Birkat HamazonBar Yochai
A song for the Shabbat meal, ready to read in Hebrew, transliterated or translated, verse by verse.
Lyrics
בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ:
Bar Yochai, nimshahta - ashrecha!Shemen sason mei'haveirecha.
Bar Yochai, fortunate are you, anointed with joyous oil [i.e. wisdom], over and above your companions.
בַּר יוֹחַאי, שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת קֹדֶשׁ, נִמְשַׁחְתָּ מִמִּדַּת הַקֹּדֶשׁ,נָשָׂאתָ צִיץ נֵזֶר הַקֹּדֶשׁ, חָבוּשׁ עַל רֹאשְׁךָ פְּאֵרֶךָ:
Bar Yochai, shemen mishhat kodeshNimshahta mimidat haKodeshNasata tzitz neizer haKodeshHavush al rosh'ha p'eirecha
Bar Yochai, You were anointed with the holy oil that flows down from the transcendent [source of mercy]. [Like the High Priest], you wore a holy crown that set you aside from other men, an aura of splendor bound eternally upon your head.
בַּר יוֹחָאי, מוֹשַׁב טוֹב יָשַׁבְתָּ, יוֹם נַסְתָּ, יוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָרַחְתָּ,בִּמְעָרַת צוּרִים שֶׁעָמַדְתָּ, שָׁם קָנִיתָ הוֹדְךָ וַהֲדָרֶךָ:
Bar Yochai, moshav tov yashavta,Yom nasta, yom asher barahtaBi'marat tzurim she'amadtaSham kanita hod'cha vahadarech
Bar Yochai, It was a comely dwelling that you found, on the day you ran away and escaped from the Romans. [For thirteen years] you stood in the sand of the rocky cave - there you merited to your crown of splendor and radiance.
בַּר יוֹחָאי, עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים עוֹמְדִים, לִמּוּדֵי יְיָ הֵם לוֹמְדִים,אוֹר מֻפְלֶא אוֹר הַיְקוֹד הֵם יוֹקְדִים, הֲלֹא הֵמָּה יוֹרוּךָ מוֹרֶיךָ:
Bar Yochai, atzei shittim om'dimLimudei Hashem hem lom'dimOr muphleh, or haY'kod heim yoke'dimHalo heimah yorucha morecha
Bar Yochai, Your students are like the [strong and beautiful] beams of acacia wood [used to hold up the Tabernacle]. When they learn G‑d's Torah, they become ignited with the wondrous burning light [of its secrets]. Behold, these secrets were revealed to you by your teachers [Moses and Elijah].
בַּר יוֹחָאי, וְלִשְׂדֵה תַפּוּחִים, עָלִיתָ לִלְקוֹט בּוֹ מֶרְקָחִים,סוֹד תּוֹרָה כְּצִיצִים וּפְרָחִים, נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם נֶאֱמַר בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ:
Bar Yohai, v'lisdei tapuhimAalita lilkot bo merkahimSod Torah k'tzitzim u'phrahimNa'aseh adam n'e'mar ba'avurecha
Bar Yochai, [While still alive] you ascended to the Field of Apples [Garden of Eden] to gather remedies [for the souls of your people]. Secrets of the Torah whose fragrances are sweeter than blossoms and flowers. For you alone the entire creation of Man was worthwhile.
בַּר יוֹחָאי, נֶאֱזָרְתָּ בִּגְבוּרָה, וּבְמִלְחֶמֶת אֵשׁ דַּת הַשַׁעְרָה,וְחֶרֶב הוֹצֵאתָ מִתַּעְרָהּ, שָׁלַפְתָּ נֶגֶד צוֹרְרֶיךָ:
Bar Yochai, ne'ezarta bigvurahUv'milhemet eish dat haSha'rahV'herev hotzeita mita'raahShalaphta neged tzorerecha
Bar Yochai, You girded yourself with strength and attained total self-mastery in order to fight the battle of the Torah of [black fire on white] fire in the gates [where the judges sat]. You unsheathed its sword and brandished it against the enemies [of your people].
