Psalm Six – Translation of the Song

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6,1 For the Leader; with string-music; on the Sheminit. A Song by David.
6,2 ADONAI, do not rebuke me in Your indignation, do not chastise me in Your wrath.
6,3 Favour me, ADONAI, for I am wretched; heal me, ADONAI, for my bones shudder with terror.
6,4 And my soul shudders with utter terror; and You, ADONAI, until when?
6,5 Return, ADONAI, release my soul; deliver me for the sake of Your compassion.
6,6 For in death there is no mention of You; in Sheol who will praise You?
6,7 I weary in my groaning; every night I cause my bed to swim; I melt away my cradle with my tears.
6,8 My eye is shaded by anger; it is worn out by each of my tormentors.
6,9 Turn away from me, all you workers of wickedness; for ADONAI has heard the voice of my weeping.
6,10 ADONAI has heard my plea; ADONAI will take my prayer.
6,11 All my enemies will be shamed and shudder with terror; they will turn back, they will be shamed, in an instant.

—

Notes on translation, Psalm 6:

  1. 2: the literal translation of the Hebrew for God’s “indignation”, [אַפְּךָ], is of a nose, snorting. Impossible to translate this as such into English without arousing ridicule in the listener or reader or implying a blasphemy contrary to the Psalm’s point of view. The image of God’s breath, exhaled with such energy that it emits an aggressive sound, contrasts dramatically with the breath of God that Genesis describes as the force that created the first humans, Adam and Eve. Here the image is of aggression alone, but its contrast is indicated simply because the very first mention of God’s breath in the Tanach depicts creativity and beneficence. The contrast, implicit though it is, disallows the Hebrew word, [אַפְּךָ ], any suggestion of animality or irrationality in its description of God.

 

  1. 2: the image inherent in the Hebrew for God’s “wrath”, [בַּחֲמָתְךָ], is of extreme heat; the word shares a common root with the Hebrew for “sun”, [חַמָּה].

 

  1. 3: the Hebrew word for “bones”, [עֲצָמָי], can also be translated as “essence”. Bones are commonly described in English as shuddering; essence, an intangible, cannot shudder. Both words, however, denote the singer’s innermost self.

 

  1. 3: the Hebrew word for “shudder”, [נִבְהֲלָה], can also be translated as “panic” or “tremble with fear”; the connotation of the English verb is similar. The Hebrew can mean, as well, “hasten”, and, accordingly, transitions into the question, “You, Adonai, until when”; in the English, the singer’s yearning for God’s deliverance is revealed only when it is voiced explicitly in the question.

 

  1. 5: “deliver”, in Hebrew, [חַלְּצָה], denotes extraction, or releasing with effort, as though the singer is asking God to take his soul out of his body.

 

  1. 5: the Hebrew word for “compassion”, [חַסְדֶּךָ], implies action; in the Tanach it sometimes used as a synonym for or indicator of “covenant”.

 

  1. 6: the Hebrew word for “mention”, [זִכְרֶךָ], has the same root as the word for “memory”, [זִכָּרוֹן].

 

  1. 6: the Hebrew word for “praise”, [יוֹדֶה], can also be translated as “admit” or “thank”.

 

  1. 7: in the Tanach, the Hebrew word translated here as “bed”, [מִטָּתִי], is often a metaphor for “death”.

 

  1. 7: in the Tanach, the Hebrew word translated here as “swim”, [אַשְׂחֶה], also means “to pray” or “to bend” or “hunch over” in prayer.

 

  1. 8: in Hebrew, the word for “shaded”, [עָשְׁשָׁה], connotes the dimming of an oil lamp; indeed, it shares a common root with the word for “moth”, [עָשׁ].

 

  1. 8: the Hebrew for “anger” here, [כַּעַס], is a different word from “indignation” in v. 2.

 

  1. 8: the Hebrew word for “worn out” [עָתְקָה], has the same root as both the words “aged” and “detached”.

 

  1. 8: the Hebrew word for “tormentors”, [צוֹרְרָי], shares a common root with “narrow” (for a path) or “strait”(for water). That is, a description of, as well as a condemnation of, their lack of generosity of thought or breadth of feeling is inherent in the word itself.

 

  1. 11: the Hebrew for “turn back”, [יָשֻׁבוּ], is different from that for “turn away” in v. 9 [סוּרוּ]. The latter has the sense of “returning” that the former does not; the implication is that the singer’s enemies will return to their place of origin or to their original inefficacy.

