Learn Yigdal (Elohim Chai) - Myer Lyon

You've requested more prayer and liturgical songs, and we're happy to oblige! This week's song is Yigdal, or Yigdal Elohim Chai (Exalted, or Exalted is the Living God) or, in Hebrew, יִגְדַּל or יִגְדַּל אֱלֹהִים חַי.
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And, as we learn in today's lesson, it's one that has a bit of a controversial history, thanks to Maimonides!
Translated Lyrics:
Exalted is the Living God, and praised,
He exists and his existence is not bound by time.
He is One and there is no One like his Oneness
His Oneness is inscrutable and without end
He has no semblance of a body, and he is not a physical being
And His holiness has no comparison
He came before every being that was created
The first, and nothing is more first than His "firstness"
Behold! He is Master of the universe
Every creature demonstrates His greatness and His sovereignty
He granted His flow of prophecy
To His treasured, splendid people
In Israel, none like Moses has arisen again
A prophet who perceived His vision clearly
God gave His people a Torah of truth
By the hand of His prophet, the most trusted of His household
God will never amend nor exchange His law
For any other one, for all eternity
He scrutinizes and knows our deepest secrets
He perceives a matter's outcome at its inception
He recompenses man with kindness according to his deed
He places evil on the wicked according to his wickedness
By the End of Days He will send our Messiah
To redeem those longing for His final salvation
God will revive the dead in His abundant kindness
Blessed forever is His praised Name.
Hebrew Lyrics:
.יִגְדַּל אֱלֹהִים חַי וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח
:נִמְצָא וְאֵין עֵת אֶל מְצִיאוּתוֹ
.אֶחָד וְאֵין יָחִיד כְּיִחוּדוֹ
:נֶעְלָם וְגַם אֵין סוֹף לְאַחְדּוּתוֹ
.אֵין לוֹ דְּמוּת הַגּוּף וְאֵינוֹ גוּף
:לֹא נַעֲרוֹךְ אֵלָיו קְדֻשָּתוֹ
.קַדְמוֹן לְכָל דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר נִבְרָא
רִאשׁוֹן :וְאֵין רֵאשִׁית לְרֵאשִׁיתוֹ
.הִנּוֹ אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם לְכָל(וְכָל) נוֹצָר
:יוֹרֶה גְּדֻלָּתוֹ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ
.שֶׁפַע נְבוּאָתוֹ נְתָנוֹ
:אֶל אַנְשֵׁי סְגֻלָּתוֹ וְתִפְאַרְתּוֹ
.לֹא קָם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמשֶׁה עוֹד
:נָבִיא וּמַבִּיט אֶת תְּמוּנָתוֹ
.תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת נָתַן לְעַמּוֹ אֵל
:עַל יַד נְבִיאוֹ נֶאֱמַן בֵּיתוֹ
.לֹא יַחֲלִיף הָאֵל וְלֹא יָמִיר דָּתוֹ
:לְעוֹלָמִים לְזוּלָתוֹ
.צוֹפֶה וְיוֹדֵעַ סְתָרֵינוּ
:מַבִּיט לְסוֹף דָּבָר בְּקַדְמָתוֹ
.גּוֹמֵל לְאִישׁ חֶסֶד כְּמִפְעָלוֹ
:יִתֵּן לְרָשָׁע רָע כְּרִשְׁעָתוֹ
.יִשְׁלַח לְקֵץ יָמִין מְשִׁיחֵנוּ
:לִפְדּוֹת מְחַכֵּי קֵץ יְשׁוּעָתוֹ
.מֵתִים יְחַיֶּה אֵל בְּרֹב חַסְדּוֹ
:בָּרוּךְ עֲדֵי עַד שֵׁם תְּהִלָּתוֹ
Links:
Wikipedia
The Rambam/Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) - en.wikipedia.o...
The 13 Principles of Jewish Faith - en.wikipedia.o...
Yigdal - en.wikipedia.o...
Leopold Zunz - en.wikipedia.o...
Myer Lyon/Michael Leoni - en.wikipedia.o...
Other Resources
Why the 13 Principles don't appear in some siddurim - www.chabad.org/...
Controversy surrounding the 13 Principles - www.torah-study...
Zunz's "Literary History of Synagogue Poetry" (German) - Yigdal is on p. 507 of the book - archive.org/de...
Rabbi Dr. Raymond Apple on Yigdal's authorship - www.oztorah.com...
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Jewish Music Toronto is produced by Eli Green, from Toronto, Ontario, and is working to build a database of Jewish music, and to showcase Judaism and Jewish Toronto.