Reply To: Piyut of Vechol Maaminim

Allow me to clarify what I meant by “It doesn’t actually make any sense to sing it with Vechol Maaminim starting the verse!”

The Paytan used a double Alef Beis acrostic to pair together for each Middoh of Hashem a definition of that Middoh, and an elaboration of it. For example:

Habochein ubodeik ginzei nistoros

Vechol maaminim shehu bochein kloyos volev

Hashem is the One who inspects hidden secrets

and we all believe that he is the one who inspects our hearts

There is an obvious connection between the 2 verses.

The way it is commonly sung, this connection between the 2 verses is lost. We are left with two disparate comments that have little to do with each other. Using the above example:

Vechol maaminim shehu bochein kloyos volev

Hagoel Mimoves upodeh mishachas

and we all believe that he is the one who inspects our hearts

The one who Redeems from death and saves from destruction

There is no connection between these 2 phrases.

NB.

Just occurred to me that the use of the letter Vov (“And”) in “Vechol” further indicates it was meant to follow, rather than start, a verse.