BLESSINGS OF THE SHEMA

Leader: Bless the LORD, the blessed One.

Congregation: Bless the LORD, the blessed One, for ever and all time.

Leader: Bless the LORD, the blessed One, for ever and all time.

בָּרוּךְ Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who by His word brings on evenings, by His wisdom opens the gates of heaven, with understanding makes time change and the seasons rotate, and by His will orders the stars in their constellations in the sky. He creates day and night, rolling away the light before the darkness, and darkness before the light. He makes the day pass and brings on night, distinguishing day from night: the LORD of hosts is His name. May the living and forever enduring God rule over us for all time. Blessed are You, LORD, who brings on evenings.

אַהֲבַת עוֹלָם With everlasting love have You loved Your people, the house of Israel. You have taught us Torah and commandments, decrees and laws of justice. Therefore, LORD our God, when we lie down and when we rise up we will speak of Your decrees, rejoicing in the words of Your Torah and Your commandments for ever. For they are our life and the length of our days; on them will we meditate day and night. May You never take away Your love from us. Blessed are You, LORD, who loves His people Israel.

God, faithful King!

Listen, Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD is One.

Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and all time.

וְאָהַבְתָּ Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. These words which I command you today shall be on your heart. Teach them repeatedly to your children, speaking of them when you sit at home and when you travel on the way, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be an emblem between your eyes. Write them on the doorposts of your house and gates.

וְהָיָה If you indeed heed My commandments with which I charge you today, to love the LORD your God and worship Him with all your heart and with all your soul, I will give rain in your land in its season, the early and late rain; and you shall gather in your grain, wine and oil. I will give grass in your field for your cattle, and you shall eat and be satisfied. Be careful lest your heart be tempted and you go astray and worship other gods, bowing down to them. Then the LORD’s anger will flare against you and He will close the heavens so that there will be no rain. The land will not yield its crops, and you will perish swiftly from the good land that the LORD is giving you. Therefore, set these, My words, on your heart and soul. Bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be an emblem between your eyes. Teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit at home and when you travel on the way, when you lie down and when you rise. Write them on the doorposts of your house and gates, so that you and your children may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your ancestors to give them, for as long as the heavens are above the earth.

וַיֹּֽאמֶר The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelites and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments for all generations. They shall attach to the tassel at each corner a thread of blue. This shall be your tassel, and you shall see it and remember all of the LORD’s commandments and keep them, not straying after your heart and after your eyes, following your own sinful desires. Thus you will be reminded to keep all My commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.

True –

The LORD your God is true –

וֶאֱמוּנָה – and faithful is all this, and firmly established for us that He is the LORD our God, and there is none besides Him, and that we, Israel, are His people. He is our King, who redeems us from the hand of kings and delivers us from the grasp of all tyrants. He is our God, who on our behalf repays our foes and brings just retribution on our mortal enemies; who performs great deeds beyond understanding and wonders beyond number; who kept us alive, not letting our foot slip; who led us on the high places of our enemies, raising our pride above all our foes; who did miracles for us and brought vengeance against Pharaoh; who performed signs and wonders in the land of Ham’s children; who smote in His wrath all the firstborn of Egypt, and brought out His people Israel from their midst into everlasting freedom; who led His children through the divided Reed Sea, plunging their pursuers and enemies into the depths. When His children saw His might, they gave praise and thanks to His name, and willingly accepted His Sovereignty. Moses and the children of Israel then sang a song to You with great joy, and they all exclaimed:

“Who is like You, LORD, among the mighty? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, doing wonders?”

Your children beheld Your majesty as You parted the sea before Moses. “This is my God!” they responded, and then said:

“The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.”

And it is said, “For the LORD has redeemed Jacob and rescued him from a power stronger than his own.”

Blessed are You, LORD, who redeemed Israel.

הַשְׁכִּיבֵֽנוּ Help us lie down, O LORD our God, in peace, and rise up, O our King, to life. Spread over us Your canopy of peace. Direct us with Your good counsel, and save us for the sake of Your name. Shield us and remove from us every enemy, plague, sword, famine and sorrow. Remove the adversary from before and behind us. Shelter us in the shadow of Your wings, for You, God, are our Guardian and Deliverer; You, God, are a gracious and compassionate King. Guard our going out and our coming in, for life and peace, from now and for ever. Spread over us Your canopy of peace. Blessed are You, LORD, who spreads a canopy of peace over us, over all His people Israel, and over Jerusalem.

וְשָׁמְרוּ The children of Israel must keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath in every generation as an everlasting covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel for ever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He ceased work and refreshed Himself.

