The Shabbos Yotzer: HaKol Yoducha, Kel Adon and LaKel Asher Shavas
This lesson can be read on www.tebeka.com. Printing is for signed-in users only. © Rabbi Haim Tebeka.
After Yishtabach and Borchu comes the blessing יוֹצֵר אוֹר, the same as on a weekday. Then, on Shabbos, the text changes: HaKol Yoducha, “All will thank You”, with Ein Aroch; Kel Adon, the aleph-beis piyut of the luminaries; and LaKel Asher Shavas, where “the seventh day praises”. I show why the Shabbos text is different, how Kel Adon is measured letter by letter, what the Midrash says about the seventh day, and, from the Alter Rebbe as the Chabad commentary brings him, why on Shabbos each letter becomes a whole phrase. We stop before תִּתְבָּרֵךְ, which is Lesson 19.
Where we are: Kaddish, Borchu, and the blessing of light
Lesson 17 ended with Yishtabach, the blessing that closes Pesukei D’zimra. Then the chazzan says Half Kaddish (Lesson 8) and calls out בָּרְכוּ, “Bless Hashem, the blessed One”, and the congregation answers, and the chazzan repeats: “Blessed is Hashem, the blessed One, forever and ever.” With this we begin the blessings before the Shema. The Kol Bo (37) gives the Shabbos order in a few words: “A short Kaddish. Barchu. And one opens with Yotzer.” The Abudarham on Shabbos morning simply says that the chazzan says Kaddish and Borchu “as we wrote them in the weekday prayer”.
Three short laws, only to know what is happening; in practice, ask your rav. Borchu needs a minyan. The Alter Rebbe (55:2): “Every davar shebikedushah, such as Kaddish, Barchu, or Kedushah, may be recited only in the presence of [a quorum of] ten [adult men]”. One may not talk in between (54:3): “Between the recitation of Kaddish and Barchu, however, one may not make an interruption of any kind. Needless to say, this applies between Barchu and [the blessing] Yotzer Or, both to the sheliach tzibbur himself and to the congregation [praying] with him.” And our siddur adds in small letters, after the answer: ואין עונין אחריו אמן, “and one does not answer Amen after it”.
Then comes the blessing יוֹצֵר אוֹר, “Who forms light”, the same blessing as on a weekday, word for word. We learned it in Lesson 9: it is built on Yeshayahu 45:7, “Who forms light and creates darkness, Who makes peace and creates evil”, with “all things” in place of the prophet’s word “evil”. Our siddur even spells עֹשֶׂה short, as the verse does. What changes on Shabbos is what follows it, and that is this lesson. We stop at יְפָאֲרוּךָ סֶּלָה; the next words, תִּתְבָּרֵךְ צוּרֵנוּ, begin Lesson 19.
קדיש קצר. ברכו. ופותח ביוצר.ואומר שליח צבור קדיש וברכו כמו שכתבנום בתפלת החול.בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ:בָּרוּךְ יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:
Kol Bo, siman 37 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Kol_Bo.37.7
Abudarham, Shabbos prayers, morning service, §13-18 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Abudarham,_Shabbat_Prayers,_Morning_Service.17
Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Orach Chaim 55:2 (Chabad.org; English translation by Eliyahu Touger) · English; quoted · chabad.org/…/3285931
Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Orach Chaim 54:3 (Chabad.org; English translation by Eliyahu Touger) · English; quoted · chabad.org/…/3285920
Chabad.org Online Siddur with Commentary, “Yotzeir Or” (Siddur Illuminated by Chassidus, translated by Eliyahu Touger, edited by Sholom Ber Wineberg) · Hebrew text of the blessing (letters compared by script); its translation of the prayer is not used · chabad.org/…/1529893
Tehillim 104:24, 145:10, 78:23, 19:6, 92:1-2, 150:6; Yeshayahu 45:7, 58:13; Shmuel I 2:2; Bereishis 2:2 · Hebrew text via Sefaria · sefaria.org/Psalms.104.24
Why the Shabbos Yotzer is different
On a weekday, after the opening words of the blessing, we say הַמֵּאִיר לָאָרֶץ, “Who gives light to the earth”, and then אֵל בָּרוּךְ (Lesson 9). On Shabbos, three passages take their place: הַכֹּל יוֹדוּךָ, “All will thank You”; אֵל אָדוֹן, “G‑d, Master”; and לָאֵל אֲשֶׁר שָׁבַת, “To G‑d Who rested”. The weekday lines from הַמֵּאִיר to בַּעֲדֵנוּ are still said, inside HaKol Yoducha.
The Alter Rebbe (Shulchan Aruch HaRav 281:2) describes the Shabbos morning additions: “Afterwards, one begins reciting [the blessing] Yotzer or; and the passages Hakol yoducha, Keil Adon, and LaKeil asher shavas [are added,] every locale according to its custom.” The translator notes: “The addition of these passages is mentioned in the Zohar, Vol. II, p. 205b.” (as cited). And then the Alter Rebbe adds a surprising line: “Nevertheless, all of the above is voluntary, not obligatory. If one desires, he need not recite them at all, with the exception of LaKeil asher shavas. [That passage is obligatory, and] even if one forgot to recite it in the midst of his prayers, it is proper to recite it afterwards, since it relates the praise of the Shabbos.”
So the one passage that is a must is LaKel Asher Shavas, because it tells the praise of Shabbos. Our siddur prints the same law in a footnote on that page, and adds the end of it: if one remembered during the prayer, even before finishing the blessing Yotzer, one does not go back to the start of the blessing for it. The translator explains (note 12) that this speaks of one who “the Alter Rebbe is describing a situation where the person recited the blessing Yotzer Or in the weekday manner, but became aware of his error before completing the blessing.” What to do in such a case, ask your rav.
The Abudarham, too, introduces LaKel Asher Shavas with the words “and there are places where the custom is to say”. And our siddur reminds us that these passages are for Shabbos alone: when Yom Tov falls on a weekday, it says in small letters, “we say here הַמֵּאִיר לָאָרֶץ”, the weekday text.
וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, אֵין כָּל זֶה חוֹבָה אֶלָּא רְשׁוּת … מִלְּבַד "לָאֵל אֲשֶׁר שָׁבַת", שֶׁאַף אִם שָׁכַח לְאָמְרוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה – נָכוֹן לְאָמְרוֹ אַחַר הַתְּפִלָּה … הוֹאִיל וְהוּא מְדַבֵּר בְּשֶׁבַח הַשַּׁבָּתשכח לומר לאל אשר שבת בתוך התפלה נכון לאומרו אחר התפלה הואיל והוא מדבר בשבח השבת ומכל מקום אם נזכר בתוך התפלה אפילו קודם שסיים ברכת יוצר לא יחזור לראש הברכה בשבילוכשחל יום טוב בחול אומרים כאן המאיר לארץויש מקומות שנוהגין לומר לאל אשר שבת מכל המעשים
Zohar, vol. II, 205b · as cited in the translator’s notes on Chabad.org; not opened
Siddur Tehillat Hashem (Kehot), pp. 170-173 · printed page; the text of every line checked word by word, and the siddur’s own notes
Abudarham, Shabbos prayers, morning service, §13-18 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Abudarham,_Shabbat_Prayers,_Morning_Service.17
HaKol Yoducha: verses, and words that were counted
The Abudarham shows that HaKol Yoducha is woven from verses. “All will thank You”, after “All Your works will thank You, Hashem” (Tehillim 145:10). “And all will say: there is none holy like Hashem”, after the song of Chanah (Shmuel I 2:2). “Who opens every day the doors of the gates of the east”, after “and He opened the doors of heaven” (Tehillim 78:23); and he explains: “that is, He opens the gates of the east, and the sun comes out.” The lines from הַמֵּאִיר to בַּעֲדֵנוּ, he says, “we explained in the weekday Yotzer” (Lesson 9).
The Kol Bo (37) counts the words. From ובוקע to שבתה, nine words; from ומאיר to הרחמים, seven, “corresponding to the seven days of the week”; from המאיר to בראשית, twelve, “corresponding to the twelve constellations and the twelve tribes”. I counted these three stretches in our siddur, and they come out nine, seven and twelve. He also counts the whole passage up to Kel Adon as 113 words; in our siddur’s wording I count 116, so that number belongs to the text he had.
Then comes אֵין עֲרוֹךְ לְךָ, “There is none to compare to You”. It says the same thing four times, in four words: none to compare, none besides You, nothing but You, who is like You. The Abudarham: “These four expressions were said corresponding to this world, the World to Come, the days of Moshiach, and the resurrection of the dead, as it goes on to explain.” And indeed the second half of the paragraph says them again, each with its time. Our siddur, like the Abudarham, uses the four for the four times (§G73).
