THIS WEEK
Tsilye Dropkin, איך װעל אַנטלױפֿן, I Will Run Away
Dropkin, Ikh vel antloyfn
35: 11You shall designate cities for yourselves; they shall be cities of refuge for you, and a murderer who killed a person unintentionally shall flee there. 12These cities shall serve you as a refuge from an avenger, so that the murderer shall not die until he stands in judgment before the congregation.
I will run away from all of you
To my little boy,
From all of you
With your glances,
Thirsty hot and cold,
With your friendly and hostile faces
To his bright face,
Rock him to sleep,
Quietly cover him
Or perhaps
Quietly wake him
Barely brushing him with kisses.
“Mamma!”
“It’s your, your Mamma. . . “
In a quiet dark disc
By the cradle of my child
I will set myself free
From all of you.
1922 In heysn vint, 1935, 195
Translated by Sheva Zucker
IKH VEL ANTLOYFN
Ikh vel antloyfn fun aykh alemen
Tsu mayn kleynem yingele,
Fun aykh alemen
Mit dorshtik heyse,
Mit kalte blikn,
Mit penemer fun fraynt un fun sonim
Tsu zayn likhtikn ponem,
Im farvign,
Shtil im tsudekn
Oder gor,
Shtil im ufvekn
Koym, barirndik mit kushn.
_ Mama!
– Dayn, dayn, dayn mama…
In a shtiln tunkeln disk
Bay der vig fun mayn kind
Vel ikh mikh rateven
Fun aykh alemen!
1922 In heysn vint, 1935, 1959
THIS WEEK
Itsik Manger, יפֿתּחס טאָכטער, Yiftakh’s Daughter
Celia Dropkin, דאָס ליד פֿון אַ געצן־דינערין, Song of an Idol Worshipper
Manger, Yiftakhs tokhter
30: 2 Moses spoke to the heads of the Israelite tribes, saying: This is what יהוה has commanded: 3 If a householder makes a vow to יהוה or takes an oath imposing an obligation on himself, he shall not break his pledge; he must carry out all that has crossed his lips.
און משה האָט אָנגעזאָגט די קינדער פֿון ישׂראל, אַזױ װי אַלץ װאָס גאָט האָט משהן באַפֿױלן.,און משה האָט גערעדט צו די הױפּטלײַט פֿון די שבֿטים פֿון די קינדער פֿון ישׂראל, אַזױ צו זאָגן: דאָס איז די זאַך װאָס גאָט האָט באַפֿױלן:,אַז אַ מאַן װעט טאָן אַ נדר צו גאָט, אָדער שװערן אַ שבֿועה, צו אַסרן אױף זיך אַן איסור, זאָל ער ניט פֿאַרשװעכן זײַן װאָרט; אַזױ װי אַלץ װאָס גײט אַרױס פֿון זײַן מױל, זאָל ער טאָן.
For a biography of Itzik Mangere in English and Yiddish see Week 1.
The judge Yiftakh (Jephthah) had just won a battle over the Ammonites, and vowed he would give the first thing that came out of his house as a burnt offering to God. However, his only child, an unnamed daughter, came out to meet him dancing and playing a tambourine (v. 34). She encourages him to fulfill his vow (v. 36) but asks for two months to weep for her virginity (v. 38). After this period of time, Jephthah fulfilled his vow and offered his daughter. Wikipedia
The story is a cautionary tale against making rash vows.
Barefoot in a calico dress, a sunflower in her hair,
She stands on the entrance to her tent excitedly, and waits.
Her eyes fixed on the dirt road. Did it lie,
That dream that showed her everything so very clearly?
What is all that dust there, on the horizon? Yes, it’s true, it’s true:
A host of riders. A trumpet blows. And they move forward —
The judge in Israel. His beard wildly overgrown, his eyes big,
He carries victory on his spear. Hair so long on chopped off head.
She starts to run, breathless, quick. And all roads ahead
Come together beaming colorfully towards her.
It’s sundown. The riders’ spears are flashing red.
The judge winks to her, “Go away,” but she keeps running, running,
Now she grabs the bridle of the first horseback rider —
It’s her father, and his face is a rigid mask: dead.
Literal translation, Sheva Zucker
Yiftakhs tokhter
borves in prostn sitsnkleydl, a zunroyz in di hor,
shteyt zi oyfder shvel fun ir getselt un fibert, vart.
di oygn ongeshpizt tsum shlyakh. tsi hot er opgenart,
der kholem, vos hot ir alts gevizn boylet klor?
vos shtoybt zikh dort baym horizont? s’iz vor, s’iz vor:
a makhne rayters. a shoyfer shalt. un zey foroys —
der shoyfet fun yisroel. di bord a vild-farvaksene, di oygn groys,
er trogt dem nitsokhn oyf zayn shpiz.an opgehakter kop mit lange hor.
zi lozt zikh loyfn on an otem gikh. un ale vegn
nemen zikh tsunoyf un shtraln farbik ir antkegn.
s’iz zunfargang. di shpizn fun di rayters blitsn royt.
der shoyfet vinkt tsu ir “avek”, nor zi loyft vayter, vayter,
ot khapt zi on dos tsayml funem ferd baym ershtn rayter —s’iz ir foter, un zayn ponem iz a shtrenge maske: toyt. medresh itsik, yerusholayem 1969
Tsilye Dropkin, Dos lid fun a gets-dinerin
31 15And Moses said unto them: ‘Have ye saved all the women alive? 16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to revolt so as to break faith with the LORD in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD.
THIS WEEK
Meylekh Ravitsh, מײַן קדיש צום יאָרצײַט פֿון מײַן טאַטן, Kaddish
Kadye Molodovski, 11 אין בלויען באַגינען, In Blue Dawn XI
Meylekh Ravitsh, Mayn Kadesh tsum yortsayt fun mayn tan
27: 3‘Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin;
די מאַמע אונדזערע איז אַ שװײַגנדיקע, גרױסע דיכטערין,
און װײסט אַפֿילו נישט, אַז זי פֿאַרמאָגט אַזאַ מין הימלישן טאַלענט.