תִּקְעוּ Sound the shofar on the new moon, on our feast day when the moon is hidden. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

HALF KADDISH

Leader: יִתְגַּדַּל Magnified and sanctified may His great name be, in the world He created by His will. May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of all the house of Israel, swiftly and soon – and say: Amen.

All: May His great name be blessed for ever and all time.

Leader: Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, raised and honored, uplifted and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, above and beyond any blessing, song, praise and consolation uttered in the world – and say: Amen.

THE AMIDA

O LORD, open my lips, so that my mouth may declare Your praise.

PATRIARCHS

בָּרוּךְ Blessed are You, LORD our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob; the great, mighty and awesome God, God Most High, who bestows acts of loving-kindness and creates all, who remembers the loving-kindness of the fathers and will bring a Redeemer to their children’s children for the sake of His name, in love.

זָכְרֵֽנוּ לְחַיִּים Remember us for life, O King who desires life, and write us in the book of life – for Your sake, O God of life. King, Helper, Savior, Shield: Blessed are You, LORD, Shield of Abraham.

DIVINE MIGHT

אַתָּה גִּבּוֹר You are eternally mighty, LORD. You give life to the dead and have great power to save.

In Israel:

He causes the dew to fall.

He sustains the living with loving-kindness, and with great compassion revives the dead. He supports the fallen, heals the sick, sets captives free, and keeps His faith with those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, Master of might, and who can compare to You, O King who brings death and gives life, and makes salvation grow?

מִי כָמֽוֹךָ Who is like You, compassionate Father, who remembers His creatures in compassion, for life? Faithful are You to revive the dead. Blessed are You, LORD, who revives the dead.

HOLINESS

אַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ You are holy and Your name is holy, and holy ones praise You daily, Selah!

וּבְכֵן תֵּן פַּחְדְּךָ And so place the fear of You, LORD our God, over all that You have made, and the terror of You over all You have created, and all who were made will stand in awe of You, and all of creation will worship You, and they will be bound all together as one to carry out Your will with an undivided heart; for we know, LORD our God, that all dominion is laid out before You, strength is in Your palm, and might in Your right hand, Your name spreading awe over all You have created.

וּבְכֵן תֵּן כָּבוֹד And so place honor, LORD, upon Your people, praise on those who fear You and hope into those who seek You, the confidence to speak into all who long for You, gladness to Your land and joy to Your city, the flourishing of pride to David Your servant, and a lamp laid out for his descendant, Your anointed, soon, in our days.

וּבְכֵן צַדִּיקִים And then righteous people will see and rejoice, and the upright will exult, and the pious revel in joy, and injustice will have nothing more to say, and all wickedness will fade away like smoke as You sweep the rule of arrogance from the earth.

וְתִמְלֹךְ אַתָּה And You, LORD, will rule alone over those You have made, in Mount Zion, the dwelling of Your glory, and in Jerusalem, Your holy city, as it is written in Your holy Writings: “The LORD shall reign for ever. He is your God, Zion, from generation to generation, Halleluya!”

קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה You are holy, Your name is awesome, and there is no god but You, as it is written, “The LORD of hosts shall be raised up through His judgment, the holy God, made holy in righteousness.” Blessed are You, LORD, the holy King.

HOLINESS OF THE DAY

אַתָּה בְחַרְתָּֽנוּ You have chosen us from among all peoples. You have loved and favored us. You have raised us above all tongues. You have made us holy through Your commandments. You have brought us near, our King, to Your service, and have called us by Your great and holy name.

On Motza’ei Shabbat:

וַתּוֹדִיעֵֽנוּ You have made known to us, LORD our God, Your righteous laws, and have taught us to perform Your will’s decrees. You have given us, LORD our God, just laws and true teachings, good precepts and commandments. You have given us as our heritage seasons of joy, holy festivals, and occasions for presenting our freewill offerings. You have given us as our heritage the holiness of the Sabbath, the glory of the festival, and the festive offerings of the pilgrimage days. You have distinguished, LORD our God, between sacred and secular, between light and darkness, between Israel and the nations, between the seventh day and the six days of work. You have distinguished between the holiness of the Sabbath and the holiness of the festival, and have made the seventh day holy above the six days of work. You have distinguished and sanctified Your people Israel with Your holiness.

וַתִּתֶּן לָֽנוּ And You, LORD our God, have given us in love (this Sabbath day and) this Day of Remembrance, a day of (recalling) blowing the shofar, (with love,) a holy assembly in memory of the exodus from Egypt.

