Ein Keloheinu

 ( Shacharit ) 

Ein Keloheinu (, "there is none like our God") is a well-known hymn used in Judaism Jewish prayer. Orthodox Judaism pronounce it as Ein KelokeinuE.g., Jacobson, B.S., The Sabbath Service (orig. 1968, Engl. transl. 1981, Tel-Aviv, Sinai Publ'g) page 317. when used in contexts other than formal prayer to avoid unnecessarily using a name of God or the diminishing the reverence due to God.

Ein Keloheinu is sometimes chanted at the end of the Jewish morning service ( shacharit). In Ashkenazi Jews in the Jewish diaspora, it is recited at the end of Shabbat and Jewish holidays services, just before a Talmudic lesson on Temple incense. However, in the vast majority of Ashkenazic communities in the Land of Israel, as well as in all Sephardi Jews and Chasidic weekday morning prayer services it is said daily.Jacobson, B.S., The Sabbath Service (orig. 1968, Engl. transl. 1981, Tel-Aviv, Sinai Publ'g) page 317; Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) s.v. Ayn Kaylohaynu, page 71. In some other regional traditions it is used elsewhere in the liturgy, but it seems to be known worldwide.Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) s.v. Ayn Kaylohaynu, page 72; Elbogen, Ismar, Jewish Liturgy: A comprehensive history (orig. 1913, Engl. transl. 1993, Philadelphia, Jewish Publ'n Society) page 95 (in Persia, it concludes the Friday night service). In many synagogues it is sung; in some Orthodox synagogues it is only said quietly by every person for themselves and is not regarded as a critical part of the prayer service.

One explanation for the prayer is that its 20 sentences each count as a blessing. Jews are exhorted to make at least 100 blessings daily (Talmud, Menachot 43b). On weekdays, the Amidah (or "Amidah") prayer contains 19 blessings and is said three times, totaling 57 blessings, and the remaining 43 are said during other parts of daily services as well as during other events throughout the day. On Shabbat and festivals, however, the Amidah consists of only seven blessings. Ein Keloheinu was designed to ensure that everybody would say at least 100 blessings a day, even on those days when the Amidah is shorter.Jacobson, B.S., The Sabbath Service (orig. 1968, Engl. transl. 1981, Tel-Aviv, Sinai Publ'g) page 319; Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) s.v. Ayn Kaylohaynu, pages 71-72.

Four different names are used to refer to God in this prayer:

1. Elohim (אלהים) – God
2. Adon (אדון) – Lord or Master
3. Melekh (מלך) – King
4. Moshia` (מושיע) – Savior

אין כמלכנו, אין כמושיענו.
     

מי כמלכנו, מי כמושיענו.
     

נודה למלכנו, נודה למושיענו.
     

ברוך מלכנו, ברוך מושיענו.
     

אתה הוא מלכנו,
אתה הוא מושיענו.

ein kemalkenu, ein kemoshi'enu.
     

mi chemalkenu, mi chemoshi'enu.
     

node lemalkenu, node lemoshi'enu,
     

baruch Malkenu, baruch Moshi'enu.
     

atah hu Malkenu,
atah hu Moshi'enu.
     

There is none like our King, There is none like our Savior.
     

Who is like our King? Who is like our Savior?
     

Blessed be our King, Blessed be our Savior.
     

You are our King,
You are our Savior.
     

את קטרת הסמים.
     

אתה תקום תרחם ציון,
כי עת לחננה כי בא מועד.

eth qetoreth hasamim.
     

'et lechen'nah, ki ba mo'ed.
     

our fathers burned the incense of spice.
     

be the time to favor her, for the proper time
will have arrived.
     

The Hebrew text is as it appears in all siddurim, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic.
° The last line of the piyut itself is "You are our Savior."Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) s.v. Ayn Kaylohaynu, page 72; Abrahams, Israel, Companion to the Authorised Daily Prayer Book (2nd ed. 1922, London, Eyre & Spottiswoode) page clxvii.
The Ashkenazic liturgy follows this immediately (as part of the chanting) with "You are the one before whom ...." followed by a Talmudic description of the mixing of the incense spices for the Temple.Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) s.v. Ayn Kaylohaynu, page 72; Abrahams, Israel, Companion to the Authorised Daily Prayer Book (2nd ed. 1922, London, Eyre & Spottiswoode) page clxvii; Hertz. Joseph H., Authorized Daily Prayer Book with commentary, introductions and notes (American ed. 1948, NY, Bloch Publ'g) page 545; Scherman, Nosson, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur (Ashkenaz)(2nd ed, 1987, NY, Mesorah Publ'ns) pages 476-477. This text is typically omitted in Reform Judaism liturgy.
°° The Sephard, and the Sephardic/Mizrahi liturgies follow the last line of the piyut with the words, "You will save us," followed by the quotation of , "You will arise ...."Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) s.v. Ayn Kaylohaynu, page 72; Abrahams, Israel, Companion to the Authorised Daily Prayer Book (2nd ed. 1922, London, Eyre & Spottiswoode) page clxvii; Koren Sefard Siddur (2008, Jerusalem, Koren Publ'g) page 67 (weekday morning) and page 206 (Sabbath mussaf); Koren Mizrahi Siddur (1988, Jerusalem, Koren Publ'g) page 78 (weekday morning) and page 223 (Sabbath mussaf); Scherman, Nosson, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur (Sefard)(1985, NY, Mesorah Publ'ns) pages 180-181 (weekday morning) and pages 516-517 (Sabbath mussaf); Orot Sephardic Weekday Siddur (1994, NJ, Orot) page 276; Orot Sephardic Shabbat Siddur (1995, NJ, Orot) pages 472-473.

