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It is somewhat well known that in the Italian rite, there are alternative texts for the first and third blessings of the evening Shemaˁ liturgy on Shabbat, texts which were rejected by Ashkenazi practice out of fear the community could become confused and recite them on weekdays. But these Shabbat-specific blessings, derived from the old Erets Yisrael rite and preserved in the siddur of Rav Saˁadia Gaon (RaSaG), are not alone! All the blessings of the Shabbat evening Shemaˁ service — as well as all the blessings of the Saturday night Motsaei Shabbat Shemaˁ service! — have unique poetic forms in RaSaG’s siddur.
This is part one of a two-part series posting these liturgical texts found in the siddur of — and approved of by — the gaon. For this part, the blessings for Friday night, locations where Italian rite’s modern versions of the first and third blessings differ from the version of RaSaG are marked.
Note: “The CAUSE” is used to translate the Divine Name YHVH, based on the philosophical idea of God as the Prime Mover and on the interpretation of the Name as a causative form of the copula – “causes to be.” “God” is used to translate the divine name Elohim. This translation also uses the plural pronouns They/Their/Them to refer to God as a pluralis majestatis, and to avoid the implications of God being assigned a gender. (Find Ibn Ezra’s commentary on Genesis 1:1 for a discussion of the pluralis majestatis when referring to God.) All divine referents (pronouns, epithets, names) are rendered in unicase.
| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹֽדֶשׁ לְחֹל וּמַצְפִּין לְנֹֽגַהּ חַמָּה וְחוֹתֵם בְּעַד כּוֹכְבֵי הָרָקִֽיעַ כַּדָּבָר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם׃ (איוב ט:ז) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמַּעֲרִיב עֲרָבִים׃ |
Blessed are You, Cause our God, Sovereign of the universe, who distinguishes between holy and secular, and hides the glow of the sun, and seals up the stars of the firmament, as the Word says: Saying to the sun not to shine, and sealing up the stars. (Job 9:7) Blessed are You, Cause, who evens evening. |
אוֹתָֽנוּ הִבְדַּֽלְתָּ לִהְיוֹת לָךְ לְעַם כִּי אַהֲבָתֵֽנוּ עֲרֵבָה לְפָנֶֽיךָ כַּדָּבָר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וִהְיִ֤יתֶם לִי֙ קְדֹשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וָאַבְדִּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֛ם מִן־הָֽעַמִּ֖ים לִהְי֥וֹת לִֽי׃ (ישעיה כ:כו) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אוֹהֵב אֶת־עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמֵן׃ |
You distinguished us to be Your people, for our love is pleasant before You, as the Word says: And you will be holy to Me, for I, the Cause, am holy, and I distinguished you from the nations to be Mine. (Isaiah 20:26) Blessed are You, Cause, who loves Their people Israel, amen. |
שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל… (דברים ה:ד-ט) |
Hear, Israel!… (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) |
וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־שָׁמֹ֤עַ… (דברים יא:יג-כא) |
And it will be… (Deuteronomy 11:13–21) |
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר… (במדבר טו:לז-מא) |
And the Cause said… (Numbers 15:37–41) |
אֱמֶת אֱמוּנָה אָמְרָה אֲיֻמָּה בְּאַהֲבַת אֵיתָנִים הִבְדִּילַֽנִי דּוֹדִי מִטֻּמְאַת אֶֽרֶץ פַּתְרוֹס בְּעֵת רָדוּ בִּי צוֹעֲנִים בְּפָֽרֶךְ וַיְכַלֶּה בְּאַף לוֹחֲצֵי מֻבְדָּלִים וַיְצַמִּיתֵם בְּחִצִּים עֲשָׂרָה וַיּוֹצִא לָאוֹר מַבְדִּילִים עַל־אוֹר וּמְכַבִּים אוֹרֵֽנוּ בַּאֲבַדּוֹן הִשְׁקִֽיעַ וַיִּקְרַע יַם־סוּף לִפְנֵי מֻבְדָּלִים וַיְרוֹמְמוּ לַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין־קֹֽדֶשׁ לְחֹל בְּעֵת שֶׁהִבְדִּילָם פָּֽצוּ לוֹ רְנָנוֹת וְנָעֲמוּ לוֹ זְמִירוֹת נַֽעַר וְזָקֵן כְּעָלוּ מִן־הַיָּם עָנוּ וְאָמְרוּ׃ מִֽי־כָמֹ֤כָה בָּֽאֵלִם֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה מִ֥י כָּמֹ֖כָה נֶאְדָּ֣ר בַּקֹּ֑דֶשׁ נוֹרָ֥א תְהִלֹּ֖ת עֹ֥שֵׂה פֶֽלֶא׃ (שמות טו:יא) |