און גרױס איז זי, װײַל נאָר אין דער נשמה און אין האַרץ איז זי אַ דיכטערין,
און מיר — די זין אירע — זענען שרײַבער נאָר מיט פֿעדערן אין די הענט —
אָבער צוריק צו די בריװ: און נישט אין זעלבן נוסח האָט די מאַמע די בריװ געענדיקט:
אונדז, די אױף דער ערד, דעם אײנעם אין צפֿון און דעם אײנעם אין דרום, אונדז צװײ
האָט זי געהײסן אײביק דעם טאַטנס נאָמען האַלטן הײליק און שײן,
און דעם אױף יענער װעלט: און איצט מײַן זון, נעם אים אױף װי ס’פּאַסט אַ זון, װאָס איז געטרײַ.
אָט אַזױ האָט די מאַמע צעשיקט נאָכן טאַטנס טױט דרײַ בריװ צו אירע דרײַ זין,
קײן צפֿון אײנעם, און דעם צװײטן קײן דרום פֿון דעם שטיק אומעט, װאָס רופֿט זיך ערד.
און דעם דריטן בריװ אױף דער אמתער װעלט. און פּינקטלעך האָבן די זין די בריװ באַקומען.
די קעפּ געבױגן און לאַנג אין דער װעלטנאַכט פֿון זײער געליבטן טאַטן געקלערט.
1941
67 לידער פֿון די לעצטע פֿינף־זעקס יאָר די לידער פֿון מײַנע לידער, 1909־
Ravitches mother, memoirist Hinde Bergner
The translation by Nathan Halper does not include one verse which deals with Ravitsh’s mother, Hinde Bergner. I have translated it and it appears in red. Bergner herself, encouraged by her sons, wrote a memoir called In di lange vinternekht (On long winter nights) now available in translation by Justin Cammy. Writing for a woman of her time was not a naturally accepted thing. In the forward to the book her sons write, “When her sons suggested – and this quite late, only in the year 1937 – that our mother should write her memoirs, she set herself to it with a fervent spiritual hunger. Finally, her dream was realized. Until now, when her sons sometimes noticed, somewhere hidden in books, her notes and even poems in free verse, she would blush with shame like a small child who had done God knows what. . . ” I hope this background will illuminate the added verse.
KADDISH
When he was dead, when mourning was over,
Our mother got up form the mourner’s bench
To write letters to her sons: one north, one south,
One to the other world.
All began the same way:
How our sick father called to her in the night,
Put his head on her shoulder
And, like a fallen bird, silently closed his black eyes.
She lifted his head from her shoulder
And put it back on the pillow. His skin was warm.
The hair she had always loved – it was not yet entirely gray –
Was curly, find as silk, even after he was dead.
Our mother is a silent, great poet, And does not even know that she possesses this heavenly talent. And she is great because only in her soul and in her heart is she a poet, And we – her sons – are writers only with pens in our hands –
But back to the letters:
The letters ended in a different way.
The living – north, south –
Were told to cherish his name.
The one in the other world: Greet him in proper fashion!
That is how our mother wrote three letters to her sons.
One north, one south,
One in the real world.
The sons received them,
They bowed their heads.
In the night, they thought of their beloved father.
Nathan Halper, A Treasury of Yiddish Poetry
MAYN KADESH TSUM YORTSAYT FUN MAYN TATN
Un az der tate iz geshtorbn un di shive-teg zenen shoyn avek,
Hot zikh di mame undzere fun shive-benkele oyfgeshtelt
Tsu shraybn dray briv tsu di zin; eynem keyn tsofn, eynem keyn dorem
Un eynem af yener velt.
Tsu ale dray hot zi in zelbn nusekh poshet un prost vi a lid geshribn:
– Un vi azoy der kranker tate hot zi a ruf geton in mitn der nakht,
Un vi azoy er hot dem toyt krankn kop af ire akslen ongeshpart,
Un shtil, vi a kranker, gefalener foygl di shvartse oygn af eybik farmakht.
Un nokh hot zi geshribn: – – Un vi azoy zi hot dem tatns kop fun aksl irn
Aropgenumen un afn kishn geleygt, un vi varem s’iz geven zayn toyte hoyt,
Un di gekrayzlte hor afn kop, vos zi hot azoy lib gehat, nokh nisht in gantsn groy.
Un vi zey hobn alts zikh nokh gekrayzlt din vi zayd, afile nokhn toyt.
Di mame undzere iz a shvaygndike, groyse dikhtern,
Un veyst afile nisht, az zi farmogt aza min himlishn talent.
Un groys iz zi, vayl nor in der neshome un in harts iz zi a dikhtern,
Un mir – di zin ire – zenen shrayber nor mit federn in di hent –
Ober tsurik tsu di briv: Un nisht in zelbn nusekh hot di mame di briv geendikt:
Undz, di af der erd, dem eynem in tsofn un dem eynem in dorem, undz tsvey
Hot zi geheysn eybik dem tatns nomen haltn heylik un sheyn,
Un dem af yener velt: Un itst mayn zun, nem im uf vi s’past a zun, vos iz getray.
Ot azoy hot di mame tseshikt nokhn tatns toyt dray briv tsu ire dray zin,
Keyn tsofn eynem, un dem tsveytn keyn dorem fun dem shtik umet, vos ruft zikh erd.
Un dem dritn briv af der emeser velt. Un pinktlekh hobn di zin di briv bakumen.
Di kep geboygn un lang in der veltnakht fun zeyer gelibtn tatn geklert.
1941 67 lider fun di letste finf-zeks yor, 1946 Di lider fun mayne lider, 1909-1954
Molodovski, In bloyen baginen XI
27: 15And Moses spoke unto the LORD, saying: 16‘Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.’
For a biography of Kadya Molodowsky in English and Yiddish see Week 3.
ֿ
אין בלויען באַגינען
11
פֿון פֿינצטער פֿון באַהעלטעניש בין איך אַרויס
און ברייט דער טראָט
פֿון קלייענם פֿוס,
און שטאַרק דער קלאַפּ
פֿון שמאָלן פֿויסט,
פֿון פֿינצטער פֿון באַהעלטעניש בין איך אַרויס.
