Rabbi Elazar ben Moshe Azikri (1533-1600), Tzfat
piyyut-- poem made to be sung to music/a tune during religious ceremonies
What is a yedid nefesh, a soulmate, or literally, a "soul friend"?
יְדִיד נֶפֶשׁ
Yedid Nefesh
יְדִיד נֶֽפֶשׁ, אָב הָרַחְמָן,
מְשֹׁךְ עַבְדָּךְ אֶל־רְצוֹנָךְ,
יָרוּץ עַבְדָּךְ כְּמוֹ אַיָּל,
יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה מוּל הֲדָרָךְ,
כִּי יֶעֱרַב־לוֹ יְדִידוּתָךְ
מִנֹּֽפֶת צוּף וְכָל־טָֽעַם.
(1) My soul's beloved, merciful father,
(2) Draw your surrendered to your will rendered.
(3) Your surrendered will run like a gazelle,
(4) He will bow before your splendor.
(5) For to him, your love is sweeter,
(6) Than the dripping honeycomb, and any taste at all.
הָדוּר, נָאֶה, זִיו הָעוֹלָם,
נַפְשִׁי חוֹלַת אַהֲבָתָךְ,
אָנָּא, אֵל, נָא, רְפָא־נָא לָהּ
בְּהַרְאוֹת לָהּ נֹֽעַם זִיוָךְ,
אָז תִּתְחַזֵּק וְתִתְרַפֵּא,
וְהָיְתָה לָךְ שִׁפְחַת עוֹלָם.
(7) Resplendent, beautiful, radiance of the world,
(8) My soul is sick for your amore,
(9) Please, O God, heal her now,
(10) By the beauty of your radiance, by showing her.
(11) Then she will be strong, she will be healed,
(12) And she will be your handmaiden forever more.
וָתִיק, יֶהֱמוּ רַחֲמֶֽיךָ,
וְחוּס־נָא עַל־בֵּן אוֹהֲבָךְ,
כִּי זֶה כַּמֶּה נִכְסֹף נִכְסַף
לִרְאוֹת בְּתִפְאֶֽרֶת עֻזָּךְ,
אָנָּא, אֵלִי, מַחְמַד לִבִּי,
חֽוּשָׁה־נָּא וְאַל תִּתְעַלָּם.
(13) Ancient one, rouse, please, your mercy.
(14) Please, on your beloved son, have pity,
(15) For so much has this yearning been,
(16) To see your strength, in its beauty,
(17) Please, my god, the love of my heart,
(18) Hurry, please, and do not remain hidden.
הִגָּלֶה־נָא וּפְרֹשׂ, חָבִיב,
עָלַי אֶת־סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמָךְ,
תָּאִיר אֶֽרֶץ מִכְּבוֹדָךְ,
נָגִֽילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בָּךְ,
מַהֵר, אָהוּב, כִּי בָא מוֹעֵד,
וְחָנֵּֽנִי כִּימֵי עוֹלָם.
(19) Please, be revealed and spread the covering, beloved,
(20) Upon me, the shelter of your tranquility
(21) Illuminate the earth with your nobility
(22) We will rejoice in you, we will be in festivity
(23) Hurry, beloved, for the time has come,
(24) And be good to me, like days long ago.
In what ways do you see G-d as your yedid nefesh, if you do?
Desire
What do we desire in this world? What do we expect from those desires?
What do we desire from G-d? What do we expect from those desires?
How are they similar/different?
Vulnerability
וָתִיק, יֶהֱמוּ רַחֲמֶֽיךָ,
וְחוּס־נָא עַל־בֵּן אוֹהֲבָךְ,
כִּי זֶה כַּמֶּה נִכְסֹף נִכְסַף
לִרְאוֹת בְּתִפְאֶֽרֶת עֻזָּךְ,
אָנָּא, אֵלִי, מַחְמַד לִבִּי,
חֽוּשָׁה־נָּא וְאַל תִּתְעַלָּם.
(13) Ancient one, rouse, please, your mercy.
(14) Please, on your beloved son, have pity,
(15) For so much has this yearning been,
(16) To see your strength, in its beauty,
(17) Please, my god, the love of my heart,
(18) Hurry, please, and do not remain hidden.
What is unique about being vulnerable with G-d?
How can we be vulnerable with G-d in way that is unlike our vulnerability towards other people? Ourselves?
Desire and vulnerability oftentimes have a dynamic and integrated relationship...but what happens when the two are disconnected?
Desire can oftentimes mask vulnerability, while vulnerability can reveal the root of desire.
Similarly, we can oftentimes mask G-d within us, while G-d can reveal the root of our being...
it just depends on how we relate the two, and use them together.
Do you feel that Yedid Nefesh speaks to that need? Does it exist in all of us? How does that connect to us as human beings, especially on Shabbat?