True, faithful, the amazing one[1] Israel, in this case, as can be determined from the feminine form spoke: “In the love of the mighty ones[2] The patriarchs my Beloved[3] God separated me from the impurity of Upper Egypt, when the Tanisites[4] An archaic word for Egyptians, derived from the town named Tanis or Tsoˁan. In modern Hebrew this term has been adapted through phonosemantic matching (both sound-similarity to the Germanic term Zigeuner and etymology-similarity to the English gypsy) to refer to the Roma, Sinti, and Dom itinerant peoples. This usage is marked and considered by many Roma, Sinti, and Dom to be offensive, as are the German and English terms to which it corresponds. tyrannized me in hard labor.” They put an end in rage to those oppressing the distinguished ones, and annihilated them with ten arrows,[5] The plagues and brought to light those that distinguish light, and those destroying our light They sunk into destruction. And They split the Reed Sea before the distinguished ones, who cheered to the Distinguisher between sacred and profane. At the time when They distinguished them, they opened in cheers and pleasant hymns, young and old, as they ascended from the sea they answered and said: Who is like You among deities, Cause? Who is like You, noble in holiness, awesome in praises, wonder-working? (Exodus 15:11) |
עַל־שְׂפַת הַיָּם עָמְדוּ מֻבְדָּלִים וּפָֽצוּ זְמִירוֹת לָאֵל שֶׁהִבְדִּילָם מִשִּׁבְעִים לְשׁוֹנוֹת הוֹדוּ וְהִמְלִֽיכוּ וְאָמְרוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ יִמְלֹ֖ךְ לְעֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃ (שמות טו:יח) תָּחִישׁ יְשׁוּעָה לַזֶּֽרַע מֻבְדָּל לָךְ תִּגְאֹל וְתוֹשִֽׁיעַ לְעַם נוֹשַׁע בָּךְ כַּדָּבָר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ נוֹשַׁ֣ע בַּֽיהֹוָ֔ה תְּשׁוּעַ֖ת עוֹלָמִ֑ים לֹא־תֵבֹ֥שׁוּ וְלֹא־תִכָּלְמ֖וּ עַד־ע֥וֹלְמֵי עַֽד׃ (ישעיה מה:יז) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה גָּאַל יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ |
By the shore of the sea the distinguished ones stood and opened in hymns to the Deity who separated them from the seventy tongues. They thanked and acclaimed sovereignty and said: The Cause will reign to eternity and aye! (Exodus 15:18) Hurry salvation to the seed distinguished by You; redeem and save the people saved by You, as the Word says: Israel, saved by the Cause, salvation of eternities; you will not be ashamed nor disgraced until eternity and on. (Isaiah 45:17) Blessed are You, Cause, who redeemed Israel. |
נִשְׁכְּבָה בְּחַסְדְּךָ נָקִֽיצָה וְנִשְׁבְּעָה בֶּאֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ וּפַֽחַד וְצָרָה וְשָׂטָן בַּלֵּילוֹת אַל־יִמְשְׁלוּ בָּֽנוּ כָּאָמוּר אִם־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ב לֹֽא־תִפְחָ֑ד וְ֝שָׁכַבְתָּ֗ וְֽעָרְבָ֥ה שְׁנָתֶֽךָ׃ (משלי ג:כד) שׇׁמְרֵֽנוּ וְהַצִּילֵֽנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מִכׇּל־דָּבָר רַע וּמִפַּֽחַד לָֽיְלָה וּשְׁבֹר הַשָּׂטָן מִלְּפָנֵֽינוּ וּמֵאַחֲרֵֽינוּ כִּי שׁוֹמְרֵֽנוּ וּמַצִּילֵֽנוּ אָֽתָּה׃ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה שׁוֹמֵר עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַד׃ |
Let’s lie down in Your kindness, let’s awake and vow by Your faithfulness, and may no fear and stress and adversary by night rule over us, as it is said: If you lie down, you will not fear, and you will lie down and your sleep will be pleasant. (Proverbs 3:24) Guard us and rescue us, Cause our God, from any bad thing, and from night terror, and shatter the adversary from before us and behind us, for our guardian and rescuer are You. Blessed are You, Cause, who guards Their people Israel alone. |