און כ’וואַש די הענט,
און הייב צום ערשטן מאָל די אויגן צו דער זון,
און כ’צינד די ליכט צום וועלט־יום־טובֿ
די ליכט וואָס דורות לאַנג
האָט מען געצונדן פֿרום.
כ’שפּאַן טריט פֿון שײַן,
און פֿאַרב אין יום־טובֿדיקע פֿאַרבן,
די פֿעדעם וואָס איך וועב אויס און וועב אײַן. חשוונדיקע נעכט
IN BLUE DAWN XI
I have come out of darkness and hiding,
And my small feet
Take long strides,
And my thin fists
Knock, loud and strong.
I have come out of darkness and hiding.
I wash my hands,
Raising my eyes to the sun for the first time,
And light the candles for the festival of the world,
Candles that were piously lit
For generations.
I take steps of light
And, with festive colors, dye
The threads that I’m weaving in and out.
1920
By permission of translator, Kathryn Hellerstein, Paper Bridges: Selected Poems of Kadya Molodowsky
in bloyen baginen 11
fun fintster fun baheltenish bin ikh aroys
un breyt der trot
fun kleyenm fus,
un shtark der klap
fun shmoln foyst,
fun fintster fun baheltenish bin ikh aroys.
un kh’vash di hent,
un heyb tsum ershtn mol di oygn tsu der zun,
un kh’tsind di likht tsum velt-yontef
di likht vos doyres lang
hot men getsundn frum.
kh’shpan trit fun shayn,
un farb in yontevdike farbn,
di fedem vos ikh veb oys un veb ayn.
THIS WEEK
Avrom Sutskever, דער זעלביקער װאַס האָט געבענטשט, ער האָט מיך אױך געשאָלטן, Who Blessed Me Has Also Cursed me
Arn Tsaytlin, לויב מיך, Praise Me
Avrom Sutskever, Der zelbiker vos hot gebentsht, er hot mikh oykh gesholtn
2: 6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me; peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.’
24: 10 And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam: ‘I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
Who blessed me has also cursed me.
I embrace in love the twinning of honey and of vinegar.
Thank you for blessing me with friends. Without their strength
my work along with me would fade by day and by night.
for my sake they paint and hammer and mold,
for my sake they roll down poems from their hearts.
oh, my I’s are they, those painters and poets,
and their I am I, even when I don’t know whose.
For their sake I once sung in a coffin,*
for their sake I still wage war over a comma,
and when they die, onlythen are my friends born
in the green cradle of my swaying soul.
For my sake they warm up the cold stars,
for my sake they play: a violin or a cello
bring forth from itself a joyoys gush of my tears.
For their sake I write these very lines. Amen. Selah.
Tr. Richard Fein, The Full Pomegranate: Poems of Avrom Sutzkever
*See Week 9, Sutzkever’s poem, איך ליג אין אַן אָרון, “I Lie in a Coffin” to understand this line. During WWII Sutzkever did actually hide in a coffin to save his life. https://shevazucker.com/week-9-vayeyshev-וַיֵ%D6%BC֣שֶ%D7%81ב/
der zelbiker vas hot gebentsht, er hot mikh oykh gesholtn.
kh’nem on far lib di tsvilingshaft fun honik un fun esik.
a dank far bentshn mikh mit fraynd. on zeyer tsutsi-koyekh voltn
baynand mit mir di verter mayne oysgetsankt meslesik.
far maynet vegn moln zey un hamern un knetn,
far maynet vegn kayklen zey arop fun harts poemes.
o, mayne ikhn zenen zey, di molers un poetn,
un zeyer ikh bin ikh, afile az ikh veys nit vemes.
far zeyert vegn hob ikh ven gezungen in an orn,*
far zeyert vegn halt ikh nokh milkhome far a kome.
un shtarbn zey, ersht yemolt vern mayne fraynd geborn
in griner kindervig fun mayn tsehoydeter neshome.
far maynet vegn varemen zey on di kalte shtern,
far maynet vegn shpiln zey: a fidl tsi a tshelo
derlangt fun zikh a kval aroys mit simkhe mayne trern.
far zeyert vegn shrayb ikh di o shures. omeyn-sela. lider fun togbukh
Arn Tsaytlin, Loyb mikh
For a biography of Arn Tsaytlin in English, click here.
לויב מיך
לויב מיך, זאָגט גאָט,
וועל איך וויסן, אַז דו האָסט מיך ליב.
שעלט מיך,
וועל איך וויסן אַז דו האָסט מיך ליב.
לויב מיך אָדער שעלט מיך,
וועל איך וויסן אַז דו האָסט מיך ליב.
נאָר אויב די זיצסט
אין דײַן גלײַכגילט פֿאַרצוימט,
אין דײַן וואָס־אַרט־מיך פֿאַרגרענעצט, זאָגט גאָט,
אויב דו קוקסט אויף די שטערן און גענעצסט, זאָגט גאָט,
אויב דו זעסט יסורים
און שטורעמסט נישט אויף;
אויב נישט דו לויבסט און נישט דו לעסטערסט,
האָב איך אומזיסט דיך געשאַפֿן, זאָגט גאָט.
PRAISE ME
Praise me, says God,
I will know that you love me.
Curse me,
I will know that you love me.
Praise me or curse me,
I will know that you love me.
Sing out my graces, says God.
Raise your fist against me and revile, says God.
Sing my praises or revile,
Reviling is also praise, says God.
But if you sit
Fenced off in your apathy,
Entrenched in “I don’t give a damn,” says God,
If you look at the stars and yawn, says God,
If you see suffering and don’t cry out,
If you don’t praise and don’t revile,*
Then I created you in vain, says God.