הכל יודוך על שם יודוך ה' כל מעשיך.והכל יאמרו אין קדוש כה' על שם אין קדוש כה'.האל הפותח בכל יום דלתות שערי מזרח על שם ודלתי שמים מי פתח כלומר פותח שערי מזרח ויוצא השמש.ומן ובוקע עד שבתה ט׳ תיבות … ומן ומאיר עד הרחמי׳ ז׳ תיבות נגד ז׳ ימי השבוע … מהמאיר עד בראשית י״ב תיבות נגד י״ב מזלות ונגד י״ב שבטים.ונאמרו אלו הארבעה לשונות כנגד העולם הזה והעולם הבא וימות המשיח ותחיית המתים כמו שמפרש והולך.
Kol Bo, siman 37 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Kol_Bo.37.7
Tehillim 104:24, 145:10, 78:23, 19:6, 92:1-2, 150:6; Yeshayahu 45:7, 58:13; Shmuel I 2:2; Bereishis 2:2 · Hebrew text via Sefaria · sefaria.org/Psalms.104.24
Siddur Tehillat Hashem (Kehot), pp. 170-173 · printed page; the text of every line checked word by word, and the siddur’s own notes
Kel Adon: an aleph-beis measured word by word
Kel Adon is an aleph-beis. Each phrase begins with the next letter, from the א of אֵל to the ת of תִּפְאֶרֶת. In the Text section each letter has its own line, so you can see them. Only one letter looks different: the place of ס is taken by שְׂמֵחִים, “glad”, written with a שׂ, which sounds like ס; that is my own remark.
The words are measured too. The Abudarham: “Kel Adon al kol hama’asim: you find in the first verse ten words”, five and five; “and the middle verses, from גדלו וטובו until שבח נותנים לו, have eight words in each verse, seventy-two in all; and the last verse has twelve words”; and he explains this as a hint “that by the Name of seventy-two letters He gave the Torah, which has the Ten Commandments, to the twelve tribes of Israel”. The Kol Bo (37) brings the same counts with other hints. I counted our siddur: five words for א and for ב, four for each letter from ג to ר, six for ש and for ת. Ten, seventy-two, twelve (§G71).
A small difference of text. In the last line the Abudarham reads “seraphim and ofanim and the holy chayos”, and adds: “some read: seraphim and chayos and holy ofanim.” Our siddur has the second reading, שְׂרָפִים וְחַיּוֹת וְאוֹפַנֵּי הַקֹּדֶשׁ. Both have six words.
On the moon, the Abudarham reads the line with the line before it: when Hashem called to the sun and saw that people would come to worship it, “then He set the form of the moon, so that they would refrain from going astray after it, for they would see that they are two”. He says this is in the Yerushalmi and in Bereishis Rabbah (as cited).
אל אדון על כל המעשים תמצא בחרוז ראשון עשר תיבות … והחרוזים האמצעיים מן גדלו וטובו יש עד שבח יתנו לו בכל חרוז שמונה תיבות סך הכל ע"ב. וחרוז אחרון יש בו שנים עשר תיבות … לרמוז שעל ידי שם של ע"ב אותיות מסר את התורה שיש בה עשרת דברות לשנים עשר שבטי ישראלאל אדון מיוסד באלפא ביתא ובראשונ׳ עשרה תיבות נגד עשרת הדברות ובאחרונה י״ב תיבות נגד י״ב מזלות נשארו תשעה אמצעיים שבכל אחד ח׳ תיבות שהן ע״בויש גורסים שרפים וחיות ואופני קדש.כשקרא לשמש וראה שיבואו בני העולם לטעות אחריו לעבדו אז התקין צורת הלבנה כדי שימנעו מלטעות אחריו כי יראו שהם שנים
Kol Bo, siman 37 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Kol_Bo.37.7
Siddur Tehillat Hashem (Kehot), pp. 170-173 · printed page; the text of every line checked word by word, and the siddur’s own notes
Yerushalmi; Bereishis Rabbah, on the sun and the moon · as cited by the Abudarham; not opened
“And the seventh day praises”
LaKel Asher Shavas says: “And the seventh day praises and says: A psalm, a song for the day of Shabbos.” Who is speaking? Here is what I found, in the order of the sources.
Bereishis Rabbah (22:13). After Kayin did teshuvah, Adam saw “so great is the power of teshuvah, and I did not know”, and “at once Adam stood and said: A psalm, a song for the day of Shabbos.” Rabbi Levi: “Adam said this psalm, and it was forgotten from his generation, and Moshe came and renewed it in his own name.” So in Bereishis Rabbah it is Adam who sings; the Midrash does not say there that the day itself sang. We learned this Midrash in Lesson 12.
Midrash Tehillim (92). Adam was judged on the day he was made, and “the day of Shabbos came and became his defender”. Then: “When Adam saw the power of Shabbos, Adam came to say a hymn to Shabbos: A psalm, a song for the day of Shabbos. Shabbos said to him: To me you are saying a hymn? You and I, let us say a hymn to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it says: It is good to thank Hashem.”
The Kol Bo (37), from Rabbi Nasan. On the first Friday night Hashem sat on His throne of glory and seated on it the angel of Shabbos: “and this is ‘He robed in splendor the day of rest’.” When the angel of Shabbos heard that it is good in Hashem’s eyes to sing, he cried out “It is good to thank Hashem”, and all answered “and to sing to Your Name, Most High”. “This is the praise of the seventh day.” And “therefore all His creatures will glorify and bless”: these are the angels who answered. Our siddur has the very words of this reading: טוֹב לְהוֹדוֹת לַיְיָ after the psalm’s first verse, and the word וִיבָרְכוּ.
The Abudarham. “That is, Shabbos is the one who said this psalm, and King David knew this by prophecy, or he composed it in the name of Shabbos, as if it were speaking and saying so.”
The Baal Shem Tov. The Sefas Emes (Bo) brings “the words of the holy Rav of Mezhibuzh on the saying ‘And the seventh day praises and says’: that the day itself is what awakens praise of the Creator” (as cited). On mizmor shir l’yom haShabbos and the Shabbos of Friday night as a state of ascent, see Lesson 12 (Torah Or, Yisro 73b-c).
מִיָּד עָמַד אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְאָמַר (תהלים צב, א): מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת וגו'.אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי הַמִּזְמוֹר הַזֶּה אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲמָרוֹ וְנִשְׁתַּכַּח מִדּוֹרוֹ וּבָא משֶׁה וְחִדְּשׁוֹ עַל שְׁמוֹבא יום שבת נעשה לו סניגור … כיון שראה אדם כחה של שבת בא אדם לומר הימנון לשבת מזמור שיר ליום השבת. אמר לו השבת לי אתה אומר הימנון אני ואתה נאמר הימנון להקב"ה שנאמר טוב להודותלכל בריה ובריה ברא הקב״ה שר ובליל שבת בראשית ישב על כסא כבודו … וזהו תפארת עטה ליום המנוחה שכבוד גדול עשה לו שהושיבו על כסאו לפני כל השרים. … כיון ששמע שר של שבת שטוב בעיני ה׳ לומר שירה מיד ירד מן הכסא וצוח טוב להודות לה׳. … זהו שבח של יום השביעי אותו הכבוד שעשה לו הקב״ה זהו שבחו.ויום השביעי משבח ואומר מזמור שיר ליום השבת כלומר שהשבת היא שאמרה זה המזמור ודוד המלך ידע זה בדרך נבואה או עשאו על שם שבת כאלו היא מדברת ואומרת כךלפי דברי הרב הקדוש ממעזעבוז ז"ל על מאמר ויום השביעי משבח ואומר כי היום עצמו הוא המעורר לשבח להבורא ית'
Midrash Tehillim 92 (sections 1-2) · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Midrash_Tehillim.92.2
Kol Bo, siman 37 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Kol_Bo.37.7
Abudarham, Shabbos prayers, morning service, §13-18 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Abudarham,_Shabbat_Prayers,_Morning_Service.17
Sefas Emes, Shemos, Bo (Sefaria: Bo 9:4) · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Sefat_Emet,_Exodus,_Bo.9.4
The Baal Shem Tov, on “And the seventh day praises” · as cited by the Sefas Emes; not opened
Siddur Tehillat Hashem (Kehot), pp. 170-173 · printed page; the text of every line checked word by word, and the siddur’s own notes
“All”: the whole world, every day
Count the word הַכֹּל in the first lines: all will thank You, all will praise You, all will say, all will exalt You, and He is יוֹצֵר הַכֹּל, the Former of all. The blessing just ended with וּבוֹרֵא אֶת הַכֹּל, “and creates all things”, and HaKol Yoducha picks up that last word and turns it around: He made all, so all will thank Him. That link is my own observation.
