Solomon Ibn Gabirol
A Jew raised in Muslim Spain
11th century
Known to Jews
as a literary artist
a liturgical poet
of wild imagination and skill
Known to Muslims
as a philosopher
in the Neo-Platonic tradition
able to put the subtlest metaphysical intuitions
into a single word
Solomon Ibn Gabirol
Likely the author of Adon Olam
You know Adon Olam,
The last song
of the Shabbat morning service
Adon Olam Asher Malach
B’terem kol yetzir nivra
Adon Olam Asher Malach
B’terem kol yetzir nivra
And you know its peshat
Its simple translation
Master of the World Who Ruled
Before every thing was created
Master of the World Who Ruled
Before every thing was created
But Ibn Gabirol
poet and philosopher
was not thinking peshat
was not thinking simple
He was thinking deep
Adon Olam Asher Malach
Adon
From biblical Hebrew
Adanim
Joints
The matrix that holds a structure together
Olam
Eternal in time
Infinite in space
Elusive
Hidden
Adon Olam
The Hidden Matrix that holds reality together
Asher
Not just a preposition
But an adjective
Happy, joyous, blissful
Adon Olam Asher
If you grasp this matrix,
you feel joy
and bliss
your most sublime moments of peace
radiate
in every direction
Malach
From the word malchut
royalty
In Kabbalah
a synonym
for Shechinah
The one who dwells
The indwelling presence
Dwelling every where
In every thing
Adon Olam Asher Malach
The indwelling elusive matrix of bliss
B’terem kol yetzir nivrah
B’terem
Before
in the before
in the great before
Kol Yetzir
Everything that has form
Nivra
was created
B’terem kol yetzir nivra
Before anything with physical shape
Anything with conceptual form
or boundaries
of any kind
was created
Before even a thought
of creation
Before a design
or a plan
arose
The indwelling
elusive matrix of bliss
existed
But “existed”
is a verb
in the past tense form
And until beings
with form
were created
There was no
past tense
There was no
“before”
Only
an indwelling
elusive
matrix of bliss
There was no
infinity
Because infinite
means
“not finite”
And without finite beings
Who can measure
infinity?
Oh Infinity!
A poor concept
Product
of the short reach
of the human mind
as it tries
to grasp
the elusive
indwelling
matrix of bliss
Infinity!
A marvelous angel
God’s first
created concept
Our very best tool
To touch
The matrix
Of bliss
Infinity
a measure
a hint
The footsteps of time
Marked out
by the poet
In his rhythmic words
Adon Olam Asher Malach
B’Terem Kol Yetzir Nivra
When I,
Laura,
Pray
I often ask:
Holy One,
help me
hold it all,
all my thoughts,
all my feelings,
all my fears,
all my failures
Because you,
Holy One,
already hold them
in your elusive matrix
B’yado afkid ruchi
Into this cosmic hand
I assign
my spirit
Trusting
it is held
in the matrix
B’eit Ishan
When it’s time for sleep
I
whose bodily life
is timed
down to the minute
By hormones, neurons, and nutrients
Conforming to a circadian rhythm
Living 16 of 24 hours
at full attention
I
surrender my control
for 8 hours
I let
the matrix
hold me
V’aiyra
Until I wake up
and beyond
V’im ruchi geviyati
With my soul expressed
through this time-bound form
Adonai Li
My concept
of an infinite God
keeps me company
V’lo Irah
Irah, to see
Irah, to fear
Though I will never see
the matrix
itself
It holds me
I will not fear
Notes: This 7-minute spoken word piece was created for and performed at the Limmud Vancouver Cabaret 2016 by Laura Duhan Kaplan. It was followed by a heart-aching performance of Adon Olam, arranged in a bluesy style pioneered by James Stone Goodman and colleagues on his album “The Sefirot,” and delivered by the Vancouver, Canada band “Sulam” and guest artists (guitarist Charles Kaplan, mandolinist Martin Gotfrit, bassist Joe Markovitch, flautist Wendy Rubin, violinist Elana Brief and vocalist Laura Duhan Kaplan).
Please feel free to “share” this blog post with the “share” button. If you wish to share or use it in another context, please attribute the work to my authorship and let me know how you have used it. lauraduhankaplan@sophiastreet.com
Photo credit: Charles Kaplan
Wooo. This is beautiful! Thank you!
Thank you, David!
Thank you for putting this up. It deserves wide distribution.
Thank you, Charles. And thank you for your participation in Limmud Vancouver 2016.
We are in the matrix of Adon Olam. Thank you Reb Laura for guiding us into this illumination of our creation with the Creator.
Yours in profound appreciation,
Debbie Havusha
And-Thank you to my beloved friend Michal for sharing this.
Thank you, Debbie, for sharing illumination everywhere and always.
The spoken word is also very rich when reading it quietly. Thank you for this wisdom. I will use it to teach the meaning behind the meaning of Adon Olam… Tamara
Thank you, Tamara! Your comment, coming from a wonderful writer, means a lot!
Not sure how to start. I am moved and enriched. I think, for me, this reading will provide a springboard for meditation as well as beginning a different, deeper search for ways to consider the eternal. Certainly I will never sing Adon Olam in the same way again!!
Jenny, thank you. Please do share with me the results of your meditative search.
The idea of a matrix of bliss will remain with me for along time. Thank you R’Laura.
Thank YOU, Martin!
I heard your recitation and never thought of asking for a copy so thank you for posting. I’ve never contemplated the meaning behind the words.
Thanks, Michael! I hope you enjoyed the Limmud experience.
Lovely – so beautiful – thank you.
Thank you, Linda!
This is stunning.
As it happens, my hevruta partner reminded me of the meaning of adanim just yesterday, so reading this post today feels like hashgacha pratit.
Together they will spark a creative insight and you will take the concept in a whole new direction!
I’m speechless with gratitude for this poem. Tamara
Thanks, JJ. — Laura
I was there, and I now know the meaning of “blown away”. I never feel as if I can thank you enough.
Thank you, Shira. It was pretty amazing for me too. I felt the energy of the room was all collated in the matrix!