Az mi-lifnei vereishit
Written by Eleazar Kallir 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.
- Az mi-lifnei vereisheit
- So, before genesis,
- Nave veyinon Hesheit
- he established his abode and Yinnon.
תַּלְפִּיּוֹת מָרוֹם מֵרִאשׁוֹן.
- Talpiyot maron merishon
- Battlements uponhigh from Rishon,
תִּכֵּן טֶֽרֶם כָּל עַם וְלָשׁוֹן:
- Tiken turem kal am velashon
- he prepared before every people or language.
שִׁכְנוֹ עָץ שָׁם לְהַשְׁרוֹת.
- Shikhno atz sham lehashrot
- He decided to let his presence reside there,
שׁוֹגִים לְהַדְרִיךְ בְּדַרְכֵי יְשָׁרוֹת:
- Shogim lehadrikh bedarkhei yesharot
- to guide the mistaken in straight paths.
רֶֽשַׁע אִם הֶאְדִּים.
- Resha im headim
- If the wicked are reddened (like Edom),
רַחֲצוּ וְהִזַּֽכּוּ הִקְדִּים:
- Rakhatzu vehizuku hiqdim
- let them wash and be cleansed beforehand.
קֶֽצֶף אִם קָצַף בַּאֲיֻמָּתוֹ.
- Qutsef im qatsaf beayumato
- If (G-d’s) fierce wrath is incited,
קָדוֹשׁ לֹא יָעִיר כָּל חֲמָתוֹ:
- Qadosh lo yair Kal khamato
- the Holy One will not awaken his full rage.
צֻמַּֽתְנוּ בְּבִצְעֵֽנוּ עַד עַתָּה.
- Tzumtnu bebitzenu ad atah
- So far, our wealth has depleted,
צוּרֵֽנוּ עָלֵֽינוּ לֹא גַֽעְתָּה:
- Tzurnu aluinu lo gatah
- but our Rock has not touched us.
פִּנָּה מֶֽנּוּ מְשִֽׁיחַ צִדְקֵֽנוּ.
- Panah mennu m'shiach tzidkenu.
- Our righteous Messiah has turned from us (to sit at the gates of Rome).
פֻּלַּֽצְנוּ וְאֵין מִי לְצַדְּקֵֽנוּ:
- Pulatznu v'ein mi l'tzadkenu.
- We're shocked and we have nobody to justify us.
עֲוֹנוֹתֵֽינוּ וְעֹל פְּשָׁעֵֽינוּ.
- Onoteinu v'ol p'sha'einu
- Our iniquities and the yoke of our sins
עוֹמֵס וְהוּא מְחוֹלָל מִפְּשָׁעֵֽינוּ:
- Omes v'hu m'cholal mip'sha'einu.
- He carries and he was pained because of our sins.
סוֹבֵל עַל שֶֽׁכֶם חַטֹּאתֵֽינוּ.
- Sovel al shechem chatoteinu.
- He bares on his shoulder our sins.
סְלִיחָה מְצֹא לַעֲוֹנוֹתֵֽינוּ:
- Slichah m'tzo la'onoteinu.
- Pardon he found for our iniquities.
נִרְפָּא לָֽנוּ בְּחַבּוּרָתוֹ.
- Nirpa lanu b'chaburato.
- Healed are we by his wounds.
נֶֽצַח בְּרִיָּה חֲדָשָׁה עֵת לִבְרֹאתוֹ:
- Netzach b'riyyah chadashah et livroto.
- Forever a new creature, for his rehabilitation.
חזן מֵחוּג הַעֲלֵֽהוּ.
- Khazan mechug ha'alehu.
- Bring him up from (out of) the deep/vault/horizon/Circ.
מִשֵּׂעִיר הַדְלֵֽהוּ:
- Misse'ir had'lehu.
- Draw him (back) from (Mount) Seir (Rome).
לְהַשְׁמִיעֵֽנוּ בְּהַר הַלְּבָנוֹן.
- L'hashmi'enu b'har haL'vanon.
- To let us hear him at Hermon.
שֵׁנִית בְּיַד יִנּוֹן:
- Shenit b'yad yinon.
- A second chance by the hand of Yinon.
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