בַּר יוֹחָאי, לִמְקוֹם אַבְנֵי שַׁיִשׁ, הִגַּעְתָּ לִפְנֵי אַרְיֵה לַיִשׁ,גַּם גֻּלַּת כּוֹתֶרֶת עַל עַיִשׁ, תָּשׁוּרִי וּמִּי יְשׁוּרֶךָ:
Bar Yochai, limkom avnei shayishHiga'ta u'phnei aryeih layishGam gulat koteret aal aayishTashuri u'mi y'shurecha
Bar Yochai, You ascended to a palace of pure light marble stones. Even there you [hardened your face like the lion, and] stood unmoved before the constellation of Leo. Crowned in glory, you ascended beyond the Great Bear [to perceive wonders that no mortal ever grasped]. You saw, but who could see you?
בַּר יוֹחָאי, בְּקֹדֶשׁ הַקָדָשִׁים, קַו יָרוֹק מְחַדֵּשׁ חֳדָשִׁים,שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת סוֹד חֲמִישִׁים, קָשַׁרְתָּ קִשְׁרֵי שִׁי"ן קְשָׁרֶיךָ:
Bar Yochai, b'Kodesh haKodashimKav yarok, m'hadesh hodashimShevaa shabatot, sod hamishimKasharta kishrei shin k'sharecha
Bar Yochai, When you reached the Holy of Holies [of the Supernal Tabernacle, you grasped the secret of] the Green Line (the thread of measured light through which G‑d created the world and) through which He continually renews the works of Creation daily. [The works of Creation are known as] the Seven Weeks (Forty-Nine Gates of Understanding). In order to go beyond this and grasp the secret of Fifty, you bound [your thought to] the letter shin [on both sides of the Head-Tefilin].
בַּר יוֹחָאי, יוּ"ד חָכְמָה קְדוּמָה, הִשְׁקַפְתָּ לִכְבוֹדוֹ פְנִימָה,לֵ"ב נְתִיבוֹת רֵאשִׁית תְּרוּמָה, אַתְּ כְּרוּב מִמְשַׁח[1] זִיו, אוֹרֶךָ:
Bar Yochai, yud chochmah k'dumahHishkaphta lichvodo p'nimahLeiv n'tivot reishit t'rumahAt k'ruv mi'm'shah ziv orecha
Bar Yochai, You perceived the inner radiance of the letter yud, the ineffable wisdom of the Torah that preceded Creation. [You mastered] the Thirty-Two Paths [that flow from the yud, the essence of the Torah which is called] the "First Teruma". Then, like the Cherubim [on high], you were anointed with the splendor of [G‑d's] radiant light.
בַּר יוֹחָאי, אוֹר מֻפְלֶא רוּם מַעְלָה, יָרְאתָ מִלְהַבִּיט כִּי רַב לָהּ,תַּעֲלוּמָה וְאַיִן קוֹרָא לָהּ, נַמְתָּ עַיִן לֹא תְשׁוּרֶךָ:
Bar Yochai, ore muphleh rum ma'lahYareita mi'l'habit ki rav laahTa'alumah v'ayin korei laahNa'amta aayin lo t'shurecha
Bar Yochai, When you reached the highest level of the mysterious hidden light, you feared to gaze due to the enormity of its radiance. It [is the most hidden level of G‑d's Will and Purpose which] is called No-thing, concerning which [G‑d] said, "No man can see Me [and remain physically alive]."
בַּר יוֹחָאי, אַשְׁרֵי יוֹלַדְתֶּךָ, אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם הֵם לוֹמְדֶךָ,וְאַשְׁרֵי הָעוֹמְדִים עַל סוֹדֶךָ, לְבוּשֵׁי חשֶׁן תֻּמֶּיךָ וְאוּרֶיךָ:
Bar Yochai, ashrei yolad'techa!Ashrei ha'am heim lom'dechaV'ashrei haOm'dim al sodechaL'vushei hoshen tumecha v'urecha
Bar Yochai, Fortunate is the mother who bore you, fortunate is the nation that imbibes your teachings! And fortunate are those who grasp the secrets [you revealed]! They don the Breastplate of your perfections and lights.
Understand
Bar Yochai is a piyyut praising the spiritual attainments of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the Zohar. Composed in the sixteenth century by Rabbi Shimon Lavi, it is one of the most important and beloved hymns, sung by Jewish communities around the world.
The hymn is sung by both Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews on Lag BaOmer, the day of Bar Yochai's Hillula (yahrzeit), and is also sung during synagogue services and at the Shabbat evening meal by certain groups.
Bar Yochai : Video
