The Seder Tefillah for Shabbat and Yom Tov of Kehillat Kol Haneshama, Jerusalem (2007)

Barkhu
The Ma`ariv blessing, the first blessing before reading the Shema
The Ahavah blessing, the second blessing before reading the Shema

First section of the Shema: accepting the yoke of God’s rule

Hear, O Israel: Adonai is our God, Adonai is One:
Blessed be the name of God’s glorious kingdom forever and ever.

Deuteronomy 6:6

You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. Set these words, which I command you this day, upon your heart. Teach them faithfully to your children; speak of them in your home and on your way, when you lie down and when you rise up. Bind them as a sign upon your hand; let them, be a symbol before your eyes; inscribe them on the doorposts of your house, and on your gates.

Second section of the Shema: Accepting the yoke of the commandments

Traditional text
Deuteronomy 11

If you obey the commandments that I command you this day, to love Adonai your God and to serve God with all your consciousness and all your life, I will grant rain for your land in season, the early rain and the late: you shall gather in your new grain and wine and oil, and I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle; you shall eat and be satisfied. Take care not to be lured away to serve other gods and bow to them. Adonai’s anger will flare up against you, and God will shut up the skies so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its produce; and you will soon perish from the good land that Adonai is giving you. Impress My words upon your consciousness, bind them for a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead, and teach them to your children — reciting them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up; and inscribe them on the door posts of your house and upon your gates so that you and your children may endure, in the land that Adonai swore to your fathers, to give to them, as long as there is a heaven over the earth.

Alternative text
Deut 30:15-20

Behold, I have set before you this day life and good, or death and evil. For I command you this day to love Adonai, to walk in God’s ways and to keep the commandments, laws and teachings of your God, that you may live and increase, and that Adonai your God may bless you in the land that you are about to occupy. But if your heart turns away and you do not listen, but let yourself be lured away to worship other gods, and serve them, I warn you – you will perish: you will not live long in the land which you are crossing the Jordan to enter and inherit. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that I have set before you life or death, blessing or curse; choose life, therefore, that you and your descendants may live – by loving Adonai your God, listening to God’s voice, and holding fast to the One who is your life and the length of your days. Then you shall endure in the land that Adonai promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Third section of the Shema: Tzitzit and the Exodus from Egypt

Num 15:37-41
Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the people of Israel and instruct them to make fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner. That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all the mitzvot of Adonai and observe them, so that you do not follow your heart and eyes that lead you to lust. You will remember to observe all My commandments and to be holy to your God. I, Adonai, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am Adonai your God.

Adonai is your God in truth

The Redemption Blessing – The first blessing after the Shema
All this we hold to be true and sure: God alone is our God; there is none else, and we are Israel God’s people.
God is our ruler: God delivers us from the hand of oppressors, and saves us from the fist of tyrants. God does wonders without number, marvels that pass our understanding. God gives us our life; by God’s help we survive all who seek our destruction. God did wonders for us in the land of Egypt, miracles and marvels in the land of Pharaoh. God led His people Israel out, forever to serve Him in freedom.

God upholds the word of his servant and fulfills the predictions of his messengers. God says of Jerusalem, “It shall be inhabited,” and of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt; and I will restore their ruined places.” (Isaiah 44.26)
When God’s children witnessed God’s power they extolled God and praised God’s name; freely they acclaimed God’s rule; full of joy, Miriam, Moses and Israel sang this song:
Who is like You, Eternal One, among the gods? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders?

In their escape at the sea, Your children saw Your sovereign might displayed.
“This is my God!” they cried in response.
Adonai will reign for ever and ever!

And it has been said.
Adonai delivered Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of one stronger than himself.
Blessed are You, Adonai, Redeemer of Israel.

Psalm 121

The Song of Ascent. I lift up my eyes to the mountains: what is the source of my help?
My help will come from Adonai, Maker of heaven and earth.
God will not allow your foot to slip; your Guardian will not slumber. The Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. Adonai is your Guardian, Adonai is your protection, your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. Adonai will guard you from all evil. Adonai will protect you. Adonai will guard you, coming and going, from now and forever.

The “Let Us Lie Down” Blessing – The second blessing after the Shema

Adonai our God, let us lie down in peace, and raise us up, O Sovereign, to life renewed. Spread over us the shelter of Your peace; guide us with Your good counsel; for Your name’s sake, be our Help. Shield us from hatred and plague; keep us from war and famine and anguish; and keep us far from wickedness. God, our Guardian and Helper, our gracious and merciful ruler, give us refuge in the shadow of Your wings. Guard our coming and our going, that now and always we may have life and peace.

(Psalm 122)

May there peace in your cities, tranquility in Your homes

And spread over us the shelter of Your peace.

Blessed are You, Adonai, who spreads the shelter of peace over us, over all His people Israel, and over Jerusalem.

The people of Israel shall keep the Shabbat, observing the Shabbat in every generation as a covenant for all time. It is a sign forever between Me and the people of Israel, for in six days the Eternal God made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day God rested from labor and was refreshed.

On Shabbat during the intermediate days of the festivals
Moses declared to Israel the set times of Adonai. (Lev 23:44)

Chatzi Kaddish

Let the great name of God be extolled and sanctified in the world whose creation He willed. May God’s kingdom soon prevail, in our own day, in our own lives, and the life of all Israel, and let us say: Amen. Let God’s great name be blessed for ever and ever. Let the name of the blessed Holy One be glorified, exalted and honored, though God is (on Shabbat of Repentance: above and) beyond all the praises, songs, and adorations that we can utter, and let us say: Amen.

Amidah

Adonai, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your glory. (Psalms 51:17)

1. Ancestors
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God and God of our ancestors: God of Avraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob; God of Sarah, God of Rebecca,, God of Rachel and God of Leah, God great, mighty, and awesome God, God supreme. God who bestows lovingkindness. Creator of all. You remember the faithfulness of our ancestors, and in love bring redemption to their children’s children for the sake of Your name.

On Shabbat Teshuva add: Remember us to life, the ruler who delights in Life,
and inscribe us in the book of life, for Your sake, living God)

You are our ruler and our help, our savior and our shield.
Blessed are You, Adonai, the Shield of Avraham and Sarah.

2. Might

Eternal is Your might, Adonai, You bring low but also raise up.
Great is Your power to save.

From the first day of Pesach until Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah: You drop the dew
From Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah until the first day of Pesach: You cause the wind to blow and rain to fall.

With love You sustain the living, with great compassion give life to all. You support the falling and heal the sick; You bring freedom to the captive and keep faith with those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, Master of Might? Who is comparable? Source of life and death, who causes salvation to blossom?!

On Shabbat Teshuva add: Who is like You, nurturing father who in compassion sustains the life of His creatures.
You faithfully sustain every living thing.
Blessed are You, Adonai, the Source of life.
(Traditional version: Blessed are You, Adonai, who brings life to the dead.)

3. The Sanctity of God’s Name

You are holy and Your name is holy, and those who strive to be holy declare Your glory day by day.
Blessed are You, Adonai, the holy God (on Shabbat Teshuva: the holy Ruler).

4. The Holiness of the Day

You set the seventh day apart for Your service; it is the goal of creation, blessed among all other days, more holy than other times, as we read in the story of creation:

The sky and earth, and all their array – was completed. On the seventh day God ended the work of creation; on the seventh day God rested, with all the work completed. God blessed the seventh day and called it holy, for with this day God had completed the work of creation. (Gen 2:1-3)

Our God and God of our ancestors, may our rest on this day be pleasing in Your sight. Make us Holy with Your Mitzvot, and let Your Torah be our way of life. Satisfy us with Your goodness, gladden us with Your salvation, and purify our hearts to serve You in truth. In Your gracious love, Adonai our God, let Your holy Shabbat remain our heritage, that all Israel, declaring Your name holy, may find rest and peace. Blessed are You, Adonai, who makes the Shabbat holy.

5. Worship

Be gracious, Adonai our God, to Your people Israel, and receive our prayers with love. May our worship always be acceptable to You. Dwell in Zion, that Your worshippers may serve You in Jerusalem.

On Shabbat Rosh Chodesh and on Intermediate Days of the Festivals

Our God and God of our ancestors, may there ascend, come, and reach, appear, be desired, and heard, counted and recalled our remembrance and our reckoning; the remembrance of our ancestors; and the remembrance of Jerusalem, the city of your Holinees; and the remembrance of all Your people Israel before you, for survival and well-being, for grace, kindliness and compessaion, for life and for perace on this day of:
On Rosh Chodesh: on this New Moon.
On Pesach: on this Festival of Matzot.
On Succot: on this Festival of Succot.
Remember us, Adonai our God, on this day for good. Visit us with blessing. Deliver us for a good life. May we find acceptance and favor, love and mercy in Your sight. In Your infinite compassion show us Your pardon and Your salvation, our eyes are turned to You, for You are a compassionate and merciful God and ruler.

Let our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy. Blessed are You, Adonai, who restores the divine presence and His people to Zion.

6. Thanksgiving

We gratefully acknowledge that You are the Adonai our God and God of our people, the God of all generations. You are the rock of our life, the power that shields us in every age. We thank You and sing Your praises: for our lives, which are in Your hands; for our souls, which are in Your keeping; for the signs of Your wondrous gifts at all times, morning, noon, and night. You are Goodness: Your mercies never end; You are Compassion: Your love will never fail. You have always been our hope.

On Hanukkah and Shushan Purim:

We give thanks for the redeeming wonders and the mighty deeds by which our people was saved in days of old and in our times.

Hanukkah

In the days of the Hasmoneans, Mattityahu son of Yochanan the High Priest and his sons, the wicked Hellenistic kingdom rose against our ancestors, determined to make them forget Your Torah, and to turn them away from obedience to Your will. But You, in Your great mercy, were at their side in time of trouble. You fought their fight and vindicated them. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak; the many into the hands of the few; the arrogant into the hands of those who- kept Your covenant; You have wrought great victory and miraculous deliverance for Your people down to this day, revealing Your glory and Your holiness to all the world. Then Your children returned to Your house, to purify the sanctuary and kindle its lights. And they dedicated these days to give thanks and praise to Your great name. As You have made miracles for them, so may You do for us, saving us in these days as in those.

Shushan Purim in Jerusalem

In the days of Mordechai and Esther in the capital city of Shushan, when the evil Haman rose against them and was determined to destroy, kill and wipe out all the Jews, young and old, women and children and plunder their property – in one day – the thirteenth of Adar. You in Your great compassion thwarted his plans, messed his designs and repaid him in kind. Haman and his sons were hung (on the gallows he prepared for Mordechai).

