Adonai, Adonai

The pizmon (hymn) on the thirteen Attributes of God in the seliḥot (propitiatory prayers) for the fifth intermediate day of the Ten Days of Penitence, according to the northern liturgies. It is repeated in full in the "Ne'ilah" service of the Day of Atonement. There are five verses bearing the acrostic Amittai, the author's name, with a refrain compounded of the thirteen attributes of God (Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7, according to Rosh ha-Shanah, 17b, and the final clause of ver. 9 of the same chapter); being the propitiatory versicle running through the whole system of seliḥot. This pizmon is usually associated with the beautiful melody given on the previous page, a characteristically Polish utilization of the plaintive Oriental chromatic scale. The melody is not of great age.

F. L. C.