Then the picture of a morning. Hashem opens “every day” the doors of the gates of the east and splits open the windows of the sky; He brings out the sun and the moon; He gives light to the whole world, “which He created with the attribute of mercy”. Then the weekday lines return: “in His goodness He renews every day, always, the work of creation” (Lesson 9). On Shabbos, the day on which Hashem rested from creating, we still say that He renews it every day.
Abudarham, Shabbos prayers, morning service, §13-18 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Abudarham,_Shabbat_Prayers,_Morning_Service.17
Four names for four times
In Ein Aroch each of the four times has its own name of Hashem, and the Abudarham explains each one. In this world, “Hashem our G‑d”, “because this world was created with the attribute of mercy and the attribute of judgment”. For the World to Come, “our King”, after the verse “and Hashem will be King over all the earth”. For the days of Moshiach, “our Redeemer”, “because He will redeem us in the days of Moshiach from the subjugation of the kingdoms”. For the resurrection of the dead, “our Savior”, “because it is a great salvation, and there is none like it”.
The first line says it all at once, short; the next lines say it again, each with its time. The grammar of these four ways of saying “only You” is in §G73.
ואמר ה' אלקינו לפי שהעולם הזה נברא במדת רחמים ובמדת הדיןואמר מלכנו על שם והיה ה' למלך על כל הארץאמר כאן גואלנו לפי שהוא יגאלנו לימות המשיח משעבוד מלכיותולכך אמר מושיענו שהיא ישועה גדולה ואין דומה לה
Siddur Tehillat Hashem (Kehot), pp. 170-173 · printed page; the text of every line checked word by word, and the siddur’s own notes
Kel Adon: above the Chariot, and then the sun and the moon
Kel Adon has two halves. From א to ח it speaks of Hashem Himself: Master over all the works, blessed by every soul, His greatness filling the world, exalted above the holy chayos and the Chariot, with merit and uprightness before His throne. From ט on it speaks of the luminaries: good are the lights He created, formed with knowledge, given strength to rule.
Then it describes them as if they were alive: “glad when they go out and joyful when they come in, they do with awe the will of their Owner”. The Abudarham connects “glad” to the verse about the sun, “like a groom coming out of his canopy” (Tehillim 19:6), and adds: “and the intent is that they do not grow tired and do not grow weary.” Every morning and every evening, the same journey, and still with joy and with awe.
And at the end, the host on high gives praise too: seraphim, chayos and holy ofanim. From the world below to the world above, everything praises; that is the story of Kel Adon.
שמחים בצאתם ששים בבואם על שם והוא כחתן יוצא מחפתו שהוא שמח והכוונה בזה כי לא ייעפו ולא ייגעו.
Abudarham, Shabbos prayers, morning service, §13-18 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Abudarham,_Shabbat_Prayers,_Morning_Service.17
Tehillim 104:24, 145:10, 78:23, 19:6, 92:1-2, 150:6; Yeshayahu 45:7, 58:13; Shmuel I 2:2; Bereishis 2:2 · Hebrew text via Sefaria · sefaria.org/Psalms.104.24
“Who rested from all the works”
The Abudarham notices the link between the two piyutim: “because above it said ‘Master over all the works’, here it says ‘Who rested from all the works’.” The words come from the Torah: “and He rested on the seventh day from all His work” (Bereishis 2:2).
“On the seventh day He rose up and sat on the throne of His glory.” The Abudarham explains נִתְעַלָּה: He was raised above all He made in the six days; and “sat on the throne of His glory”, free of work, “and this is by way of a parable, what the ear is able to hear”. Then two pictures from our own Shabbos. “He robed in splendor the day of rest”: “just as Shabbos clothes are not like weekday ones”. “He called the day of Shabbos a delight”, the word of Yeshayahu 58:13: “just as one must honor Shabbos with clothes, so one must honor it with food and drink.”
Then the seventh day itself praises (see the history section), and so “all His creatures” glorify and bless. The paragraph ends with the gift: Hashem gives rest as an inheritance to His people Israel.
ולפי שאמר למעלה אל אדון על כל המעשים אמר כאן לאל אשר שבת מכל המעשים.נתעלה על כל מה שעשה בששת ימי'.וישב על כסא כבודו שהיה פנוי ממלאכה וזה דרך משל מה שהאוזן יכולה לשמוע.תפארת עטה ליום המנוחה כמו שאין בגדי שבת דומין לשל חולעונג קרא ליום השבת כלומר שכשם שצריך לכבד שבת במלבושים כך צריך לכבדו במאכל ומשתה.
Tehillim 104:24, 145:10, 78:23, 19:6, 92:1-2, 150:6; Yeshayahu 45:7, 58:13; Shmuel I 2:2; Bereishis 2:2 · Hebrew text via Sefaria · sefaria.org/Psalms.104.24
Siddur Tehillat Hashem (Kehot), pp. 170-173 · printed page; the text of every line checked word by word, and the siddur’s own notes
Back to light
The last lines turn to Hashem directly: “Your Name … will be sanctified, and Your remembrance, our King, will be glorified”, in heaven and on earth. And they end where the blessing began, with light: “for the luminaries of light that You formed, may they glorify You, selah.” The blessing opened with יוֹצֵר אוֹר, “Who forms light”; here, שֶׁיָּצַרְתָּ, “that You formed”, the same root; that echo is my own observation. The Abudarham says of these lines only that they were explained in the weekday Yotzer.
Here this lesson stops. The next words, תִּתְבָּרֵךְ צוּרֵנוּ, and the Kedushah of the angels, are the same as on a weekday, and they will be Lesson 19.
כמו שפירשנו ביוצר של חול
Abudarham, Shabbos prayers, morning service, §13-18 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Abudarham,_Shabbat_Prayers,_Morning_Service.17
On Shabbos, every letter becomes a phrase
On a weekday, the blessing of Yotzer has an aleph-beis too: אֵל בָּרוּךְ גְּדוֹל דֵּעָה, one word for each letter (Lesson 9). On Shabbos, in the same place, we say Kel Adon, where each letter opens a whole phrase. Why does Shabbos need a longer aleph-beis?
The Chabad commentary in Chabad.org’s Online Siddur first explains why the weekday blessing is an aleph-beis at all: “This paragraph of praise includes words beginning with each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, because these 22 letters are the medium through which Divine vitality is drawn down into the world.” Then it compares the two days: “During the weekdays, the passage contains one word associated with each letter. On Shabbos, by contrast, an entire phrase is associated with each letter.” And the reason: “During the week, the G‑dly vitality expressed by the letters is reduced from an entire phrase to a mere word, for the world derives its vitality from the letters of G‑d’s speech. On Shabbos, the letters of G‑d’s thought are revealed. … In the personal realm, speaking of an idea involves far more detail and elaboration than thinking it. … the letters of thought include many letters of speech. Thus, on Shabbos, when the letters of thought are revealed, the spiritual vitality infused into the world is intensified and richer (Maamarei Admor HaZakein; Or HaTorah; the Tzemach Tzedek’s Biurei HaZohar).”
The Hebrew note on that page (note רנז) gives the source: the Alter Rebbe, in a maamar printed in Maamarei Admur HaZaken 5572, page 156, which the Tzemach Tzedek copies in his Biurei HaZohar, volume 2, page 802; I have not opened those books, and I translate the Hebrew as the note shows it. He counts the words exactly as I counted them in our siddur.
So the measure of Kel Adon is not only a poet’s craft. On a weekday the letters are small, one word each, like speech that is cut short. On Shabbos the letters open up; each one carries a whole phrase, because on Shabbos the world receives its life from a deeper place, the “letters of thought”, which hold more than any speech.
The difference between the aleph-beis that we say on weekdays in Yotzer Or, אֵל בָּרוּךְ גְּדוֹל דֵּעָה, and the aleph-beis of Shabbos, in which we say אֵל אָדוֹן עַל כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים …
… is that in the weekday aleph-beis there is only one word for each letter; whereas in the Shabbos aleph-beis, for the first two letters, aleph and beis, there are five words each; then eighteen letters with four words each; then the last two letters, shin and tav, with six words each.
— The Alter Rebbe, Maamarei Admur HaZaken 5572, p. 156, as brought in the Tzemach Tzedek’s Biurei HaZohar, vol. 2, p. 802 (my translation of the Hebrew as shown in note רנז of Chabad.org’s Online Siddur with Commentary, Hameir Laaretz; the books themselves not opened)
Maamarei Admur HaZaken 5572, p. 156; Biurei HaZohar (Tzemach Tzedek), vol. 2, p. 802; Or HaTorah · as shown in Chabad.org’s notes; the book itself not opened
What the other sources add, and what I take from it
The same numbers, read three ways. The Abudarham and the Kol Bo count the same ten, seventy-two and twelve words (see the history section). They read the numbers as hints: the Ten Commandments, a Name of seventy-two letters, the twelve tribes. The Alter Rebbe reads the same measure as the measure of light: on Shabbos more of it reaches the world. The note also points to the Zohar, Parshas Terumah, 132a, for the matter itself (as shown in the note; I did not open it).
