Bless the Lord, O my soul

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all my inner being bless His holy name!
My soul, move in strength,
And bless your Rock.
Lay your prayer before Him,
Pour out your thoughts in His presence.
Awake from your sleep,
Know your place—
Whence you came, and whither you go!
My soul, rise from your slumber,
Utter a song before your Creator,
Sing to His…
Please login or register for free access to Posen Library Already have an account?
Engage with this Source

Recited to this day by many Sephardic communities on Yom Kippur, this poem is modeled on Se‘adya Ga’on’s “O mighty and powerful one.” It is sufused with biblical allusions; many lines are carefully rearranged scriptural citations. Unlike most poems of the day, this pi-yyut was written without meter or rhyme. This poem is a tokhehah (rebuke), spurring its readers to strengthen their divine worship.

Read more

You may also like