SEDER HA’AVODAH Lyrics and music by ISHAY RIBO BACKGROUND Ishay Ribo was born in France, and moved with his family to Israel when Seder Ha’Avodah – Order of the Service was the first single from his he was eight years old. After a while the family became more Orthodox, 2019 album entirely dedicated to the spiritually contemplative month and moved to a Haredi neighborhood in Jerusalem. Ribo served in of Ellul, and was released to time with the month of Ellul in 2019. This the Army unit for Haredi boys, and began performing and working song, and its commercial success in Israel, is quite the cultural landmark. on his first album while still serving. After the army he married, and It was played throughout the month of Ellul on all major radio stations. began studying at Midreshet Ziv – a Kollel (yeshiva for married men) The song takes the listener on a musical/spiritual journey through the for musicians that had opened in 2013. His first and second albums sacrificial ritual of the High Priest in the Temple on Yom Kippur. The were warmly received in the religious community, but it would be fair vast majority of the text is taken almost word-for-word from accounts to say that it was not until 2017 that he began to break through beyond of the ritual found in the Yom Kippur synagogue service, and/or its the religious, and into the general public. In 2018 his album “Grey description in Talmud Yoma. Its genius is in the musical expression of Area”, containing several hits such as the song “Come Home”, and the events described, and in the elements that Ribo himself introduces “One and Forever” went platinum. His fame and success has not led to into the description. a generalizing of Ribo’s message. His work has become even deeper entwined with religious faith and text. Recently he released a song that addresses the Coronavirus in religious terms, translating “Corona” as the divine Crown. MAKOM'S NEW ISRAELI PLAYLIST 1 נִכְנָס לְמָ קֹום ׁשֶ ּנִכְנַס He entered the place he entered1 Nichnas l’makom shenichnas וְעָ דמַ ּבַ ק ּמָ ֹום ׁשֶ עָ מַ ד .and stood in the place he stood, v’amad bamakom she’amad ָרַחָץ יָדַיו רְגָליו washed his hands and feet, Rachatz Yadav raglav ָטַבָל עָלְה וִנְסַּתַּפג immersed, came up and dried himself. taval alah v’nistapag ָּבִא מָּמקֹוֶם ׁשָהּוא ּבא He came from the place he came Ba mimakom shehu ba וְהָ ְלַך לְמָ קֹום ׁשֶהָ ְלַך and went to the place he went, v’halach l’makom shehalach ָּפַׁשִט ּבְגֵדַיהחֹול stripped off his weekday clothes Pashat bigdey hachol לָ בַ ׁש ּבִ גְ דֵ י לָ בָ ן and donned white garments.2 lavash bigdey lavan ְוְכָךהָ יָה אֹומֵ רָאּנָא הַ ' ,And thus he would say: “O Lord! V’chach haya omer: Ana hashem ּכַּפֵר לַחַּטָאִ ים לַעֲוֹונֹות וְלַּפְׁשָעִ ים Grant atonement for the sins, transgressions and iniquities kaper lachata’im l’avonot v’lapsha’im ֶׁשָחָטִאתְי ָלָפֶניך ֲ אִנֵיּובִיתי which I sinned before you – I and my household.”3 shechatati lefanech ani ubeyti ְוִאָם ָאדָם הָיָה יִכֹול לְזּכֹר And if one could recall V’im adam haya yachol lizkor ֶאַת הְּפָגִמיֶם אַת הֶחְסרֹונֹות the flaws, the deficiencies, et hap’gamim et hachisronot אֶת ּכֹלהַּפְׁשָעִ ים אֶת ּכֹל הָ עֲוֹונֹות all the sins and transgressions4 et kol hapsha’im et kol ha’avonot חּבְטַ ְּכָך הָ יָה מֹונֶה, :surely he would count thus: betach kach haya moneh ַַאחַת, ַאחְת וַַאחַת ַאחְתּוׁשַּתִיַם