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ArtScroll's edition of Akdamus

Akdamut Milin (or Akdamus Milin, The Introduction) is a prominent piyyut (Jewish liturgical poem) recited annually on Shavuot. It was penned by Rabbi Meir bar Yitzchak of Worms, Germany, who lived in the 11th century. Akdamut consists entirely of praise for God and is written in Aramaic.

Akdamut is read on Shavuot (or its first day, in the Diaspora) during the Torah service. The original practice was for it to be recited after the reading of the first verse of the lection (Exodus 19:1), but in the past few centuries, the practice has developed in many congregations (mainly Eastern European ones) that the poem is read after the Kohen has been called to the Torah reading, but before he has made the blessing. In most synagogues it is read responsively: the baal koreh singing two verses, and the congregation responding with two more. There are some synagogues where it is not recited.

Akdamut is formed as a double alphabetic acrostic, and then spells out the words, "Meir, son of Rabbi Isaac, may he grow in Torah and in good deeds. Amen. Be strong and have courage."

Akdamut has 45 two-line verses in total. Its language is terse and complicated, and it is replete with references to Torah and Talmud. Each line concludes with the syllable "-ta" (tav-aleph), the last and first letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The encoded message from the author is that a Jew never stops learning Torah - when one finishes, one must start anew again. This message was appropriately chosen for Shavuot, since the holiday commemorates the Jews accepting the Torah on Mount Sinai.

• Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Salamon, Akdamus Millin: A new translation and commentary anthologized from the traditional Rabbinic literature, ArtScroll publishers