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ Our God and God of our ancestors, may there rise, come, reach, appear, be favored, heard, regarded and remembered before You, our recollection and remembrance, as well as the remembrance of our ancestors, and of the Messiah, son of David Your servant, and of Jerusalem Your holy city, and of all Your people the house of Israel – for deliverance and well-being, grace, loving-kindness and compassion, life and peace, on this Day of Remembrance. On it remember us, LORD our God, for good; recollect us for blessing, and deliver us for life. In accord with Your promise of salvation and compassion, spare us and be gracious to us; have compassion on us and deliver us, for our eyes are turned to You because You, God, are a gracious and compassionate King.

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ Our God and God of our ancestors, rule over all the world in Your honor, and be raised above all the earth in Your glory, and appear, in the splendor of Your great might before all those who live in this world, Your domain. And all who were made will know that You made them, and all who were formed will know that You formed them, and all that have breath in their mouths will declare: The LORD, God of Israel is King, and His kingship has dominion over all. (Our God and God of our ancestors, desire our rest.) Make us holy through Your commandments and grant us our share in Your Torah. Satisfy us with Your goodness, grant us joy in Your salvation (in love and favor, LORD our God, grant us as our heritage Your holy Sabbath, so that Israel who sanctify Your name may find rest on it), and purify our hearts to serve You in truth. For You, LORD, are truth, and Your word is truth and holds true forever. Blessed are You, LORD, King over all the earth, who sanctifies (the Sabbath,) Israel and the Day of Remembrance.

TEMPLE SERVICE

רְצֵה Find favor, LORD our God, in Your people Israel and their prayer. Restore the service to Your most holy House, and accept in love and favor the fire-offerings of Israel and their prayer. May the service of Your people Israel always find favor with You. And may our eyes witness Your return to Zion in compassion. Blessed are You, LORD, who restores His Presence to Zion.

THANKSGIVING

מוֹדִים We give thanks to You, for You are the LORD our God and God of our ancestors for ever and all time. You are the Rock of our lives, Shield of our salvation from generation to generation. We will thank You and declare Your praise for our lives, which are entrusted into Your hand; for our souls, which are placed in Your charge; for Your miracles which are with us every day; and for Your wonders and favors at all times, evening, morning and midday. You are good – for Your compassion never fails. You are compassionate – for Your loving-kindnesses never cease. We have always placed our hope in You. For all these things may Your name be blessed and exalted, our King, continually, for ever and all time.

וּכְתֹב And write, for a good life, all the children of Your covenant. Let all that lives thank You, Selah! and praise Your name in truth, God, our Savior and Help, Selah! Blessed are You, LORD, whose name is “the Good” and to whom thanks are due.

PEACE

שָׁלוֹם רָב Grant great peace to Your people Israel for ever, for You are the sovereign LORD of all peace; and may it be good in Your eyes to bless Your people Israel at every time, at every hour, with Your peace.

בְּסֵֽפֶר חַיִּים In the book of life, blessing, peace and prosperity, may we and all Your people the house of Israel be remembered and written before You for a good life, and for peace.*

Blessed are You, LORD, who blesses His people Israel with peace.

Blessed are You, LORD, who makes peace.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart find favor before You, LORD, my Rock and Redeemer.

אֱלֹהַי My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from deceitful speech. To those who curse me, let my soul be silent; may my soul be to all like the dust. Open my heart to Your Torah and let my soul pursue Your commandments. As for all who plan evil against me, swiftly thwart their counsel and frustrate their plans. Act for the sake of Your name; act for the sake of Your right hand; act for the sake of Your holiness; act for the sake of Your Torah. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, save with Your right hand and answer me. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart find favor before You, LORD, my Rock and Redeemer.

May He who makes peace in His high places, make peace for us and all Israel – and say: Amen.

יְהִי רָצוֹן May it be Your will, LORD our God and God of our ancestors, that the Temple be rebuilt speedily in our days, and grant us a share in Your Torah. And there we will serve You with reverence, as in the days of old and as in former years. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.

וַיְכֻלּוּ Then the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their array. With the seventh day, God completed the work He had done. He ceased on the seventh day from all the work He had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because on it He ceased from all His work He had created to do.

בָּרוּךְ Blessed are You, LORD our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob, the great, mighty and awesome God, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.