Night and day. In Lesson 12 we saw the Alter Rebbe in Torah Or (Yisro 73b-c): “the Shabbos of Friday night is a state of ascent”, while “the Shabbos of the day is a state of drawing down.” Kel Adon is said on Shabbos morning, and the commentary speaks of vitality infused into the world, more of it than on a weekday; that sounds to me like the drawing down of the day. Yet in the next lines we still say נִתְעַלָּה, “He rose up” (§G72): the day carries the ascent of the night with it. That connection is mine.
From here on, my own thoughts. Thought before speech. During the week we live by many words: plans, messages, conversations. Shabbos is a day of fewer words and deeper thought. Perhaps that is why its aleph-beis is longer: it is not more talk, it is more meaning in each letter.
When you say it. Many congregations sing Kel Adon together. When you sing it, notice the letter that opens each line, and let each phrase be a whole thought, not a word to hurry past.
Kol Bo, siman 37 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Kol_Bo.37.7
Zohar, Parshas Terumah, 132a · as shown in Chabad.org’s notes; the book itself not opened
Torah Or, Yisro 73b-c (Lesson 12) · verified for Lesson 12 (Kehot Hebrew text via Sefaria) · sefaria.org/Torah_Ohr,_Yitro.9
How the text is printed here
The text is printed here in full, from בָּרְכוּ to the end of the paragraph שִׁמְךָ, with my own translation. I copied the Hebrew from our siddur, Tehillat Hashem, pages 170 to 173, letter by letter. I checked the letters of the Yotzer blessing and of the weekday lines inside HaKol Yoducha against Chabad.org’s Online Siddur, and every word of the whole text against the Siddur Sefard (Torat Emet) on Sefaria; the differences are listed after each paragraph. Where the scan of the print was unclear about a vowel, I kept the vowel of the Siddur Sefard; the letters always follow our siddur.
Kel Adon is printed one letter to a line, so you can see the aleph-beis. The verses inside the text are checked against the Tanach.
Chabad.org Online Siddur with Commentary, “Yotzeir Or” (Siddur Illuminated by Chassidus, translated by Eliyahu Touger, edited by Sholom Ber Wineberg) · Hebrew text of the blessing (letters compared by script); its translation of the prayer is not used · chabad.org/…/1529893
Chabad.org Online Siddur with Commentary, “Hameir Laaretz” (Siddur Illuminated by Chassidus, translated by Eliyahu Touger, edited by Sholom Ber Wineberg) · Hebrew text of the weekday lines (letters compared by script); English commentary on אֵל בָּרוּךְ quoted; the Hebrew source note רנז shown on the page quoted; its translation of the prayer is not used · chabad.org/…/1529895
Siddur Sefard (Torat Emet), Shabbos morning, Shema and its blessings · Hebrew text via Sefaria; compared word by word with our siddur, never copied · sefaria.org/Siddur_Sefard,_Shabbat_Morning_Services,_Shema_&_Blessings
Tehillim 104:24, 145:10, 78:23, 19:6, 92:1-2, 150:6; Yeshayahu 45:7, 58:13; Shmuel I 2:2; Bereishis 2:2 · Hebrew text via Sefaria · sefaria.org/Psalms.104.24
1. Borchu
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ: | Bless Hashem, the blessed One! |
| בָּרוּךְ יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד: | Blessed is Hashem, the blessed One, forever and ever. |
The chazzan says line 1 and the congregation answers with line 2, which the chazzan repeats; see Lesson 8 and the history section. Our siddur adds in small letters after line 2: “ואין עונין אחריו אמן”, “and one does not answer Amen after it”.
Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Orach Chaim 55:2 (Chabad.org; English translation by Eliyahu Touger) · English; quoted · chabad.org/…/3285931
2. Yotzer Or
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, | Blessed are You, Hashem, our G‑d, King of the world, |
| יוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבוֹרֵא חֹשֶׁךְ, | Who forms light and creates darkness, |
| עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא אֶת הַכֹּל: | Who makes peace and creates all things. |
The same blessing as on a weekday (Lesson 9). Line 3: our siddur prints עֹשֶׂה with a cholam and no vav, as in the verse (Yeshayahu 45:7); Chabad.org’s text has the vav. In the verse the last words are וּבוֹרֵא רָע; here, “and creates all things”. Our siddur then notes: “כשחל יום טוב בחול אומרים כאן המאיר לארץ”, that is, when Yom Tov falls on a weekday one says here הַמֵּאִיר לָאָרֶץ, as on a weekday, instead of the Shabbos text below.
Chabad.org Online Siddur with Commentary, “Yotzeir Or” (Siddur Illuminated by Chassidus, translated by Eliyahu Touger, edited by Sholom Ber Wineberg) · Hebrew text of the blessing (letters compared by script); its translation of the prayer is not used · chabad.org/…/1529893
Tehillim 104:24, 145:10, 78:23, 19:6, 92:1-2, 150:6; Yeshayahu 45:7, 58:13; Shmuel I 2:2; Bereishis 2:2 · Hebrew text via Sefaria · sefaria.org/Psalms.104.24
3. HaKol Yoducha
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| הַכֹּל יוֹדוּךָ, | All will thank You, |
| וְהַכֹּל יְשַׁבְּחוּךָ, | and all will praise You, |
| וְהַכֹּל יֹאמְרוּ: אֵין קָדוֹשׁ כַּיְיָ. | and all will say: “There is none holy like Hashem.” |
| הַכֹּל יְרוֹמְמוּךָ סֶּלָה, יוֹצֵר הַכֹּל. | All will exalt You, selah, Former of all. |
| הָאֵל, הַפּוֹתֵחַ בְּכָל יוֹם דַּלְתוֹת שַׁעֲרֵי מִזְרָח, | G‑d, Who opens every day the doors of the gates of the east, |
| וּבוֹקֵעַ חַלּוֹנֵי רָקִיעַ, | and splits open the windows of the sky, |
| מוֹצִיא חַמָּה מִמְּקוֹמָהּ, וּלְבָנָה מִמְּכוֹן שִׁבְתָּהּ, | brings out the sun from its place, and the moon from the site of its dwelling, |
| וּמֵאִיר לָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ וּלְיוֹשְׁבָיו, שֶׁבָּרָא בְּמִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים. | and gives light to the whole world and to its inhabitants, which He created with the attribute of mercy. |
Line 1: the Abudarham connects “all will thank You” to Tehillim 145:10. Line 3: Shmuel I 2:2, the words of Chanah. Line 5: on the gates and windows, see the history section (Tehillim 78:23).
Abudarham, Shabbos prayers, morning service, §13-18 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Abudarham,_Shabbat_Prayers,_Morning_Service.17
Tehillim 104:24, 145:10, 78:23, 19:6, 92:1-2, 150:6; Yeshayahu 45:7, 58:13; Shmuel I 2:2; Bereishis 2:2 · Hebrew text via Sefaria · sefaria.org/Psalms.104.24
4. HaMeir laaretz: the weekday lines
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| הַמֵּאִיר לָאָרֶץ וְלַדָּרִים עָלֶיהָ, בְּרַחֲמִים. | He gives light to the earth and to those who dwell on it, in mercy. |
| וּבְטוּבוֹ מְחַדֵּשׁ בְּכָל יוֹם תָּמִיד מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. | And in His goodness He renews every day, always, the work of creation. |
| מָה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יְיָ, כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ, מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ קִנְיָנֶךָ. | How many are Your works, Hashem; You made them all with wisdom; the earth is full of Your possessions. |
| הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמְרוֹמָם לְבַדּוֹ מֵאָז, הַמְשֻׁבָּח וְהַמְפֹאָר וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂא מִימוֹת עוֹלָם. | The King, Who alone was exalted from before; praised, glorified and raised up since days of old. |
| אֱלֹהֵי עוֹלָם, בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים רַחֵם עָלֵינוּ, | G‑d of the world, in Your great mercy, have mercy on us, |
| אֲדוֹן עֻזֵּנוּ צוּר מִשְׂגַּבֵּנוּ, מָגֵן יִשְׁעֵנוּ מִשְׂגָּב בַּעֲדֵנוּ. | Master of our strength, Rock of our stronghold, Shield of our salvation, a stronghold for us. |
These six lines are the weekday text of Lesson 9, word for word; the letters match Chabad.org’s weekday page. Line 3: Tehillim 104:24. The Siddur Sefard reads קניניך in the plural for קִנְיָנֶךָ, as in the verse’s spelling there, and spells המרמם without the vav for הַמְרוֹמָם; our siddur has the forms printed here.
