“For the Miracles” according to a Cairo Geniza Fragment
[We thank you] for the miracles, the mighty deeds, the acts of salvation, the battles, the redemption and the rescue that you performed for us and for our forefathers on these days. In the days of Mattathias, the High Priest, the Hasmonean, and his sons, when the kingdom of Yavam arose against your people with the aim of making them forget your Torah and transgress your express instructions, you stood up for them in your manifold mercies in their time of trouble, pleaded their cause, represented their case, took revenge for them, handing the mighty into the power of the weak, the many into the power of the few, the impure into the power of the pure, the insolent, the wicked into the power of the righteous and the insolent into the power of those who engage in Torah. You enhanced your great and holy reputation and brought about great salvation for your people Israel. Afterwards your people entered your chosen house, cleansed your palace, purified your sanctuary and kindled lights in your holy courtyards. They instituted eight days of praise and gratitude to your name. Just as you performed miracles for earlier generations, later ones, so do likewise for the later ones.
Source: CUL T-S NS 89.36.
Notes
Words in brackets appear in the original translation.
Credits
Unknown, “For the Miracles (‘Al ha-nisim),” trans. Stefan C. Reif, from Stefan C. Reif, Jewish Prayer Texts from the Cairo Genizah (Leiden: Brill, 2016), 276. Used with permission of Koninklijke Brill NV.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 3: Encountering Christianity and Islam.