Hope to Adonoy;

be strong and He will give you courage

and hope to Adonoy.⁶

footnotes: ⁶ Psalm 27:14

There is none holy like Adonoy

for there is none beside You

and there is no stronghold like our God.⁷

footnotes: ⁷ I Samuel 2:2

For who is a god other than Adonoy

and who is a stronghold beside our God.⁸

footnotes: ⁸ Psalm 18:32

There is none like our God.

There is none like our Master.

There is none like our King.

There is none like our Deliverer.

Who is like our God?

Who is like our Master?

Who is like our King?

Who is like our Deliverer?

Let us thank our God.

Let us thank our Master.

Let us thank our King.

Let us thank our Deliverer.

Blessed is our God.

Blessed is our Master.

Blessed is our King.

Blessed is our Deliverer.

You are our God.

You are our Master.

You are our King.

You are our Deliverer.

You are He

before whom our fathers burned

the incense-offering.

The composition of the incense consisted of

balm, onycha,

galbanum, and frankincense—

by weight, seventy maneh of each;

myrrh, cassia,

spikenard and saffron

by weight—

sixteen maneh of each;

twelve maneh of costus,

three maneh of aromatic bark,

and nine maneh of cinnamon.

Nine kabin of Carshina lye,

Cyprus wine [measuring]

three s'in and three kabin—

if he had no Cyprus wine,

he could use strong white wine—

a fourth of a kab of Sodom salt,

and a minute quantity of maaleh ashan.

Rabbi Nosson of Babylonia says,

“A minute quantity of Jordan amber

If one added honey, the incense became unfit;

and if one omitted any of its spices

he was liable to the death penalty.”

Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel says:

“The balm is nothing but sap

which drips from the balsam tree.

Why was Carshina lye used?

To refine the onycha

in order to make it pleasant.

Why was Cyprus wine used?

The onycha was soaked in it

to give it a pungent odor.

Though the water of Raglayim

was well suited for that purpose,

they did not bring

the water of Raglayim into the Temple

because it would be disrespectful.

These are the Psalms

which the Levites recited

in the Holy Temple:

On Sunday, they used to recite,

“The earth is Adonoy's and the fullness thereof,

the inhabited world

and those who dwell in it.”⁹

footnotes: ⁹ Psalm 24

On Monday, they used to recite,

“Adonoy is great and highly extolled

in the city of our God,

the mountain of His Sanctuary.”¹⁰

footnotes: ¹⁰ Psalm 48

On Tuesday, they used to recite,

“God stands

in the congregation of the Almighty;

in the midst of judges, He gives judgment.”¹¹

footnotes: ¹¹ Psalm 82

On Wednesday, they used to recite,

“Almighty of vengeance, Adonoy,

Almighty of vengeance, reveal Yourself.”¹²

footnotes: ¹² Psalm 94

On Thursday, they used to recite,

“Sing joyously to God, our strength,

shout for joy to the God of Jacob.”¹³

footnotes: ¹³ Psalm 81

On Friday, they used to recite,

“Adonoy has begun His reign,

He has clothed Himself with majesty;

Adonoy clothed Himself,

He has girded Himself with strength,

He has firmly established the world

so that it cannot be moved.”¹⁴

footnotes: ¹⁴ Psalm 93

On the Sabbath, they used to recite,

“A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day.”¹⁵

footnotes: ¹⁵ Psalm 92

It is a psalm, a song for the future,

for the day which will be entirely Sabbath

and rest for everlasting life.

It was taught in the school of Elijah;

whoever studies halachos every day,

he is assured

of life in the World-to-Come,

for it is said,

“The ways (halichos) of the world are His.”¹⁶

footnotes: ¹⁶ Habakuk 3:6

Do not read halichos,

but halachos.

Rabbi Eliezer said

on behalf of Rabbi Chanina:

“The disciples of the wise

increase peace in the world,

for it is said:

‘And all your children

will be disciples of Adonoy's [Torah];

and great will be the peace of your children.'

Do not read banayich [your children]

but read bo¯nayich [your builders].”

Great is the peace

of those who love Your Torah,

and they will have no

stumbling block [misfortune].

Let there be peace within your moats,

serenity within your palaces.

For the sake of my brethren and companions,

I will say: “Peace be with you.”

For the sake

of the House of Adonoy, our God,

I will seek [pray for] your good.

Adonoy will give strength to His people,

Adonoy will bless His people with peace.