בָּר֖וּךְ יְהֹוָ֥ה לְעוֹלָ֗ם אָ֘מֵ֥ן ׀ וְאָמֵֽן׃ (תהלים פט:נג) וַיַּרְא֙ כׇּל־הָעָ֔ם וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ יְהֹוָה֙ ה֣וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים יְהֹוָ֖ה ה֥וּא הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ (מלכים א׳ יח:לט) וּבָר֤וּךְ ׀ שֵׁ֥ם כְּבוֹד֗וֹ לְע֫וֹלָ֥ם וְיִמָּלֵ֣א כְ֭בוֹדוֹ אֶת־כֹּ֥ל הָאָ֗רֶץ אָ֘מֵ֥ן ׀ וְאָמֵֽן׃ (תהלים עב:יט) יִמְלֹ֤ךְ יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ לְעוֹלָ֗ם אֱלֹהַ֣יִךְ צִ֭יּוֹן לְדֹ֥ר וָדֹ֗ר הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃ (תהלים קמו:י) |
Blessed be the Cause to eternity, amen and amen. (Psalms 89:53) And all the people saw and fell on their faces and said, “The Cause is God! The Cause is God!” (I Kings 18:39) And blessed be Their honored name to eternity, and may Their honor fill all the earth, amen and amen. (Psalms 72:19) The Cause will reign to eternity; your God, Zion, to generation upon generation, hallelujah! (Psalms 146:10) |
הוֹשִׁיעֵ֙נוּ֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׁעֵ֔נוּ וְקַבְּצֵ֥נוּ וְהַצִּילֵ֖נוּ מִן־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם לְהֹדוֹת֙ לְשֵׁ֣ם קׇדְשֶׁ֔ךָ לְהִשְׁתַּבֵּ֖חַ בִּתְהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃ (דברי הימים א׳ טז:לה) כִּ֠י לֹֽא־יִטֹּ֤שׁ יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־עַמּ֔וֹ בַּעֲב֖וּר שְׁמ֣וֹ הַגָּד֑וֹל כִּ֚י הוֹאִ֣יל יְהֹוָ֔ה לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת אֶתְכֶ֛ם ל֖וֹ לְעָֽם׃ (שמואל א׳ יב:כב) |
Save us, God of our salvation, and gather us and rescue us from the nations, to thank Your holy name and to laud in Your praise! (I Chronicles 16:35) For the Cause will not abandon Their people for the sake of Their great name, seeing as the Cause acted to make you Their people. (I Samuel 12:22) |
וְעָל֤וּ מֽוֹשִׁעִים֙ בְּהַ֣ר צִיּ֔וֹן לִשְׁפֹּ֖ט אֶת־הַ֣ר עֵשָׂ֑ו וְהָיְתָ֥ה לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה הַמְּלוּכָֽה׃ (עובדיה א:כא) וְהָיָ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִהְיֶ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶחָ֖ד וּשְׁמ֥וֹ אֶחָֽד׃ (זכריה יד:ט) |
And saviors will ascend Mt. Zion to judge Mt. Esau, and the Cause will have sovereignty. (Obadiah 1:21) And the Cause will be sovereign over all the earth; on that day the Cause will be one and Their name one. (Zechariah 14:9) |
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַֽיִם קַיֵּם שְׁמָךְ וּמַלְכוּתָךְ עָלֵֽינוּ תָּמִיד לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד בְּיָדְךָ נֶֽפֶשׁ הַחַיִּים וְנֶֽפֶשׁ הַמֵּתִים׃ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדוֹ נֶ֣פֶשׁ כׇּל־חָ֑י וְ֝ר֗וּחַ כׇּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃ (איוב יב:י) בְּיָדְךָ֮ אַפְקִ֢יד ר֫וּחִ֥י פָּדִ֖יתָ אוֹתִ֥י יְהֹוָ֗ה אֵ֣ל אֱמֶֽת׃ (תהלים לא:ו) |
Our God in heaven, establish Your name and Your sovereignty over us always, to eternity and aye; in Your hand is the soul of the living and the soul of the dead. In Their hand is the soul of all life and the spirit of all mortal flesh. (Job 12:10) In Your hand I entrust my spirit; You have saved me, Cause, Deity of truth. (Psalms 31:6) |
יְֽהֹוָ֗ה הַצִּ֣ילָה נַ֭פְשִׁי מִשְּׂפַת־שֶׁ֑קֶר מִלָּשׁ֥וֹן רְמִיָּֽה׃ (תהלים קכ:ב) יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ נוֹשַׁ֣ע בַּֽיהֹוָ֔ה תְּשׁוּעַ֖ת עוֹלָמִ֑ים לֹא־תֵבֹ֥שׁוּ וְלֹא־תִכָּלְמ֖וּ עַד־ע֥וֹלְמֵי עַֽד׃ (ישעיה מה:יז) |
Cause, save my soul from lying speech, from deceitful language. (Psalms 120:2) Israel, saved by the Cause, salvation of eternities; you will not be ashamed nor disgraced until eternity and on. (Isaiah 45:17) |
