Baruch El Elyon

Baruch El Elyon for Shabbat haGadol in a 15th-century Sephardic siddur.

Baruch El Elyon is a piyyut attributed to Baruch ben Samuel of Mainz (c. 1150 – 1221).[1] The poem is acrostically signed "BaRUCH HaZaQ".[2] Among Ashkenazic communities, it is a traditional zemer for Shabbat lunch. Though one manuscript lists it at the end of the order for the Sabbath, Israel Isserlein (1390-1460) already sang it on Sabbath morning.[3][4]

The poem's theme is singing praises to God, who gave complete physical and mental rest to his people. The payytan describes the joy of Shabbat and its dignity, which is glorified with delicious food and festive clothes, the enormous reward that the keeper of the Sabbath will receive both now and in heaven, the powerful human experience of the Sabbath, the feelings it evokes, and the importance of Shabbat to God.

According to the piyyut, the Sabbath breaks the natural routine of the weekdays and in the process elevates the Jew to another level. The piyyut also recalls that God will redeem his people because of the Sabbath: "Yohanan said that Shimon ben Yochai said, 'If Israel kept two Shabbats appropriately, we would immediately be redeemed'".[5]

Text

The piyyut contains seven verses, each four lines with 12 syllables per line.[6] The first and last verses rhyme on an ABABABAB pattern, while the middle five verses follow an ABABABCD pattern, where C rhymes with A (4x) or B (1x) and D rhymes with the first verse.[7] One 13th-century manuscript of Machzor Vitry contains verses 1, 2, and 4, spelling ברך.[8] One 14th-century fragment includes verses 6-7.[9] Another manuscript of Machzor Vitry contains all seven verses.[10] MS Schocken 22, a machzor for the Jews of Corfu, also includes the piyyut.[11][1]

Hebrew Original[8][9][10] English translation

בָּרוּךְ אֵל עֶלְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר נָתַן מְנוּחָה
לְנַפְשֵׁנוּ פִדְיוֹן מַשְׂאֵת וַהֲנָחָה
וְהוּא יִדְרוֹש צִיּוֹן עִיר הַנִּדָּחָה
עַד־אָנָה תּוֹגְיוּן נֶפֶשׁ נֶאֱנָחָה.
הַשּׁוֹמֵר אֶת הַשַׁבָּת הַבֵּן עִם הַבַּת
לָאֵל יֵרָצֶה כְּמִנְחָה עַל מַחֲבַת.‎

Blessed be El Elyon, who gave rest

To our bodies, release, relief, and uplift.

He seeks Zion,[a] the abandoned city,

How long will you aggrieve this sad soul?

The Sabbath observer, male or female,

is pleasing[b] to god like meal on the pan.

רוֹכֵב בָּעֲרָבוֹת מֶלֶךְ עוֹלָמִים
אֶת עַמּוֹ לִשְׁבּוֹת אִזֵּן מַנְעַמִּים
בְּמַאֲכָלֵי עֲרֵבוֹת מִינֵי מַטְעַמִּים
בְּמַלְבּוּשֵׁי כָבוֹד זֶבַח מִשְׁפָּחָה
הַשּׁוֹמֵר . . .‎

Rider[c] on the eves, eternal king,[d]

His people to rest, he seeks delicacies.[e]

With sweet foods, variety of dishes,

With glorious clothing, a family feast.[f]

The Sabbath observer . . .

וְאַשְׁרֵי כָל־חוֹכֶה לְתַשְׁלוּמֵי כֵפֶל
מֵאֵת כֹּל סוֹכֶה שׁוֹכֵן בָּעֲרָפֶל
נַחֲלָה הוּא יִזְכֶּה בָהָר וּבַשָּׁפֶל
נַחֲלָה וּמְנוּחָה כַּשֶּׁמֶש לוֹ זָרְחָה
הַשּׁוֹמֵר . . .‎

Happy are all who wait for doubled reward

From the all-seeing cloud dweller.

He will inherit mountain and valley,

Inheritance and rest like the sun rises just for him!

The Sabbath observer . . .

כָּל שׁוֹמֵר שַׁבָּת כַּדָּת מֵחַלְּלוֹ
הֵן הֶכְשֵׁר חִבַּת קֹדֶשׁ גּוֹרָלוֹ
וְאִם יָצָא חוֹבַת הַיּוֹם אַשְרֵי לוֹ
אֶל אֵל מְחוֹלְלוֹ מִנְחָה הִיא שְׁלוּחָה
הַשּׁוֹמֵר . . .‎

All who protect the Sabbath properly from desecrators,

Preparation by reverence for the Holy is their lot.[g]

And if he completes the day's obligations, praise him,[h]

To God who made him,[i] a meal-offering is sent.

The Sabbath observer . . .

חֶמְדַּת הַיָּמִים קְרָאוֹ אֵלִי צוּר
וְאַשְׁרֵי לִתְמִימִים אִם יִהְיֶה נָצוּר
כֶּתֶר יַהֲלֹמִים עַל רֹאשָׁם יָצוּר
צוּר הָעוֹלָמִים רוּחוֹ בָם נָחָה
הַשּׁוֹמֵר . . .‎

My god, my Rock, called it the best of days,

And praised be the pure ones if it is protected.

