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The New Jew
← Siddur Tehillat Hashem, Weiss Edition / Contents
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pp. 266-267
Minchah for Friday

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God is not defined by the ten attributes

Hebrew
דְּאִיהוּ אֹרַח אֲצִילוּת,<sup>1</sup> וְאִיהוּ
שַׁקְיוּ דְאִילָנָא בִּדְרוֹעוֹי וְעַנְפּוֹי,
כְּמַיָּא דְאַשְׁקֵי לְאִילָנָא<sup>2</sup> וְאִתְרַבֵּי
בְּהַהוּא שַׁקְיוּ: רִבּוֹן עָלְמִין,
אַנְתְּ הוּא עִלַּת הָעִלּוֹת וְסִבַּת
הַסִּבּוֹת, דְּאַשְׁקֵי לְאִילָנָא
בְּהַהוּא נְבִיעוּ: וְהַהוּא נְבִיעוּ
אִיהוּ כְּנִשְׁמְתָא לְגוּפָא, דְּאִיהִי
חַיִּים לְגוּפָא: וּבָךְ לֵית דִּמְיוֹן
וְדִיּוּקְנָא מִכָּל מַה דִּלְגָו וּלְבַר:
וּבְרָאת שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא, וְאַפִּיקַת
מִנְּהוֹן שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא וְכוֹכְבַיָּא
וּמַזָּלַיָּא: וּבְאַרְעָא, אִילָנִין
וְדִשְׁאִין וְגִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן וְעִשְׂבִין
וְחֵיוָן וּבְעִירִין וְעוֹפִין וְנוּנִין וּבְנֵי
נְשָׁא, לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא בְּהוֹן
עִלָּאִין, וְאֵיךְ יִתְנַהֲגוּן עִלָּאִין
וְתַתָּאִין, וְאֵיךְ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן
עִלָּאֵי מִתַּתָּאֵי, וְלֵית דְּיָדַע בָּךְ
כְּלָל: וּבַר מִנָּךְ לֵית יִחוּדָא
בְּעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, וְאַנְתְּ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע
Sephardi
D’ihu orach Atzilut,<sup>1</sup> v’ihu
shakiyu d’ilana bidro’oi v’anfpoi,
k’maya d’ashkei l’ilana<sup>2</sup> v’itrabbei
b’hahu shakiyu: Ribbon almin,
ant hu illat ha-illot v’sibbat
ha-sibbot, d’ashkei l’ilana
b’hahu n’vi’u: v’hahu n’vi’u
ihu k’nishmata l’gufa, d’ihi
chayim l’gufa: uvach leit dimyon
v’diyukna mikol mah dilgav ul’var:
uv’rat shemaya v’ar’a, v’appikat
minhon shimsha v’sihara v’chochvayya
u-mazzalayya: uv’ar’a, ilanin
v’dish’in v’ginta d’Eden v’isbin
v’cheivan uv’irin v’ofin v’nunin uvnei
nasha, l’isht’moda b’hon
illa’in, v’eich yitnahagun illa’in
v’tatta’in, v’eich isht’mod’an
illa’ei mittatta’ei, v’leit d’yada bach
kelal: uvar minach leit yichuda
b’illa’ei v’tatta’ei, v’ant isht’moda
English
direct and control the attributes. This name is the way of the world of Atzilut, emanation.<sup>1</sup> The attributes are like a tree. Chessed, kindness, and Gevurah, severity, are like the trunks, and the other attributes are like the branches. This name (Mah) waters all the attributes, just as water feeds a tree<sup>2</sup> and causes it to grow with this watering. God, Master of the worlds, You are the cause of all causes and the reason behind the reasons for everything that happens in all the worlds. You are the One Who waters this tree; You are the One Who gives the attributes power with Your name of Mah, the fountain of power. That fountain is like a soul to the body—it is the life of the body (the creations). There is nothing inside You that is similar or comparable to anything that exists inside or outside the world. You created heaven and earth. From the heaven, You brought forth the sun, the moon, the stars, and the constellations, and from the earth, You brought forth the trees, the greenery, the Garden of Eden, the grasses, the wild animals, the cattle, the birds, the fish, and human beings, in order to make the higher worlds and the attributes known through them; to understand how the higher and lower worlds are run, and how the higher worlds can be known and understood from the lower worlds. But still, no one knows anything about You, Yourself, God. Without You, there would be no unity in the higher and lower worlds, since only You are truly One. You are known as the cause of everything and the master of everything. Each attribute has a specific name to describe it. Angels are also called
