_The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language (A Companion to _MENDELE_) ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 05.011 31 August 2001 Rosheshone/Yonkiper Numer [High Holidays Issue] 1) _makhzor/lerosh hashono veyom hakipurim_, Hebrew Publishing Co., 1926 2) tvey yonkiper lider [Two Day of Atonement Poems] (Avrom-Nokhem Shtentsl) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 31 August 2001 From: Leonard Prager Subject: _makhzor/lerosh hashono veyom hakipurim_ _makhzor/lerosh hashono veyom hakipurim_ There can be no debate as to the importance of Judaic knowledge for the student of Yiddish. The development of Yiddish through the ages was effected to a great extent through homiletic, religio-ethical and liturgical writings. Much could be written on the subject of "ivre-taytsh" -- the Yiddish of liturgical and sacral translation. Today's _TMR_ is devoted to examining a very late specimen of such translation -- the Yiddish of a 1926 American-published makhzor, perhaps the very makhzor some of our parents or grandparents used. Once very common in American (and European?) homes, and despite its claims to have used "good paper," the pages of copies of this Hebrew Publishing Co. high-holiday prayer book are crumbling because of their acid content. I hope efforts are being made to preserve copies of this and similar texts. The term _makhzor_ is a very general one and includes a great variety of compilations. In Ashkenazic parlance a makhzor [Yiddish: makhzer] is an ordered collection of prayers for the High Holidays and Three Festivals. Sefardic makhzorim include prayers for the entire year. Within these two large communal traditions -- Ashkenazic and Sephardic -- there are many different versions, each with its own regional or local usages and liturgical preferences. Today there is a certain basic uniformity in traditional Ashkenazic makhzorim and they are often multi-volume works, a single volume for each one of five holidays. A generation or two ago, the vast majority of Yiddish-speaking Jews attending synagogue on the High Holidays (for some, especially in the New World, among the few times in the year they may have done so), had need of a Prayer Book with ample passages of "ivre-taytsh" if they wished to understand the service. The Hebrew Publishing Company advertised boldly on the title page of its innovative 1926 large-print (for aging [and multiple?] readers) makhzor the many additions of Yiddish translations of prayers, hymns, commentaries, etc. On the verso of the Hebrew title page, this was explained in Yiddish. No makhzer before this one, it was claimed, had contained so much Yiddish, so many commentaries, and such large print: "di ale inyonem zenen nokh in keyn makhzer nit gedrukt geven mit ivre taytsh, un itlekher farshteyt vi groys der khisorn derfun iz geven, dos di ale neytike inyonem fun makhzer zenen far fil mentshn nit farshtendlekh. lokhen hobn mir in dizn makhzer mashlem geven di groyse khesroynes. un der makhzer iz nun gevorn ayn keyle shleyme. bekhen kenen mir im mit rekht rufn makhzer hasholum [= hasholem]. ('Heretofore Yiddish translations of these contents have not been included in any makhzor, a great lack sorely felt by those who did not understand the text. We have remedied this shortcoming and made a complete makhzor, and we call it _The Complete Makhzor_'.) The title page of our makhzor is in Hebrew and translates "Yehudis ashkenazis" as "ivre-taytsh," The title is: _makhzor/lerosh hashono veyom hakipurim_ ['The Complete New Year and Day of Atonement Prayer Book']. At the bottom of the title page we have the publishing details: New York [632-34 Broadway]: Hebrew Publishing Co., 1926 [400 pp.]