Chabad.org Online Siddur with Commentary, “Hameir Laaretz” (Siddur Illuminated by Chassidus, translated by Eliyahu Touger, edited by Sholom Ber Wineberg) · Hebrew text of the weekday lines (letters compared by script); English commentary on אֵל בָּרוּךְ quoted; the Hebrew source note רנז shown on the page quoted; its translation of the prayer is not used · chabad.org/…/1529895
Siddur Sefard (Torat Emet), Shabbos morning, Shema and its blessings · Hebrew text via Sefaria; compared word by word with our siddur, never copied · sefaria.org/Siddur_Sefard,_Shabbat_Morning_Services,_Shema_&_Blessings
Tehillim 104:24, 145:10, 78:23, 19:6, 92:1-2, 150:6; Yeshayahu 45:7, 58:13; Shmuel I 2:2; Bereishis 2:2 · Hebrew text via Sefaria · sefaria.org/Psalms.104.24
5. Ein Aroch
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| אֵין עֲרוֹךְ לְךָ וְאֵין זוּלָתֶךָ, אֶפֶס בִּלְתֶּךָ, וּמִי דוֹמֶה לָּךְ. | There is none to compare to You, and none besides You; nothing but You; and who is like You? |
| אֵין עֲרוֹךְ לְךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, | There is none to compare to You, Hashem our G‑d, in this world; |
| וְאֵין זוּלָתְךָ מַלְכֵּנוּ לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. | and there is none besides You, our King, for the life of the World to Come. |
| אֶפֶס בִּלְתְּךָ גּוֹאֲלֵנוּ לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ, | There is nothing but You, our Redeemer, for the days of Moshiach; |
| וְאֵין דוֹמֶה לְּךָ מוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לִתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים: | and there is none like You, our Savior, for the resurrection of the dead. |
Line 1 says it all briefly; lines 2 to 5 say it again with the four times (see the meaning section). Note the two spellings: זוּלָתֶךָ in line 1 but זוּלָתְךָ in line 3, and so too בִּלְתֶּךָ in line 1 but בִּלְתְּךָ in line 4 (§G73). The last line ends with a colon, and Kel Adon begins.
Abudarham, Shabbos prayers, morning service, §13-18 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Abudarham,_Shabbat_Prayers,_Morning_Service.17
6. Kel Adon
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| אֵל אָדוֹן עַל כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים, | G‑d, Master over all the works, |
| בָּרוּךְ וּמְבֹרָךְ בְּפִי כָל הַנְּשָׁמָה, | blessed, and blessed by the mouth of every soul; |
| גָּדְלוֹ וְטוּבוֹ מָלֵא עוֹלָם, | His greatness and His goodness fill the world; |
| דַּעַת וּתְבוּנָה סֹבְבִים הוֹדוֹ. | knowledge and understanding surround His majesty. |
| הַמִּתְגָּאֶה עַל חַיּוֹת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, | He is exalted above the holy chayos, |
| וְנֶהְדָּר בְּכָבוֹד עַל הַמֶּרְכָּבָה, | and adorned in glory above the Chariot; |
| זְכוּת וּמִישׁוֹר לִפְנֵי כִסְאוֹ, | merit and uprightness are before His throne; |
| חֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים מָלֵא כְבוֹדוֹ. | His glory is full of kindness and mercy. |
| טוֹבִים מְאוֹרוֹת, שֶׁבָּרָא אֱלֹהֵינוּ, | Good are the luminaries that our G‑d created; |
| יְצָרָם בְּדַעַת בְּבִינָה וּבְהַשְׂכֵּל, | He formed them with knowledge, with understanding and with insight; |
| כֹּחַ וּגְבוּרָה נָתַן בָּהֶם, | strength and might He placed in them, |
| לִהְיוֹת מוֹשְׁלִים בְּקֶרֶב תֵּבֵל. | to be rulers within the world. |
| מְלֵאִים זִיו וּמְפִיקִים נֹגַהּ, | Full of splendor, giving off brightness, |
| נָאֶה זִיוָם בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם, | their splendor is beautiful in all the world; |
| שְׂמֵחִים בְּצֵאתָם וְשָׂשִׂים בְּבוֹאָם, | glad when they go out and joyful when they come in, |
| עֹשִׂים בְּאֵימָה רְצוֹן קוֹנָם. | they do with awe the will of their Owner. |
| פְּאֵר וְכָבוֹד נוֹתְנִים לִשְׁמוֹ, | Glory and honor they give to His Name, |
| צָהֳלָה וְרִנָּה לְזֵכֶר מַלְכוּתוֹ, | jubilation and song at the mention of His kingship. |
| קָרָא לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וַיִּזְרַח אוֹר, | He called to the sun, and light shone forth; |
| רָאָה וְהִתְקִין צוּרַת הַלְּבָנָה. | He saw, and set the form of the moon. |
| שֶׁבַח נוֹתְנִים לוֹ כָּל צְבָא מָרוֹם, | Praise is given to Him by all the host on high, |
| תִּפְאֶרֶת וּגְדֻלָּה, שְׂרָפִים וְחַיּוֹת וְאוֹפַנֵּי הַקֹּדֶשׁ: | splendor and greatness: the seraphim, the chayos and the holy ofanim. |
One line for each letter, from א to ת; the word counts are in §G71. The line of ס begins with שְׂמֵחִים, with a שׂ that sounds like ס (see the history section). Differences in the Siddur Sefard: it writes סובבים with a vav for סֹבְבִים, it writes בבאם without a vav for בְּבוֹאָם, it writes עושים with a vav for עֹשִׂים, and it reads קוניהם, “their Owners”, for קוֹנָם, “their Owner”. The Abudarham also reads “עושים באימה רצון קוניהם”. Our siddur has קוֹנָם, and the word count stays the same.
Siddur Sefard (Torat Emet), Shabbos morning, Shema and its blessings · Hebrew text via Sefaria; compared word by word with our siddur, never copied · sefaria.org/Siddur_Sefard,_Shabbat_Morning_Services,_Shema_&_Blessings
Abudarham, Shabbos prayers, morning service, §13-18 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Abudarham,_Shabbat_Prayers,_Morning_Service.17
7. LaKel Asher Shavas
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| לָאֵל אֲשֶׁר שָׁבַת מִכָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים, | To G‑d, Who rested from all the works, |
| בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי נִתְעַלָּה וְיָשַׁב עַל כִּסֵּא כְבוֹדוֹ. | on the seventh day rose up and sat on the throne of His glory. |
| תִּפְאֶרֶת עָטָה לְיוֹם הַמְּנוּחָה, | He robed the day of rest in splendor; |
| עֹנֶג קָרָא לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, | He called the day of Shabbos a delight. |
| זֶה שֶׁבַח יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, שֶׁבּוֹ שָׁבַת אֵל מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ. | This is the praise of the seventh day: that on it G‑d rested from all His work. |
| וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְשַׁבֵּחַ וְאוֹמֵר: מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, טוֹב לְהוֹדוֹת לַיְיָ, | And the seventh day praises and says: “A psalm, a song for the day of Shabbos: it is good to thank Hashem.” |
| לְפִיכָךְ יְפָאֲרוּ וִיבָרְכוּ לָאֵל כָּל יְצוּרָיו, | Therefore let all His creatures glorify and bless G‑d; |
| שֶׁבַח, יְקָר וּגְדֻלָּה וְכָבוֹד, יִתְּנוּ לָאֵל מֶלֶךְ יוֹצֵר כֹּל, | praise, honor, greatness and glory let them give to G‑d, the King, Former of all, |
| הַמַּנְחִיל מְנוּחָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְדֻשָּׁתוֹ בְּיוֹם שַׁבַּת קֹדֶשׁ. | Who gives rest as an inheritance to His people Israel, in His holiness, on the holy Shabbos day. |
Line 6: Tehillim 92:1-2; in the Tanach the word is spelled לְהֹדוֹת, here לְהוֹדוֹת. This paragraph has the most differences from the Siddur Sefard, which reads וביום, “and on the day”, at line 2; at line 5 it reads “this is the song of praise of the seventh day”, as does the Abudarham (“זה שיר שבח של יום השביעי”); at line 6 it stops after לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, without the words טוֹב לְהוֹדוֹת; at line 7 it has no וִיבָרְכוּ, again like the Abudarham (“יפארו לאל כל יצוריו”); at line 8 it reads ויקר, with a vav, for יְקָר; and at line 9 it has no בִּקְדֻשָּׁתוֹ. The Kol Bo’s text has the words טוֹב לְהוֹדוֹת and וִיבָרְכוּ, as in our siddur (see the history section).