מָגֵן אָבוֹת By His word, He was the Shield of our ancestors. By His promise, He will revive the dead. There is none like the holy King who gives rest to His people on His holy Sabbath day, for He found them worthy of His favor to give them rest. Before Him we will come in worship with reverence and awe, giving thanks to His name daily, continually, with due blessings. He is God to whom thanks are due, the LORD of peace who sanctifies the Sabbath and blesses the seventh day, and in holiness gives rest to a people filled with delight, in remembrance of the work of creation.

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ Our God and God of our ancestors, may You find favor in our rest. Make us holy through Your commandments and grant us our share in Your Torah. Satisfy us with Your goodness, grant us joy in Your salvation, and purify our hearts to serve You in truth. In love and favor, LORD our God, grant us as our heritage Your holy Sabbath, so that Israel who sanctify Your name may find rest on it. Blessed are You, LORD, who sanctifies the Sabbath.

PRAYER FOR SUSTENANCE

לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר A psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s and all it contains, the world and all who live in it. For He founded it on the seas and established it on the streams. Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not taken My name in vain, or sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and just reward from God, his salvation. This is a generation of those who seek Him, the descendants of Jacob who seek Your presence, Selah! Lift up your heads, O gates; be uplifted, eternal doors, so that the King of glory may enter. Who is the King of glory? It is the LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them up, eternal doors, so that the King of glory may enter. Who is He, the King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory, Selah!

May it be Your will, LORD our God, God of our ancestors, the great, mighty and awesome God, that You be filled with compassion, and are gracious to us, for Your own sake and for the holiness of this psalm [we have said], and the holy names mentioned in it, and for the holiness of its verses and words and letters and notes, and its secrets, and the holiness of the Holy Name [דיקרנוסא] that arises from the verse “I shall rain down upon you blessing without bounds” – and from the verse “Turn the light of Your face toward us, LORD.” And write us in the book of good sustenance, this year and for every year after – write us there, and all the people of our households, all the days of our lives, [that we may sustain ourselves] fully, with all that is needed and more, in legal ways and not forbidden ones, in serenity, without suffering, and without hard labor and struggle, in tranquility and peace and security, with no evil eye upon us. Allow us the merit of carrying out our holy service untroubled. And sustain us with a living that comes without any shame or humiliation; let us never be dependent on the gifts of other people, but always receive from Your full, broad hand. Let us be successful and let us profit from all our study and in all the works of our hands and our dealings. May our houses be full of the LORD’s blessing, and let us have bread enough to satisfy us, let us be well. Compassionate and gracious, Protector, Supporter, Savior, Upright One, Redeemer [רח״ש תמי״ף], have compassion for us and listen to our prayer, for You listen to the prayers that each mouth speaks. Blessed is the One who listens to prayers [ארארית״א כוז״ו אזבוגא].

FULL KADDISH

Leader: יִתְגַּדַּל Magnified and sanctified may His great name be, in the world He created by His will. May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of all the house of Israel, swiftly and soon – and say: Amen.

All: May His great name be blessed for ever and all time.

Leader: Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, raised and honored, uplifted and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, above and beyond any blessing, song, praise and consolation uttered in the world – and say: Amen.

May the prayers and pleas of all Israel be accepted by their Father in heaven – and say: Amen. May there be great peace from heaven, and life for us and all Israel – and say: Amen.

May He who makes peace in His high places, make peace for us and all Israel – and say: Amen.

KIDDUSH IN THE SYNAGOGUE

Please pay attention, my masters.

Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

בָּרוּךְ Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who has chosen us from among all peoples, raised us above all tongues, and made us holy through His commandments. You have given us, LORD our God, in love, this (Sabbath and this) Day of Remembrance, a day of (recalling) blowing the shofar, (with love,) a holy assembly in memory of the exodus from Egypt, for You have chosen us and sanctified us above all peoples, and Your word is true and endures for ever. Blessed are You, LORD, King over all the earth, who sanctifies (the Sabbath,) Israel and the Day of Remembrance.

בָּרוּךְ Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who creates the lights of fire.

Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who distinguishes between sacred and secular, between light and darkness, between Israel and the nations, between the seventh day and the six days of work. You have made a distinction between the holiness of the Sabbath and the holiness of festivals, and have sanctified the seventh day above the six days of work. You have distinguished and sanctified Your people Israel with Your holiness. Blessed are You, LORD, who distinguishes between sacred and sacred.

בָּרוּךְ Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time.