Translated by Emanuel S. Goldsmith
*Revile might also have been translated as blaspheme or profane.
loyb mikh
loyb mikh, zogt got,
vel ikh visn, az du host mikh lib.
shelt mikh,
vel ikh visn, az du host mikh lib.
loyb mikh oder shelt mikh,
vel ikh visn az du host mikh lib.
zing oys di gnodn mayne, zogt got.
heyb foystn kegn mir un lester, zogt got.
zing mayne gnodn un lester—
oykh lester iz loyb, zogt got.
nor oyb di zitst
in dayn glaykhgilt fartsoymt,
in dayn vos-art-mikh fargrenetst, zogt got,
oyb du kukst oyf di shtern un genetst, zogt got,
oyb du zest yesurem
un shturemst nisht oyf;
oyb nisht du loybst un nisht du lesterst,
hob ikh umzist dikh geshafn, zogt got.
Softwordovertakes me at the last strideacross
Turns its face slowly back towards me,
Listen!
There were two wells at our place.
One gushed right in the middle of the yard.
Its bounty filled
Barrels, troughs and basins.
An eternal singing splash from the pale
Up and down,
Up and down.
Never did the well run dry.
Always full as an eye
Was our good, good well.
Far away and deep in the valley
At the foot of the plum orchard dreamed
Another well.
Here
One came with measured, rhythmic step;
Slowly Drew the water with the little bucket—
Tea for the evening rest
For special guests, was placed on the table
Like wine.
We were thrifty,
Every pitcher was measured and exorcised against evil
Because stingy this well was.
This well at the foot of the plum orchard
Was reticent.
But what a pleasure it was
When the glassoftea smoldered
In the festive hand.
What a delight
When the eye played
On the clear crystal
And a clever mouth
Let a shrewd word quietly fall,
Gently
And the blessing “Shehakl” rose up
Like a coronation.
Should a stingy well be covered over?
Literal translation, Sheva Zucker
zol men a kargn brunem
shtilvort yogt mikh on baym letstn shpanariber,
dreyt oys pamelekh mir dos ponem oyf tsurik
her!
tsvey brunemer zeynen geven bay undz.
eyner hot gekvalt in same mitn hoyf.
feser, koretes un deyzhes
hot ongefilt zayn gob.
an eybik zingevdik geplyesk fun emer
oyf un op,
oyf un op.
keyn mol hot der brunem zikh nit opgetsoygn.
ale mol iz ful geblibn vi an oyg
undzer guter, guter brunem.
vayt un tif in tol
tsufusns fun dem floymensod gedimyent hot
a tsveyter brunem.
aher
iz men mit mos un takt in trot gegangen;
pamelekhke
dos vaser ongeshept mit kleynem shefl—
tey ts’r ovntiker menukhe
far gest geheybene tsum tish
vi vayn geshtelt.
shporevdik iz men geven.
opgemostn, opgeshprokhn yede kvort
vayl karg geven iz ot der brunem.
ayngehaltn iz geven der brunem
vos tsufusns funem floymensod.
nor sara nakhes
ven gloz-tey hot zikh geembert
in der yontevdiker hant.
sara tayneg
ven oyg hot geshpilt
oyf klor fun krishtol
un klug moyl
hot a kharifesdik vort gelozt faln shtil,
eydl
un di brokhe "shehakl" iz oyfgegangen
vi a kroynung.
zol men a kargn brunem farshitn?
THIS WEEK
Yankev Glatshteyn, ס’ייִדישע װאָרט, The Yiddish Word
Yankev Glatshteyn, S’Yidishe Vort, The Yiddish Word
17: 21 Moses deposited the staffs before יהוה, in the Tent of the Pact. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the Pact; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.
דער װאַנדראָװניק שרײַט אַרײַן אין דער נאַכט
און טוט װעקן—הױ, װײגעשריגן,
אין דעם מידבר בליט אַ מאַנדל־שטעקן! געדענקלידער
THE YIDDISH WORD
The Yiddish word sprouts on an almond branch:
every blessing savored,
every curse crafted,
every word scented,
every word succulent,
every word steeped
in essences of Grandma’s world.
oh, the constant landscape of ago—
in a sandy desert.
In a desert sprouts an almond branch,
and on it flower Yiddish words,
A wanderer on a camel
is lured to his intended love.
Around that branch grow
sweet herbs,
and if one feeds on them, riddles
reveal their intimations,
and dark perplexities
turn into certitude.
And all becomes worthy,
and all becomes coherent,
all ferments,
all is drenched
in essences and joy of Grandma’s world.
The wanderer shrieks in the night,
stirring things up—
hey, screeched pain
in the desert sprouts an almond branch.
By permission of translator Richard Fein, Selected Poems of Yankev Glatshteyn
s’yidishe vort
s’yidishe vort blit oyf a mandl-shtekn.
un yede brokhe is ba|tam|t,
yeder vort tut shmekn,
yeder vort tut trifn,
un yeder vort iz bazaft
mit bobeshaft.
a getraye landshaft fun amolikeyt—
in a zamdikn midber.
in a midber blit a mandl-shtekn,
un oyf im shprotsn yidishe verter.
a vandrovnik oyf a keml
tsit ahin vi tsu zayn basherter.
un arum dem shtekn vaksn
zise kraytekhtser,
un esn est men zey, efenen retenishn
zeyere bataytekhtser,
un ale farhoylene nishtviserayen
vern same klore farshteytzikher.
un alts vert keday,
un alts vert haft,
alts vert ongeyornt
un ongetrunken mit freyd
fun bobeshaft.
der vandrovnik shrayt arayn in der nakht
un tut vekn—
hoy, veygeshrign,
in der midber blit a mandl-shtekn!
Week 35
אַ תּחינה צו חלה־באַקן, A TKHINE (supplication) FOR MAKING CHALLAH
A tkhine tsu khale-bakn
15: 17And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 18Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them:
When ye come into the land whither I bring you, 19then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall set apart a portion for a gift unto the LORD. 20Of the first of your dough ye shall set apart a cake for a gift; as that which is set apart of the threshing-floor, so shall ye set it apart. 21Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD a portion for a gift throughout your generations.