. Interestingly enough, there is no imprimatur, no indication of rabbinical supervision, no names of editors or proofreaders. Presumably, the contents of the makhzor, mention of a few of the famed rabbinical authors of included texts, and the reputation of the publisher sufficed to allay any doubts as to the elaborate volume's legitimacy. Periodicals of the day could perhaps enlighten us further on this point. One wonders if there was a single Yiddish translator, or a group of translators, with perhaps a single person checking the work of the others. The translator or translators may have helped themselves to existing translations in other prayer books. We know nothing about the preparation of this elaborate volume and it would require careful internal analysis to answer even basic quesions about its composition. Jewish immigrant families of the period were not book readers -- they did read newspapers. The Hebrew Publishing Co. folio high holiday prayer book may have been one of the few books the family owned. The selling strategy of the makhzor was to show that it was more inclusive than other makhzors and as exacting as any. The _Ikar Bartenura_/_Bertenuro is printed in a tiny Rashi script that defies reading without a magnifying glass, but its presence says something. Although I could find no entry for Bertenuro in the _Encyclopaedia Judaica_, this 15th-century rabbi from Northern Italy -- Bertinoro is the name of his birthplace -- is widely regarded among or thodox students of the Mishna as its clearest expositor and his commentary is so respected as to be printed in editions of the Mishna. The Hebrew Publishing Co. knew that including even a fragment of Bertenura would register the right effect on some potential buyers of the makh zor. My copy of this makhzor has the stamp of "Y.B. Faks [Fox?], moykher-sforim, ekron, ohayo, 745 Kolb St." The makhzor was sold throughout North America, and the Akron bookseller called himself a "moykher-sforim," a fairly certain sign that his main stock in trade was _sforim_, i.e. religious books, and especially makhzoyrim. The second page of our makhzor, the verso of the title page, is a loose translation of that page: "di hesofes un di mayles fun dem makhzer" ['The Additions and the Merits of the Makhzor']. This is the entire closely printed page 2, and we note that it is both exposition and advertisement: PAGE 2 [Yiddish] "mit rekht kenen mir dizn makhzer rufn makhzer hasholum [= hasholem] -- 'fulshtendiker makhzer' den mir hobn in im arayngeshtelt ale neytike inyonim velkhe es hobn gefelt in ale andere makhzoyrim un mir hobn im farmert un farbesert fun ale makhzoyrim mit zeyer fil hesofes un mayles, un nokh iz keyn makhzer nit gedrukt gevorn azoy fulshtendik als dizer. er tseykhnt zikh oys fun ale makhzoyrim say mit zayne khitsoynyes say mit zayne pnimyes: zayne khitsoynyes tseykhenen zikh oys mit gants groyse oysyes un nekudes mit velkhe es zaynen gedrukt di piyutim un di davnens un der ivre-taytsh fil greser als in ale andere makhzoyrim: oykh tseykhnt er zikh oys mit dem gutn papir un mit dem faynem druk. merer ober tseykhnt er zikh oys mit zayne pnimyes, mit di filerley hesofes un mayles vos mir hobn in im moysef geven, hayne": alef: seyfer lekutey tsvi. er is koylel in zikh dray mesikhtes mishnayes: rosh hashono, yumo, un suko (velkhe di sifrey yereyim heysn lernen um rosheshone, yonkiper, un sukes itlekhe mesikhte in ir tsayt). oykh dem yesod hatshuve lehakhosid rabeynu yoyne (tsu lernen yomim neroim seyder fun tshuve). oykh fil tfiles uvakoshes un divrey muser, un minhogim fun yontoyvim. beys: oyf di mishnayes roshashone un yumo, hobn mir geshtelt dem iker bartnuro, un oyf suko peyresh kav venoki, un ale mesikhtes zaynen gedrukt mit nekudes. giml: yesod hatshuve lerabeynu yoyne un di tfiles uvakoshes fun seyfer lekutey tsvi oykh fil minhogim un divrey muser hobn mir alts gedrukt in loshn hakoydesh un in ivre-taytsh. daled: tfile zoke (in loshn hakoydesh un in ivre-taytsh). hey: ale mizmoyrim velkhe men zogt itlekhn tog yo"t nokh dem davnen (vi es shteyt in mesikhte soyfrim), oykh fir mizmorim tsu zogn nokh mayrev fun yonkiper. vov: peyresh oyf maarovis, oyf halal, oyf nile, un oyf nokh fil inyonim velkhe es flegn gedrukt vern in makhzer ivri taytsh on peyresh. zayin:seyder ushpizin mit di tfile tsum arayngeyn in suke. khes: seyder ketsires haoymer fun hagoen reb yankev emdin z"l. tes: dinim (in loshn hakoydesh un in ivri taytsh) fun inyoney tfile, un fun de inyonim vos gehert tsu itlekhn yontef bazunder, un fun eyrev tafshiln, fun sfire, un fun khol hamoyed, fun kidesh un havdole, un fun nokh fil inyonim. itlekher din oyf dem ort vu er geher(t). yud: naye tfiles un