For all these things, Sovereign God, let Your name be for ever exalted and blessed.
(On Shabbat Teshuva add: And inscribe all the children of Your covenant for a good life.)
All who live shall affirm You and praise Your name in truth, Adonai our Redeemer and Helper. Blessed are You, Adonai, whose nature is goodness, it is fitting to give thanks and praise to You.

7. Peace

Grant true and lasting peace to Your people Israel, for You are the supreme sovereign of peace. May it please You to bless Your people Israel and all the peoples of the earth in every season and at all times with Your peace.

On Shabbat Teshuva add:
In the book of life, blessings and peace and good sustenance may we and all the household of Israel be remembered and inscribed before You, for a good life and for peace.

Blessed are You, Adonai, who makes peace.

Upon concluding the Amidah, one may add a personal prayer or recite the following.

My God, keep my tongue from evil and my lips from deceit. Help me to be silent in the face of derision, humble in the presence of all. Open my heart to Your Torah, and I will pursue Your Mitzvot totally. As for those who wish me evil, hasten to undo their evil plans and thwart their purposes. Do so for the sake of Your name, Your power, Your Torah and Your holiness, that those whom You love might be rescued, deliver with Your right hand and answer me.

Mar son of Rabinah

Ps 19:15

May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable to You, Adonai, my Rock and my Redeemer. May God who causes peace to reign in the high heavens, grant us peace, and all Israel, and on all the world, and let us say: Amen.

At this moment of profound silence when we contemplate upon those things which cannot be expressed in words, let us take the opportunity to deepen the insight with which we have been endowed. Let us look inward. Let us draw up our past life as one would draw a pail out of a well. It is incumbent upon us to reach full self-awareness, to create a balance among the forces at work within us.

Based upon Martin Buber

Teach me, my God, a blessing, a prayer
For the mystery of a withered leaf, for ripened fruit so fair,
For the freedom to see, to sense, to breathe,
To know, to hope, to fail.

Teach my lips a blessing, a hymn of praise,
As each morning and night You renew Your days,
Lest my day be as the one before,
Lest routine set my ways.

Leah Goldberg, 20th Century

God, where can You be found? Your place is high and hidden.
Yet where are You not to be found? Your glory fills all the earth!

I desire to be close to You, I call You with my whole heart.
I set out toward you, and find You on the way toward me.
In your miraculous deeds I see Your holiness.

Who can say: “I have never seen You”, when the sky and all its hosts
Tell of your greatness, though they say not a word.

R . Yehudah HaLevi, 11th-12th Century

Rabi El’azar, on concluding his prayer, used to say the following:
May it be Your will, Adonai our God, that You imbue our fate with love and empathy and peace and friendship, and may You make our borders rich in disciples and prosper our latter end with good prospect and hope, and set our portion in Paradise, and perfect us through a good companion and a good impulse in Your world, and may we rise early and obtain the yearning of our heart to fear Your name, and may You be pleased to grant the satisfaction of our desire.

Raba, on concluding his prayer, added the following:
My God, before I was formed I was not worthy [to be formed), and now that I have been formed I am as if I had not been formed. I am dust in my lifetime, all the more in my death. Behold I am before You like a vessel full of shame and confusion. May it be Your will, Adonai my God, that I sin no more, and the sins I have committed before You be wiped out by Your great mercies, but not through chastisement and awful diseases!

The Secret of Shabbat

The secret of Shabbat: She is Shabbat herself. United in the secret of One, drawing upon Her the secret of One. Through the Kabbalat Shabbat service the holy throne of glory is united with the mystery of Oneness and is prepared for the Holy Supreme Ruler. When Shabbat enters She is alone, separated from the Other Side, all judgments removed from Her. Basking in the oneness of holy light, She is crowned over and over before the Holy King. All powers of wrath and masters of judgment flee from Her. There is no power in all the worlds aside from Her. Her face shines with a light from beyond; She is crowned below by the holy people, all of whom are crowned with new souls. Then – the beginning of prayer- these people blessing Her with joy, with beaming faces and saying: Barekhu et Adonai ha-mevorakh! Let us bless Adonai who is blessed!

Gen 2:1-3

The sky and earth, and all their array – was completed. On the seventh day God ended the work of creation; on the seventh day God rested, with all the work completed. God blessed the seventh day and called it holy, for with this day God had completed the work of creation.

Blessed are You Adonai, our God and God of our ancestors: God of Abraham, God of Sarah, God of Isaac, God of Rebecca; God of Jacob, God of Rachel and God of Leah, God great, mighty, and awesome, God supreme, Ruler of heaven and earth.

Protector of our ancestors with His word, bringing life to all through His speech, Holy God (on Shabbat Teshuva: ruler), beyond compare who gives rest to His people on the holy Shabbat day. God wanted them, so they might rest, we will serve God in awe and trembling, and thank God’s name day after day- essence of all blessing. God of praise, source of peace, God declares the Shabbat holy and blesses the seventh day. Granting it in holiness to a people abounding in joy – in remembrance of the work of creation.

Our God and God of our ancestors, may our rest on this day be pleasing in Your sight. Make us Holy with Your Mitzvot, and let Your Torah be our way of life. Satisfy us with Your goodness, gladden us with Your salvation, and purify our hearts to serve You in truth. In Your gracious love, Adonai our God, let Your holy Shabbat remain our heritage, that all Israel, declaring Your name holy, may find rest and peace. Blessed are You, Adonai, who makes the Shabbat holy.

I am ready to fulfill the commandment of counting the omer as it says in the Torah (Lev. 23): “Start counting on the day after the shabbat, –
from the day you bring the sheaf of omer – seven full weeks until the day after the seventh shabbat – fifty days”
“May the favor of Adonai our God be upon us, may the works of our hands prosper, prosper the works of our hands” (Psalm 90)

“Teach us to treasure each day bring wisdom to the heart”

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, infinite ruler who made us holy with your commandments and commanded us to count the omer

Today is the day, or week(s) and day(s) of the omer

Servants of time, they are servants of servants,
only the servant of Adonai is truly free

Blessed is God who freed us from Egyptian slavery
commanded us to count fifty days to bring us closer to true service
God will open our hearts with Torah
so we can serve with awe as in days past forever

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, who makes us holy with Your commandments, and commands us to wrap ourselves in the tallit.

I give thanks to You, living and enduring Ruler. You have carefully restored my soul to me. Great is Your trust.

How goodly are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling-places, Israel!
In Your abundant loving kindness let me enter Your house, reverently to worship in Your holy temple.
Adonai, I love Your house, the place where Your glory dwells. I would worship with humility, I would seek blessing in the presence of God, my Maker.
To You, Adonai, does my prayer go forth. May this be a time of favor. In Your great loving-kindness, God, answer me with Your saving truth.

At dawn I seek You, my Rock and Stronghold;
I lay out before You my morning and evening prayers.
Before Your greatness I stand afraid,
For Your eye sees all my thoughts.
What can heart and tongue do, and what is my spirit’s strength within me?
Behold, our human song will gain Your favor.
Therefore, I will affirm You while yet Your spirit lives within me.
R. Solomon Ibn Gavirol, 11th Century

For the Body

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, ruler of the Infinite who formed the human body with wisdom, creating it with so many tunnels and passageways. You know that if one of these would open or close by mistake we could not stand before You. Blessed are You, Adonai who heals all flesh and does wonders.

For the Soul/ Breath
My God, the soul which You have bestowed in me is pure. You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me, You maintain it within me, and You will one day take my soul from me, to restore it to me in time to come. As long as my soul is in me I give thanks to You, Adonai my God and God of my ancestors, Master of all creation, Ruler of all souls. Blessed are You, Adonai, who holds the soul of every living thing and the spirit of every human.

Traditional version:
Blessed are You, Adonai who restores souls to dead bodies.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Infinite ruler who gives understanding to the rooster to distinguish between day and night.

Praised are You, Adonai, our God, Creator of the universe, who created me in the divine image.

I bless You, Adonai, Life of the world, who created me a free person.

Blessed are You, Holy One, Sovereign of all, who created me a Jew.

Glorified are You, Adonai, Merciful Parent, who gives sight to the blind.

We thank You, Blessed Ruler who clothes the naked.

Blessed are You, Source of Compassion who releases the bound.

Revered are You, Adonai, our God, Infinite ruler who straightens the bent.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Shaper of the World who spreads the earth over the water.

We extol You, Adonai, our God, Source of strength, who girds our people Israel with might.

Praised are You, Bountiful One, who has provided for all my needs.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the world, who crowns Israel with glory.

We thank You, our God, universal Ruler, who gives strength to the weary.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Infinite Ruler, who removes sleep from my eyes, slumber from my eyelids.

Adonai our God and God of our ancestors, may be it be Your will to accustom us to the Torah and to let us adhere to Your commandments. And bring us not into the grasp of sin, nor into the grasp of iniquity and transgression, nor into the grasp of trial and disgrace. Let not the evil inclination prevail in us, and keep us far from evil people and from evil companions, and help us hold fast to the good inclination and to good deeds. Mold our impulses to serve you, and grant us today and every day, favor, kindness and compassion in Your eyes and the eyes of all those who see us, and bestow bountiful kindness upon us. Blessed are You, Adonai, who bestows bountiful kindness on your people Israel.

Awakening

One should at all times revere God inwardly as well as outwardly, acknowledge the truth and speak it in one’s heart, saying when one arises:
Master of all worlds, ruler over all, not on account of any righteousness of ours can we make any request of You, but only because of Your abundant mercy. For what are we? What is our life, and what our faithfulness? What is our righteousness, our saving power, and what our vaunted strength? What can we say in Your presence, Adonai our God and God of our ancestors? Are not all the mighty as nothing before You, and those of renown as though they had not been, the learned as if they had no knowledge, and the wise as if without understanding? Many of our works are vain, and our days pass away like a shadow. But we are the people of Your covenant, the children of our foremothers, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, whose prayers You heard; the children of Your beloved Abraham to whom You swore on Mount Moriah; the seed of Isaac his only son who was bound on the altar; the tribe of Your first born Jacob, who because of the love You bore him and Your delight in him, You named him Israel and Jeshurun.
Therefore, we must thank You and praise and glorify and bless You and give praise and thanks to Your name. How greatly we are blessed! How good is our portion! How pleasant our lot! How beautiful our heritage!

The Blessing before the Readings from the Psalms

Blessed is the One who spoke and the world came to be. Blessed is God.
Blessed is the Source of Creation.
Blessed is the One whose word is deed.
Blessed is the One whose thought is fact.
Blessed is the One whose compassion covers the earth.
Blessed is the One whose compassion covers all creatures.
Blessed is the One who amply repays those who are in awe of Her.
Blessed is the One who returns kindness to those who love Her.
Blessed is the One who removes darkness and brings light.
Blessed is the living and eternal God, divine Source of deliverance and help.
Blessed is God and blessed is God’s Name.

