’El ’adon ‘al kol ha-ma‘asim (God, Lord of All Creation)

4th–6th Century

God, Lord of all creation,
the Blessed, is blessed by every soul.
His greatness and goodness fill the world;
knowledge and wisdom surround Him.

   Exalted above the holy Ḥayot,
   adorned in glory on the Chariot;1
   Merit and right are before His throne,
   kindness and compassion before His glory.

Good are the radiant stars our God created,
He formed them with knowledge,
understanding and deliberation.
He gave them strength and might
to rule throughout the world;

   Full of splendor, radiating light,
   beautiful is their splendor throughout the world;
   Glad as they go forth, joyous as they return,
   they fulfill with awe their Creator’s will.

Glory and honor they give to His name,
jubilation and song at the mention of His majesty.
He called the sun into being and it shone with light.
He looked and fashioned the form of the moon.

   All the hosts on high give Him praise;
   The Seraphim, Ophanim, and holy Ḥayot2
   ascribe glory and greatness.
Translated by Sir Jonathan Sacks.
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Notes

[Ezekiel 1 describes God riding a chariot with four living creatures (ḥayot) beside the wheels.—Ed.]

[The serafim and the ofanim and ḥayyot are divine beings that accompany God in the visions of the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel, respectively.—Ed.]

Credits

’El ’adon ’al kol ha-ma‘asim (God, Lord of All Creation), from The Koren Siddur: Nusaḥ Ashkenaz, trans. Sir Jonathan Sacks (Jerusalem: Koren Publishers, 2009), p. 460. Used with permission of Koren Publishers Ltd.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.

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