ַאחְת וָׁשלֹׁש One, one and one, one and two, one and three, achat, achat v’achat achat ushtayim achat v’shalosh ַַאחְת וְַארַּבֶע אָחְתוָחֵמׁש one and four, one and five…”5 achat v’arba achat v’chamesh ָיָׁשָר הָיִה מְתָיֵאִׁש ּכי ל ָֹא יָכֹול הָיָהלֵׂשאת Straight away he would despair, unable to bear Yashar haya mitya’esh ki lo yachol haya laset ֶאַת טַעְםמִריַרּות הֵחְטא the bitter taste of sin, et ta’am m’rirut hachet אֶת הַּבּוׁשָה אֶת הַפִסְפּוס אֶת הַהֶפְ סֵד the shame, the missed opportunity, the loss. et habusha et hafisfus et hahafsed ְוַהּכֲֹהִניְם וָהָעָם העֹוְמִדיָםּבֲעָזָרה And the priests and the People standing in the courtyard, V’hacohanim v’ha’am ha’omdim ba’azara ְּכֶׁשָהיּו ׁשֹוְמִעיֶם אֵת ׁשַם הַ' הְּמפָֹרׁש when they heard the explicit Name of G!d kshehayu shom’im et shem hashem hameforash יֹוֵצִא מִּפי ּכֵֹהָן ּגדֹול come out from the mouth of the High Priest, yotzeh mipi cohen gadol ָהיּו ּכֹוְרִעיִם מְׁשַּתֲחִויְם ונֹוְפִליַם עְלּפֵנֶיהם would bow and prostrate themselves, falling on their face hayu kor’im mishtachavim v’noflim al pneyhem ְּבָרּוך ׁשֵם ּכְבֹוד מַלְכּותֹו לְעֹלָם וָעֶד Blessed be the name of the glory of his kingdom for ever Baruch shem k’vot malchuto l’olam va’ed“ and ever!”6 ּפָסַ עלְ מָ קֹום ׁשֶ ּפָ סַ ע ,He stepped to the place where he had stepped, his face Pasa l’makom shepasa ָּפָנַיו לּקֶֹדֲׁשאחֹוָרַיו לֵהיָכל toward the sacred and his back to the Temple – panav lakodesh achorav laheichal ְלל ְֹא רָבָב הָיּו ׁשִויִם ּפַיוּומֲעָׂשיו without stain, his mouth and actions at one. Lelo r’vav hayu shavim piv uma’asav MAKOM'S NEW ISRAELI PLAYLIST 2 ָּבִא מָּמקֹוֶם ׁשָהּוא ּבא He came from the place he came Ba l’makom shehu ba ְ ְ וְהָ לַך לְמָ קֹום ׁשֶהָ לַך .and went to the place where he went, v’halach l’makom shehalach ָּפַׁשִט ּבְגֵדָי לָבָן לַבִׁשּבְגֵדָי זָהב stripping off his white garments and donning clothes of gold.7 Pashat bigdei lavan lavash bigdei zahav ְ וְכָך הָ יָה אֹומֵ ר :And thus he would say: V’chach haya omer ָאּנָאהַ ' ּכַּפֵר לַחַּטָאִ ים לַעֲוֹונֹות וְלַּפְׁשָעִ ים O Lord! Grant atonement for the sins, the transgressions and Ana hashem, kaper lachata’im l’avonot v’lapsha’im“ ָ ֶׁשָחָטִאתְי לָפֶניך ֲ אִנֵיּובִיתי inequities shechatati lefanech ani ubeyti ְוִאָם ָאדָם הָיָה יִכֹול לְזּכֹר which I have sinned before you – I and my household.” V’im adam haya yachol lizkor ֶאַת הֲחָסִדיֶם אַת הּטֹובֹות And if one could recall et hachasadim et hatovot et kil harachamim ֶאָת ּכָלהַרֲחִמיֶם אָתּכַל הְּיׁשּועֹות ,all the loving kindness, the goodness, et kol hayeshu’ot all the compassion and salvation, ְ חּבְטַ ּכָך הָ יָה מֹונֶה, :surely he would count thus: betach kach haya moneh ַַאחַת, ַאחְת וַַאחַתַאחְת ּוׁשַּתִים One, one and one, one and two, achat, achat v’achat achat ushtayim“ ַַאחֵת מֶאֶלְף ַאלֵפֲי אָלִפיְם ורִֹב רֵּבְירָבבֹות one of a thousand, thousands of thousands and myriad myriads achat me’elef alfey alafim v’rov ribai r’vavot ִנִּסיִם נְפָלֶאֹות ׁשָעִׂשָיתִעָּמָנּו יִמיְםוֵלילֹות .of wonderous miracles you have done for us day and night.”8 nisim nifla’ot sha’asita imanu yamim v’leylot ְוַהּכֲֹהִניְם וָהָעָם העֹוְמִדיָםּבֲעָזָרה Then the priests and the People standing in the courtyard, V’hacohanim v’ha’am ha’omdim ba’azara kshehayu ְּכֶׁשָהיּו ׁשֹוְמִעיֶם אֵתׁשַם הֵּׁשַם הְּמפָֹרׁש when they heard the name, the explicit Name shom’im et shem hashem hameforash יֹוֵצִא מִּפי ּכֵֹהָן ּגדֹול come out from the mouth of the High Priest, yotzeh mipi cohen gadol ָהיּו ּכֹוְרִעיִם מְׁשַּתֲחִויְם ונֹוְפִליַם עְלּפֵנֶיהם would bow and prostrate themselves, falling on their face: hayu kor’im mishtachavim v’noflim al pneyhem ְ ּבָרּוך ׁשֵם ּכְבֹוד מַלְכּותֹו לְעֹלָם וָעֶד Blessed be the name of the glory of his kingdom for ever and Baruch shem k’vot malchuto l’olam va’ed‘ ever!’ ָיָצִא מָּמקֹוֶם ׁשָּיָצְא וַרַעַד ּבָּמקֹוֶםׁשָעַמד .He left the place he had left and trembled in the place where he Yatza mimakom sheyatza v’ra’ad bamakom she’amad ָּפַׁשִט ּבְגֵדָי זָהָב לַבִׁש ּבְגֵדַיעְצמֹו .stood. Pashat bigdei zahav lavash bigdei atzmo ְוכָֹל הָעְם וַהּכֲֹהִניָם הְיּו מַלִּויְם אֹותֹו לֵביתֹו Stripped off his golden garments and donned his own clothes V’chol ha’am v’hacohanim hayu m’lavim oto l’veyto (the clothes of himself?) And all of the People and the priests escorted him home. ְויֹוְם טֹוב לֲאֹוהָבִיו ּכִי נְסַלְח לָכֲל עַדִתיְׂשָרֵאל It was a holiday for all who loved him, because he had attained V’yom tov l’ohavav ki nislach lechol adat yisra’el forgiveness for all the assembly of Israel.9 ְַאׁשֵרָי הָעֶם ׁשָּכָכה ּלֹו Happy is the People for whom it is so! Ashrei ha’am shekacha lo MAKOM'S NEW ISRAELI PLAYLIST 3 ְַאׁשֵרָי הָעֶם ׁשַהָ' ַאּלֹוקיו Happy is the People whose G!d is HaShem! Ashrei ha’am shehashem elokav ְַאׁשֵרָי הָעֶם ׁשָּכָכה ּלֹו Happy is the People for whom it is so Ashrei ha’am shekacha lo ְַאׁשֵרָיהָעֶם ׁשַהֵּׁשָם ַאּלֹוקיו Happy is the People whose G!d is HaShem (the Name) Ashrei ha’am shehashem elokav ְַאׁשֵרָי הָעם... Happy is the People…10 Ashrei ha’am ְּכאֶֹהַל הִּנְמָּתְח ּבָדֵרַי מְעָלַהמְרֶאה ּכֵֹהן Like the heavenly canopy, stretched out over those who dwell K’ohel hanimtach b’darei ma’la mar’eh cohen ִּכְבָרִקיַם הּיֹוְצִאיִם מִּזַיו הַחַּיֹות מְרֶאה ּכֵֹהן above, was the appearance of the High Priest Kivrakim hayotz’im miziv hachayot mar’eh cohen ִּכְדַמּות הֶּקֶׁשְת ְּבתֹוך ֶ הָעָנַןמְרֶאה ּכֵֹהן Like lightening bolts emanating from the radiance of the angels Kidmut hakeshet b’toch he’anan mar’eh cohen ַּכֶחֶסַד הִּנָּתַן עְל ּפֵנָי חָתַןמְרֶאה ּכֵֹהן chayot), was the appearance of the High Priest K’chesed hanitan al pnei chatan mar’eh cohen) Like the image of the rainbow amid the cloud, was the appearance of the High Priest Like the lovingkindness granted to the face of a groom, was the appearance of the High Priest. ְוַהּכֲֹהִניְם וָהָעָם העֹוְמִדיָםּבֲעָזָרה Then the priests and the People standing in the courtyard, V’hacohanim v’ha’am ha’omdim ba’azara ְּכֶׁשָהיּו ׁשֹוְמִעיֶם אֵתׁשַם הֵּׁשַם הְּמפָֹרׁש when they heard the name, the explicit Name kshehayu shom’im et shem hashem hameforash יֹוֵצִא מִּפי ּכֵֹהָן ּגדֹול come out from the mouth of the High Priest, yotzeh mipi cohen gadol ָהיּו ּכֹוְרִעיִם מְׁשַּתֲחִויְם ונֹוְפִליַם עְלּפֵנֶיהם would bow and prostrate themselves, falling on their face: hayu kor’im mishtachavim v’noflim al pneyhem ְּבָרּוך ׁשֵם ּכְבֹוד מַלְכּותֹו לְעֹלָם וָעֶד Blessed be the name of the glory of his kingdom for ever and Baruch shem k’vot malchuto l’olam va’ed‘ ever!’ FOOTNOTES his usual clothes to white clothing, he is signaling his transformation נִכְנָס לְמָ קֹום ׁשֶ ּנִכְנַס .1 The song jumps directly into the experience of the High Priest, from a “regular” person, into a priest.