tkhines fun _seyfer avoydes hakoydesh_ un fun andere heylike sforim. tsu tkies shoyfer, un tsu hoytsoes seyfer toyre oyf rosh hashone, un yonkiper tsu shakhris un tsu minkhe, un der glaykhn tsu fil inyonim. (in loshn hakoydesh un in ivre-taytsh). yud alef: mayrev fun rosh hashone (mit ivri taytsh), un fun moytse yonkiper, voyiten lekho, un kidesh levone, un nokh fil hesofes. **** oykh hobn mir moysef geven ivri taytsh oyf fil neytike inyonim, hayne: alef) oyf dem gantsn davnen fun ale yontoyvim, un fun shabes khol hamoyed, fun ma toyvu biz nokh oleynu, say oyf birkhos hashakhar un psukey dezimro, say oyf ale tfiles shimenesre fun shakhris musef minkhe nile un mayrev, un oyf halal, un oyf seyder hetsoes un hakhnoses sifrey toyre, un oyf dem seder fun dukhn, un azoy oyf ale andere inyonim fun davnen. beys) oyf shir hayikhud un oyf shir hakoved. giml) oyf ale kriyes (parshes) (oyf rosheshone, yonkiper, sholosh regolim, un shabes khol hamoyed). daled) oyf ale haftoyres (oyf rosheshone, yonkiper, sholosh regolim, un shabes khol hamoyed). hey) oyf megiles, shir hashirim, rus, un koheles. vov) oyf slikhes velkhe men zogt yonkiper sof di piyutim. zayen) oyf maarivis [sic = mayrevs? -- ed.] fun ale yontoyvim. khes) oyf heshaynes. tes) oyf hakofes, un oyf me|reshus [sic = reshuyos - ed.] vos es vert gezogt tsu khosn toyre un khosn breyshis. yud) oyf tarya"g mitsves vos vern gezogt shvues tsu musef. yud alef) ale tfiles fun roshashone vos kumen for in yonkiper hobn mir zey geshtelt nokh amol mit zeyer ivre taytsh. *** PAGE 2 [English translation -- ed.] [We can rightfully call this makhzor _The Complete Makhzor_ for we have put into it necessary items lacking in other makhzorim and we have enlarged and improved it with many supplements and merits. No makhzor has yet been printed which is as complete as this one. It is superior to other makhzorim both in its outward and its inner features. Its external excellence is seen in its fonts and vowel points with which the hymns, prayers and Yiddish sections are printed, larger than in any other makhzor. It is also distinguished by its good-quality paper and printing. But it excels even more in its inner features -- the many supplements we have added, such as: alef: _Seyfer Lekutey Tsvi_. which includes three tractates of Mishna: Rosh Hashono, Yumo and Suko (books of the pious advice studying these tractates on Rosh Hashono, Yom Kippur and Sukkos), also _Yesod Hatshuvo_ by Rabbi Yoyno (to study the section on repentance on the High Holidays). Also many prayers, supplications and ethical teachings, as well as holidays customs. beys: By the Mishnaic tractates Rosh Hashono and Yumo we have placed the _Ikar Bartenura_ and for Suko the commentary _Kav VeNoki_, and all the tractates are printed with vowels. giml: _Yesod haTeshuvo_ by Rabbi Yoyno and the prayers and supplications from _Seyfer Lekutey Tsvi_ and also many customs and ethical teachings in Hebrew and Yiddish. daled: The "Pure Prayer" (in Hebrew and Yiddish). hey: All the hymns recited on all the holidays after the regular prayers (as mentioned in the Tractate Soyfrim), as well as four hymns to be recited after the Day of Atonement evening service. vov: Commentary on the evening service, on the Hallel Prayers [recited on the New Year and the Day of Atonement], the Closing Prayers [on the Day of Atonement] and many more items which formerly were printed in makhzors in Yiddish but without commentary. zayin: Ushpizin, with the prayer recited upon entering the sukkoh. khes: _Seyder ketsiras ha'omer_ [Order of Reaping the Omer] by the sage Rabbi Jacob Emden, of blessed memory. tes: Laws (in Hebrew and Yiddish) regarding prayer, and which concern each particular holiday, and which concern cooking for the Sabbath, and the intermediate days of holidays, the sanctification (kiddush_ prayer and the end-of-sabbath prayer, and manhy other items, each law in its proper place. yud: New prayers and Yiddish prayers from _Seyfer Avoydes Hakoydesh_ [Worship of the Sacred] and other books. On blowing of the shofar and on taking the torah out of the ark on the New Year, and on the day of Atonement for morning and afternoon services, and many more matters (in Hebrew and