ט”ו 17 און גאָט האָט גערעדט צו משהן, אַזױ צו זאָגן: רעד צו די קינדער פֿון ישׂראל, און זאָלסט זאָגן צו זײ: אַז איר קומט אין דעם לאַנד װאָס איך ברענג אײַך אַהין, איז, אַז איר עסט פֿון דעם ברױט פֿון לאַנד, זאָלט איר אָפּשײדן אַן אָפּשײדוגן צו גאָט. 20 דאָס ערשטע פֿון אײַערע טײגמולטערס זאָלט איר אָפּשײדן אַ כלה פֿאַר אַן אָפּשײדונג; װי די אָפּשײדוגן פֿון שײַער, אַזױ זאָלט איר עס אָפּשײדן.פֿון דעם ערשטן פֿון אײַערע טײגמולטערס זאָלט איר געבן אַן אָפּשײדונג צו גאָט אױף אײַערע דָור-דורות. און אַז איר װעט פֿאַרזען, און איר װעט ניט טאָן אַלע די דאָזיקע געבאָט װאָס גאָט האָט אָנגעזאָגט משהן,
אַ תּחינה צו חלה־באַקן
שלשה מיצװות נצטװוּ הנשים, דרײַ מיצװת זײַנען די נשים געבאָטן געװאָרן. חנה שמותן. דער נאָמען פֿון די דרײַ מיצװת איז חנה. דאָס װאָרט חנה מאַכט חלה נידה הדלקת הנר.
ראשית עריסותיכם תּרימו חלה, דער טײַטש פֿון דעם פּסוק איז אַזױ: דאָס ערשטע פֿון אײַערע טײג זאָלט איר אָפּשײדן חלה בזכות זה ה’ אוצרותיכם שובעימלא. די װערטער איז טײַטש פֿון װעגן דעם זכות פֿון מיצװת חלה װעט השם יתברך וברוך הוא וברוך שמו אײַך געבן די ברכה אין אײַערע אוצרות און װעט זײ אָנפֿילן מיט זעט פֿאַר צײַטן. פֿלעגט אַזױ זײַן, דער כּהן האָט גענומען תּרומה און דער לװי האָט גענומען מעשׂר און דער עני, מעשׂר עני, אױך צו צײַטן מעשׂר שני אָבער אַצינדערט בעוונותינו הרבים אַז דאָס בית־המיקדש איז חרובֿ איז אַלץ בטל געװאָרן נאָר די מיצװה פֿון חלה איז געבליבן, דרום רבונו־של־עולם בעטן מיר דיך אַז דו זאָלסט אָננעמען די מיצװת חלה און זאָלסט שיקן גרױס ברכה װוּ מיר װעלן זיך קערן און װענדן, אונדזערע קינדערלעך זאָלן ניט פֿאַרפֿרעמדן און מיר זאָלן קענען אונדזערע קינדערלעך אַלײן פּרנסה געבן, איך מיט מײַן מאַן, ביז לאַנג לעבן און די מיצװת חלה זאָל אָנגענומען װערן זי זאָל געװױגן זײַן װי גאָר די תּרי“ג מיצװת פֿון הײליקער תּורה.
A TKHINE (supplication) FOR MAKING CHALLAH
“Women have been given three mitsves”: Women have been given three mitsves whose acronym is khes, nun, hey and stands for khale, nide, and hadlokes haneyr, which means the taking of khale, observing the rulesof nide, and the lighting of candles.“From the first part of your dough you shall contribute khale,” which means that you should remove a portion of the first dough that you knead and by virtue of this “God will fill your storehouses to the brim.” This means that by the merit of fulfilling the mitsve of khale, hashem yisborekh — praised by He and praised be His Name — will bless your storehouses and will fill them to the brim. In the past, the koyen would take the heave offering and the leyvi would take a tithe. The pauper would take the pauper’s tithe and there would also be a second tithe at other appointed times. But now, because of our many sins, the beys hamikdesh has been destroyed, and all sacrifices have been annulled except for the mitsve of khale, which has remained.
Therefore, reboyne shel oylem, we beseech You to accept this mitsve of khale and to send us many blessings, wherever we may turn. May our children not become estranged from us, and may we be able to provide for our children, I and my husband, for many years to come. May the mitsve of khale be accepted as equivalent to the 613 mitsves of the holy toyre.
_________________
This the woman says when she puts the Sabbath loaf into the oven: Lord of all the world, in your hand is all blessing. I come now to revere your holiness, and I pray you to bestow your blessing on the baked goods. Send an angel to guard the baking so that all will be well baked, will rise nicely, and will not burn, to honor the holy Sabbath (which you have chosen so that Israel your children may rest thereon) and over which one recites the holy blessing—as you blessed the dough of Sarah and Rebecca our mothers. My Lord God, listen to my voice; you are the God who hears the voices of those who call to you with the whole heart. May you be praised to eternity.
Four Centuries of Women’s Spirituality
This translation is based on a 1796 edition of this tkhine which I haven’t located. אָטוואָצק
A TKHINE TSU KHALE-BAKN
shloyshe mitsves nitstavu hanoshim, dray mitsves zaynen di noshim geborn gevorn. Khane shmoysan. der nomen fun di dray mitsves iz Khana. dos vort Khane makht khale nide hadlokes haneyr.
reyshes arisoteykhem tarimu khale, der taytsh fun dem posek iz azoy: dos ershte fun ayere teyg zolt ir opsheydn khale biskhus ze v’ otsroteykhem shuva yemale. di verter iz taytsh fun vegn dem skhus fun mitsves khale vet hashem isborekh borekh hu un borekh shmo aykh gebn di brokhe in ayere oytsres un vet zay onfiln mit zet far tsaytn. flegt azoy zayn der koyen hot genumen trume un der leyvi hot genumen mayser un der oni mayser oni oykh tsu tsaytn mayser sheyni ober atsindert beavonoseynu horabim az dos beys-hamikdesh iz khorev iz alts botl gevorn nor di mitsve fun khale iz geblibn druum reboyne-shel-oylem betn mir dikh az du zolst onnemen di mitsveskhale un zolst shikn groys brokhe vu mmir veln zikh kern un vendn, undzere kinderlekh zoln nit farfremdn un mir zoln kenen undzere kinderlekh aleyn parnose gebn, ikh mit mayn man, biz lang lebn un di mitsvos khale zol ongenumen vern zi zol gevoygn zayn vi gor di tarya”g mitsves fun heyliker toyre.