Blessed is the One who speaks and we hear. Blessed is God. Blessed is the One who acts and we are witness. Blessed is God’s Name. Blessed is the One who decrees and we accept. Blessed is God. Blessed is the One who is merciful and we live. Blessed is God’s Name. Blessed is the One who removes darkness and we see. Blessed is God. Blessed is the One who lives forever and we believe. Blessed is God’s Name. Blessed is the One who redeems and saves and we are delivered. Blessed is God and blessed is God’s Name.

Rabbi Mordechai Rotem, contemporary

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Infinite Ruler, God, the merciful Parent, who is praised by Your people, glorified and adored by the voice of Your faithful servants, and with the songs of Your servant David. We will exalt you, praise you, glorify You, declare Your name and crown You, our God and Ruler, the source of our lives, the Only One of all the worlds, the blessed and glorified ruler, whose name is forever. Blessed are You, Adonai, our ruler, glorified in praises.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the arch of sky reveals God’s handiwork. Day speaks to day; one night expresses knowledge to the other. They have no speech, they use no words, no voice of theirs is heard – yet their call goes out through all the earth, and their words to the edge of the universe. God placed a tent in the heavens for the sun, who is like a bridegroom coming forth from his chamber, like an athlete eager to run his course. Its rising-place is at one end of heaven, and its circuit reaches the other; nothing escapes its heat. The Torah of Adonai is perfect, reviving the soul. The teaching of Adonai is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of Adonai are right, delighting the heart. The commandment of Adonai is clear, enlightening the eyes. The awe of Adonai is pure, enduring for ever. The judgments of Adonai are true and altogether just; more desirable than gold, than much fine gold; sweeter than honey, than drippings of the comb. Your servant pays them heed; in obeying them there is much reward. But who can see all his own failings? Rid me of hidden faults, and keep Your servant from willful sins; let them not dominate me; then shall I be blameless and clear of grave offense. May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable to You, Adonai, my rock and my redeemer.

Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult. Let the sea roar, and all that is in it.

A Song for the Shabbat Day.
It is good to give thanks to Adonai,
To sing to Your name, Most High!
To tell of Your compassion in the morning,
Your faithfulness in the nights;
On strings, on the lute, on the harp and violin.
Adonai, Your acts make me happy, I rejoice in Your deeds.
Your deeds are so great, Adonai, Your thoughts are so deep.
The fool will never understand, the dullard never grasp this:
The wicked flourish like grass, all who do evil may blossom,
Yet they are doomed to destruction.
You, Adonai, are exalted for all time.
See how Your enemies, Adonai, see how Your enemies shall perish,
All who do evil shall be scattered.
You lift up my head in pride,
I am bathed in freshening oil.
I shall see the defeat of my foes,
I shall hear of their fall.
The righteous shall flourish like palms,
Grow tall like cedars in Lebanon.
Rooted in the house of Adonai, flowering in God’s court.
They shall be forever fresh and green,
Proclaiming that Adonai is just,
My Rock, in whom there is no wrong.

Happy are those who dwell in Your house; they shall praise You:
Happy the nation that has it so; Happy the people whose God is Adonai.

A song of praise of David.
I will extol You, my God and Ruler; and I will bless Your name for ever and ever.
Every day will I bless You; and I will praise Your name for ever and ever.
Great is Adonai, and highly to be praised; God’s greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall laud Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.
The glorious splendor of Your majesty, and Your wondrous works shall I recite.
People shall speak of the might of Your tremendous acts; I will tell of Your greatness.
They shall utter the fame of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.
Adonai is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger, great in mercy.
Adonai is good to all; tender mercies are over all God’s works.
All Your works shall thank You, Adonai; Your pious ones shall bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your dominion, talk of Your might;
To make known to all humans God’s mighty acts, and the majestic glory of God’s kingdom.
Your dominion is for all ages, and Your rule endures through all generations.
Adonai supports all who fall, and raises up all those that are bowed down.
The eyes of all wait for You, and You give them their food in due season.
You open Your hand, and satisfy every living thing with favor.
All Adonai’s ways are righteous and all God’s works are gracious.
Adonai is close to all that call – to all that call upon God in truth.
God will fulfill the desire of those in awe of Her, hearing their cry and saving them.
Adonai guards all who love Him, but destroys all the wicked.
My mouth shall speak Adonai’s praise, let all flesh bless God’s holy name for ever and ever.
We will bless Adonai now and forever, halleluyah.

Halleluyah!
Praise God in God’s sanctuary; praise God in the powerful firmament.
Praise God for mighty acts; praise God for abundant greatness.
Praise God with the blast of the shofar; praise God with the harp and lyre.
Praise God with the timbrel and dance; praise God with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise God with the loud-sounding cymbals; praise God with the clanging cymbals.
Let every breathing thing God’s praises sing. Halleluyah

Blessing of Song

Let the breath/soul of every living creature bless Your name, Adonai our God, and let every human spirit acclaim and laud Your majesty, for ever and ever. Through all eternity You are God; we have no ruler but You who redeems, saves, sustains and has mercy in all times of trouble and distress. We have no ruler except You.

God of past and present, Ruler of all creatures, master of all generations: all praise to You. You guide the world with steadfast love, Your creatures with tender mercy. You neither slumber nor sleep; You awaken the sleeping and arouse the dormant. You give speech to the silent, freedom to the enslaved, You support the falling and straighten those who are bowed down. To You alone we give thanks.

Even if our mouths should be filled with song as the sea,
Our tongues with joy as the roaring waves,
Our lips with praise as the heavens’ wide expanse;
And though our eyes were to shine as the sun and the moon,
Our arms extend like eagles’ wings, our feet speed swiftly as deer –­
Still we could not fully thank You,
Adonai our God and God of our ancestors,
Or bless Your name enough,
For even one of Your infinite kindnesses to our ancestors and to us.
Adonai our God, You redeemed us from Egypt; You set us free from the house of bondage. In famine You nourished us, in prosperity You sustained us.
You rescued us from the sword, delivered us from pestilence and saved us from severe and lingering sickness. Until now Your mercy has been our aid and Your good deeds have not left us. Never abandon us, Adonai our God. Every limb of our bodies, the soul and spirit you have breathed into us and the voice you have given us will thank, bless, praise, glorify, exalt, extol, sanctify, acclaim and enthrone You, our Ruler.

Every voice will thank You, every tongue will affirm You, every knee will bend to You. As it is written:
All my bones shall say: Adonai – who is like You?
You save the poor from those stronger than them and the poor and needy from their despoiler. You hear the poor cry for help, You listen to the cry of the weak and help them. Who is like You? Who can be compared with You? Who can measure up to You, the great mighty and awesome God, God Supreme, Creator of heaven and earth?
We will bless Your holy Name, as is written: David said: Bless Adonai, my soul and all my inward parts.

God, tremendous is Your power, great Your name’s honor, mighty for ever and awesome in Your works. The ruler, enthroned upon a supreme throne.

God abides forever, the High and Holy One.
As it is written: Righteous ones sing to Adonai; it is fitting that the upright praise God.

In the mouths of the honest You are exalted
In the words of the righteous You are blessed
In the actions of the pioneers You are sanctified
In the midst of the holy You are praised

Sovereign God, great and holy ruler, let Your name be praised forever in heaven and on earth. Fitting for You, our God and God of our ancestors, are songs and praise, psalms and singing, blessings and thanks from now until the end of time. Blessed are You, Adonai, the sovereign God, great in praise, God of thanksgiving, master of wonders who delights in song, ruler, God, the life of all worlds.

Chatzi Kaddish

Let the great name of God be extolled and sanctified in the world whose creation He willed. May God’s kingdom soon prevail, in our own day, in our own lives, and the life of all Israel, and let us say: Amen. Let God’s great name be blessed for ever and ever. Let the name of the blessed Holy One be glorified, exalted and honored, though God is (on Shabbat of Repentance: above and) beyond all the praises, songs, and adorations that we can utter, and let us say: Amen.

The Shema and Its Blessings

Praise Adonai to whom our praise is due!
Barekhu et adonai ha-mevorakh!
Praised be Adonai to whom our praise is due,
now and forever!
Barukh adonai ha-mevorakh le-`olam va-`ed!

Yotzer, the first blessing before reading the Shema

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the infinite, who makes light and creates darkness, who ordains peace and fashions all things.

All shall thank You, all shall praise You, and all shall say: There is none holy as Adonai. All shall extol You for ever, Creator of all. Day by day, God unlocks the gates of the east and opens heaven’s windows, bringing forth the sun from his place and the moon from her dwelling, illuminating the whole world and its inhabitants, which God created in mercy.

God lovingly gives light to the earth and all who dwell there; and in goodness renews the work of creation continually, day by day. How manifold are Your works, Adonai; in wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creations.
God is Ruler, alone exalted from time immemorial, praised, glorified and exalted from days of old. Everlasting God, in Your abundant mercy have mercy upon us, You who are our mighty Lord, our sheltering rock, our protecting shield, our stronghold.

Eil Adon

God is the source of all creation;
Blessed and praised by every soul.
God’s greatness and goodness fill the universe;
Knowledge and wisdom surround His glory.

God is exalted above the celestial beings,
And adorned in glory above the chariot.
Purity and justice stand before God’s throne;
Kindness and mercy are in His glorious presence.

The planets and stars that our God has created are good,
made with knowledge, wisdom and insight;
God placed energy and power in them
To have dominion over the world.

Full of splendor, they radiate brightness;
Their brilliance throughout the world is so beautiful.
They rejoice in their rising and exult in their setting,
Performing the will of their Creator with reverence.

Glory and honor they give to God’s name
Shouts and songs of joy to God’s majestic fame.
God called forth the sun, and it shone;
God saw and shaped the moon.

All the hosts of heaven give God praise;
All the celestial beings attribute glory and grandeur.

To the God who rested from the work of creation on the seventh day and ascended the glorious throne. God robed the day of rest in beauty, calling Shabbat a delight. God ceased all labors on the Shabbat; that is its pride. The seventh day itself hymns praise to God, singing: A psalm, a song of Shabbat: It is good to acclaim Adonai. Thus let all God’s creatures sing praise, let them honor their ruler, Creator of all, who in holiness grants rest and repose for Israel on the holy Shabbat. In the heavens above and on earth below shall Your name be hallowed and acclaimed, Adonai our God. Praise shall be Yours, our deliverer, for Your wondrous works, for the lights You have fashioned, the sun and the moon which reflect Your glory.

