there in the sense of council, assembly, and has nothing to do with mystery.[1] סוֹד שַׂרְפֵי קֹֽדֶשׁ in the Kedushah is the equivalent of סוֹד קְדוֹשִׁים in Psalm 89:8. Similarly, in the Hymn of Glory “the mystic utterance of thy servants” should be corrected to amidst thy servants.
The famous poem Adon Olam celebrates the eternity of God, and yet the initial phrase אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם is invariably translated “Lord of the universe” instead of Eternal Lord. The terms חַגִּים and זְמַנִּים are frequently used synonymously in the sense of festivals, and yet זְמַן חֵרוּתֵֽנוּ is generally rendered “the Season of our Freedom” instead of our Festival of Freedom. גֵּרֵי הַצֶּֽדֶק means the true proselytes, that is, those who have accepted Judaism out of inner conviction; it does not mean “strangers of righteousness” or “proselytes of righteousness.” הַמְּיַחֲדִים בָּתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת signifies who dedicate synagogues, and not “who unite to form synagogues.”[2]
The oft-repeated “Blessed be the name of his glorious kingdom” is incorrectly translated. Equally incorrect is “Blessed be his name, whose glorious kingdom” or “Blessed be his glorious kingdom.” His glorious Majesty—God himself—is here the object of praise, and not his kingdom. The response בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ, which was used in the Temple in place of Amen,[3] is the equivalent of the Kaddish response יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ (“may his great name be blessed”).[4] שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ connotes His Majesty the King, a circumlocution for the name of God and similar to שֵׁם כְּבוֹדוֹ (Psalm 72:19).
Translators have rendered the Modim passage variously: “We give thanks unto thee, for thou art... the God of our fathers for ever and ever”; “We acknowledge thee that thou art the Lord our God to all eternity and God of our fathers"; “We thankfully acknowledge thee... our fathers’ God to all eternity.” Closer in-
