Tefila Today explores the steps of Jewish prayer and the tension of living as a Jew. Yigdal, a hymn, captures the core principles of faith and serves as an anchor during times of persecution. It conveys profound theological concepts through poetry. The opening lines discuss Hashem's living presence and infinite power. Living in the tension and proclaiming unity is the challenge of being Jewish. Yigdal and Adonai Ram frame prayer, combining intellectual clarity and emotional connection. Faith is active and calls for elevating the world.
Welcome to Tefila Today, where we explore the steps of Jewish Tefila, prayer. Being a Jew means living with tension. We're called to think deeply and live meaningfully, to bridge the finite and the infinite. It means taking the mundane world and othering it, not escaping it, but transforming it. And at the heart of that transformation is Tefila, prayer. Today, we begin with Yigdal, a hymn that captures the core principles of our Amunah, of our faith. Let's start with the translation of its first two stanzas.
Exult the living Hashem and praise Him. His existence is beyond time. He is one and there is no unity like His. He is infinite power and endless mystery. These words are both a declaration and a challenge. How do we, finite beings, exult an infinite God? What does it mean to proclaim His unity in a fragmented world? In this episode, we'll unpack these ideas, explore the history of Yigdal, and consider its unique place in our daily Tefila.
Yigdal was written about 700 years ago by Rabbi Daniel Ben Yehuda Dayan. Inspired by the Rambam's Yitgemo Ekrim, the 13 principles of faith, these principles were revolutionary. The Rambam codified what it means to believe in Hashem, the Torah, and our unique mission as Jews. But let's consider the world Rabbi Daniel lived in. Jewish communities were scattered, facing persecution, expulsions, and forced conversions. Imagine being torn from your home, watching your synagogues burn, and wondering if your faith could survive.
In this chaos, Yigdal emerged, not as an escape, but as an anchor. Why did Rabbi Daniel write it as poetry? Because poetry does more than convey ideas. It touches the soul. Yigdal took profound theological concepts and made them singable, teachable, and unforgettable. In a time of darkness, it reminded Jews that Hashem's presence was eternal, unchanging, and deeply personal. Now let's delve into the opening lines. Yigdal elo kim chai v'yishtavach. Nemtza ve'ein eis elmetzi yoso. Exalt the living God and praise Him.
He exists. His existence is beyond time. What does it mean to call Hashem chai, living? On one hand, it's a philosophical statement. Hashem is active in the world. He's not a distant creator who abandoned His creation. But on the other hand, it's existential. It causes us to ask, where do I see Hashem's living presence in my life? Yet here is the paradox. Hashem is beyond time. He's infinite, unchanging, and unknowable. How can we, finite beings bound by time, exalt and praise Hashem? Perhaps the act of trying, of reaching beyond ourselves, is what it means to exalt Him.
Again, perhaps the act, the thought, the effort, of trying, of reaching beyond ourselves, is what it means to exalt Him. Teshuv isn't about solving this tension. It's about living in it. He is one, and there is no unity like His. Echad le'en yachay ki echadol. He is infinite power and endless mystery. Ne'elam b'ganein sof, le'achdusel. This slide introduces us to Hashem's oneness. But this isn't just a denial of polytheism. It's a radical idea that Hashem is the only true reality.
Everything we see, everything fragmented and broken, ultimately emanates from His unity, from this unity. How do we live in a fragmented world while proclaiming that unity? That's the challenge of being a Yid, of being a Jew. Let's step back for a moment. Yigdal opens tefilah, while Adonai Ram closes it. Why? Because they reflect two sides of our relationship with Hashem. Yigdal is expansive. It's intellectual. It proclaims Hashem's greatness, His oneness. And His role as creator. It sets the stage for tefilah by grounding us in belief.
Adonai Ram is deeply personal. It's about trust. It reminds us that Hashem isn't just the master of the universe. He is the one we turn to with our fears, our hopes and our spirit. Together these prayers frame tefilah, teaching us that being a Jew means holding both perspectives. The intellectual clarity of Yigdal and the emotional connection of Adonai Ram. So here's the question I'd like to leave you with. What does it mean to you that Hashem is Chai, living? And where do you see Hashem's presence in your life today? Yigdal reminds us that faith is one that isn't passive.
It's active. It's a call to exalt Hashem, not just in words. But in the way we constantly try to elevate the world around us. In our next episode, we'll continue exploring Yigdal, diving into Hashem's eternity, and the concept of reward and punishment. How do these ideas shape the way we dive in, how we pray and live? Join me next time on Tefilah Today.