To praiseworthy God they sweetly sing; they celebrate the living, enduring God in song. God is unique, doing mighty deeds, creating new life, sowing righteousness, bringing healing. Awesome in praise, sovereign of wonders, day after day in goodness God renews creation. As is said: Praise the Creator of great lights, for God’s love endures forever.
Let a new light shine on Zion, and may we soon be worthy to see it shining. Blessed are You, Adonai, the Maker of light.

Ahavah raba, the second blessing before reading the Shema

Great is Your love for us, Adonai our God, Your compassion for us is overflowing. Our Maker and ruler, our ancestors trusted in You, and You taught them the laws of life; be gracious now to us, and teach us. Have compassion on us, source of mercy, and guide us to know and understand, to listen, learn and teach, observe and fulfill with love all the teachings of Your Torah. Enlighten our eyes in Your Torah, cause our hearts to cling to Your commandments, and unite our hearts to love and revere Your name. Then we shall not be shamed, nor humiliated, nor shall we ever stumble. For we shall put our trust in You, the great, holy, and awesome One. We shall rejoice and be glad in Your salvation. Bring us blessing and peace, and gather in our exiles from the four corners of the earth, and lead them upright to our land. For You, God, are the author of many deliverances. In love You have chosen us from/with all the nations and drawn us near to You to thank You and to proclaim Your unity in love. Blessed are You, Adonai, who in love has chosen the people Israel.

Hear, O Israel: Adonai is our God, Adonai is One:
Blessed be the name of God’s glorious kingdom forever and ever.

First section of the Shema: accepting the yoke of God’s rule

You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your being. Set these words, which I command you this day, upon your heart. Teach them faithfully to your children; speak of them in your home and on your way, when you lie down and when you rise up. Bind them as a sign upon your hand; let them, be a symbol before your eyes; inscribe them on the doorposts of your house, and on your gates.

Second section of the Shema: Accepting the yoke of the commandments
Traditional text

If you obey the commandments that I command you this day, to love Adonai your God and to serve God with all your consciousness and all your life, I will grant rain for your land in season, the early rain and the late: you shall gather in your new grain and wine and oil, and I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle; you shall eat and be satisfied. Take care not to be lured away to serve other gods and bow to them. Adonai’s anger will flare up against you, and God will shut up the skies so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its produce; and you will soon perish from the good land that Adonai is giving you. Impress My words upon your consciousness and being, bind them for a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead, and teach them to your children – reciting them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up; and inscribe them on the door posts of your house and upon your gates so that you and your children may endure, in the land that Adonai swore to your ancestors to give to them, as long as there is a heaven over the earth.

Alternative text

Behold, I have set before you this day life and good, or death and evil. For I command you this day to love Adonai, to walk in God’s ways and to keep the commandments, laws and teachings of your God, that you may live and increase, and that Adonai your God may bless you in the land that you are about to occupy. But if your heart turns away and you do not listen, but let yourself be lured away to worship other gods, and serve them, I warn you – you will perish: you will not live long in the land which you are crossing the Jordan to enter and inherit. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that I have set before you life or death, blessing or curse; choose life, therefore, that you and your descendants may live – by loving Adonai your God, listening to God’s voice, and holding fast to the One who is your life and the length of your days. Then you shall endure in the land that Adonai promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Third section of the Shema: Tzitzit and the Exodus from Egypt

Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the people of Israel and instruct them to make fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner. That shall be your tzitzit; look at it and recall all the mitzvot of Adonai and observe them, so that you do not follow your heart and eyes that lead you to lust. You will remember to observe all My commandments and to be holy to your God. I, Adonai, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am Adonai your God.

Adonai is your God in truth

Geulah, the blessing after the Shema

True, firm and enduring is this eternal teaching. This is true: the Eternal God is our ruler, God is the rock of Jacob, our protecting shield. God abides through all generations; God’s name is eternal. God’s throne stands firm; God’s sovereignty and faithfulness are everlasting. God’s words live and endure, true and precious to all eternity – for our ancestors and for us, for our children and for the generations to come, and for all the descendants of Israel Your servant. For the first generations and the last, it is good and it exists forever. True and faithful, it is a law not to be transgressed. It is true that You are our God, and the God of our ancestors; our ruler, the ruler of our fathers; our Savior, the Savior of our mothers; our Creator, the Rock of our salvation, our Redeemer. Your name is everlasting, there is no God besides You.

You have always been the help of our ancestors, a shield and savior to their children in every generation. Your seat is in the highest place and Your righteous judgments reach to the ends of the earth. Truly happy is the one who obeys Your commandments and Your Torah and takes Your word to heart. You are the first and You are the last: besides You there is no redeemer or savior. You saved us from Egypt, Adonai our God, and redeemed us from the house of bondage. You saved the survivors of war and those who escaped the strangler, and You gathered far-flung and dispersed. Your children have returned to their borders. For this, the people who felt Your love sang songs of praise to You. All praise to God Most High, the source of blessing! Like Miriam, Moses and all Israel, they sang to You this song of rejoicing:

Who is like You, Eternal One, among the gods? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders?

On the edge of the sea, those saved sang a new song in praise of You, all of them thanking you as their Ruler, saying:
Adonai will reign for ever and ever!

O Rock of Israel, come to Israel’s help. Fulfill Your promise of redemption for Judah and Israel. Our Redeemer is the mighty Adonai, the Holy One of Israel. Blessed are You, Adonai, Redeemer of Israel.

Amidah

Adonai, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your glory.

Ancestors

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God and God of our ancestors: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob; God of Sarah, God of Rebecca, God of Rachel and God of Leah, God great, mighty, and awesome, God supreme. God who bestows lovingkindness. Creator of all. You remember the faithfulness of our ancestors, and in love bring redemption to their children’s children for Your name’s sake.

On Shabbat Teshuva add: Remember us for life, ruler who delights in life, and inscribe us in the book of life, for Your sake, living God.

You are our ruler, the One who helps, saves, shields and remembers.
Blessed are You, Adonai, who shields Abraham and remembers Sarah.

Power

Eternal is Your strength, Adonai, You bring low but also raise up, great is Your power to save.

From the first day of Pesach until Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah: You drop the dew
From Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah until the first day of Pesach: You cause the wind to blow and rain to fall.

With love You sustain the living, with great compassion give life to all/to the dead. You support the falling and heal the sick; You bring freedom to the captive and keep faith with those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, Master of Might? Who is comparable, Source of life and death, who causes salvation to blossom?!

On Shabbat Teshuva add: Who is like You, nurturing parent who in compassion sustains the life of Your creatures?
You faithfully sustain every living thing.
Blessed are You, Adonai, the Source of life.
Traditional version: Blessed are You, Adonai, who brings life to the dead.

The Sanctity of God’s Name

When the Amidah is read silently, this Kedusha is read:

You are holy and Your name is holy, and holy ones declare Your glory day by day.
Blessed are You, Adonai, the holy God (on Shabbat Teshuva: the holy Ruler).

When the Amidah is recited communally, the full Kedusha is included:

We sanctify Your name on earth, even as in the heights of heaven they proclaim Your holiness; and in the words of the prophet, they call one to another, saying:
Holy, holy, holy is Adonai of Hosts; the fullness of the whole earth is God’s glory!

Then with great noise, mighty and tremendous to be heard, the angles rise up and responding they say “blessed:”
Blessed is the glory of Adonai from His place.
Barukh kevod adonai mi-meqomo.

Reveal yourself, wherever you are, our Ruler, and reign over us, for we await You. When will You reign in Zion? Let it be soon, in our time! May Your glory and holiness be apparent to all in Jerusalem Your city, from generation to generation, eternally. May we see Your sovereignty, described in the songs of your mightiness by David, your righteous anointed one.
Adonai shall reign for ever; your God, O Zion, from generation to generation. Halleluyah!

To all generations we will make known Your greatness, and to all eternity proclaim Your holiness. Your praise, O God, shall never depart from our lips, for You are a great and holy Ruler. Blessed are You, Adonai, the holy God (On Shabbat Teshuva: the holy Ruler].

The Holiness of the Day

Moses rejoiced at his given destiny when You declared him a faithful servant, adorning him with splendor as he stood in Your presence atop Mount Sinai. He brought down two tablets of stone and on them was inscribed Shabbat observance. As it written in Your Torah:

The people of Israel shall keep the Shabbat, observing the Shabbat in every generation as a covenant for all time. It is a sign forever between Me and the people of Israel, for in six days the Eternal God made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day God rested and was refreshed.

Those who keep the Shabbat and call it a delight shall rejoice in Your kingdom. The nation who hallows the seventh day shall be satisfied and gladdened by Your goodness. You desired the seventh day and sanctified it, calling it the most precious of days, in remembrance of the act of creation.

Our God and God of our ancestors, may our rest on this day be pleasing in Your sight. Make us Holy with Your commandments, and let Your Torah be our way of life. Satisfy us with Your goodness, gladden us with Your salvation, and purify our hearts to serve You in truth. In Your gracious love, Adonai our God, let Your holy Shabbat remain our heritage, that all Israel, declaring Your name holy, may find rest and peace. Blessed are You, Adonai, who makes the Shabbat holy.

Worship

Adonai our God, accept Your people Israel, and receive our prayers with love. May our worship always be acceptable to You. Dwell in Zion, that Your worshippers may serve You in Jerusalem.

On Shabbat Rosh Chodesh

Our God and God of our ancestors, may our remembrance and our reckoning ascend, come, and reach, appear, be desired, and heard, counted and recalled; the remembrance of our ancestors; and the remembrance of Jerusalem, the city of your Holiness; and the remembrance of all Your people Israel before you, for survival and well-being, for grace, kindliness and compassion, for life and for peace on this day of:
On Rosh Chodesh: the New Moon.
On Pesach: the Festival of Matzot.
On Succot: the Festival of Succot.
Adonai our God, remember us on this day for good. Visit us with blessing. Deliver us for a good life. May we find acceptance and favor, love and mercy in Your sight. In Your infinite compassion show us Your pardon and Your salvation. Our eyes are turned to You, for You are a compassionate and merciful God and ruler.

Let our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy. Blessed are You, Adonai, who restores the divine presence and His people to Zion.

Thanksgiving

We gratefully acknowledge that You are Adonai our God and God of our people, the God of all generations. You are the rock of our life, the power that shields us in every age. We thank You and sing Your praises: for our lives, which are in Your hands; for our souls, which are in Your keeping and for your daily miracles, your wonders and goodness which are ours at all times; morning, noon, and night. You are Goodness: Your mercies never end; You are Compassion: Your loving-kindness will never fail. You have always been our hope.

On Hanukkah and Purim:

We give thanks for the redeeming wonders and the mighty deeds by which our people was saved and comforted in days of old and in this season.