12: 13 So Moses cried out to יהוה, saying, “O God, pray heal her!”
י”ב: 13 און משה האָט געשריִען צו גאָט, אַזױ צו זאָגן: גאָט, איך בעט דיך, הײל זי, איך בעט דיך.
For a biography of Kadya Molodowsky in both English and Yiddish,see Week 3.
*Otwock was a popular Polish resort and spa not far from Warsaw. Moldowsky, diagnosed with a spot on her lung, spent several months recuperating there.
They arrive here smiling,
Like good friends arm in arm with death,
From the tempestuous depot
In fashionable clothes
And in Parisian hats.
This is a spa.
The young come, striding
Carefree into the green, bearded city,
Disappear there, and are lost.
And a blossoming face
Pales slowly, too,
And a girl’s round knee grows sharp.
Like poor folk after a great, noisy fair,
People drag themselves around here, back and forth,
And hot fingers sometimes
Grasp a brown tree trunk,
As if a young heart were pleading
With a tree in the woods:
Save me!
And an entire city lies
Unhallowed before death,
With open paths
And trains—leeches sucking at its side,
And no one can escape from there.
And I, too, came here, bathed,
In my white underclothes,
A sacrifice to the forests,
From cities and wandering.
But my veins are limber
And my blood is fresh.
And maybe I am the only one who will
Escape from this city hallowed before death.
otvotsk
IV
m’kumt aher nokh shmeykhlendik,
oy gute fraynt georemt mitn toyt,
fun shturmishn vakzal aroys,
un kleyder modishe
un in parizher hit.
s’iz a kurort.
yunge kumen, shpinen hfkrdik arayn,
in bordiker in griner shtot,
un vern dort farshvundn, un farfaln.
un s’bleykht pamelekh oys
a bliendik gezikht,
un shpitsik vert a meydlsh kaylekhdike kni.
vi yordem nokh a groysn reshikn yarid,
shlept men zikh arum do hin un tsurik.
un heyse fingerlekh faln tsu a mol
tsum broynem shtim fun boym,
vi s’volt gebetn zikh a yunge harts
bay beymer fun dem vald:
retung, retung!
un s’ligt a gantse shtot
an oysgeheylikte far toyt,
mit vegn ofene,
un banen — pyavkes tsugezoygene baym zayt,
un s’kon fun dortn keyner nisht antloyfn.
un ikh bin oykh an oysgebodene ahergekumen,
in vaysn vesh,
a zevekh farn vald,
fun shtet un vander.
nor s’zenen elastish frish
bay mir di odern un blut.
un efsher, kh’vel di eyntsike antloyfn
fun shtot geheylikter far toyt. Khezhvndike nekht
THIS WEEK
Avrom Sutskever, ניט אײנס, ניט צװײ, ניט װיפֿל טױזנט, Not one, not two, not how-many-thousands
Kadye Molodovski, II פֿרויען־לידער, WOMEN-POEMS, II
Avrom Sutskever, Nit eyns, nit tsvey
4: 1And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 2‘Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ houses,
ד: 1 און גאָט האָט גערעדט צו משהן און צו אַהרֹנען, אַזױ צו זאָגן: 2 נעם אױף די צאָל פֿון די קינדער פֿון קהָת פֿון צװישן די קינדער פֿון לֵוִי, לױט זײערע משפּחות, לױט זײערע פֿאָטערהײַזער,
Sutzkever as partisan
For a biography of Avrom Sutzkever in English and Yiddish, see Week 1.
Not one, not two, not how-many-thousands . . . Oh many “Nots,”
we stood at night by the red-hot crater.
A mistake, not “We,” a half spark in its final quiver
returned, mute-returned, to its home, to the crater.
That half spark was me, and within-all:
not one, not two, not how-many-thousands. Child, bride and groom.
And their souls didn’t believe in my Kaddish:
Has a brother really wandered his way back?
Has anyone in the fabric-air torn his clothes in mourning
No Jews around. Only the waves of the Viliya move.
And I, the half spark by the crater,listen: They go
the waves go, and the Jews stand rigid in rows.
Lava gushes out from the craterover the entire region,
I recognize so many faces I once met sometime ago.
Not one, not two, not how-many-thousands. Oh my so many “Nots”and I, that half spark, am among them, in the midst ofthem.
Tr. Richard Fein, The Full Pomegranate: Poems of Avrom Sutzkever, 2019
nit eyns, nit tsvey, nit vifl toyznt, vey, azoy fil nitn
geshtanen zenen mir bay nakht baym krater dem tseglitn.
a toes, nit keyn ‘mir”, a halber funk in letstn flater
hot umgekert zikh, shtumgekert zikh tsu zayn heym, tsum krater.
der halber funk bin ikh geven, un ineveynik—ale:
nit eyns, nit tsvey, nit vifl toyznt, kind un khosn-kale.
un s’hobn zeyere neshomes nit gegleybt mayn kadesh:
tsi hot zikh take umgekert a bruder na-venadish?
hot emets in der layvntener luft gerisn krie?
nito keyn yidn. s’geyen bloyz di khvalyes in viliye.
un ikh, der halber funk baym krater, horkh: zey geyen, geyen,
di khvalyes geyen, un di yidn glivern in reyen.
fun krater shlogt aroys a lave iber gorer gegnt,
kh’derken azoy fil penimer a mol, a mol bagegnt:
nit eyns, nit tsvey, nit vifl toyznt, vey, azoy fil nitn
un ikh, der halber funk, bin tsvishn alemen, in mitn.
Kadye Molodovski, fun Froyen-lider, Lid II
5:18 Then the kohen shall stand the woman up before the Lord and expose the [hair on the] head of the woman; he shall place into her hands the remembrance meal offering, which is a meal offering of jealousies, while the bitter curse bearing waters are in the kohen’s hand.
I will come to the one
Who first brought me woman’s delight,
And say, Husband,
I trusted someone else with my quiet gave,
And one night laid my head down near him.
Now I bring my sorrow
Like bees stinging around my hear,
And have no honey to soothe the hurt.
And when my husband takes me by the braid,
I will drop to my knees
And remain on the doorsill like the petrifcation of Sodom.
