Yigdal - Exalted be the Living G-d and Praised

 

[Yigdal sung by Rabbi David Schlusselberg from his Mizmor L'Dovid album; ]

יִגְדַּל אֱלֹהִים חַי וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח נִמְצָא וְאֵין עֵת אֶל מְצִיאוּתוֹ

אֶחָד וְאֵין יָחִיד כְּיִחוּדוֹ נֶעְלָם וְגַם אֵין סוֹף לְאַחְדוּתוֹ

אֵין לוֹ דְמוּת הַגּוּף וְאֵינוֹ גוּף לֹא נַעֲרֹךְ אֵלָיו קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ

קַדְמוֹן לְכָל דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר נִבְרָא רִאשׁוֹן וְאֵין רֵאשִׁית לְרֵאשִׁיתוֹ

הִנּוֹ אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם לְכָל נוֹצָר יוֹרֶה גְדֻלָּתוֹ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ

שֶׁפַע נְבוּאָתוֹ נְתָנוֹ אֶל אַנְשֵׁי סְגֻלָּתוֹ וְתִפְאַרְתּוֹ

לֹא קָם בְּיִשׂרָאֵל 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 נוֹתֵן לְרָשָׁע רַע כְּרִשְׁעָתוֹ

יִשְׁלַח לְקֵץ יָּמִין מְשִׁיחֵנוּ לִפְדּוֹת מְחַכֵּי קֵץ יְשׁוּעָתוֹ

מֵתִים יְחַיֶּה אֵל בְּרֹב חַסְדּוֹ בָּרוּךְ עֲדֵי עַד שֵׁם תְּהִלָּתוֹ

Yigdal Elokim chai v’yishtabach nimtza v’ein et el metziuto.

Echad v’ein yachid k’yichudo ne’lam v’gam ein sof l’achduto.

Ein lo d’mut haguf v’eino guf lo na’aroch elav kedushato.

Kadmon l’chal davar asher nivra rishon v’ein reishit l’reishito.

Hino Adon Olam l’chal notzar yoreh gedulato u’malchuto.

Shefa nevu’ato netano el anshei segulato v’tifarto.

Lo kam b’Yisrael k’Moshe od navi umabit et t’munato.

Torat emet natan l’amo kEl al yad nevi'o ne’eman beito.

Lo yachalif ha’kEl v’lo yamir dato l’olamim l’zulato.

Tzofeh v’yode'a s’tareinu mabit l’sof davar b’kadmato.

Gomel l’ish chesed k’mifalo noten l’rasha ra k’rishato.

Yishlach l’ketz yamim mshichenu lifdot m’chakei ketz yeshu’ato.

Meitim yechayeh kEl b’rov chasdo, baruch adei ad shem tehilato.

Exalted be the Living G-d and praised, He exists - unbounded by time is His existence.

He is One - and there is no unity like His Oneness. Inscrutable and infinite is His Oneness. He has no semblance of a body nor is He corporeal; nor has His holiness any comparison. He preceded every being that was created - the First, and nothing preceded His precedence. Behold! He is Master of the Universe to every creature, He demonstrates His greatness and His sovereignty. 

He granted His flow of prophecy to His treasured splendrous people. 

In Yisrael none like Moshe arose again - a prophet who perceived His vision clearly. 

G-d gave His people a Torah of truth, by means of His prophet, the most trusted of His household. 

G-d will never amend nor exchange His law for any other one, for all eternity. 

He scrutinizes and knows our hiddenmost 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 Mashiach, to redeem those longing for His final salvation. 

G-d will revive the dead in His abundant kindness - Blessed forever is His praised Name.

(Siddur)

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B"H

Yigdal, meaning "may He be exalted," is traditionally the concluding prayer of the Friday evening service in Sefardic congregations, while Ashkenazi communities recite it during weekday morning prayers. Attributed to Rabbi Daniel bar Yehudah, this prayer is rooted in the “Shloshah Asar Ikkarim - the Thirteen Fundamental Principles of Faith” outlined by Maimonides in his Commentary on the Mishnah. Yigdal reiterates the essence of the first two commandments of the Ten Commandments: “I am Hashem your G-d” and “You shall have no other gods before Me.” This powerful prayer serves as a profound reminder to the Jewish people of G-d's greatness.