—

These translations are by Rabbi Maccabi and Dr. Rosenberg. The translations are as close to the literal Hebrew as possible.
Click here to study “Literary analysis of Psalm 6”

—

King James Psalms 6 Translation:

[1] O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
[2] Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
[3] My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?
[4] Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.
[5] For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
[6] I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
[7] Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
[8] Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.
[9] The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.
[10] Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

Passover for a Jew – The Chronicle Herald (Passover 5776)

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the online version: http://thechronicleherald.ca/editorials/1358615-%E2%80%98what-passover-is-for-me%E2%80%99

Passover for a Jew is that special holiday when he, his family and his friends are seated around a specially set table and internalize an astounding truth that they carry on for generations. That is, that the Tanach, the Jewish Bible, is still being written and that they are the main characters in its current chapter.

The first night of the eight-day Passover is called “Seder”, which means, in Hebrew, order or structure. During that night, every Jewish family will follow a manual, the Haggadah, to guide them through details of how to perform the service of this “night of the Seder”; what symbol to raise, special foods to eat, verses to recite.

The core of the Haggadah is retelling of the story of our ancestors’ exodus from Egypt almost four thousand years ago.

We, participants of the Haggadah, try to encourage our children and ourselves to relate to God’s will through our heritage, passed down through our Holy Scriptures and that we believe stands relevant throughout previous generations till today and on.

The drama starts when we open the door and invite in whoever would not otherwise have a chance to celebrate the holiday. No one is excluded.

Last year my family Seder included a Haligonian squirrel which seized the opportunity to find shelter from the breeze outside.

But seriously, since the destruction of our holy Temple in Jerusalem and the Roman expulsion that followed, to be a Jew in a foreign land was usually difficult, even dangerous. Therefore we begin our reading of the Haggadah with the promise God gave to Abraham in the “covenant” and further detailed by Moses in his last sermon to the Israelites: “in every single generation people will rise up to destroy us — but the Holy One will save us from their hands.”

We learn from Moses that, for a seemingly inexplicable but divine reason, the Jewish nation must endure a long time of exile and that, although it will at times seem unrealistic, Jews will pray and faithfully proclaim belief in the nation’s return to Israel. This was the prophecy of Moses and one fulfilled with the rebirth of the Jewish state nearly 4,000 years later.

The Seder night stops the mundane race of our life and allows us to view the world and ourselves from a more heavenly perspective. We learn we are instructed to labour and fulfill our duty to become a moral light to all other nations, that our destination is intertwined with the welfare of all other nations, for we are all children of One God.

For thousands of years the service concluded with: “Next year in Jerusalem”. Most of those years, that was cited as an idea; Jerusalem being a symbol for a lofty dream.

Nowadays we say it as a concrete fact. In my family, this saying is accompanied by my grandparents’ personal experiences. My father’s parent used to tell us about their individual voyage after being expelled from Tunisia along with approximately one million other Jews who were expelled from their native Arab countries, until finally, after much turbulence, they landed in Zion, which was to become, a year later, the newly-born State of Israel.

On the other side of my family, my mother’s mother survived the Holocaust and escaped Hungary through the gates of Pier 21 in Halifax. Her personal exodus reached its end 15 years ago, when she arrived in Israel with my grandfather, joining three out of four of their children, in order to share in the biggest miracle of the 20th century — re-establishment of the State of Israel.

Nothing will bring back my grandmother’s extended family who were murdered in the Holocaust with the other six million Jewish victims. But for me, observing her astonished look when my father tells about his part in the Six-Day War and how this tiny country, Israel, almost half the size of Nova Scotia, is, against all odds, a solid fact on the world’s map, that to me is the best dessert served at the Seder table.

I was asked what is Passover for me. It is living the world’s redemption.

The role of the congregation in the service – (blurb for bulletin 5776, Rosh HaShana)

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The Force commander prepared to conquer his target destination.

He did not worry. He had more soldiers than the enemy. They were all motivated, well prepared and were better equipped than the enemy.

“Forward!!” he howled and charged with full speed. bullets whistled around him before he halted on his track. Wait a second… he turns round to see no-one followed his lead. He was tricked!

Dear Congregation! that’s what the cantor feels when  we do not reply with the Amen and don’t join in the singing.

don’t leave him hanging there:)

All are welcome to participate…

Please check this webpage in the Beth’s new website, to better prepare your High Holidays:

http://thebethisrael.com/jewish-holidays/rosh-hashanah/

 

Shana Tova U’Metuka,
Happy sweet new year,