If an award were given out for the most underestimated prayer in our prayer book, it would surely go to Ad-n olam. For many people, it is simply the “tallis-taking-off-song.” A variant on that theme is as the background music for racing to the social hall to be the first in line for Kiddush lunch. For others still, it’s the prayer most often sung to silly melodies (Yankee Doodle, Yellow Submarine, It’s a Small World—G-d help us—and, believe it or not, G-d Rest Ye Merry Gentleman).
For very good reason, under Cantor Rockman’s leadership we have avoided the worst abuses of this prayer. We don’t take our tallitot off until after Kiddush, nor do we leave the sanctuary. And we generally steer clear of the melodic excesses, except perhaps on a USY Shabbat or 4th of July, when Yankee Doodle becomes nearly irresistible. And the Cantor has created the tradition of reciting the last lines in English, to underscore the serious import of the prayer: “I place my spirit in G-d’s care, my body, too, can feel G-d near. When I sleep as when I wake, G-d is with me, I have no fear.”
But before we arrive at that comforting note of personal reassurance, the poem begins with a spectacular fireworks display of divine transcendence. We learn of G-d’s eternity (ad-n olam); of G-d’s mastery over time and space, (beterem kol yetzir nivrah)— before the world was created and even after it will be gone (v’acharei kichlot hakol); of G-d’s uniqueness (livado yimloch). But then the entire theme of the prayer shifts to one of divine presence in our individual lives (vehu keli—He is my G-d); G-d’s saving presence in times of trouble (tzur chevli b’et tzarah); and only then the reassurance that whether awake or asleep, we can rely on G-d’s care (b’yado afkid ruchi).
We do not know who wrote this prayer/poem, making it one of the world’s greatest anonymous acts of genius. But its sophistication (you wouldn’t believe how intricate the explication of the poetic Hebrew is) leads most scholars to conclude that it was written by one of the great medieval Jewish poets (ibn Gabirol or ibn Ezra are two likely candidates). And whoever it ultimately was, we should thank him (or her, probably him, but who knows?) for the great gift they left us.