Hanukkah

In the days of the Hasmoneans, of Mattityahu son of Yochanan the High Priest and his sons, the wicked Hellenistic kingdom rose against our ancestors, determined to make them forget Your Torah, and to turn them away from obedience to Your will. But You, in Your great mercy, were at their side in time of trouble. You fought their fight and vindicated them. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak; the many into the hands of the few; the arrogant into the hands of those who kept Your covenant; You have wrought great victory and miraculous deliverance for Your people down to this day, revealing Your glory and Your holiness to all the world. Then Your children returned to Your house, to purify the sanctuary and kindle its lights. And they dedicated these eight days to give thanks and praise to Your great name. As You have made miracles for them, so may You for us, saving us in these days as in those.

Purim

In the days of Mordechai and Esther in the capital city of Shushan, when the evil Haman rose against them and was determined to destroy, kill and wipe out all the Jews; young and old, women and children and plunder their property – in a single day – the thirteenth of the twelfth month, that is Adar. You in Your great compassion thwarted his plans and foiled his designs. You delivered the many into the hands of the few; the arrogant into the hands of those who kept Your covenant; You have wrought great victory and miraculous deliverance for Your people down to this day, revealing Your glory and Your holiness to all the world.
Thus were these days called Purim, made to be days of feasting and joy, of sending food one to another and gifts to the poor. These days are remembered and kept in ever generation, in every family, in every city and country. These days of Purim will never be forgotten by the Jewish people.
As You have made miracles for our ancestors, so may You for us, saving us in these days as in those.

For all these things, Sovereign God, let Your name be for ever exalted and blessed.

On Shabbat Teshuva add: And inscribe all the children of Your covenant for a good life.

All who live shall affirm You and praise Your name in truth, God our Redeemer and Helper. Blessed are You, Adonai, whose nature is goodness, it is fitting to give thanks and praise to You.

During the repetition of the Amidah the Leader says:

Our God and God of all generations, bless us with the three-fold benediction of the Torah:
May Adonai bless you and keep you. (May this be God’s will. Ken yehi ratzon)
May Adonai’s presence shine on you and be gracious to you. (May this be God’s will. Ken yehi ratzon)
May Adonai’s countenance be turned to you and give you peace. (May this be God’s will. Ken yehi ratzon)

Peace

May peace, happiness and blessing, life, grace and love and mercy descend upon us, and on all Israel Your people. Bless us, our Creator, one and all, with the light of Your presence; for by that light, O God, You have revealed to us the Torah of life; to love kindness, and justice, blessing and mercy, life and peace. It is good in Your eyes to bless Your people and all peoples at all times with Your peace.

On Shabbat Teshuva add:
In the Book of life, blessing and peace and good sustenance may we and all the household of Israel be remembered and inscribed before You, for a good life and for peace.

Blessed are You, Adonai, who makes peace.

Upon concluding the Amidah, one may add a personal prayer or recite from the following.

My God, keep my tongue from evil and my lips from deceit. Help me to be silent in the face of derision, humble in the presence of all. Open my heart to Your Torah, and I will pursue Your Mitzvot totally. As for those who wish me evil, hasten to undo their evil plans and thwart their purposes. Do so for the sake of Your name, Your power, Your Torah and Your holiness, that those whom You love might be rescued, deliver with Your right hand and answer me.

Mar son of Rabinah

Rabbi Meir used to say:
Determine with all your heart and all your soul to know My ways, and be diligent in the study of my Torah. Treasure My Torah in your heart, and let awe of Me be before your eyes. Guard your mouth from all sin, and purify and sanctify yourself of any iniquity and transgression, then I shall be with you everywhere.

Teach me, my God, a blessing, a prayer
For the mystery of a withered leaf, for ripened fruit so fair,
For the freedom to see, to sense, to breathe,
To know, to hope, to fail.

Teach my lips a blessing, a hymn of praise,
As each morning and night You renew Your days,
Lest my day be as the one before,
Lest routine set my ways.

Leah Goldberg, 20th Century

Abayyeh used to say:
A person should always make peace with their family and relatives and indeed with any person, even a stranger in the marketplace, in order to be beloved in heaven and well-liked on earth and accepted by all people.

May it be your will, our God and God of our ancestors, to remove all wars and bloodshed from our world, and rather to draw great and wondrous peace into the world: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Rather all people will know and understand the truth: that we are not in the world for strife and war, nor for hatred or jealousy or vexation or bloodshed. We are in this world to know You, may You be eternally blessed.

And therefore, be merciful to us and fulfill for us that which is written: I shall place peace on earth; you shall lie down with none to make you afraid. I shall remove wild beasts from the land and no sword shall be drawn in your land. Justice shall well like water and righteousness as a mighty stream. The whole land shall be filled with knowledge of Adonai, as the water fills the sea.

Based on a prayer of R. Nachman of Bratzlav, 18th-19th Century

May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable to You, Adonai, my Rock and my Redeemer. May God who causes peace to reign in the high heavens, grant us peace, and all Israel, and on all the world, and let us say: Amen.

Hallel

On the intermediate Shabbat of Sukkot, Hallel is recited in full. On Rosh Chodesh and on the intermediate Shabbat of Pesach, Hallel is recited with omissions.

The blessing before reciting the Hallel

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, ruler of the infinite, who has made us holy through commandments and has commanded us to recite the Hallel.

Halleluyah! Praise Adonai.
Sing praises, you servants of Adonai.
Let Adonai be praised now and forever.
From the sun’s rising to its setting, praised is Adonai.
God is exalted above all nations; God’s glory extends beyond the heavens.
Who is like Adonai our God, enthroned on high,
Yet descending to be concerned with the heavens and the earth?
God lifts the poor out of the dust, and raises the needy from the rubbish heap.
God seats them with the powerful, with the powerful of Her people.
God sets a barren woman in her home, a mother happy with children. Halleluyah!

When Israel left the land of Egypt, when the House of Jacob left a foreign people,
Judah became God’s holy one; Israel, His domain.
The sea fled at the sight; the Jordan retreated.
Mountains leaped like rams; and hills, like lambs.
0 sea, why did you flee? Jordan, why did you retreat?
Mountains, why leap like rams; and hills, like lambs?
The whole earth trembled at Adonai’s Presence, at the Presence of Jacob’s God
Who turns rock into pools of water; flint into fountains.

Not for us, Adonai, not for us, but for Yourself win praise through Your love and faithfulness.
Why should the nations say: Where is their God? Our God is in heaven, doing whatever He wills. Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have a mouth and cannot speak, They have eyes and cannot see. They have ears and cannot hear, a nose and cannot smell. They have hands and cannot feel, feet and cannot walk. They cannot make a sound in their throat. Their makers and all who trust in them shall become like them.
Let the House of Israel trust in Adonai; God is their help and their shield
Let the House of Aaron trust in Adonai; God is their help and their shield.
Let those who revere God trust in Adonai; God is their help and their shield

Adonai remembers us with blessing,
and will bless the House of Israel. God will bless the House of Aaron,
and will bless those who revere Adonai, young and old alike.
May Adonai increase your blessings, yours and your children’s.
May you be blessed by Adonai, Maker of heaven and earth.
Heaven belongs to Adonai, but the earth has been entrusted to mortals.
The dead cannot praise Yah, nor can those who go down into silence.
But we shall praise Yah now and forever. Halleluyah!

I love to know that Adonai listens to my cry of supplication.
Because God gives me a hearing, I will call on Him all of my days.
The cords of death encompassed me, the grave held me in its grip;
I found myself in anguish and despair.
I called on Adonai: Please, Adonai, liberate my soul!
Gracious is Adonai, and kind; our God is compassionate.
Adonai protects the simple; I was brought low and He saved me.
Be at ease once again, my soul, for Adonai has dealt kindly with you.
God has delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before Adonai in the land of the living.
I kept my faith even when greatly afflicted,
Even when in panic I cried out: All mortals are false.

How can I repay Adonai for all His gifts to me?
I will raise the cup of deliverance, and invoke Adonai by name.
I will pay my vows to Adonai in the presence of all His people.
Grievous in the sight of Adonai is the death of the faithful.
I am Your servant, born of Your maidservant; You have released me from bondage.
To You will I bring an offering, and invoke Adonai by name.
I will pay my vows to Adonai in the presence of all His people,
in the courts of the House of Adonai, in the midst of Jerusalem. Halleluyah!

Acclaim Adonai, for She is good; God’s love endures forever.
Let the House of Israel declare: God’s love endures forever.
Let the House of Aaron declare: God’s love endures forever.
Let those who revere Adonai declare: God’s love endures forever.

In my distress I called to Adonai; God answered by setting me free.
Adonai is with me, I shall not fear; what can mortals do to me?
Adonai is here to help me; I will yet see the fall of my foes.
Better to depend on Adonai than to trust in mortals.
Better to depend on Adonai than to trust in the powerful.
Though all nations surrounded me, in the Lord’s name I will overcome them.
Though they surrounded and encircled me, in Adonai’s name I will overcome them.
Though they surrounded me like bees, they were snuffed out like burning thorns. In Adonai’s name I overcame them.
Hard pressed was I and tottering, but Adonai helped me.
God is my strength, my song, my deliverance.
The homes of the righteous echo with songs of deliverance: The might of the Lord is triumphant.
The might of Adonai is supreme;
The might of Adonai is triumphant.
I shall not die, but live to tell the deeds of Adonai.
Adonai severely chastened me, but did not doom me to death.
Open for me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter to praise Adonai.
This is the gateway of Adonai; the righteous shall enter.
I praise You for having answered me; You have become my deliverance.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
This is the doing of Adonai, it is marvelous in our sight.
This is the day Adonai has made; let us exult and rejoice in it.

Deliver us, Adonai, we implore You.
Prosper us, Adonai, we implore You.

Blessed in the name of Adonai are all who come; We bless you from the house of Adonai.
Adonai is God who has given us light. Wreathe with myrtle the festive procession as it proceeds to the corners of the altar.
You are my God, and I praise You. You are my God, and I exalt You.
Acclaim Adonai, for God is good; God’s love endures forever.

The blessing after reciting the Hallel

May all creation praise You, Adonai our God. May the pious, the righteous who do Your will and all Your people, the House of Israel, join in acclaiming You with joyous song. May they praise, revere, adore, extol, exalt and sanctify Your sovereign glory, our Ruler. To You it is good to chant praise; to Your glory it is fitting to sing. You are God from age to age, everlastingly. Blessed are You, Adonai, ruler acclaimed with songs of praise.

TORAH SERVICE

There is none like You, Adonai, among the gods, and there are no deeds like Yours.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. Adonai reigns; Adonai reigned, Adonai will reign forever and ever. May Adonai give strength to His people; may Adonai bless His people with peace.

On the Shabbat of the Intermediate days of Pesach it is customary to read the Song of Songs; on Shabbat of the Intermediate Days of Succot: Kohelet (Ecclesiastes).