Yiddish). yud alef: The evening service of the New Year (with Yiddish) and the night of the Day of Atonement, "And He gave to you," sanctification of the moon, and many more additions. **** We also added Yiddish versions of many necessary items, such as: alef) Prayers of all the holidays, and of sabbaths that fall on intermediate days, from "Ma toyvu" through "Oleynu," including the Morning Prayers and the Recitation Verses [Psalms 145-150], including the entire Amidah [Eighteen Benedictions] for Morning, Additional, Afternoon, Closing and Evening Prayer, and the Hallel hymn, and Order of Taking and Returning Scrolls of the Torah to and from the Holy Ark, and of the ritual of the Priestly Benediction, and of other items of the Prayer Service. beys) Of the Song of God's Oneness and the Song of Homage. giml) All the Torah portions [sections of the Khumesh] -- for New Year, Day of Atonement, Three Festivals, and Sabbaths on Intermediate Days. daled) All the readings from the Prophets [Nevi'im] -- for New Year, Day of Atonement, the Three Festivals -- Peysakh, Shevuos, Sukkos -- and the Sabbath of Intermediate Days, hey) Scrolls, the Song of Songs, Ruth, Ecclesiastes. vov) The Penitential Prayers recited on the Day of Atonement after the hymns. zayen) Evening Prayers for all the Holidays. khes) Sukkos Prayers. tes) Procession Prayers, and Prayers when the last and the first parts of the Pentateuch are read in the synagogue by the "Grooms" of the Torah and of Genesis, to whom authority is granted for this honor. yud) The 613 commandments [in the Khumesh, 248 positive and 365 negative] that are recited on Shavuos during the Additional Prayer. yud alef) We have given a second time all the New Year prayers which are recited on the Day of Atonement together with their Yiddish translations. **** The Shema Prayer (based on Deuteronomy 6:4-9) in Yiddish translation in this makhzor (p. 8), to cite a brief example, is a far cry from the pre-modern "ivre-taytsh," with its system of literal word-for-word equivalence. This passage is modern Yiddish even though the spelling (which I have modernized) is obsolete. The maje sty of the Hebrew has given way to the intimacy of Yiddish. The colloquiality of the style becomes clearer when one compares the same passage in Yehoyesh's classic translation (Pentateuch, 1926), one which embodies accuracy and elevation, while at the same time echoing the long tradition of "ivre-taytsh" versions of the bible. makhzor version, 1926 her tsu yisroel got er iz undzer got un got iz eyn eyntsiker got: / [geloybt zol zayn der nomen fun zayn kenigraykh oyf eybik:] / un du zolst got dayn got lib hobn du zolst mekayem zayn zayne mitsves fun vegn libshaft mit dayn gantsn hartsn un mit dayn gantsn nefesh un mit dayn gantsn farmeg: / un di verter vos ikh zog dir haynt zoln zayn oyf dayn hartsn un du zolst zey tomed gedenken: / un du zolst zey sharf aroysredn un lernen tsu dayne kinder un du zolst tomed derfun reydn az du vest in dayn hoyz zitsn un az du vest in veg geyn in dayn leygn zikh un in dayn oyfshteyn: / un du zolst zey onknipn ayn tseykhn oyf dayn hant un zey zoln zayn tsu tfiln tsvishn dayne oygn: / un du zolst zey onshraybn oyf di bayshtidlen fun dayn hoyz un fun dayne toyern. Yehoyesh version, 1926 her, yisroel: adoynoy undzer got, adoynoy iz eyner. un zolst lib hobn adoynoy dayn got mit dayn gantsn hartsn, un mit dayn ganser zel. un mit dayn gantsn koyekh. un didozike verter vos ikh bafel dir haynt, zoln zey zayn in dayb hartsn; un zolst zey aynsharfn dayne kinder, un zolst redn fun zey ven du zitst in dayn hoyz un ven du geyst in veg, un ven du leygst zikh, un ven du shteyst oyf. un zolst zey onbindn far a tseykhn oyf dayn hant, un zey zoln zayn far a shternband tsvishn dayne oygn. un zolst zey oyfshraybn oyf di bayshtidlekh fun dayn hoyz, un oyf dayne toyern. The Bible in Yiddish translation and liturgical/homiletic writings in Yiddish are vast subjects which, hopefully, will be dealt with in future issues of _The Mendele Review_. 