The "Aleinu" Prayer

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, סיום תפילה, עלינו א׳

עָלֵֽינוּ לְשַׁבֵּֽחַ לַאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל, לָתֵת גְּדֻלָּה לְיוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית. שֶׁלֺּא עָשָֽׂנוּ כְּגוֹיֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת, וְלֺא שָׂמָֽנוּ כְּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאֲדָמָה; שֶׁלֺּא שָׂם חֶלְקֵֽנוּ כָּהֶם, וְגוֹרָלֵֽנוּ כְּכָל הֲמוֹנָם. שֶׁהֵם מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לָהֶֽבֶל וָרִיק וּמִתְפַּלְּלִים אֶל אֵל לֹא יוֹשִֽׁיעַ. וַאֲנַֽחְנוּ כּוֹרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים וּמוֹדִים לִפְנֵי מֶֽלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֶה שָׁמַֽיִם וְיוֹסֵד אָֽרֶץ, וּמוֹשַׁב יְקָרוֹ בַּשָּׁמַֽיִם מִמַּֽעַל, וּשְׁכִינַת עֻזּוֹ בְּגָבְהֵי מְרוֹמִים; הוּא אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ, אֵין עוֹד. אֱמֶת מַלְכֵּֽנוּ, אֶֽפֶס זוּלָתוֹ, כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתוֹ: וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶֽךָ כִּי יְהֹוָה הוּא הָאֱלֺהִים בַּשָּׁמַֽיִם מִמַּֽעַל וְעַל הָאָֽרֶץ מִתָּֽחַת, אֵין עוֹד.

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Concluding Prayers, Alenu 1

It is our obligation to praise the Master of all, to ascribe greatness to the Creator of the [world in the] beginning: that He has not made us like the nations of the lands, and has not positioned us like the families of the earth; that He has not assigned our portion like theirs, nor our lot like that of all their multitudes. For they prostrate themselves to vanity and nothingness, and pray to a god that cannot deliver. But we bow, prostrate ourselves, and offer thanks before the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One blessed is He, Who spreads the heavens, and establishes the earth, and the seat of His glory is in heaven above, and the abode of His invincible might is in the loftiest heights. He is our God, there is nothing else. Our King is true, all else is insignificant, as it is written in His Torah: And You shall know this day and take into Your heart that Adonoy is God in the heavens above and upon the earth below; there is nothing else.

Notes on First Paragraph

לָתֵת - The meanings of נ–ת–ן include "assign" or "attribute."

בְּרֵאשִׁית - The first word of Genesis became a shorthand term for creation as a whole.

עָשָֽׂנוּ - Remember that a suffix on a verb can represent its object.

אֶל אֵל לֹא יוֹשִֽׁיעַ - What common pronoun is "missing" from this phrase?

וַאֲנַֽחְנוּ - A good example of the adversative vav.

מֶֽלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים - Did you know there can be a chain of nouns in semichut? As usual, apply the rule: "If the last term in a semichut is definite, the entire phrase is definite."

מוֹשַׁב - a noun.

וּמוֹשַׁב יְקָרוֹ בַּשָּׁמַֽיִם מִמַּֽעַל, וּשְׁכִינַת עֻזּוֹ בְּגָבְהֵי מְרוֹמִים - Remember to supply main verbs.

אֶֽפֶס - Originally, this biblical word meant something like "end, limit; nothing", but is also used, like אין, to negate.

זוּלָתוֹ - The word זולת (zulat) is a preposition = apart from, besides, except for.

וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ - Root: ש–ו–ב; binyan: הפעיל.