When the Ark is opened:

When the Ark was to set out, Moses would say: Advance, Adonai! May Your enemies be scattered! May Your foes flee before You!
For Torah will come out of Zion, and the word of Adonai from Jerusalem. Praised be the One who in Holiness has given the Torah to Israel.

I put my trust in God: to God’s holy, honored name I utter praise. May it be Your will to open my consciousness with and for Your Torah. Answer my prayers and the heartfelt prayers of all Your people Israel, for goodness, for life, for peace. Amen.

Prayer of the Bar/Bat mitsvah

My God and God of my ancestors:
In the presence of this holy congregation, I choose to be part of the community of Israel. I accept its heritage, share its fate and am bound by its commandments.
Give me the strength to walk in Your path, to become a source of pride for my family, my community and my people.
How greatly we are blessed! How good is our portion! How pleasant our lot! How beautiful our heritage!
We rejoice in declaring Your unity by proclaiming:

Hear, O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One.

Our God is One; our Ruler is great; holy (On Shabbat Teshuva: and awesome) is God’s name.

Magnify Adonai with me, and together let us exalt God’s name.

Yours, Adonai, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty;
for all that is in heaven and earth is Yours.
Yours is the kingdom, Adonai; You are supreme.
Exalt Adonai our God and bow down to God’s footstool; God is holy!
Exalt Adonai our God and bow toward God’s holy mountain,
for Adonai our God is holy.

On calling the first “aliyah” to the Torah
May God help, save and shield all who trust in Him . Let us say, Amen.
Let us declare the greatness of our God and give honor to the Torah.
Come up___________________
Blessed be the One who in holiness has given the Torah to the people Israel.
And you, who hold fast to Adonai your God, are all alive today.

Blessings for reading the Torah

Before reading the Torah:

Let us bless Adonai, to whom our praise is due.

Congregation responds:
Blessed is Adonai, to whom our praise is due, now and for ever.

Blessed is Adonai, to whom our praise is due, now and for ever.
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, ruler of the infinite, who has chosen us from/with all peoples by giving us Your Torah. Blessed are You, Adonai, giver of the Torah.

Alternative version:
Praised is the Eternal One of the Universe, who draws us near to Her service, and gave us Her Torah. Blessed is God, giver of the Torah.

After reading the Torah:

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, ruler of the infinite, who has given us a Torah of truth, planting within us eternal life. Blessed are You, Adonai, giver of the Torah.

“HaGomel” blessing for deliverance from bodily harm and danger

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, ruler of the infinite who bestows favor upon the undeserving, and has bestowed favor upon me.

The Congregation responds:
Amen. May the One who has been gracious to you continue to favor you with all that is good.

For the congregation

May God who blessed our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and our mothers Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah bless all those who were called up to the Torah, and all this holy congregation, together with all the congregations, and all those who build synagogues to pray in, and those who come to pray there, and all those who work for the good of others and those who faithfully build up the Land of Israel. The Holy One will repay them and bestow blessing and success on all that they do, together with all Israel, and let us say: Amen

The Torah is raised and dressed

This is the Torah that Moses placed before the people of Israel, as given to Moses by God.

Enlighten our eyes in Your Torah, cause our hearts to cling to Your commandments, and unite our hearts to love and revere Your name.

It is a tree of life to those who hold it fast, and all who cling to it find happiness.
Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.

The three pillars of the world are: The Torah, worship and deeds of loving-kindness.

Israel, the Torah and the Holy One of Blessing are all one. Torah! Light! Halleluyah!

Haftarah Blessings

Blessing before the reading:

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, ruler of the infinite, who has chosen goodly prophets and desires their words of truth. Blessed are You, Adonai, who chooses Torah, and Moses His servant and Israel His people, and the prophets of truth and righteousness.

Blessing after the reading:

Praised are You, Adonai, our God, Creator of the universe, foundation of infinite worlds, righteous One of all generations, the faithful God whose word is deed, who speaks and fulfills, whose every utterance is just and true.
You are the faithful One, Adonai our God, and faithful is Your word. Not one word of Yours goes forth without accomplishing its task, faithful and compassionate God and ruler. Blessed are You, Adonai, the totally faithful God.

Show compassion for Zion, the locus of our life, and redeem those who dwell in Jerusalem speedily in our day. Blessed are You, Adonai, the builder of Jerusalem.

Gladden us, Adonai our God, through Elijah Your prophet, and through the kingdom of the House of David Your anointed. May he come quickly and gladden our hearts. A stranger shall not sit on his throne, nor shall others usurp his glory, because You have sworn by Your Holy Name that his light shall never be extinguished. Blessed are You, Adonai, the Shield of David.

Gladden us, Adonai our God, by fulfilling the words of Your prophet; turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the hearts of children towards their parents. Blessed are You, Adonai, who gladdens Zion in her sons and daughters.

For the Torah, for worship, for the prophets, and for this Shabbat that You, Adonai our God, have given us for holiness and rest, for honor and glory. For all this we thank and bless You. May Your name be blessed for ever by every living being. Blessed are You, Adonai, who sanctifies the Shabbat.

On a Shabbat of the New Moon

For the Torah, for the Prophets and for this day of rest, and for this day of the New Moon, that You, Adonai our God have given us for holiness and rest, for remembrance and for atonement. Blessed are You, Adonai, who sanctifies the Shabbat and Israel and the New Moon.

For those in need of healing

May God who blessed our fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob and our mothers Sarah Rebecca, Rachel and Leah bless and heal the sick: ________.
May God strengthen them and grant them stamina and courage and may the divine spirit grant them complete physical, mental and emotional healing, along with all the sick of the Jewish people and of the whole world, as it is written: Please God, please heal her/him.
El na refa na la. El na refa na lo.
And let us say: Amen

For the Israel Defense Forces

May God who blessed our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and our mothers Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah and our warriors Joshua, David, Deborah and Yael, bless the soldiers of Israel’s Defense Forces, and every one who stands guard in order to protect our people. May the blessed Holy One protect them and save them from all troubles and afflictions, from all sickness and injury and may their careful actions be a source of blessing. May the words of the Prophets come true through them: They shall beat their swords into plough shares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Each person shall sit under their vine and under their fig tree and none shall make them afraid. And let us say: Amen.

For the State of Israel

Our Divine Guardian, Rock and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the first flowering of our redemption. Shield it beneath the wings of Your steadfast love and spread over it the shelter of Your peace. May a spark of Your spirit inspire the actions of its leaders, officials, judges and advisors that they may follow the path of righteousness, liberty and freedom. Strengthen the hands of those who protect our Holy Land and grant them salvation and life. Grant peace to this land and everlasting joy to its inhabitants.
Be near to all the people of Israel throughout the lands of their dispersion. Plant within their hearts the love of Zion, and may those of our people who are so inspired, come to Jerusalem, Your city, which bears Your name. Spread Your spirit over all the inhabitants of our land. Uproot hatred, jealousy and evil; plant in our hearts love and kinship, peace and friendship. And speedily fulfill the vision of Your prophet: Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Lo yisa goy el goy cherev, lo yilmedu `od milchamah.
And let us say: Amen

For the captured soldiers

May it be the will of our Parent in heaven that we hear good tidings, salvation and comfort and that our scattered ones be reunited from all four corners of the earth, and let us say: Amen.
May the Holy One be merciful to any the house of Israel who are entrapped or in captivity, wherever they be, and bring them from the narrow places to wide spaces, from darkness to light, from enslavement to redemption, speedily and in our days, and let us say: Amen.

Blessing for the New Month
On the Shabbat preceding the New Moon

Adonai our God, let the coming month bring us renewed good and blessing. May we have long life, a life of peace, prosperity, and health, a life full of blessing, a life marked by the awe of heaven and the fear of sin, a life free of shame, a life of honor and a life exalted by love of Your Torah and devotion to Your service, a life in which our heart’s desires are fulfilled for good. Amen Selah.
May the one who performed miracle for our ancestors and led our people from bondage to freedom, grant us full redemption and gather in our dispersed from the far corners of the earth. All Israel is bound together, and let us say: Amen.

Announcing the New Moon

May the new month of _____ which begins for us and for all Israel on _____, be for good.

May the blessed Holy One bring renewal on this new month for us, and for the whole House of Israel, with life and peace, joy and happiness, deliverance and comfort, and let us say: Amen.

Happy are those who dwell in Your house; they shall praise You:
Happy the nation that has it so; Happy the people whose God is Adonai.

A song of praise of David.
I will extol You, my God and Ruler; and I will bless Your name for ever and ever.
Every day will I bless You; and I will praise Your name for ever and ever.
Great is Adonai, and highly to be praised; God’s greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall laud Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.
The glorious splendor of Your majesty, and Your wondrous works, shall I recite.
People shall speak of the might of Your tremendous acts; and I will tell of Your greatness.
They shall utter the fame of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.
Adonai is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger, great in mercy.
Adonai is good to all; tender mercies are over all God’s works.
All Your works shall thank You, Adonai; Your pious ones shall bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your dominion, talk of Your might;
To make known to all humans God’s mighty acts, and the majestic glory of God’s kingdom.
Your dominion is for all ages, and Your rule endures through all generations.
Adonai supports all who fall, and raises up all those that are bowed down.
The eyes of all wait for You, and You give them their food in due season.
You open Your hand, and satisfy every living thing with favor.
All Adonai’s ways are righteous and all God’s works are gracious.
Adonai is close to all that call – to all that call upon God in truth.
God will fulfill the desire of those in awe of Her, hearing their cry and saving them.
Adonai guards all who love Him, but destroys all the wicked.
My mouth shall speak Adonai’s praise, let all flesh bless God’s holy name for ever and ever.
We will bless Adonai now and forever, halleluyah.

Blessing for the Bat/Bar Mitzva

May God who blessed our fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and our mothers: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah also bless ___________________ who has entered into the commandments this day by being called to the Torah before all the congregation of Israel. May God make her/him a blessing for her/his family: Just as they have succeeded in brining her/him into the world of mitzvot so may they be worthy to initiate her/him into an adult life of Torah, love and good deeds. May it be God’s will that she/he may remain steadfast in Torah, healthy in body and mind, and find favor before God and her/his fellow people. May her/his family see this and be glad, may friends and loved ones be happy and the whole House of Israel rejoice, seeing their children among them praising the Holy One of Jacob and blessing the God of Israel.

The family says:
Blessed are You Adonai, Ruler of the universe, who has given us life and sustained us and brought us to this day.

Returning the Torah Scroll to the Ark

Let us praise the name of Adonai, for it alone is exalted.
God’s splendor covers heaven and earth; God will ennoble Her people, bringing glory to Her faithful ones, Israel, a people close to Her. Halleluyah!