Siddur Sefard (Torat Emet), Shabbos morning, Shema and its blessings · Hebrew text via Sefaria; compared word by word with our siddur, never copied · sefaria.org/Siddur_Sefard,_Shabbat_Morning_Services,_Shema_&_Blessings
Abudarham, Shabbos prayers, morning service, §13-18 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Abudarham,_Shabbat_Prayers,_Morning_Service.17
Kol Bo, siman 37 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Kol_Bo.37.7
Tehillim 104:24, 145:10, 78:23, 19:6, 92:1-2, 150:6; Yeshayahu 45:7, 58:13; Shmuel I 2:2; Bereishis 2:2 · Hebrew text via Sefaria · sefaria.org/Psalms.104.24
8. Shimcha
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| שִׁמְךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ יִתְקַדֵּשׁ, וְזִכְרְךָ מַלְכֵּנוּ יִתְפָּאַר, | Your Name, Hashem our G‑d, will be sanctified, and Your remembrance, our King, will be glorified, |
| בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת. | in the heavens above and on the earth below. |
| עַל כָּל שֶׁבַח מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ, | For all the praise of the work of Your hands, |
| וְעַל מְאוֹרֵי אוֹר שֶׁיָּצַרְתָּ יְפָאֲרוּךָ סֶּלָה: | and for the luminaries of light that You formed, may they glorify You, selah. |
Line 1: our siddur reads וְזִכְרְךָ מַלְכֵּנוּ יִתְפָּאַר, with “our King” before the verb. The Siddur Sefard puts the verb first, as does the Abudarham (“וזכרך יתפאר מלכנו”). Line 4: the Siddur Sefard adds הֵמָּה, “they”, before יְפָאֲרוּךָ. The next word in our siddur is תִּתְבָּרֵךְ, the start of Lesson 19.
Siddur Sefard (Torat Emet), Shabbos morning, Shema and its blessings · Hebrew text via Sefaria; compared word by word with our siddur, never copied · sefaria.org/Siddur_Sefard,_Shabbat_Morning_Services,_Shema_&_Blessings
Abudarham, Shabbos prayers, morning service, §13-18 · Hebrew text via Sefaria; quoted as printed, unvoweled · sefaria.org/Abudarham,_Shabbat_Prayers,_Morning_Service.17
All will thank You; He opens the gates
Three futures with “You”, and three participles.
הַכֹּל יוֹדוּךָ,וְהַכֹּל יְשַׁבְּחוּךָ,הַכֹּל יְרוֹמְמוּךָ סֶּלָה, יוֹצֵר הַכֹּל.הָאֵל, הַפּוֹתֵחַ בְּכָל יוֹם דַּלְתוֹת שַׁעֲרֵי מִזְרָח,וּבוֹקֵעַ חַלּוֹנֵי רָקִיעַ,וּבְטוּבוֹ מְחַדֵּשׁ בְּכָל יוֹם תָּמִיד מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית.
| יוֹדוּךָ | = | ◌ךָ | + | ◌וּ | + | וֹד | + | י |
| yoducha they will thank You | You, Your | they ־וּ | thank | they (future) |
| יְשַׁבְּחוּךָ | = | ◌ךָ | + | ◌וּ | + | שַׁבְּח | + | יְ |
| y’shab’chucha they will praise You | You, Your | they ־וּ | praise | they (future) |
| יְרוֹמְמוּךָ | = | ◌ךָ | + | ◌וּ | + | רוֹמְמ | + | יְ |
| y’rom’mucha they will exalt You | You, Your | they ־וּ | high | they (future) |
| הַפּוֹתֵחַ | = | פּוֹתֵחַ | + | הַ |
| haposei’ach Who opens | open | the |
| וּבוֹקֵעַ | = | בוֹקֵעַ | + | וּ |
| uvokei’a and splits open | split | and |
| מְחַדֵּשׁ | = | חַדֵּשׁ | + | מְ |
| m’chadeish renews | new | participle מ |
None but You
Two words of “except”, two names with “our”, and a chain.
וְאֵין זוּלָתְךָ מַלְכֵּנוּ לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.אֶפֶס בִּלְתְּךָ גּוֹאֲלֵנוּ לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ,וְאֵין דוֹמֶה לְּךָ מוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לִתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים:
| זוּלָתְךָ | = | ◌ךָ | + | זוּלָתְ |
| zulos’cho besides You | You, Your | except |
| בִּלְתְּךָ | = | ◌ךָ | + | בִּלְתְּ |
| bil’t’cho but You | You, Your | without |
| גּוֹאֲלֵנוּ | = | ◌נוּ | + | גּוֹאֲלֵ |
| go’aleinu our Redeemer | our ־ֵנוּ | redeem |
| מוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ | = | ◌נוּ | + | וֹשִׁיעֵ | + | מ |
| moshi’einu our Savior | our ־ֵנוּ | save | hif’il participle מ |
| לִתְחִיַּת | = | ◌ת | + | חִיַּ | + | תְ | + | לִ |
| lis’chiyas for the resurrection of | of (chain ־ַת) | live | noun with ת | for |
Kel Adon
Participles of every kind, two infinitives with “their”, and a hif’il past.
בָּרוּךְ וּמְבֹרָךְ בְּפִי כָל הַנְּשָׁמָה,דַּעַת וּתְבוּנָה סֹבְבִים הוֹדוֹ.הַמִּתְגָּאֶה עַל חַיּוֹת הַקֹּדֶשׁ,וְנֶהְדָּר בְּכָבוֹד עַל הַמֶּרְכָּבָה,יְצָרָם בְּדַעַת בְּבִינָה וּבְהַשְׂכֵּל,לִהְיוֹת מוֹשְׁלִים בְּקֶרֶב תֵּבֵל.מְלֵאִים זִיו וּמְפִיקִים נֹגַהּ,שְׂמֵחִים בְּצֵאתָם וְשָׂשִׂים בְּבוֹאָם,עֹשִׂים בְּאֵימָה רְצוֹן קוֹנָם.רָאָה וְהִתְקִין צוּרַת הַלְּבָנָה.
| וּמְבֹרָךְ | = | בֹרָךְ | + | מְ | + | וּ |
| um’voroch and blessed | bless | pu’al participle מ | and |
| הַמִּתְגָּאֶה | = | גָּאֶה | + | תְ | + | מִּ | + | הַ |
| hamisga’eh He is exalted | rise, be exalted | hitpa’el ת | participle מ | the |
| וְנֶהְדָּר | = | הְדָּר | + | נֶ | + | וְ |
| v’nehdor and adorned | splendor | nif’al (passive) | and |
| סֹבְבִים | = | ◌ים | + | סֹבְבִ |
| sov’vim surround | plural ־ִים | go around |
| יְצָרָם | = | ◌ם | + | יְצָרָ |
| y’tzorom He formed them | them, their ־ָם | form |
| מוֹשְׁלִים | = | ◌ים | + | מוֹשְׁלִ |
| mosh’lim rulers | plural ־ִים | rule |
| וּמְפִיקִים | = | ◌ים | + | פִיקִ | + | מְ | + | וּ |
| um’fikim and giving off | plural ־ִים | bring out | hif’il participle מ | and |
| בְּצֵאתָם | = | ◌ם | + | ◌תָ | + | צֵא | + | בְּ |
| b’tzeisom when they go out | them, their ־ָם | infinitive ־ת | go out | in, with, by |
| בְּבוֹאָם | = | ◌ם | + | בוֹאָ | + | בְּ |
| b’vo’om when they come in | them, their ־ָם | come | in, with, by |
| קוֹנָם | = | ◌ם | + | קוֹנָ |
| konom their Owner | them, their ־ָם | acquire, own |
| וְהִתְקִין | = | תְקִין | + | הִ | + | וְ |
| v’hiskin and set | set right | hif’il past ה | and |
LaKel Asher Shavas and Shimcha
A hitpa’el past, a root in ה, two participles, and futures.
בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי נִתְעַלָּה וְיָשַׁב עַל כִּסֵּא כְבוֹדוֹ.תִּפְאֶרֶת עָטָה לְיוֹם הַמְּנוּחָה,וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְשַׁבֵּחַ וְאוֹמֵר: מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, טוֹב לְהוֹדוֹת לַיְיָ,לְפִיכָךְ יְפָאֲרוּ וִיבָרְכוּ לָאֵל כָּל יְצוּרָיו,הַמַּנְחִיל מְנוּחָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְדֻשָּׁתוֹ בְּיוֹם שַׁבַּת קֹדֶשׁ.שִׁמְךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ יִתְקַדֵּשׁ, וְזִכְרְךָ מַלְכֵּנוּ יִתְפָּאַר,וְעַל מְאוֹרֵי אוֹר שֶׁיָּצַרְתָּ יְפָאֲרוּךָ סֶּלָה:
| נִתְעַלָּה | = | עַלָּה | + | תְ | + | נִ |
| nis’aloh He rose up | go up | hitpa’el ת | נ of the hitpa’el past |
| עָטָה | = | עָטָה |
| otoh He robed | wrap |
| מְשַׁבֵּחַ | = | שַׁבֵּחַ | + | מְ |
| m’shabei’ach praises | praise | participle מ |
| יְצוּרָיו | = | ◌יו | + | יְצוּרָ |
| y’tzurov His creatures | his (plural ־ָיו) | form |
| הַמַּנְחִיל | = | נְחִיל | + | מַּ | + | הַ |
| hamanchil Who gives as an inheritance | inherit | hif’il participle מ | the |
| יִתְקַדֵּשׁ | = | קַדֵּשׁ | + | תְ | + | יִ |
| yiskadeish will be sanctified | holy | hitpa’el ת | he, it (future) |
| שֶׁיָּצַרְתָּ | = | ◌תָּ | + | יָּצַרְ | + | שֶׁ |
| sheyotzarto that You formed | You (past) ־ְתָּ | form | that |
| יְפָאֲרוּךָ | = | ◌ךָ | + | ◌וּ | + | פָאֲר | + | יְ |
| y’fo’arucha may they glorify You | You, Your | they ־וּ | glory | they (future) |
- Lesson 1 §G4 · Pronouns: standalone and attached: ani I, Ato You; endings -i my/me, -cho/-echo your, -einu our, -o/-ov his
- Lesson 1 §G7 · Verb patterns (binyanim) and the hif’il: a root becomes a verb through a pattern; the hif’il means “cause to” and is marked by he- (past) or ma-/mo- (present)
- Lesson 2 §G9 · The article: “the”: ha- plus a dagesh in the next letter; ho- before alef, ayin, reish; hidden inside be-, le-, ke-
- Lesson 2 §G10 · The construct chain: “X of Y”: two nouns side by side mean “X of Y”; the article goes on the second; feminine -oh becomes -as
- Lesson 2 §G11 · The pi’el: a doubled middle letter: the pi’el doubles the middle root letter with a dagesh; past ki-, present me-
- Lesson 3 §G15 · The active participle: “the One Who does”: the kal present has o after the first root letter and ei under the second: pokei’ach, zokeif; it describes an action that goes on
- Lesson 3 §G17 · Words that work as nouns: “the blind”, “the One Who”: an adjective or participle can stand alone as a noun; with ha- in front, a participle means “the One Who …”
- Lesson 3 §G19 · Two small signs: the furtive patach and the soft letter: a patach under a final ח or ע is read before the letter (koach); בּ כּ פּ lose their dagesh after a vowel (vinoh, gover)
- Lesson 4 §G20 · The future tense: a letter in front: the future puts a prefix letter before the root: e- (א) I, ti- (ת) you or she, yi- (י) he or it, ni- (נ) we; after אִם it means “if … were to”
- Lesson 4 §G21 · The nif’al: when the action is done to the subject: the nif’al is the passive of the simple verb: past and present with ni-/ne- (nivro, ne’emon); future with a dagesh in the first root letter (yisoseim, yiposei’ach)
- Lesson 4 §G22 · The hitpa’el: doing to oneself: the hitpa’el adds hit- (his-) in front and doubles the middle root letter, like the pi’el; it means doing something to or for oneself: l’hiskayeim, “to keep oneself in existence”
- Lesson 7 §G36 · “When you sit … when you rise”: בְּ + the infinitive, with an ending: בְּ before an infinitive means “when, while”; the ending says who: b’shivt’cho when you sit, uv’lecht’cho when you walk, uv’shochb’cho when you lie down, uv’kumecho when you rise
- Lesson 9 §G44 · Hollow roots: when the middle root letter is a vav (אוֹר, מֵאִיר, טוּבוֹ): in roots like א־ו־ר (light) and ט־ו־ב (good) the middle ו is a vowel, not a full letter: or light, mei’ir gives light (hif’il, §G16), mo’or a luminary (מ in front, §G28), tov good, tuvo His goodness
- Lesson 10 §G47 · The pu’al: the passive of the pi’el (מְהֻלָּל, מְשֻׁבָּח, מְפֹאָר): the pu’al is the passive of the pi’el (§G11): a u (kubutz) under the first root letter and a dagesh in the middle one; its present has מְ in front: m’hulol praised, m’shubach lauded; before א the u becomes o: m’fo’or glorified
- Lesson 10 §G48 · Roots that end in hei (עֹשֶׂה, פּוֹדֶה, הָיָה): when a root ends in ה, the participle ends in -eh (עֹשֶׂה oseh, פּוֹדֶה podeh), the past “he” ends in -oh (הָיָה hoyoh), and before an ending the ה drops (מַעֲשֶׂה → מַעֲשֵׂי)
- Lesson 11 §G52 · A psalm in aleph-beis order: in some psalms each verse begins with the next letter of the aleph-beis; in Tehillim 34 the verses after the title run from א to ת, without a verse for ו, and a last verse begins again with פ; knowing the order helps the reader and the memory
- Lesson 17 §G68 · Names hidden in the letters: Yitzchak, Rivkah, and Shlomo: in Shochen Ad, the first letters of יְשָׁרִים צַדִּיקִים חֲסִידִים קְדוֹשִׁים spell יִצְחָק, and the third letters of תִּתְרוֹמָם תִּתְבָּרֵךְ תִּתְקַדָּשׁ תִּתְהַלָּל spell רִבְקָה; the Abudarham also finds שְׁלֹמֹה in שִׁמְךָ לָעַד מַלְכֵּנוּ הָאֵל, “possibly”
- Lesson 17 §G69 · “You will be exalted”: תִּתְ־, the hitpa’el future of “You”: a hitpa’el future with ת in front, תִּתְ־, is “You will be” or “she will be”; in Shochen Ad it speaks to Hashem: בְּפִי יְשָׁרִים תִּתְרוֹמָם, “by the mouth of the upright You are exalted”; with a י in front, יִתְ־, it is “he, it will be”: יִתְפָּאֵר שִׁמְךָ, “Your Name will be glorified”
You know the aleph-beis psalm (§G52), and names hidden in the first letters (§G68). Kel Adon adds a third thing: a measure. On a weekday, the Yotzer blessing has an aleph-beis of single words, one to a letter: אֵל בָּרוּךְ גְּדוֹל דֵּעָה (Lesson 9). On Shabbos, in its place, each letter opens a whole line.
Count the words. The lines of א and of ב have five words each. The eighteen lines from ג to ר have four words each. The lines of ש and of ת have six words each. Count them yourself in the text: אֵל אָדוֹן עַל כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים is five words; גָּדְלוֹ וְטוּבוֹ מָלֵא עוֹלָם is four; שֶׁבַח נוֹתְנִים לוֹ כָּל צְבָא מָרוֹם is six. The Abudarham and the Kol Bo count the same words in pairs of lines: ten, then seventy-two, then twelve (see the history section).
The letter ס. The line of ס begins with שְׂמֵחִים, written with a שׂ, which sounds the same as ס. When you check an acrostic, listen to the sound as well as the letter.
Why it matters for reading. Once you know the measure, you can feel where each line ends, and you will not run two lines together. Each line is one phrase: a subject and what is said about it.
| אֵל אָדוֹן עַל כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים | Keil odon al kol hama’asim | G‑d, Master over all the works | א · five words |
| גָּדְלוֹ וְטוּבוֹ מָלֵא עוֹלָם | godlo v’tuvo molei olom | His greatness and His goodness fill the world | ג · four words |
| שְׂמֵחִים בְּצֵאתָם וְשָׂשִׂים בְּבוֹאָם | s’meichim b’tzeisom v’sosim b’vo’om | glad when they go out and joyful when they come in | ס · heard in שׂ |
| שֶׁבַח נוֹתְנִים לוֹ כָּל צְבָא מָרוֹם | shevach nos’nim lo kol tz’vo morom | praise is given to Him by all the host on high | ש · six words |
You know the hitpa’el (§G22): a ת after the first letter, and the idea of doing something to oneself. You have met its future with י and ת (§G69): יִתְפָּאַר, תִּתְרוֹמָם. This lesson shows two more faces of the same pattern.
מִתְ־: the participle. Put מ in front of the hitpa’el and you have a participle (§G15), something that is so now and always: הַמִּתְגָּאֶה, “He Who is exalted, raising Himself”, in Kel Adon; and in the weekday lines, וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂא, “and raised up”.
