Avodah: Ancient Poems for Yom Kippur

8. En Lanu Kohen Gadol

8. En Lanu Kohen Gadol “We Have No High Priest” yose ben yose T his poem, attributed to Yose ben Yose, is one of several laments of its kind and is meant to be recited in the confession of sins for Yom Kippur. The poem has a strict form and repeats verbs and motifs for the sake of the literary structure and the acrostic. Its literary and historical value lies in its constant wordplay, using clever puns and alliterations, and in its tone, which combines bitter lament with an almost ludic preoccupation with the details of the cult and their relationship to Israel’s tragic fate. It is impossible to convey the full impact of the poem’s wordplay in English translation. However, we have endeavored to give the reader a taste of its complexity and style by noting examples of the wordplay in our notes and by occasional free translations that convey similar puns in English. This translation is based on an improved version of Mirsky’s edition based on manuscript evidence (Yose ben Yose, 210‒17). 350 avodah We have no high priest to atone for us; how shall we be expiated on account of our misdeeds? We have no Urim and Thummim to inquire;1 how can we have light while our desire2 lies in darkness? We have sinned ... The service3 has been abolished from the place of service; how can we serve the Righteous One while in servitude to a foreigner? The sacrificial fire and guilt offering4 have been withheld from us; how can we make fires while the fire of the altar is extinguished? We have sinned ... The rejoicing over the lots5 is absent from among us; how can we go up in joy while we are in exile? 1. Cf. the prayers to be recited before practicing divination, on which, see Michael D. Swartz, “Sacrificial Themes in Jewish Magic,” in Magic and Ritual in the Ancient World, ed. Marvin Meyer and Paul Mirecki (Leiden: Brill, 2002), 311‒12. 2. The Temple, that is, the place of our desire. The phrase is based on Ps 132:13. Cf. Eleazar ben Qallir’s phrase be-6ohel 6ivvui, “the desired tent,” in his qerovah for Sukkot Az Hayetah, in Mahazorµ en lanu kohen gadol 351 lFcB odM Epl oi¥̀¨
¥¨ EpcrA xRkl§©¥©£¥ Epl xRMzi Ki`e§¥¦§©¥¨ EpizFbbW lr©¦§¥ miOeze mixE` Epl oi¥̀¨¦§ª¦ mdA lF`Wl¦§¨¤ Epl xF`i Ki`e§¥¥¨ lRèn EpiiEE`e§¦¥§ª¨ epxvei epl glq epxev ep`hg dcFar dlhħ¨£¨ dcFar ziAn¦¥£¨ Kfl cFarp Ki`e§¥©£§© EpA ciarn xfe§¨©£¦¨ EPOn Elhħ¦¤ mW`e miX`¦¦§¨¨ miX` Urp Ki`e§¥©©¦¦ daM gAfn W`e§¥¦§¥©¨¨ epxvei epl glq epxev ep`hg zFlxFB liB¦¨ EPOn lcg̈©¦¤ dlibA lrp Ki`e§¥©©§¦¨ dlFba Ep`e§¨§¨ Sukkot, Shemin 5 Aseret, ve-Simhat Torah, ed. Daniel Goldschmidt (Jerusalem: Koren, 1981), 105, lineµ µ 12; see Abraham Even-Shoshan, Ha-Milon he-Hadash (Jerusalem: Kiryat Sefer, 1989), s.v. >wwy.µ 3. Heb. 5Avodah. 4. Heb. asham. 5. That is, the lots cast for the goats. 352 avodah Repairers of broken walls6 Israel
s leaders are broken down because of our sins; how shall we repair what is broken, when there is none to stand in the breach?7 We have sinned ... We have been deprived of juice and succulent fruit offerings; how can we offer moist fruit when our eyes are moist with tears?8 The blood sprinkled in slaughter has passed from the house of slaughter; how can we sprinkle blood when our blood has been spilled? We have sinned ... Offerings of aromatic incense have been taken away from us; how can we offer aroma when our aroma has gone foul? 10 Light has been extinguished from the place of our desire; Temple how can we repair the lamps when our light has gone out? We have sinned ... And the savor has ceased at our Divine resting place; how can we set forth offerings9 when there is no Divine place of rest? 6. See Isa 58:12. 7. Cf. Ezek 22:30. en lanu kohen gadol 353 zFvxt ixcFB mrd ibidpn §¥§¨ EpinW`a Evxtp¦§§©£¨¥ uxR xFCbp Ki`e§¥¦§¤¤ uxRA cnFr oi`e§¥¥©¤¤ epxvei epl glq epxev ep`hg d`lnE drnC¦§¨§¥¨ EPOn EllC̈§¦¤ rnC mFxzp Ki`e§¥¦§¤© Epipira drnce§¦§¨§¥¥ gaf zwixf mC©§¦©¤© gaf ziAn qR©¦¥¤© mC wFxfp Ki`e§¥¦§¨ EpinC KRWpe§¦§©¨¥ epxvei epl glq epxev ep`hg miOq gix zxhwd©§¨©¥©©¦ EPOn xqEd©¦¤ gix xihwp Ki`e§¥©§¦¥© Epgix W`aede§ª§©¥¥ 10 zFxp zahd£¨©¥ Ekrced...