God of the spirits of all flesh

An ofan is the second poem of a yotser written for the part of the service that begins “He who creates (yotser) light.” The first poem of the yotser, usually thematically linked to the weekly Torah reading, was recited by the cantor, and the congregation would respond, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). The cantor would then recite the second poem, the ofan, usually focusing on the theme of angels praising God. Hayim al-Baradânï composed this ofan for the Sabbath on which the Song at the Sea (Exodus 15:1-18) is read. This piyyut primarily speaks about the miracles that occurred with the splitting of the sea, referring to the angels’ praise only in the chorus. The “twelve divisions” in the opening stanza refer to the midrashic tradition that the people of Israel crossed the sea divided into tribes.