Yedid Nefesh
Encyclopedia
Yedid Nefesh is the title of a piyyut
. It is usually sung on the Jewish Sabbath.
usually sung to welcome in the Shabbat
queen, as it were, the restful contentment that descends from above during nightfall on Friday).
It is sung by many Jews during Seudah Shlishit
(the third meal on Shabbat
; the first is on Friday night, the second on Saturday lunch, and the third on Saturday before nightfall).
Many Chassidim say or sing it every morning before beginning to the Pesukei dezimra section of Shacharis in order to arouse their love of Hashem in preparation for the praises of Pesukei d'Zimra.
This beautiful poem is commonly attributed to the sixteenth century kabbalist, Rabbi Elazar ben Moshe Azikri
(1533-1600), who first published it in Sefer Charedim (published in Venice 1601), but Azikri did not claim authorship of it and there have been other suggested authors (e.g. Judah Halevi, or Israel Nagara). The Hebrew Manuscripts at Cambridge University Libraries by Stefan C. Reif (1997, page 93) refers to an appearance of Yedid Nefesh in the Commentary On the Book of Numbers by Samuel ben David ben Solomon, a manuscript dated to about 1438 -- long before Azikri's birth. Azikri's philosophy centred around the intense love one must feel for God, a theme that is evident in this piyyut (see references). The first letters of each of the four verses make up the four letter name of God, known in English as the tetragrammaton
.
*ָYedid Nefesh sung to a traditional Sephardi Tune.
Piyyut
A piyyut or piyut is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, chanted, or recited during religious services. Piyyutim have been written since Temple times...
. It is usually sung on the Jewish Sabbath.
Traditions and origin
Some sing it between Minchah (afternoon prayer) of Friday and the beginning of Kabbalat Shabbat (literally: receiving or greeting the Sabbath — a collection of psalmsPsalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
usually sung to welcome in the Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
queen, as it were, the restful contentment that descends from above during nightfall on Friday).
It is sung by many Jews during Seudah Shlishit
Seudah Shlishit
Seudah Shlishit is the "third meal" customarily eaten by Sabbath-observing Jews on Shabbat .-Practices:According to Halakha, the meal is to be eaten in the afternoon...
(the third meal on Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
; the first is on Friday night, the second on Saturday lunch, and the third on Saturday before nightfall).
Many Chassidim say or sing it every morning before beginning to the Pesukei dezimra section of Shacharis in order to arouse their love of Hashem in preparation for the praises of Pesukei d'Zimra.
This beautiful poem is commonly attributed to the sixteenth century kabbalist, Rabbi Elazar ben Moshe Azikri
Elazar ben Moshe Azikri
Rabbi Elazar ben Moshe Azikri was a Jewish kabbalist, poet and writer, born in Safed to a Sephardic family who settled in the Land of Israel after the expulsion from Spain....
(1533-1600), who first published it in Sefer Charedim (published in Venice 1601), but Azikri did not claim authorship of it and there have been other suggested authors (e.g. Judah Halevi, or Israel Nagara). The Hebrew Manuscripts at Cambridge University Libraries by Stefan C. Reif (1997, page 93) refers to an appearance of Yedid Nefesh in the Commentary On the Book of Numbers by Samuel ben David ben Solomon, a manuscript dated to about 1438 -- long before Azikri's birth. Azikri's philosophy centred around the intense love one must feel for God, a theme that is evident in this piyyut (see references). The first letters of each of the four verses make up the four letter name of God, known in English as the tetragrammaton
Tetragrammaton
The term Tetragrammaton refers to the name of the God of Israel YHWH used in the Hebrew Bible.-Hebrew Bible:...
.
Audio
Follow these links to hear a couple of versions:*ָYedid Nefesh sung to a traditional Sephardi Tune.
