{"id":81257,"date":"2020-10-12T11:04:23","date_gmt":"2020-10-12T08:04:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=81257"},"modified":"2020-10-12T11:04:23","modified_gmt":"2020-10-12T08:04:23","slug":"areshet-sefateynu-the-utterance-of-our-lips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/areshet-sefateynu-the-utterance-of-our-lips\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Areshet Sefateynu – The Utterance Of Our Lips"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"81257","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33877,"related_cahpter":"588","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"The roots of an important liturgical phrase\r\n\r\n","content":"

Our psalm is a liturgy of thanksgiving for God\u2019s protection of the ruler: \u201cO Lord, the king rejoices in Your strength. How greatly he exults in Your victory! You have granted him the desire of his heart. You have not denied the utterance <\/span>(<\/span><\/i>\u2018areshet<\/span><\/em>) of his lips. <\/span>Selah<\/span><\/em>\u201d (<\/span>21:2-3<\/span><\/a>). The word <\/span>\u2018areshet<\/span><\/em> (\u201cutterance\u201d) is found only here in the Hebrew Bible (i.e. a <\/span>hapax legomenon<\/span><\/em>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The expression \u201cthe utterance of his lips \u2013 <\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/i>areshet sefatav<\/em> <\/span>is the basis for the early Liturgical Poem <\/span>‘Areshet Sefateynu<\/span><\/a><\/em> \u2013 \u201cMay the Utterance of our Lips\u201d which is<\/span> sung<\/span><\/a> according to the Ashkenazi ritual, during <\/span>Musaf<\/span><\/em> on Rosh HaShanah<\/span> each time after the Shofar is sounded in the <\/span>Malkhuyiot, Zikhronot, Shofarot<\/em> <\/span>sections. This <\/span>Piyyut<\/span><\/em> may be translated into English: \u201cMay the utterance of our lips find favor before You, exalted and uplifted God. You understand and listen, watch and pay attention to the sound of our shofar. And You accept in mercy and in favor the order of the verses of our [celebrating Your] dominions, shofar-soundings and recollections (<\/span>malkuyotenu\/shofaroteynu\/zikhronoteynu<\/span><\/em>)\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Midrash Tehillim 21:3<\/span><\/a> suggests that <\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/i>areshet sefatav<\/em> <\/span>means <\/span>reshut she-be-sefatav<\/span><\/em> \u2013 \u201cthe authority (<\/span>reshut<\/span><\/em>) that is on his [i.e. the ruler\u2019s] lips\u201d (see<\/span> Mishnah Avot 2:3<\/span><\/a>). For if the human ruler is told that a certain province has rebelled against his authority, he orders it destroyed, as it says: \u201cHe shall strike down a land with the rod of his mouth, and slay the wicked with the breath of his lips\u201d (<\/span>Isaiah 11:4<\/span><\/a>). But God does not have the king destroy those who disobey Him. Rather, God grants \u201cthe desire of his heart\u201d to whomever requests it from Him in prayer, as it says: \u201cO Lord, the king rejoices in Your strength. How greatly he exults in Your victory! You have granted him the desire of his heart. You have not denied the utterance (<\/span>\u2018areshet<\/span><\/em>) of his lips. <\/span>Selah<\/span><\/em>\u201d (<\/span>21:2-3<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Talmud Bavli Eruvin 54a<\/span><\/a> addresses the question, When are the words of Torah \u201cpleasant\u201d (<\/span>Proverbs 22:18<\/span><\/a> \u2013 \u201cFor it is pleasant that you keep them\u2026on your lips\u201d)? Raba replied to this question by citing: \u201c<\/span>You have granted him the desire of his heart. You have not denied the utterance of his lips. <\/span>Selah<\/span><\/em>\u201d (<\/span>21:2-3<\/span><\/a>). He then noted that there seems to be a contradiction between the two halves of the verse: \u201cYou have granted him the desire of his heart\u201d, even before one prays! But then it says immediately: \u201cYou have not denied the utterance of his lips. <\/span>Selah<\/span><\/em>\u201d, which seems to refer to after one prays with \u201chis lips\u201d for \u201cthe desire of his heart\u201d. Raba resolved this seeming contradiction by stating that if a person merits it, \u201cthe desire of his heart\u201d will be granted to him even without his having to specifically request it in prayer. But, if he does not merit it, what he desires will only be granted after he specifically requests it in prayer.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":81258,"id":81258,"title":"ps21-lips","filename":"ps21-lips.jpeg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips.jpeg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/areshet-sefateynu-the-utterance-of-our-lips\/ps21-lips\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ps21-lips","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":81257,"date":"2020-10-12 08:02:48","modified":"2022-04-21 10:45:33","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":534,"height":800,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips-150x150.jpeg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips-200x300.jpeg","medium-width":200,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips.jpeg","medium_large-width":534,"medium_large-height":800,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips.jpeg","large-width":534,"large-height":800,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips.jpeg","1536x1536-width":534,"1536x1536-height":800,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips.jpeg","2048x2048-width":534,"2048x2048-height":800,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips.jpeg","post_full_size-width":534,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips-280x420.jpeg","home_baner-width":280,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"\u2018Areshet Sefateynu - The Utterance Of Our Lips","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"The roots of an important liturgical phrase","preview_embedded":"","preview_image":{"ID":81258,"id":81258,"title":"ps21-lips","filename":"ps21-lips.jpeg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips.jpeg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/areshet-sefateynu-the-utterance-of-our-lips\/ps21-lips\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ps21-lips","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":81257,"date":"2020-10-12 08:02:48","modified":"2022-04-21 10:45:33","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":534,"height":800,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips-150x150.jpeg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips-200x300.jpeg","medium-width":200,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips.jpeg","medium_large-width":534,"medium_large-height":800,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips.jpeg","large-width":534,"large-height":800,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips.jpeg","1536x1536-width":534,"1536x1536-height":800,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips.jpeg","2048x2048-width":534,"2048x2048-height":800,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips.jpeg","post_full_size-width":534,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps21-lips-280x420.jpeg","home_baner-width":280,"home_baner-height":420}},"preview_video":"","external_link":"","link_for_pay":false,"tile_gallery_items":false,"credits":""},"alternate_tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"","hide_media":false},"tile_group":{"preview_image_url":false,"main_caption":"","sub_caption":"","":null,"popup_package_extra_content":"","read_time":""},"home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo":{"seo_title":"","seo_description":"","seo_default_title":"","seo_default_description":""},"links":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81257"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81257"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81259,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81257\/revisions\/81259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}