A jeweled[j] crown he'll set on their heads,

The spirit of the Eternal Rock will rest on them.[k]

The Sabbath observer . . .

זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ
קַרְנוֹ כִּי גָבְהָה נֵזֶר עַל רֹאשׁוֹ
עַל כֵּן יִתֵּן הָאָדָם לְנַפְשׁוֹ
עֹנֶג וְגַם שִׂמְחָה בָהֶם לְמָשְׁחָה
הַשּׁוֹמֵר . . .‎

Recall the Sabbath day and sanctify it,

His pride raised, a diadem on his head.

Therefore does man give[l] to his body,

joy and happiness, by which to be anointed.[m]

The Sabbath observer . . .

קֹדֶשׁ הִיא לָכֶם שַׁבָּת הַמַּלְכָּה
אֶל תּוֹךְ בָּתֵּיכֶם לְהָנִיחַ בְּרָכָה
בְּכֹל מֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ מְלָאכָה
בְּנֵיכֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיכֶם עֶבֶד וְגַם שִׁפְחָה
הַשּׁוֹמֵר . . .‎

Holy to you is the Sabbath queen,

Into your houses, to grant blessing.

In all your dwellings, do not do melakha,

Even your children and your servants.

The Sabbath observer . . .

Hagadol version

An early alternative version of the last verse is found in NLI Ms. Heb. 8°844, a 15th-century Sephardic siddur, where it is marked as a "pizmon for Shabbat Hagadol". The piyyut mentions the commandment to eat matza and the Exodus.

Hagadol version[12] English translation

קֹדֶשׁ הִיא לָכֶם הַשַׁבָּת הַמַּלְכָּה
אֶל תּוֹךְ בָּתֵּיכֶם לְהָנִיחַ בְּרָכָה
בְּכֹל מֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם תֹּאכְלוּ מַצָּה
נָחֲלוּ אֲבֹתֵיכֶם עֶבֶד וְגַם שִׁפְחָה‎

Holy to you is the Sabbath queen,

Into your houses, to grant blessing.

In all your dwellings, eat matzah,

Your enslaved ancestors all inherited.

References

  1. ^ The first scribe of the Paris manuscript: "He will rebuild Zion."
  2. ^ Many modern printings use the plural form ירצו, "are pleasing"; the 1514 editio princeps uses יהי רצוי,"will be pleasing".
  3. ^ The Paris manuscript: "The rider," which better fits the metre but ruins the acrostic.
  4. ^ In the Parma manuscript, "creator of worlds."
  5. ^ In the Paris manuscript and in printings, בנעימים "He tells his people to rest sweetly." This makes somewhat less sense but fits the metre better.
  6. ^ Paris first scribe: "sacrifice of meal."
  7. ^ In the Parma manuscript, "He pleases God, the love of his lot."
  8. ^ In the Parma manuscript, "and if he completes his obligation in everything he has".
  9. ^ Or perhaps emend: מָחוּל לוֹ "God who pardoned him" after b. Shabbat 118b, PdRE 18:13, etc.
  10. ^ So the second scribe of Paris. The first scribe of Paris: "הלולים", delights, while printings: "הלומים", "kingship" after the Talmud's statement that אין הלום אלא מלכות; the Talmud also uses ה.ל.מ as a verb meaning coronation in b. AZ 44a and Sanhedrin 21b.
  11. ^ Paris first scribe: "The Eternal Rock commands rest for him."
  12. ^ Vienna manuscript: "So does a man live for his body,"
  13. ^ Vienna: "Joy and also happiness; oil for annointment."
  1. ^ a b Habermann, Abraham Meir (1932). "פיוטי רבינו ברוך בר רבי שמואל ממגנצא". ידיעות המכון לחקר השירה העברית (6): 47–161.
  2. ^ "Piyut". old.piyut.org.il. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  3. ^ Kanarti, Amichai (2009). Leket Yosher (in Hebrew). Vol. 1. Mechon Yerushalayim. p. 72.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ b. Shabbat 118b
  6. ^ גולדשמידט, דניאל (1996). מחקרי תפילה ופיוט. Hotsaʼat sefarim ʻa. sh. Y.L. Magnes, ha-Universiṭah ha-ʻIvrit. OCLC 746880904.
  7. ^ "פרק א שבת ב אמירת זמירות".
  8. ^ a b "מחזור ויטרי | כתב יד NNL_ALEPH000083855 | הספרייה הלאומית". www.nli.org.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  9. ^ a b "זמירות | כתב יד NNL_ALEPH002638508 | הספרייה הלאומית". www.nli.org.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  10. ^ a b "Paris (F), Bibliothèque de l'Alliance Israélite Universelle, H 133 - Notice Medium (édition avancée)". medium-avance.irht.cnrs.fr. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  11. ^ "מחזור מנהג קורפו לכל השנה". www.nli.org.il. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  12. ^ "סדור : תפלות החול, שבת, ראש חודש, חנוכה, פורים ופסח". www.nli.org.il. Retrieved 2022-07-21.