Among Ashkenazim, the additional line and the Talmudic lesson on the making of incense which follows it is considered optional and so that line and lesson might be omitted.Hertz. Joseph H., Authorized Daily Prayer Book with commentary, introductions and notes (American ed. 1948, NY, Bloch Publ'g) page 545. For example, the Conservative Sabbath and Festival Prayer Book (1948, NY, The Rabbinical Assembly of America) page 157 has the additional Ashkenaz line but omits the lesson on incense. The 1903 prayerbook of the Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues, in England, used the version with the Sephardic additional lines (but without the lesson on incense), Petuchowski, Jakob J., Prayerbook Reform in Europe (1968, NY, World Union for Progressive Judaism) page 72.

This prayer appears in the liturgy as early as the Amram Gaon (ca 875) – where the first verse is "Who is like ..." and the second verse is "There is none like ...", but the present sequence appears in the Mahzor Vitry and in Rashi (both late 11th century) and a century later in Maimonides.Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) s.v. Ayn Kaylohaynu, page 71; Jacobson, B.S., The Sabbath Service (orig. 1968, Engl. transl. 1981, Tel-Aviv, Sinai Publ'g) page 318-319; Idelsohn, A.Z., Jewish Liturgy and its Development (1932, NY, Henry Holt) page 117. The present sequence is viewed as, first, a declaration against all other religions, then a challenge to all other religions, and thereafter as worship.Hirsch, Samson Raphael, The Hirsch Siddur (orig. 1868, Engl.transl. 1978, NY, Feldheim Publ'rs) page 379. Additionally, David Abudirham (ca. 1340) pointed that the initial "א" from the first verse, the "מ" from the second, and the "נ" from the third formed Amen, and taking the Barukh from the fourth verse and the Atah from the final verse, together produce "Amen. Blessed are Thou" – as if the end of one prayer and the beginning of another, and this serves as a suitable mnemonic to keep the verses in proper sequence.Jacobson, B.S., The Sabbath Service (orig. 1968, Engl. transl. 1981, Tel-Aviv, Sinai Publ'g) page 318-319; Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) s.v. Ayn Kaylohaynu, pages 71-72.

 נון קומו מואישטרו ריאי, נון קומו מואישטרו שלבֿדור.
     

 קיין קומו מואישטרו ריאי, קיין קומו מואישטרו שלבֿדור.
     

 לוארימוס אה מואישטרו ריאי, לוארימוס אה מואישטרו שלבֿדור.
     

 בנדיגֿו מואישטרו ריאי, בנדיגֿו מואישטרו שלבֿדור.
     

 טו סוס מואישטרו ריאי, טו סוס מואישטרו שלבֿדור.
     

 Non komo muestro Rey, non komo muestro Salvador.
     

 Kien komo muestro Rey, kien komo muestro Salvador.
     

 Loaremos a muestro Rey, Loaremos a muestro Salvador.
     

 Bendicho muestro Rey, Bendicho muestro Salvador.
     

 Tu sos muestro Rey, Tu sos muestro Salvador.
     

 עס גיבט קײַן קעניג וויא אונזער קעניג - אֵין כְּמַלְכֵּינוּ, עס גיבט קײַן העלפֿער וויא אונזער העלפֿער - אֵין כְּמוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ.
     

 ווער איזט דער קעניג וויא אונזער קעניג - מִי כְמַלְכֵּינוּ, ווער איזט דער העלפֿער וויא אונזער העלפֿער - מִי כְמוֹשִׁיעֵינוּ.
     

 וויר דאַנקען דען קעניג אונזער קעניג - נוֹדֶה לְמַלְכֵּינוּ, וויר דאַנקען דען העלפֿער אונזער העלפֿער - נוֹדֶה לְמוֹשִׁיעֵינוּ.
     

 געלאָבט איזט דער קעניג אונזער קעניג - בָּרוּךְ מַלְכֵּינוּ, געלאָבט איזט דער העלפֿער אונזער העלפֿער - בָּרוּךְ אֲדוֹנֵינוּ.
     

 דו ביזט דער קעניג אונזער קעניג - אַתָּה הוּא מַלְכֵּינוּ, דו ביזט דער העלפֿער אונזער העלפֿער - אַתָּה הוּא מוֹשִיעֵינוּ.
     

 Es gibt kayn Kenig vi unzer Kenig - ein Kemalkeinu, es gibt kayn Helfer vi unzer Helfer - ein Kemoshi'einu.
     

 Ver izt der Kenig vi unzer Kenig - mi Chemalkeinu, ver izt der Helfer vi unzer Helfer - mi Chemoshi'einu.
     

 Vir danken den Kenig unzer Kenig - nodeh Lemalkeinu, vir danken den Helfer unzer Helfer - nodeh Lemoshi'einu.
     

 Gelobt izt der Kenig unzer Kenig - boruch Malkeinu, gelobt izt der Helfer unzer Helfer - boruch Moshi'einu.
     

 Du bizt der Kenig unzer Kenig - Ato Hu Malkeinu, Du bizt der Helfer unzer Helfer - Ato Hu Moshi'einu.
     

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