A song of David. Praise Adonai, all celestial beings, praise Adonai – glory and strength! Praise Adonai, whose name is great; bow down to Adonai in the beauty of holiness. Adonai’s voice above the waters. The God of glory thunders! Adonai over many waters. Adonai’s voice, with power – Adonai’s voice, majestic. Adonai’s voice breaks cedars, Adonai shatters Lebanon’s cedars, Lebanon skips like a calf, Sirion like a wild young ox. Adonai’s voice sparks fiery flames; Adonai’s voice makes the desert quake; Adonai’s voice shakes the Kadesh desert; Adonai’s voice terrifies the deer, and strips the forests bare, in God’s temple all cry: “Glory!” Adonai is enthroned above the flood, Adonai will reign forever. Adonai will give strength to His people; Adonai will bless His people with peace.

And when the Ark was put down, Moses would say:
Return, Adonai, unto the ten thousands of the families of Israel!
Behold, a good doctrine has been given you, My Torah; do
not forsake it.
It is a tree of life to those who hold it fast, and all who cling
to it find happiness. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and
all its paths are peace.
Help us to return to You, Adonai; then truly shall we return. Renew our days as in the past.

Musaf Service

Recalling the Traditional Musaf Service

May it be Your will, Adonai our God and God of our ancestors, that we recall before You the remembrance of our ancestors as they approached You in the days of old when they brought our obligatory offerings, the regular daily offerings and additional Shabbat offerings, according to rule. Ever since our Temple was destroyed and we were exiled from our Land, the entreaty of our lips and the meditation of our hearts have become like the sacrifices our forebears offered up before You.

We have desired the nearness of God – how shall we come near?
We have sought to do God’s will – how shall we fulfill it?
For God hides Himself, The heights of the universe are God’s habitation,
Every living thing is in God’s hand and God’s works are beyond our understanding.
He has commanded us ought but to keep His covenant through all generations:
Behold, to listen is better than sacrifice, and to truly hear better than the fat of rams.
If your brother becomes poor – you shall maintain him.
The worker in your house – you shall pay her on time.
Drink water from your own cistern – and leave to the community its own.
Fulfill that which you commit to.
Pay your vows to the Most High.
Years of life has God given you:
Bring your sacrifice from your hours.

Dr Hanoch Jacobson, contemporary

Musaf Amidah for Shabbat and Shabbat Rosh Chodesh

Adonai, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your glory.

Ancestors

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God and God of our ancestors: God of Avraham, God of Sarah, God of Isaac, God of Rebecca, God of Jacob, God of Rachel and God of Leah, God great, mighty, and awesome, God supreme. God who bestows lovingkindness, Creator of all. You remember the faithfulness of our ancestors, and in love bring redemption to their children’s children for Your name’s sake.

On Shabbat Teshuva add: Remember us for life, Ruler who delights in Life,
and inscribe us in the book of life, for Your sake, living God)

You are our ruler , the One who helps, saves, shields and remembers.
Blessed are You, Adonai, who shields Abraham and remembers Sarah.

Power
Eternal is Your strength, Adonai, You bring low but also raise up.
Great is Your power to save.

From the first day of Pesach until Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah: You drop the dew
From Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah until the first day of Pesach: You cause the wind to blow and rain to fall.

With love You sustain the living, with great compassion give life to all/ to the dead. You support the falling and heal the sick; You bring freedom to the captive and keep faith with those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, Master of Might? Who is comparable? Source of life and death, who causes salvation to blossom.

On Shabbat Teshuva add: Who is like You, nurturing Parent who in compassion sustains the life of all creatures.
You faithfully sustain every living thing.

Blessed are You, Adonai, the Source of life.
Traditional version: Blessed are You, Adonai, who brings life to the dead.

The Sanctity of God’s Name

When the Amidah is read silently, this Kedusha is read:

You are holy and Your name is holy, and holy ones declare Your glory day by day.
Blessed are You, Adonai, the holy God (on Shabbat Teshuva: the holy Ruler).

When the Amidah is recited communally, the full Kedusha is included:

We shall adore You and sanctify You like the secret speech of the angels, who sanctify Your name in holiness and in the words of the prophet, they call to one another saying:
Holy, holy, holy is Adonai of Hosts; the fullness of the whole earth is God’s glory!

God’s glory fills the earth. God’s servants ask one another: where is God’s Holy Place? Responding they say “blessed:”
Blessed is the glory of Adonai from His place.

Adonai is our God, our parent, our ruler, our saviour. God will once again in mercy let us hear, before all the world: I will be your God.
I am Adonai your God

In Your holy words it is said:
Adonai will reign forever, your God, O Zion for all generations. Halleluyah!

To all generations we will make known Your greatness, and to all eternity proclaim Your holiness. Your praise, O God, shall never depart from our lips, for You are a great and holy Ruler. Blessed are You, Adonai, the holy God (On Shabbat Teshuva: the holy Ruler].

The Holiness of the Day

You established Shabbat , Adonai our God, prescribing by Your will its special offerings and sacrifices. Those who delight in Shabbat will inherit enduring glory. Those who savor Shabbat share the bliss of eternal life; those who love its teachings have chosen greatness. At Sinai our ancestors received the mitsvah of Shabbat, and You com­manded them that on Shabbat an additional sacrifice be offered:

Offerings for the day of Shabbat: two yearling lambs without blemish, together with two-tenths of an ephah of choice flour mingled with oil as a grain offering, with the proper libation; a burnt offering for every Shabbat, in addition to the daily burnt offering and its libation.

But since then, our Temple has been destroyed – what shall we offer to You and how may we come close to You? Will lip service and worship made of words be acceptable when they cost us nothing and require no effort of us? Should not this be the service that God desires: To dedicate our resources to God’s worship, to give of ourselves to the embittered, to save the downtrodden from crying and the poor who none will assist, to provide speedy help to those who stumble and medicines for those who are sick, to banish wickedness and ignorance from the world?

May it be Your will Adonai our God and God of our ancestors to bring all Israel happily up to our land. Plant us in our boundaries so that we may draw near to You, ready to take action according to Your commandments, as it says: It has been told you, O Human, what is good, and what Adonai requires of you: Only to act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with your God.

Our God and God of our ancestors, may our rest on this day be pleasing in Your sight. Make us Holy with Your commandments, and let Your Torah be our way of life. Satisfy us with Your goodness, gladden us with Your salvation, and purify our hearts to serve You in truth. In Your gracious love, Adonai our God, let Your holy Shabbat remain our heritage, that all Israel, declaring Your name holy, may find rest and peace. Blessed are You, Adonai, who makes the Shabbat holy.

Those who keep the Shabbat and call it a delight shall rejoice in Your kingdom. The nation who hallows the seventh day shall be satisfied and gladdened by Your goodness. You desired the seventh day and sanctified it, calling it the most precious of days, in remembrance of the act of creation.

Worship

Be gracious, Adonai our God, to Your people Israel, and receive our prayers with love. May our worship always be acceptable to You. Dwell in Zion, that Your worshippers may serve You in Jerusalem.

When the New Moon falls on Shabbat

You created Your world in primordial times, You completed Your work on the seventh day. You have loved us and cherished us, and have raised us above all other peoples, and sanctified us by Your commandments, and brought us near, our Ruler, to Your service, and called us by Your great and holy name. In love, Adonai our God, You have given us the Shabbat for rest, and the New Moon for atonement.
Our God and God of our ancestors, accept our rest, and renew us, on this Shabbat day, this new month, for good and for blessing, for joy and happiness, for salvation and comfort, for good sustenance, for life, for peace, for the forgiveness of sin. For You have chosen Your people Israel from among all the nations, and have proclaimed for them Your holy Shabbat, and have set for them the laws of the New Moon. Blessed are You, Adonai, who sanctifies the Shabbat and Israel and the New Moons.

Let our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy.
Blessed are You, Adonai, who restores the divine presence and His people to Zion.

Thanksgiving
We gratefully acknowledge that You are Adonai our God and God of our people, the God of all generations. You are the rock of our life, the power that shields us in every age. We thank You and sing Your praises: for our lives, which are in Your hands; for our souls, which are in Your keeping and for your daily miracles, your wonders and goodness which are ours at all times; morning, noon, and night. You are Goodness: Your mercies never end; You are Compassion: Your loving-kindness will never fail. You have always been our hope.

On Hanukkah and Purim:

We give thanks for the redeeming wonders and the mighty deeds by which our people was saved and comforted in days of old and in this season.

Hanukkah

In the days of the Hasmoneans, of Mattityahu son of Yochanan the High Priest and his sons, the wicked Hellenistic kingdom rose against our ancestors, determined to make them forget Your Torah, and to turn them away from obedience to Your will. But You, in Your great mercy, were at their side in time of trouble. You fought their fight and vindicated them. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak; the many into the hands of the few; the arrogant into the hands of those who kept Your covenant; You have wrought great victory and miraculous deliverance for Your people down to this day, revealing Your glory and Your holiness to all the world. Then Your children returned to Your house, to purify the sanctuary and kindle its lights. And they dedicated these eight days to give thanks and praise to Your great name. As You have made miracles for them, so may You for us, saving us in these days as in those.

Purim

In the days of Mordechai and Esther in the capital city of Shushan, when the evil Haman rose against them and was determined to destroy, kill and wipe out all the Jews, young and old, women and children and plunder their property – in a single day – the thirteenth of the twelfth month, that is Adar. You in Your great compassion thwarted his plans and foiled his designs. You delivered the many into the hands of the few; the arrogant into the hands of those who kept Your covenant; You have wrought great victory and miraculous deliverance for Your people down to this day, revealing Your glory and Your holiness to all the world.
Thus were these days called Purim, made to be days of feasting and joy, of send food one to another and gifts to the poor. These days are remembered and kept in ever generation, in every family, in every city and country. These days of Purim will never be forgotten by the Jewish people.
As You have made miracles for our ancestors, so may You for us, saving us in these days as in those.

For all these things, Sovereign God, let Your name be for ever exalted and blessed.

On Shabbat Teshuva add: And inscribe all the children of Your covenant for a good life.

All who live shall affirm You and praise Your name in truth, Adonai our Redeemer and Helper. Blessed are You, Adonai, whose nature is goodness, it is fitting to give thanks to You.

During the repetition of the Amidah the Leader says:
Our God and God of all generations, bless us with the three-fold benediction of the Torah:
May Adonai bless you and keep you. (May this be God’s will. Ken yehi ratzon)
May Adonai’s presence shine on you and be gracious to you. (May this be God’s will. Ken yehi ratzon)
May Adonai’s countenance be turned to you and give you peace. (May this be God’s will. Ken yehi ratzon)

Peace

May peace, happiness, and blessing; life, grace and love and mercy descend upon us, and on all Israel Your people. Bless us, our Creator, one and all, with the light of Your presence; for by that light, O God, You have revealed to us the Torah of life, to love kindness, and justice, blessing and mercy, life and peace. It is good in Your eyes to bless Your people and all peoples at all times with Your peace.

