Az mi-lifnei vereishit
Written by Eleazar Ben Kalir it became part of the Romaniote liturgy in the 7th century from which it passed into the Ashkenazi and Sephardic liturgy. It is an extremely important piyyut for Messianic Noahites to say on Yom Kippur. The Messianic Chabadniks have been making a concerted effort to get it removed from all Machzorim.
1. אָז מִלִּפְנֵי בְרֵאשִׁית.
- Az mi-lifnei beresheit
- So, before Genesis,
- Nave veYinon hesheit
- An abode and Yinon he established.
2. תַּלְפִּיּוֹת מָרוֹם מֵרִאשׁוֹן.
- Talpiyot marom merishon
- Battlements on-high of-Rishon,
תִּכֵּן טֶֽרֶם כָּל עַם וְלָשׁוֹן:
- Tiken terem kal am velashon
- he prepared before every people or language.
3. שִׁכְנוֹ עָץ שָׁם לְהַשְׁרוֹת.
- Shikhno atz sham lehashrot
- His presence let there to reside,
שׁוֹגִים לְהַדְרִיךְ בְּדַרְכֵי יְשָׁרוֹת:
- Shogim lehadrikh bedarkhei yesharot
- Madmen to guide in straight paths.
4. רֶֽשַׁע אִם הֶאְדִּים.
- Resha im headim
- A wicked one if like Edom (reddened),
רַחֲצוּ וְהִזַּֽכּוּ הִקְדִּים:
- Rachatzu vehizku hiqdim
- let them wash and be cleansed beforehand.
5. קֶֽצֶף אִם קָצַף בַּאֲיֻמָּתוֹ.
- Qetsef im qatsaf beAimato
- Wrath, if incited at his fierceness,
קָדוֹשׁ לֹא יָעִיר כָּל חֲמָתוֹ:
- Qadosh lo yair kal chamato
- the Holy One will not awaken his full rage.
6. צֻמַּֽתְנוּ בְּבִצְעֵֽנוּ עַד עַתָּה.
- Tzumatnu bebitzenu ad etah
- We have fasted in our midst until now,
צוּרֵֽנוּ עָלֵֽינוּ לֹא גַֽעְתָּה:
- Tzurenu aleinu lo gatah
- Our Rock upon us didn't afflict.
7. פִּנָּה מֶֽנּוּ מְשִֽׁיחַ צִדְקֵֽנוּ.
- Panah mennu Meshiach Tzidkenu. (Is 53:3)
- Turned from us Messiah of our Justification (to sit at the gates of Rome).
פֻּלַּֽצְנוּ וְאֵין מִי לְצַדְּקֵֽנוּ:
- Pulatznu v'ein mi letzadkenu.
- We're stupefied (shuddering) for we'd have nobody to cause us to be found just.
8. עֲוֹנוֹתֵֽינוּ וְעֹל פְּשָׁעֵֽינוּ.
- Avnoteinu v'ol pesha'einu
- But our iniquities and the yoke (cross) of our sins
עוֹמֵס וְהוּא מְחוֹלָל מִפְּשָׁעֵֽינוּ:
- Omes v'hu mechulal mipsha'einu.
- He carries. And he was pierced because of our sins.
9. סוֹבֵל עַל שֶֽׁכֶם חַטֹּאתֵֽינוּ.
- Sovel al shechem chatoteinu.
- He bares on a shoulder our sins.
סְלִיחָה מְצֹא לַעֲוֹנוֹתֵֽינוּ:
- Slichah metzo lavnoteinu.
- Pardon he found for our iniquities.
10. נִרְפָּא לָֽנוּ בְּחַבּוּרָתוֹ.
- Nirpa lanu b'chaburato.
- Healed are we by his wounds.
נֶֽצַח בְּרִיָּה חֲדָשָׁה עֵת לִבְרֹאתוֹ:
- Netzach b'riyyah chadashah eit livroto.
- Forever a new being, tis time to make Him.
11. חזן מֵחוּג הַעֲלֵֽהוּ.
- Chazan mechug ha'alehu.
- A Hazan from a circle/vault above Him.
מִשֵּׂעִיר הַדְלֵֽהוּ:
- Misse'ir had'lehu.
- From Seir (Rome) draw him (back)
12. לְהַשְׁמִיעֵֽנוּ בְּהַר הַלְּבָנוֹן.
- L'hashmi'enu b'har haLevanon.
- To let us hear him at Hermon (Mount Lebanon).
שֵׁנִית בְּיַד יִנּוֹן:
- Shenit b'yad Yinon.
- A second chance by Yinon's hand.
Sources
This text is identical in:
- Machzor Yom Kippur Ashkenaz, Musaf for Yom Kippur, Kedushah
- The Metsudah Machzor. Metsudah Publications, New York - Eng (paragraph ed.)
- Machzor Yom Kippur Sefard, Musaf Service, Reader's Repetition
- Machzor Yom Kippur Ashkenaz Linear, Musaf for Yom Kippur, Kedushah
- The Metsudah Machzor. Metsudah Publications, New York