Hebrew
עִלַּת עַל כֹּלָּא וְאָדוֹן עַל כֹּלָּא: וְכָל
סְפִירָא אִית לָהּ שֵׁם יְדִיעָא,<sup>3</sup> וּבְהוֹן
אִתְקְרִיאוּ מַלְאָכַיָּא: וְאַנְתְּ לֵית לָךְ
שֵׁם יְדִיעָא, דְּאַנְתְּ הוּא מְמַלֵּא כָל
שְׁמָהָן: וְאַנְתְּ הוּא שְׁלִימוּ דְּכֻלְּהוּ:
וְכַד אַנְתְּ תִּסְתַּלֵּק מִנַּיְיהוּ, אִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ
כֻּלְּהוּ שְׁמָהָן כְּגוּפָא בְּלָא נִשְׁמְתָא:
אַנְתְּ הוּא חַכִּים וְלָא בְחָכְמָה יְדִיעָא,
אַנְתְּ הוּא מֵבִין וְלָא בְבִינָה יְדִיעָא:<sup>4</sup>
לֵית לָךְ אֲתַר יְדִיעָא: אֶלָּא
לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא תוּקְפָךְ וְחֵילָךְ לִבְנֵי
נָשָׁא, וּלְאַחֲזָאָה לוֹן אֵיךְ מִתְנַהֵג
עָלְמָא בְּדִינָא וּבְרַחֲמֵי, דְּאִית צֶדֶק
וּמִשְׁפָּט כְּפוּם עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא:
דִּין אִיהוּ גְבוּרָה, מִשְׁפָּט עַמּוּדָא
דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא, צֶדֶק מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא,
מֹאזְנֵי צֶדֶק תְּרֵין סַמְכֵי קְשׁוֹט, הִין
צֶדֶק אוֹת בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ, כֹּלָּא לְאַחֲזָאָה
אֵיךְ מִתְנַהֵג עָלְמָא, אֲבָל לָאו דְּאִית
לָךְ צֶדֶק יְדִיעָא דְּאִיהוּ דִּין, וְלָא
מִשְׁפָּט יְדִיעָא דְּאִיהוּ רַחֲמֵי, וְלָא
מִכָּל אִלֵּין מִדּוֹת כְּלָל: בָּרוּךְ יְיָ
לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן:
Sephardi
Illat al kolla v’adon al kolla: vechol
s’fira it lah shem y’di’a,<sup>3</sup> uv’hon
itk’ri’u mal’achayya: v’ant leit lach
shem y’di’a, d’ant hu m’malle kol
sh’mahan: v’ant hu sh’limu d’chullu:
v’chad ant tistallek minnayhu, ishta’aru
kullu sh’mahan k’gufa b’la nishmata:
ant hu chakkim ve-la b’chochmah y’di’a,
ant hu mevin ve-la b’vinah y’di’a:<sup>4</sup>
leit lach atar y’di’a: ela
l’isht’moda tukfach v’cheilach livnei
nasha, ul’achaza’ah lon eich mitnaheg
alma b’dina uv’rachamei, d’it tzedek
umishpat k’fum ovadeihon divnei nasha:
din ihu g’vurah, mishpat ammuda
d’emtza’ita, tzedek malchuta kadisha,
moznei tzedek trein samchei keshot, hin
tzedek ot berit kodesh, kolla l’achaza’ah
eich mitnaheg alma, aval lav d’it
lach tzedek y’di’a d’ihu din, ve-la
mishpat y’di’a d’ihu rachamei, ve-la
mikol illein midot kelal: Baruch Adonai
le'olam amen ve-amen:
English
by these names, You, however, have no specific name to describe Yourself, because You fill every name.<sup>3</sup> Therefore, no name can possibly describe You. You are the One Who makes all names perfect. When You remove Yourself from the attributes, all of them and their names become lifeless, like a body without a soul. You are wise, but not with the wisdom we know of. You understand, but not with the understanding we know of.<sup>4</sup> You have no specific place. You made the attributes only to make Your power and strength known to human beings and to show them how the world is run by Your law and mercy; to show them that there is righteousness and justice, which are given to human beings according to their actions. Law is the attribute of Gevurah, severity, justice is the middle column, and righteousness is the holy attribute of Malchut, kingship. The scales of righteousness are the two pillars of truth, and a hin measurement of righteousness is the sign of the holy Circumcision—the Covenant that You made with the Children of Israel. All of these were created to show us how the world is run, but this does not mean that You have a knowable righteousness—which is law—and it does not mean that You have a knowable justice—which is mercy—and it does not mean that You are limited by any of these descriptions or attributes. The Lord is blessed forever. Amen and Amen.