נִתְ־: the past. In LaKel Asher Shavas we say בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי נִתְעַלָּה, “on the seventh day He rose up”. The root is ע־ל־ה, “to go up” (§G48: its last ה shows as ־ָה). The ת of the hitpa’el is there, and in front stands נִ. In the language of the siddur and the Sages, a past of the hitpa’el often begins in this way with נִתְ־; you will also see הִתְ־ in its place.
How to tell them apart. Look at the first letter: י or ת, a future; מ, a participle; נ or ה, a past. The rest of the word, the ת and the root, stays the same.
| נִתְעַלָּה | nis’aloh | He rose up | past · נִתְ־ |
| הַמִּתְגָּאֶה | hamisga’eh | He Who is exalted | participle · מִתְ־ |
| וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂא | v’hamisnasei | and raised up | participle · מִתְ־ |
| יִתְקַדֵּשׁ | yiskadeish | will be sanctified | future · יִתְ־ (§G69) |
Ein Aroch is built from four expressions, said first in one line and then again, one to a line, with the four times (see the meaning section).
אֵין עֲרוֹךְ לְךָ, “there is no comparing to You”: עֲרוֹךְ is from ע־ר־ךְ, “to set out, to set side by side”; from the same root, עֵרֶךְ, “value”. Nothing can be set beside Him.
וְאֵין זוּלָתְךָ, “and there is none besides You”: זוּלַת, “except”, with the ending ־ךָ, “You” (§G4).
אֶפֶס בִּלְתְּךָ, “nothing but You”: אֶפֶס, “nothing, none”, and בִּלְתִּי, “without, except”, with ־ךָ. These are the words of Chanah: “there is none holy like Hashem, כִּי אֵין בִּלְתֶּךָ” (Shmuel I 2:2), the same verse that HaKol Yoducha quotes a few lines before.
וּמִי דוֹמֶה לָּךְ, “and who is like You?”: דוֹמֶה, “resembling”, a participle (§G15) of a root ending in ה (§G48). In the last line it becomes a statement: וְאֵין דוֹמֶה לְּךָ, “there is none like You”.
Two spellings. Our siddur prints the first line with זוּלָתֶךָ and בִּלְתֶּךָ, the form of Chanah’s verse, and the later lines with זוּלָתְךָ and בִּלְתְּךָ. The meaning is the same; read each one as it is printed.
| אֵין עֲרוֹךְ לְךָ | ein aroch l’cho | there is none to compare to You | root ע־ר־ךְ |
| וְאֵין זוּלָתְךָ | v’ein zulos’cho | and none besides You | זוּלַת + ־ךָ |
| אֶפֶס בִּלְתְּךָ | efes bil’t’cho | nothing but You | בִּלְתִּי + ־ךָ |
| וְאֵין דוֹמֶה לְּךָ | v’ein domeh l’cho | and none is like You | participle of ד־מ־ה |
You know בְּ + the infinitive with an ending (§G36): “when you sit … when you rise”. Kel Adon uses the same pattern for the luminaries: שְׂמֵחִים בְּצֵאתָם וְשָׂשִׂים בְּבוֹאָם, “glad when they go out and joyful when they come in”.
בְּבוֹאָם. The root is ב־ו־א, a hollow root (§G44). Its infinitive is בּוֹא, “coming”; add בְּ, “when”, and ־ָם, “their”: “when they come”.
בְּצֵאתָם. The root is י־צ־א, the root of מוֹצִיא and of יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם. Roots that begin with י often drop the י in the infinitive and add a ת at the end: צֵאת, “going out”. Add בְּ and ־ָם: “when they go out”.
The same kind of noun. Earlier in the lesson, the moon comes out מִמְּכוֹן שִׁבְתָּהּ, “from the site of its dwelling”. שֶׁבֶת, “dwelling”, is from י־שׁ־ב, again without the י and with a ת; with ־ָהּ, “its”, it becomes שִׁבְתָּהּ.
| בְּצֵאתָם | b’tzeisom | when they go out | י־צ־א · no י, + ת |
| בְּבוֹאָם | b’vo’om | when they come in | hollow root ב־ו־א |
| מִמְּכוֹן שִׁבְתָּהּ | mim’chon shivtoh | from the site of its dwelling | י־שׁ־ב · no י, + ת |
Small words in the Shabbos Yotzer
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning | Root | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַכֹּל | hakol | all, everything; everyone | — | In para. 3, five times: הַכֹּל יוֹדוּךָ. In para. 2: וּבוֹרֵא אֶת הַכֹּל. |
| אֵין | ein | there is no | — | אֵין קָדוֹשׁ כַּיְיָ; and in para. 5, four times: אֵין עֲרוֹךְ (§G73). |
| אֶפֶס | efes | nothing (but) | — | אֶפֶס בִּלְתֶּךָ: “nothing but You”. In modern Hebrew, אֶפֶס is “zero”. |
| מָה | mah | how (much)! | — | מָה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ: here מָה is not a question but a cry of wonder. |
| לְבַדּוֹ | l’vado | alone | — | In הַמְרוֹמָם לְבַדּוֹ, the word is built from לְבַד + ־וֹ, “He alone” (§G4). |
| בְּקֶרֶב | b’kerev | within, among | ק־ר־ב | לִהְיוֹת מוֹשְׁלִים בְּקֶרֶב תֵּבֵל. |
| לְפִיכָךְ | l’fichoch | therefore | — | לְפִיכָךְ יְפָאֲרוּ: because the seventh day praises, all His creatures praise. |
| מִמַּעַל … מִתָּחַת | mima’al … mitochas | above … below | — | בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת. |
| אוֹר or · light יוֹצֵר אוֹר (para. 2); וַיִּזְרַח אוֹר (para. 6); מְאוֹרֵי אוֹר (para. 8) | יוֹם yom · day בְּכָל יוֹם (para. 3, 4); בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי (para. 7); לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת (para. 7) |
| מַעֲשֶׂה ma’aseh · work, deed מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית (para. 4); מַעֲשֶׂיךָ (para. 4); הַמַּעֲשִׂים (para. 6, 7); מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ (para. 8) | כָּבוֹד kovod · glory, honor וְנֶהְדָּר בְּכָבוֹד (para. 6); כִּסֵּא כְבוֹדוֹ (para. 7); וּגְדֻלָּה וְכָבוֹד (para. 7) |
| רַחֲמִים rachamim · mercy מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים (para. 3); בְּרַחֲמִים (para. 4); בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ (para. 4); וְרַחֲמִים (para. 6) | פְּאֵר pe’eir · glory, splendor פְּאֵר וְכָבוֹד (para. 6); תִּפְאֶרֶת (para. 6, 7); יְפָאֲרוּ (para. 7, 8); יִתְפָּאַר (para. 8); יְפָאֲרוּךָ (para. 8) |
- What comes between Yishtabach and Yotzer Or on Shabbos morning? What does the Alter Rebbe say about Borchu and about speaking in between (55:2; 54:3)?
- Which words of Yotzer Or come from Yeshayahu 45:7, and which word is changed? Where did we learn this blessing first?
- Why is the Yotzer of Shabbos different from the weekday one, according to the Shulchan Aruch HaRav (281:2) and the footnote of our siddur? What does one say when Yom Tov falls on a weekday?
- Count the times הַכֹּל appears at the start of HaKol Yoducha. From which verse does the Abudarham derive “All will thank You”?
- Ein Aroch names four times. What are they, and which name of Hashem goes with each, according to the Abudarham?
- Read the first letters of Kel Adon. Which letter seems to be missing, and how is it heard? How many words are there in the first, the middle and the last lines?
- What do the Abudarham and the Kol Bo see in the numbers ten, seventy-two and twelve? What do they say about the sun and the moon in Kel Adon?
- “And the seventh day praises and says.” What does Bereishis Rabbah (22:13) tell about Adam and the psalm for Shabbos? What does it not say?
- Which words does our siddur have in LaKel Asher Shavas that the Siddur Sefard and the Abudarham do not? Which early source has them?
- According to the Chabad commentary and the Alter Rebbe’s maamar, why does the Shabbos aleph-beis have a phrase for each letter, while the weekday one has one word? What are the “letters of thought”?
- What is the difference between הַמִּתְגָּאֶה and נִתְעַלָּה? Which one is a participle and which one is a past? → see §G72, Lesson 4 §G22
- Find four ways of saying “only You” in Ein Aroch. Why does our siddur print זוּלָתֶךָ in one line and זוּלָתְךָ in another? → see §G73
- In בְּצֵאתָם and בְּבוֹאָם, find the infinitive, the בְּ and the “their”. Which root has lost a letter? → see §G74, Lesson 7 §G36
The lesson PDFs are for signed-in users.