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 31 August 2001 From: Leonard Prager Subject: Tsvey yonkiper lider [Two Day of Atonement Poems] (Avrom-Nokhem Shtents) [In 1980, at the age of 84, the poet recalls a childhood experience and links his father's weeping on Yom Kippur at the Prayer for the Aseres harugey malkhus* with the Shoa. -ed.] "Yon-kiper bay di asore harugey-malkhes"(1) Ven der tate mikh unter zayn tales aruntergekhapt hot un zikh tseveynt bay di "asore haruge malkhes" - - zayne trern oyf mayn kop kh'shpir nokh haynt. vi er in gantsn getsitert ikh hob, a komets-alef yingl nokh, a kind - - mer vi akhtsik yor shoyn avek derfun, kh'dermon mikh derin, kh'tsiter nokh atsind. hot er gefilt dos-o vos geyt kumen? azoy tsu veynen, mamesh oystsugeyn -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- bay yisker atsind nokh di zeks milyon, az dos harts fun groys tsar blaybt nisht shteyn -- vi dos meysik zayn, vi dos tsu farshteyn? **** "During the Prayer for the Ten Martyrs on the Day of Atonement" While covering me with his prayer shawl And clasping me, my father broke out in tears At the Prayer for the Ten Martyrs -- To this day I feel his tears on my head. I trembled just as he did, I was the merest child then -- More than eighty years have passed And, remembering, I tremble still. Could he have sensed what was to come? To weep so passionately -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Now, during the Memorial Prayer for the Six Million, When the heart seems ready to burst with grief -- How can one grasp? How begin to understand? ------------------------ *al-pi Midrash Tehilim 9,20.... "aseret hatanaim ugedoley yisrael r' akiba, r' chanina ben-tardion veakherim shemetu al kidush hashem beyedey haromaim" ============================================== "yom-hadin"(2) shteyt di gantse velt tsum din haynt tsu tog, gemishpet tsu vern oyf toyt un oyf lebn; s'tsaplt dos harts fun der velt, oyfgetsitert, mit hakhnoe un mit azoy fil fargebn -- ver kon den opvegn di zind funem mentsh, az er iz ayngetunken in azoy fil noytn? un ver o ken derfiln di yesurim fun eyneyntsikn gefalenem toytn? un der shlekhtster meynt er nisht dos beste? un guts tsu ton -- afile der zinder? s'geyt der mentsh arum oyf der velt mit ofene oygn a babelmter blinder! alts vos er tut iz a tapn nor mit hent -- un veyst er den vuhin s'firn di vegn? dos lebn aza tsukendik gerangl, mit blutikn m'tor-nisht un m'megn! un az got gufe halt di vog-shul in hant, zayn harts tsumol vet tserisn itst vern -- es tsukt dos tsingl on oyfher azoy, fun azoy fil blut un zidike trern! shteyt di gantse velt tsum din haynt tsu tog, gemishpet tsu vern oyf toyt un oyf lebn; s'tsaplt dos harts fun der velt oyfgetsitert, kavyokhl aleyn zayn zind tsu fargebn - - - "Day of Judgement" The whole world stands in judgement today, Awaiting the verdict of life or death; The heart of the world trembles With humility and with forgiveness. Who can weigh a person's sins, Immersed as he is in needs? And who can feel the pain Of a single dying soul? The evil, too, have good intentions, The sinner wishes to do good; Man wanders through the world Blind, with cataracts on his eyes. He feels his way with his hands, And does he know where he's going? Life is such a bitter struggle With its dire you-mays and you-may-nots. And when God Himself holds the scale in his hands, His heart is torn so -- The tongue of the scale cannot stop shuddering For all the blood and scorching tears. The whole world stands in judgement today, The verdict is life or death; The heart of the world trembles and waits For God Himself to forgive its sins - - - [English translations -- ed.] ---------- 1) "yon-kiper bay di asore harugey-malkhes" [_Loshn un lebn_ 483 (Sept. 1980), 9-10] (2) "yom-hadin," [_yomim neroim_, _Shtentsl heftl_ no. 1, 1940, p. 1] ---------------------------------- End of _The Mendele Review_ 05.011 Leonard Prager, editor Subscribers to _Mendele_ (see below) automatically receive _The Mendele Review_. Send "to subscribe" or change-of-status messages to: listproc@lists.yale.edu a. For a temporary stop: set mendele mail postpone b. To resume delivery: set mendele mail ack c. To subscribe: sub mendele first_name last_name d. To unsubscribe kholile: unsub mendele ****Getting back issues**** _The Mendele Review_ archives can be reached at: http://shakti.trincoll.edu/~mendele/tmrarc.htm