יְהִ֨י יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ עִמָּ֔נוּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיָ֖ה עִם־אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ אַל־יַעַזְבֵ֖נוּ וְאַֽל־יִטְּשֵֽׁנוּ׃ לְהַטּ֥וֹת לְבָבֵ֖נוּ אֵלָ֑יו לָלֶ֣כֶת בְּכׇל־דְּרָכָ֗יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֨ר מִצְוֺתָ֤יו וְחֻקָּיו֙ וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֖ה אֶת־אֲבֹתֵֽינוּ׃ (מלכים א׳ ח:נז-נח) |
May the Cause our God be with us, as They were with our ancestors; may They not leave us nor abandon us; to incline our hearts to Them, to walk in all Their ways and to keep Their commandments and laws and rulings that They commanded our ancestors! (I Kings 8:57-58) |
כֹּ֣ל הַ֭נְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּ֥ל יָ֗הּ הַֽלְﬞלוּ־יָֽהּ׃ (תהלים קנ:ו) בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה בַּבֹּֽקֶר בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה בָּעֶֽרֶב׃ בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה בַּיּוֹם בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה בַּלַּֽיְלָה׃ בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה בְּשׇׁכְבֵֽנוּ וּבְקוּמֵֽנוּ׃ תָּמִיד יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ נְהַלְּלָךְ סֶֽלָה לְדוֹר וָדוֹר נָשִֽׂיחַ בֶּאֱמוּנָתָךְ׃ לְךָ נְפָאֵר אֵל מֶֽלֶךְ מוֹשֵׁל בַּכֹּל כִּי אַתָּה הִבְדַּֽלְתָּ בֵּין־קֹֽדֶשׁ לְחֹל׃ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה מֶֽלֶךְ אֵל חַי לָעַד וְקַיָּם לָנֶֽצַח מְשֻׁבָּח שְׁמוֹ תָּמִיד לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד אָמֵן׃ |
Let all with breath praise Yah; hallelujah! (Psalms 150:6) Blessed be the Cause by morning, blessed be the Cause by evening. Blessed be the Cause by day, blessed be the Cause by night. Blessed be the Cause when we lie down and when we rise up. Always, Cause our God, we will praise You, selah; to each and every generation we will tell Your faithfulness.[6] Up until here this final blessing is the same as RaSa”G suggests for a regular weekday. In fact, in the original text it is written with just the first verse followed by the Judeo-Arabic for “to the end.” But the final line is unique to Saturday nights. To You we will glorify, sovereign Deity who rules over all, for You distinguished between holy and secular. Blessed are You, Cause, sovereign Deity, living on and established forever, lauded is Their name always, to eternity and on, amen. |
This digital transcription was derived from the text published in Siddur R. Saadja Gaon, edited by I. Davidson, S. Assaf, and B.I. Joel (1963), pp. 110-111.
Notes
| 1 | Israel, in this case, as can be determined from the feminine form |
|---|---|
| 2 | The patriarchs |
| 3 | God |
| 4 | An archaic word for Egyptians, derived from the town named Tanis or Tsoˁan. In modern Hebrew this term has been adapted through phonosemantic matching (both sound-similarity to the Germanic term Zigeuner and etymology-similarity to the English gypsy) to refer to the Roma, Sinti, and Dom itinerant peoples. This usage is marked and considered by many Roma, Sinti, and Dom to be offensive, as are the German and English terms to which it corresponds. |
| 5 | The plagues |
| 6 | Up until here this final blessing is the same as RaSa”G suggests for a regular weekday. In fact, in the original text it is written with just the first verse followed by the Judeo-Arabic for “to the end.” But the final line is unique to Saturday nights. |
“שמע לליל שבת על פי הרס״ג | Special Shemaˁ Blessings for Shabbat Maˁariv according to Saadiah ben Yosef Gaon” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.
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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17
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