I will raise my hands to my head
As my mother used to, blessing the candles,
But my fingers still stand up like ten numbered sins.
By permission of translator
Kathryn Hellerstein: Paper Bridges: Selected Poems of Kadya Molodowsky
FROYEN LIDER II
Tsu dem vel ikh kumen,
Ver s’hot der ershter mir mayn froyenfreyd gebrakht
Un zogn: man,
Kh’hob nokh eynem mayn shtiln blik fartroyt
Un in a nakht lem im mayn kop geleygt,
Ersht hob ikh mayn tsar,
Vi binen ongeshtokhene arum mayn harts gebrakht
Un hob keyn honik nit oyf lindern mayn vund.
Un s’vet der man mikh nemen farn tsop,
Vel ikh aniderbrekhn zikh oyf beyde fis
Un blaybn oyfn shvel vi di farshteynerung fun Sdom,
Ikh vel di hent aroyfheybn tsum kop,
Vi s’flegt mayn mame baym bentshn likht,
Nor s’veln mayne finger shteyn vi tsen getseylte zind.
WEEK 32
Sholem Ash, דער חינוך פֿון דער שול, The Dedication of the Synagogue from Kidesh-Hashem Avrom Sutskever, אין מידבר סיני 10, From In the Sinai Desert X
Sholem Ash, Der khinekh fun der shul
2:1And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 2‘The children of Israel shall pitch by their fathers’ houses; every man with his own standard, according to the ensigns; a good way off shall they pitch round about the tent of meeting.
און גאָט האָט גערעדט צו משהן און צו אַהרֹנען, אַזױ צו זאָגן:
אין מיטן דער שול איז געשטאַנען דער באַלעמער, אױסגעשניצט אױס האַרטן ניסהאָלץ די נעמען פֿון די צװעלף שבֿטים מיט זײערע דגלים. יעדער שבֿט האָט געהאַט זײַן דגל און זײַן קאָליר. יהודה, אַלס דער קעניג, האָט זיך געגלאַנצט אין גאָלד מיט דעם לײב צו פֿוסן. שמעון מיט זײַן אונטערטעניקע שטאָט שכם, װוּ עס האָבן זיך געהױבן די מױערן און טורעמס פֿון דער שטאָט, װאָס שמעון האָט אײַנגענומען פֿאַר די שאַנד פֿון זײַן שװעסטער. און געשװוּמען איז די שיף פֿון זבֿולון אין אַ ים פֿון זילבער. מיט גרינע שטײנער איז געװען אױסגעלייגט דער בליִענדער בױם, דער צײכן פֿון אשר. און געגאָסן אױס קופּער איז געװען די שלאַנג פֿון דן. און איבערן באַלעמער איז געהאַנגען אַ חופּה, װי אַ טיף־בלױע נאַכט, אין װעלכער עס האָבן זיך געפֿינקלט גאָלדענע שטערן. און די צװעלף מזלות פֿון חודש זײַנען אַרומגעשװוּמען אין די בלױע נאַכט, יעדער מזל איבער יעדן שבֿט. און אױפֿן באַלעמער זײַנען איצט געשטאַנען די בעל־בתים מיט די ספֿרי־תּורות אין די הענט, גרײט אַװעקצולייגן זײ אין דעם נײַעם הױז, װאָס זײ האָבן געבױט פֿאַר גאָט. צװישן די בעלי־בתים שטייט ר’ יעקבֿ כהן פֿון דײַטשלאַנד און דאָס ספֿר־תּורה איז דאָס אײנציקע, װאָס איז אים איבערגעבליבן פֿון זײַן צאָלרײַכער פֿאַמיליע און פֿון דער גאַנצער קהילה, װעלכע איז צערונען און אַנטרונען געװאָרן אין אַלע פֿיר עקן פֿון דער װעלט. און אָט שטעט ר’ ישראל מיטן ספֿר־תּורה פֿון דער שול פֿון שטאָט אַש. פֿאַרלאָרן געװאָרן זײַנען אין דער בהלה דאָס װײַב מיט די קינדער. איז ער געקומען קײן פּױלן זוכן זײ. װאָרום געזאָגט האָט מען אים, אַז פֿיל ייִדן פֿון ביימען זײַנען קײן פּױלן ניצול געװאָרן, האָט ער געװאַנדערט פֿון יאָרמאַרק צו יאָרמאַרק, ביז ער איז מיט זײַן קינד קײןזלאָטשעװ אָנגעקומען און דאָרט זיך באַזעצט.
און צװישן די אַלטע בעלי־בתים, זאַט מיט צרות, אױסגעפּרוּװטע אין פֿײַער פֿון קידוש־השם, מיט די ספֿר־תּורות פֿון די חרובֿ־געװאָרענע קהילות אין די הענט, איז געשטאַנען דער נײַער בעל־הבית, דער פּרנס הקהל ר’ מענדל, מיט דעם נײַעם ספֿר־תּורה, װאָס ער האָט שױן געלאָזט שרײַבן פֿאַר דער שול פֿון דער נײַער ייִדישער קהילה פֿון זלאָטשעװ. קײן מענטעלע באַפֿלעקט מיט בלוט פֿון קדושים און מיט טרערן פֿון אַנטלאָפֿענע טראָגט דאָס נײַע ספֿר־תּורהלע נאָך נישט.
The Dedication of the Synagogue from Kidesh-Hashem by Sholem Asch
In the center of the synagogue stood the platform built of hard chestnut wood and carved with the names of the twelve tribes and their standards. Each tribe had its own flag and color. Judah, as the king was brilliant with gold, with the lion at his feet; Simeon was his captured city of Shechem, where rose the walls and towers of that city which he had conquered to avenge the shame of his sister; and the ship of Zebulon floated in a sea of silver; the blossoming tree, the symbol of Asher, was studded with green stones; out of copper was fashioned the serpent of Dan. And above the platform hung a canopy like the deep blue sky of the evening in which golden stars twinkled and the twelve signs of the Zodiac floated in the blue night, each over its corresponding tribe. On the platform there now stood the leading mean with the scrolls of the Torah in their arms, ready to place them in the new dwelling which they had built for the glory of God. Among them stands Reb Jacob Cohen from Germany, and the scroll which he holds is the only thing left to him of his numerous family and of the entire community which was scattered and dispersed to the four corners of the earth. And there stands Reb Israel with the scroll of the synagogue of the city of Asch. During the panic he had become separated from his wife and children, so he had come to Poland to look for them. For he had been told that many Jews from Bohemia had saved themselves in Poland. He had wandered from one fair to another until he came to Zlochov with his child and settled there.