עָלֵֽינוּ It is our duty to praise the Master of all, and ascribe greatness to the Author of creation, who has not made us like the nations of the lands, nor placed us like the families of the earth; who has not made our portion like theirs, nor our destiny like all their multitudes. (For they worship vanity and emptiness, and pray to a god who cannot save.) But we bow in worship and thank the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, who extends the heavens and establishes the earth, whose throne of glory is in the heavens above, and whose power’s Presence is in the highest of heights. He is our God; there is no other. Truly He is our King; there is none else, as it is written in His Torah: “You shall know and take to heart this day that the LORD is God, in the heavens above and on the earth below. There is no other.”

Therefore, we place our hope in You, LORD our God, that we may soon see the glory of Your power, when You will remove abominations from the earth, and idols will be utterly destroyed, when the world will be perfected under the sovereignty of the Almighty, when all humanity will call on Your name, to turn all the earth’s wicked toward You. All the world’s inhabitants will realize and know that to You every knee must bow and every tongue swear loyalty. Before You, LORD our God, they will kneel and bow down and give honor to Your glorious name. They will all accept the yoke of Your kingdom, and You will reign over them soon and for ever. For the kingdom is Yours, and to all eternity You will reign in glory, as it is written in Your Torah: “The LORD will reign for ever and ever.” And it is said: “Then the LORD shall be King over all the earth; on that day the LORD shall be One and His name One.”

Have no fear of sudden terror or of the ruin when it overtakes the wicked. Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us. When you grow old, I will still be the same. When your hair turns gray, I will still carry you. I made you, I will bear you, I will carry you, and I will rescue you.

MOURNER’S KADDISH

Mourner: יִתְגַּדַּל Magnified and sanctified may His great name be, in the world He created by His will. May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of all the house of Israel, swiftly and soon – and say: Amen.

All: May His great name be blessed for ever and all time.

Mourner: Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, raised and honored, uplifted and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, above and beyond any blessing, song, praise and consolation uttered in the world – and say: Amen.

May there be great peace from heaven, and life for us and all Israel – and say: Amen.

May He who makes peace in His high places, make peace for us and all Israel – and say: Amen.

לְדָוִד A psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom then shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men close in on me to devour my flesh, it is they, my enemies and foes, who stumble and fall. Should an army besiege me, my heart would not fear. Should war break out against me, still I would be confident. One thing I ask of the LORD, only this do I seek: to live in the House of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and worship in His Temple. For He will keep me safe in His pavilion on the day of trouble. He will hide me under the cover of His tent. He will set me high upon a rock. Now my head is high above my enemies who surround me. I will sacrifice in His tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and chant praises to the LORD. LORD, hear my voice when I call. Be gracious to me and answer me. On Your behalf my heart says, “Seek My face.” Your face, LORD, will I seek. Do not hide Your face from me. Do not turn Your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Do not reject or forsake me, God, my Savior. Were my father and my mother to forsake me, the LORD would take me in. Teach me Your way, LORD, and lead me on a level path, because of my oppressors. Do not abandon me to the will of my foes, for false witnesses have risen against me, breathing violence. Were it not for my faith that I shall see the LORD’s goodness in the land of the living. Hope in the LORD. Be strong and of good courage, and hope in the LORD!

LORD of the universe, who reigned before the birth of any thing – When by His will all things were made then was His name proclaimed King. And when all things shall cease to be He alone will reign in awe. He was, He is, and He shall be glorious for evermore. He is One, there is none else, alone, unique, beyond compare; Without beginning, without end, His might, His rule are everywhere. He is my God; my Redeemer lives. He is the Rock on whom I rely – My banner and my safe retreat, my cup, my portion when I cry. Into His hand my soul I place, when I awake and when I sleep. The LORD is with me, I shall not fear; body and soul from harm will He keep.

Great is the living God and praised. He exists, and His existence is beyond time. He is One, and there is no unity like His. Unfathomable, His Oneness is infinite. He has neither bodily form nor substance; His holiness is beyond compare. He preceded all that was created. He was first: there was no beginning to His beginning. Behold He is Master of the Universe; every creature shows His greatness and majesty. The rich flow of His prophecy He gave to His treasured people in whom He gloried. Never in Israel has there arisen another like Moses, a prophet who beheld God’s image. God gave His people a Torah of truth by the hand of His prophet, most faithful of His House. God will not alter or change His law for any other, for eternity. He sees and knows our secret thoughts; as soon as something is begun, He foresees its end. He rewards people with loving-kindness according to their deeds; He punishes the wicked according to his wickedness. At the end of days He will send our Messiah, to redeem those who await His final salvation. God will revive the dead in His great loving-kindness. Blessed for evermore is His glorious name!

לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה May your name be written and sealed for a good year.