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, סיום תפילה, עלינו ב׳

עַל כֵּן נְקַוֶּה לְךָ, יְהֹוָה אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ, לִרְאוֹת מְהֵרָה בְּתִפְאֶֽרֶת עֻזֶּֽךָ, לְהַעֲבִיר גִּלּוּלִים מִן הָאָֽרֶץ וְהָאֱלִילִים כָּרוֹת יִכָּרֵתוּן; לְתַקֵּן עוֹלָם בְּמַלְכוּת שַׁדַּי. וְכָל בְּנֵי בָשָׂר יִקְרְאוּ בִשְׁמֶֽךָ, לְהַפְנוֹת אֵלֶֽיךָ כָּל רִשְׁעֵי אָֽרֶץ. יַכִּֽירוּ וְיֵדְעוּ כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל כִּי לְךָ תִכְרַע כָּל בֶּֽרֶךְ, תִּשָּׁבַע כָּל לָשׁוֹן. לְפָנֶֽיךָ, יְהֹוָה אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ, יִכְרְעוּ וְיִפֹּֽלוּ, וְלִכְבוֹד שִׁמְךָ יְקָר יִתֵּֽנוּ, וִיקַבְּלוּ כֻלָּם אֶת עֹל מַלְכוּתֶֽךָ, וְתִמְלֺךְ עֲלֵיהֶם מְהֵרָה לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. כִּי הַמַּלְכוּת שֶׁלְּךָ הִיא, וּלְעֽוֹלְמֵי עַד תִּמְלוֹךְ בְּכָבוֹד, כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתֶֽךָ: יְהֹוָה יִמְלֺךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד. וְנֶאֱמַר, וְהָיָה יְהֹוָה לְמֶֽלֶךְ עַל כָּל הָאָֽרֶץ; בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה יְהֹוָה אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Concluding Prayers, Alenu 2

We therefore put our hope in You, Adonoy our God, to soon behold the glory of Your might in banishing idolatry from the earth, and the false gods will be utterly exterminated to perfect the world as the kingdom of Shadai. And all mankind will invoke Your Name, to turn back to You, all the wicked of the earth. They will realize and know, all the inhabitants of the world, that to You, every knee must bend, every tongue must swear [allegiance to You]. Before You, Adonoy, our God, they will bow and prostrate themselves, and to the glory of Your Name give honor. And they will all accept [upon themselves] the yoke of Your kingdom, and You will reign over them, soon, forever and ever. For the kingdom is Yours, and to all eternity You will reign in glory, as it is written in Your Torah: Adonoy will reign forever and ever. And it is said: And Adonoy will be King over the whole earth; on that day Adonoy will be One and His Name One.

Notes on Second Paragraph

בְּתִפְאֶֽרֶת - Notice the unusual preposition לִרְאוֹת is taking here, but don't let it throw you.

גִּלּוּלִים - Rejoice when you recognize this word which we learned this summer, or look back to Mechilta to reinforce your knowledge.

כָּרוֹת יִכָּרֵתוּן - Although this is a text written in Rabbinic Hebrew--and this phrase is not a direct quotation per se (more an allusion)--it's using a Biblical expression and grammar.

בִשְׁמֶֽךָ - Again, be judicious in your decision about how to translate the preposition.

כִּי לְךָ תִכְרַע כָּל בֶּֽרֶךְ - Remember, there are several different meanings of כִּי. The primary ones, across Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew, are: (1) for/because (explanatory conjunction, e.g., "I went to the study hall because my master was teaching."); (2) that (introducing indirect discourse, e.g., "I saw that she was laughing."; (3) when (the beginning of a conditional statement, e.g., "When you cross the river..."); (4) introducing a question (usually expecting the answer "no," and often not requiring specific translation; cf. האם in later Hebrew); (5) like or as (comparative conjunction).

כִּי הַמַּלְכוּת שֶׁלְּךָ הִיא - We've seen several examples of this use of a third person pronoun.

לְעֽוֹלְמֵי עַד - It is said that people of the extreme northern climes have many words for "snow." Jews have many terms for this concept: לעלם, לעולם ועד, לעלמי עולמים, etc., etc.

בְּכָבוֹד - this is an adverbial phrase and can be translated more literally, or more like "literally."