And among these old worthies, rich with tribulations and tested in the fires of martyrdom, with the scrolls of the devastated communities in their arms, stood the new leader, the parnas of the community, Reb Mendel with a new scroll which had been written at his behest for the new community of Zlochov. The new scroll has as yet no covering stained with the blood of martyrs and with the tears of fugitives. Kiddush Ha-Shem, Tr. Rufus Learsi
der khinekh fun der shul
fun kidesh־hashem
in mitn der shul iz geshtanen der balemer, oysgeshnitst oys hartn nisholts di nemen fun di tsvelf shvotem mit zeyere dgolim. yeder shevet hot gehat zayn degl un zayn kolir. Yehude, als der kenig, hot zikh geglantst in gold mit dem leyb tsu fusn. shimen mit zayn untertenike shtot shkhem, vu es hobn zikh gehoybn di moyern un turems fun der shtot, vos shimen hot ayngenumen far di shand fun zayn shvester. un geshvumen iz di shif fun zvuln in a yam fun zilber. mit grine shteyner iz geven oysgeleygt der bliender boym, der tseykhn fun osher. un gegosn oys kuper iz geven di shlang fun Don. un ibern balemer iz gehangen a khupe, vi a tif-bloye nakht, in velkher es hobn zikh gefinklt goldene shtern. un di tsvelf mazoles fun khoydesh zaynen arumgeshvumen in di bloye nakht, yeder mazl iber yedn sheyvet. un oyfn balemer zaynen itst geshtanen di bal|-ebatim mit di sifre-|toyres in di hent, greyt avektsuleygn zey in dem nayem hoyz, vos zey hobn geboyt far got. tsvishn di baley|-batim shteyt r’ Yankev koyen fun daytshland un dos seyfer-|toyre iz dos eyntsike, vos iz im ibergeblibn fun zayn tsolraykher familye un fun der gantser kehile, velkhe iz tserunen un antrunen gevorn in ale fir ekn fun der velt. un ot shtet r’ Yisroel mitn seyfer-|toyre fun der shul fun shtot Ash. farlorn gevorn zaynen in der behole dos vayb mit di kinder. iz er gekumen keyn poyln zukhn zey. vorum gezogt hot men im, az fil yidn fun beymen zaynen keyn poyln nitsl gevorn, hot er gevandert fun yormark tsu yormark, biz er iz mit zayn kind keynzlotshev ongekumen un dort zikh bazetst.
un tsvishn di alte baley|-batim, zat mit tsores, oysgepruvte in fayer fun kidesh-hashem, mit di sofre-|toyres fun di khorev|-gevorene kehiles in di hent, iz geshtanen der nayer balebos_, der parnes hakoyel r’ mendl, mit dem nayem seyfer-|toyre, vos er hot shoyn gelozt shraybn far der shul fun der nayer yidisher kehile fun zlotshev. keyn mentele baflekt mit blut fun kedoyshem un mit trern fun antlofene trogt dos naye sfr-|toyre|le nokh nisht.
Avrom Sutskever, In midber Sinay X
2:1And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 2‘The children of Israel shall pitch by their fathers’ houses; every man with his own standard, according to the ensigns; a good way off shall they pitch round about the tent of meeting.
און גאָט האָט גערעדט צו משהן און צו אַהרֹנען, אַזױ צו זאָגן:
For a biography of Sutzkever in English and Yiddish, see Week 1.
אין מידבר סיני X
און פּלוצעם קומען אױפֿן באַרג די שטערן,
צונױפֿגעװאַנדערט פּונקט װי מיר פֿון גלות.
באַנומענע פֿון ליכט, מיר זעען, הערן:
די מענטשן װערן אײנס מיט די מזלות.
און אויפֿן באַרג, דורך בליצנדיקער אימה,
אַ ייִנגל מיט אַ פֿאָן. ער גיט זי איבער
אַ האַנט, וואָס נעמט זי אויבן אַ געהיימע,
און זאַלבט מיט אייביקייט, און בענטשט דעם גיבור.
און װער עס האָט געזען די נאַכט אין סיני,
געדענקען װעט דער סיני אױך זײַן נאָמען.
און װער עס האָט געזען די פּראַכט אין סיני
װעט קענען טױזנט יאָר דערצײלן. אָמן. אַבֿרהם סוצקעווער, אין מידבר סיני, 1957
From In the Sinai Desert
X Avrom Sutzkever
Suddenly the stars burst into the mountain,
Having drifted back from exile just as we did.
Wrapped in light, we see, we hear:
The People have become one with their destiny
And on the mountains, through flashing terror
A lad with a flag. He delivers it
To a hand above that receives it mysteriously
And anoints the hero with eternity, and blesses him.
And whoever has seen night in the Sinai,
Sinai will remember his name.
And whoever has seen the glory in Sinai
Will be able to tell it for a thousand years. Amen. Tr. David Hirsch and Roslyn Hirsch.
in midber sinay
X
un plutsem kumen oyfn barg di shtern,
tsunoyfgevandert punkt vi mir fun goles.
banumene fun likht, mir zeen, hern:
di mentshn vern eyns mit di mazoles.
un oyfn barg, durkh blitsndiker eyme,
a yingl mit a fon. er git zi iber
a hant, vos nemt zi oybn a geheyme,
un zalbt mit eybikayt, un bentsht dem giber.
un ver es hot gezen di nakht in sinay,
gedenken vet der sinay oykh zayn nomen.
un ver es hot gezen di prakht in sinay
vet kenen toyznt yor dertseyln. omeyn.
avrom sutskever, in midber sinay, 1957
For a biography of Sholem Asch in English ,go to Week 22.