Text
The words are as follows:| Transliteration | English translation | Original Hebrew |
|---|---|---|
| Yedid Nefesh av harachaman, | Beloved of the soul, Compassionate Father, | |
| meshoch avdechah el retzonechah, | draw Your servant to Your Will; | |
| ya'arutz avdechah kmo ayal, | then Your servant will hurry like a hart | |
| yishtachave el mul hadarecha, | to bow before Your majesty; | |
| ye-erav lo yedidotecha, | to him Your friendship will be sweeter | |
| minofet tzuf v'chol ta-am. | than the dripping of the honeycomb and any taste. | |
| Hadur na-e ziv ha-ōlom, | Majestic, Beautiful, Radiance of the universe, | |
| nafshi cholat ahavatecha, | my soul pines [lit: is sick for] for your love. | |
| ana el na r'fa na lah, | Please, O G-d, heal her now | |
| b'harot lah noam zivecha, | by showing her the pleasantness of Your radiance; | |
| az teet-chazeik v'titrapei, | then she will be strengthened and healed, | |
| v'hayta lah simchat olam | and eternal gladness will be hers. | |
| Vatik yehemu na rachamecha, | Enduring One, may Your mercy be aroused | |
| v'chuso na al bein ahuvecha, | and please take pity on the son of Your beloved, | |
| ki ze kama nichsof nichsafti, | because it is so very long that I have yearned intensely | |
| lir'ot m'heiro b'tiferet uzecha, | to see speedily the splendour of Your strength; | |
| eile chamdah libi, | only these my heart desired, | |
| v'chuso na v'al tit-alom. | so please take pity and do not conceal Yourself | |
| Higalei na ufros chavivi alai, | Please, my Beloved, reveal Yourself and spread upon me | |
| et sukat shlomecha, | the shelter of Your peace; | |
| ta-ir eretz mich'vodecha, | illuminate the Earth with Your glory, | |
| nagila v'nism'cha bach. | that we may rejoice and be glad with You; | |
| Maheir ehov ki va mo-ed, | hasten, show love, for the time has come, | |
| v'chaneinu kimei olom. | and show us grace as in days of old. | |
External References
- Azikri, Sefer Charedim (Venice 1601) http://jnul.huji.ac.il/dl/books/djvu/1157324/index.djvu?djvuopts&thumbnails=yes&zoom=page (the original printed version is on page 45; in the flyleaf of this copy someone has pasted what appears to be two pages from the 1984 commentary on the Rinat Yisrael version with a photocopy of Azikri's handwritten copy. (This feature works in Internet Explorer but apparently not in some other browsers.)
- Siddur Rinat Yisrael - Hotza'at Moreshet, p. 180
- Siddur Sim ShalomSiddur Sim ShalomSiddur Sim Shalom may refer to any siddur in a family of siddurim, Jewish prayerbooks, and related commentaries on these siddurim, published by the Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism....
, RARabbinical AssemblyThe Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and...
/USCJ, p. 252 - The Complete ArtscrollArtScrollArtScroll is an imprint of translations, books and commentaries from an Orthodox Jewish perspective published by Mesorah Publications, Ltd., a publishing company based in Brooklyn, New York...
Siddur (סדור קול יעקב) — Nosson SchermanNosson SchermanNosson Scherman born 1935, Newark, New Jersey) is an American Haredi rabbi best known as the general editor of ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications.-Biography:...
, Meir ZlotowitzMeir ZlotowitzMeir Zlotowitz is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, author, and founder of ArtScroll Publications.-Biography:Zlotowitz was a talmid of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein at Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem....
, Sheah Brander — Mesorah Publications, p. 591. - Artscroll Transliterated Linear Siddur, Sabbath and Festival (סדור זכרון אברהם) — Nosson Scherman, Benjamin YudinBenjamin YudinBenjamin Yudin is an American rabbi and important figure in the New Jersey Jewish community.- Biography :Rabbi Yudin lives in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where he is the rabbi of Congregation Shomrei Torah...
, Sheah Brander — Mesorah Publications, p. 82. - The Essential Shiron-Birkon — Feldheim, p. 90.
- The NCSY Bencher — Rothman Foundation, p. 51.
- The Koren Sacks Siddur, with introduction, translation and commentary by Rabbi Sir Jonathan SacksJonathan SacksJonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks, Kt is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His Hebrew name is Yaakov Zvi...
(Koren Publishers, Jerusalem, 2009) pages 308-309 and 688-689. http://books.google.com/books?id=xpzEy99oDIYC&pg=PA308&dq=%22beloved+of+the+soul,+father+of+compassion%22&hl=en&ei=HAE1Tta_OqjC0AGy0uiiDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22beloved%20of%20the%20soul%2C%20father%20of%20compassion%22&f=false - Who wrote the poem 'Yedid Nefesh'?' ' by Dr. Ezra Chwat, 6/29/2010
- The Koren Siddur on 'Yedid Nefesh' by 'Hasidic Musician', Aug. 4, 2009
- B.S. Jacobson, The Sabbath Service: An exposition and analysis of its structure, contents, language and ideas (Sinai Publishing, Tel-Aviv, 1981) pages 371-374.
External links
- Recordings, text, translation, transliteration from The Zemirot Database
- http://www.aish.com/shabbathowto/shabbatday/Shabbat_Afternoon_and_Third_Meal.aspFull transliteration and translation in an article on Shabbos afternoon and the third meal by Lori PalatnikLori PalatnikLori Palatnik is an Orthodox Jewish outreach educator, public speaker and author. She is the founding director of the Jewish Women's Renaissance Project, dubbed "Birthright for Women", which has brought over 1,000 women to Israel since the summer of 2009 on a subsidized, 9-day tour-and-learn program...
for Aish.comAish HaTorahAish HaTorah is a Jewish Orthodox organization and yeshiva. Aish HaTorah is actively pro-Israel and encourages Jewish people to visit Israel and connect to the land and its history. Some consider the organisation to reflect a more Religious Zionist philosophy in its attachment to Israel, promoting...
] - Sephardi transliteration of the first verse
- Instrumental accompaniment to the first few lines
- Details of the first verse with audio from project z'mirot