On Shabbat Teshuva add:
In the Book of Life, blessing and peace and good sustenance may we and all the household of Israel be remembered and inscribed before You, for a good life and for peace.

Blessed are You, Adonai, who makes peace.

Upon concluding the Amidah one may add a personal prayer or the following.

My God, keep my tongue from evil and my lips from deceit. Help me to be silent in the face of derision, humble in the presence of all. Open my heart to Your Torah, and I will pursue Your Mitzvot totally. As for those who wish me evil, hasten to undo their evil plans and thwart their purposes. Do so for the sake of Your name, Your power, Your Torah and Your holiness, that those whom You love might be rescued, deliver with Your right hand and answer me.

Mar son of Rabinah

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to You, Adonai, my Rock and my Redeemer.
May God who causes peace to reign in the high heavens, grant us peace, and all Israel, and all the world, and let us say: Amen.

My God – may these never end: the sand and the sea, the rush of the water, the flash of the lightening, and a person’s prayer.

Hannah Senesh, 20th Century

The whole world is a very narrow bridge, and the main thing is not to fear at all.

R. Nachman of Bratzlav, 18th-19th Century

Ein Kelohenu (There is none like our God)

There is none like our God; there is none like our Sovereign;
there is none like our Ruler; there is none like our Savior.
Who is like our God? Who is like our Sovereign?
Who is like our Ruler? Who is like our Savior?
We will give thanks to our God; we will give thanks to our Sovereign:
we will give thanks to our ruler; we will give thanks to our Savior.
Blessed is our God; blessed is our Sovereign;
blessed is our Ruler; blessed is our Savior.
You are our God; You are our Sovereign;
You are our Ruler; You are our Savior.
You will arise to comfort Zion, for this is a season of forgiveness, the time has come!
You are the One to whom our ancestors offered incense in the days of the Temple.

Concluding Prayers

Aleinu

It is incumbent upon us to praise the lord of all, to magnify the ultimate creator,

Traditional Text

who has not made us like the peoples of the nations, nor placed us like the families of the earth; who has not cast our lot as theirs nor our fate as their masses.

Alternative text 1

who chose us to mark the One Name and drew us close for worship

Alternative Text 2

who has separated us from those who go astray: who has given us the Torah of truth and planted eternal life within us. Let all the peoples walk in the name of its god.

And we bow in thanksgiving before the One who is Sovereign over all, the blessed Holy One.

God spread out the heavens and established the earth; God’s glorious dwelling is above, God’s powerful Shechinah is in the heavens, God is our God; there is none else. In truth God alone is our ruler, as it is written:
Deut 4:39 “Know then this day and take it to heart: the Adonai is God in the heavens above and on the earth below; there is none else.”

We therefore look to You Adonai our God with hope, to see Your mighty glory, to end evil in the land, to turn all the evil of the land to you. Every inhabitant of the earth shall recognize and know that we are all partners in repairing the world, for the dominion is Yours.
As it says : On that day Adonai will be One and God’s name will be One

We therefore hope, Adonai our God, soon to behold the glory of Your might. Then will false gods vanish, and the world will be perfected under Your unchallenged rule. And then all will acclaim You as their God, and, forsaking evil, turn to You alone. Let all who dwell on earth acknowledge that unto You every knee must bend and every tongue swear loyalty. Before You, Adonai our God, let them humble themselves. To Your glorious name let them give honor. Let all accept the yoke of Your kingdom, that You may rule over them soon and for ever. For the kingdom is Yours, and to all eternity You will reign in glory, as it is written:
Exodus 15:18 Adonai will reign for ever and ever.
Zech 14.9 It has been said: Adonai shall reign over all the earth; on that
day the Adonai shall be One and God’s name shall be One.”

Let the great name of God be extolled and be sanctified in the world whose creation He willed. May God’s kingdom soon prevail, in our own day, in our own lives, and the life of all Israel, and let us say: Amen. Let God’s great name be blessed forever and ever. Let the name of the blessed Holy One be glorified, exalted and honored, though God is (on Shabbat Teshuva add: above and) beyond all the praises, songs, and adorations that we can utter, and let us say: Amen.
For us and for all Israel, may the blessing of peace and the promise of life come true, and let us say: Amen.
May God who causes peace to reign in the high heavens, grant peace to us, all Israel, and all mankind and let us say: Amen.

Master of the Infinite, who reigned before any being had yet been created;
When all was done it was according to God’s will, already then God’s name was King.
After all has ceased to be, God will reign in solitary majesty.
God was, is, and shall be in glory.
God is One; none can be compared to God or consort with Him.
Without beginning, without end; to God belong power and dominion.
God is my God, my living redeemer, my rock in time of trouble.
God is my banner and my refuge, my benefactor when I call.
Into God’s hands I entrust my spirit, when I sleep and when I wake.
As with my spirit, so with my body: Adonai is with me, I will not fear.

Magnified and praised be the living God;
God transcends time God is One and unique;
God is unfathomable, God’s Oneness is limitless.
God has no bodily form, God is incorporeal;
God’s holiness is beyond compare.
God preceded all creation; First and without a beginning.
God is the eternal Lord, who reveals His greatness and sovereignty.
God inspired with the gift of prophecy those who are treasured and glorified.
Never has there been a prophet like Moses, who looked to God.
A Torah of truth did God give His people, through His prophet, His faithful servant.
God does not change; God’s teaching will not be supplanted – forever.
God watches us and knows our secret thoughts;
God perceives the end at the beginning.
God deals kindly with those who merit kindness,
God brings the wicked the consequences of their deeds.
At the end of days God will send everlasting redemption;
God graciously sustains all that lives
Blessed is God’s glorious name to all eternity.

Shir HaKavod: The Hymn of Glory

I will make melodies and weave songs, for my soul pines for You.
My soul so wants the shelter of Your hand, to know every one of Your deepest mysteries
Every time I speak of Your glory, my heart yearns for Your love.
Therefore I will say glorious thing of You and honor Your name in songs of friendship.
I shall tell of Your glory, though I have not seen You; I imagine You and name You, though I cannot know You.
Through Your prophets and the secrets told to Your servants, You allude to Your glorious splendor:
Your greatness and power. They described the strength of Your deeds.
They portrayed You, but not as You truly are, rather they described You according to Your actions.
You are envisioned in countless ways, yet You are truly One in all allegories.
You are imagined in old age and strong youth, Your hair as silver or jet black.
Old age in times of judgment and strong youth in times of war, as a warrior of mighty hands.
Wearing a cap of salvation, His right hand and holy arm granting him victory.
His head is covered in glimmering dew, His curls wet with the night’s rain
He will take pride in me, for He delights in me and will be my splendid crown.
His head is like a shape of purest gold with the sacred name inscribed on His forehead.
With grace, honor and splendor His people crown him.
The tresses of His head are youthful, His curly locks are black.
May the abode of righteousness, His splendid crown, be His foremost joy.
His precious one will be His diadem, a royal tiara will His splendid crown be.
He has carried them since their birth and wears them as a crown for they are worthy and precious to Him.
His pride is in me and my pride is in Him, He is close by when I cry out to Him.
Radiant and ruddy, with garments of red, He tramples the vineyards on His way from Edom.
He showed the knot of His phylacteries to the humble one, a vision of God was before his eyes
He desires His people and will glorify the humble, the One who dwells in praise will take pride in them.
The chiefest of Your words are truth, right from the start, each generation of those who seek You add their interpretations.
May You place my many songs upon You and may my joyfulness come close to You.
May my praise be Your crown and my prayer Your incense.
May the song of this poor one be precious to You as the hymns sung over Your sacrifices.
May my blessing rise up to the One who sustains, who causes, who gives birth, the righteous One, the Hero.
When I bless You, nod Your head and accept my prayer like finest perfume.
May my words be sweet to You, for my soul pines for You.

Who can tell the mightiness of Adonai and declare all God’s praise?

Yehudah HeChasid (Judah the Pious), 13th Century

Prayer for Peace

Source of peace, ruler of peace
Grant peace to your people Israel
And let peace spread among all Your creatures
So that there may be no hatred, jealousy, competition or victory among people
Let there be only great love and peace among us all
So that we may all gather together
Each with their fellow
Speaking to each other
Learning the truth from each other

Based on a prayer composed by R. Nachman of Bratzlav

Allahuma, inta-s salaam wa-minka-s salaam
Adon ha-shalom, barkheinu ba-shalom, amen.
God – You are the peace and from You is the peace
Source of peace, bless us with peace, amen

Let every breathing thing God’s praises sing. Halleluyah

Happy are those who dwell in Your house; they shall praise You:
Happy the nation that has it so; Happy the people whose God is Adonai.

A song of praise of David.
I will extol You, my God and Ruler; and I will bless Your name for ever and ever.
Every day will I bless You; and I will praise Your name for ever and ever.
Great is Adonai, and highly to be praised; God’s greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall laud Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.
The glorious splendor of Your majesty, and Your wondrous works shall I recite.
People shall speak of the might of Your tremendous acts; I will tell of Your greatness.
They shall utter the fame of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.
Adonai is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger, great in mercy.
Adonai is good to all; tender mercies are over all God’s works.
All Your works shall thank You, Adonai; Your pious ones shall bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your dominion, talk of Your might;
To make known to all humans God’s mighty acts, and the majestic glory of God’s kingdom.
Your dominion is for all ages, and Your rule endures through all generations.
Adonai supports all who fall, and raises up all those that are bowed down.
The eyes of all wait for You, and You give them their food in due season.
You open Your hand, and satisfy every living thing with favor.
All Adonai’s ways are righteous and all God’s works are gracious.
Adonai is close to all that call – to all that call upon God in truth.
God will fulfill the desire of those in awe of Her, hearing their cry and saving them.
Adonai guards all who love Him, but destroys all the wicked.
My mouth shall speak Adonai’s praise, let all flesh bless God’s holy name for ever and ever.
We will bless Adonai now and forever, halleluyah.

To You, Adonai, does my prayer go forth. May this be a time of favor. In Your great loving-kindness, God, answer me with Your saving truth.

Rabban Gamaliel says: Every day one should pray the eighteen [benedictions]. Rabi Yehoshua says : The abstract of the eighteen [benedictions]. Rabi ‘Akiba says: If his prayer is fluent in his mouth, he should pray the eighteen ; but if not, an abstract of the eighteen. Rabi Eliezer says : If one makes his prayer a fixed task, his prayer is not a supplication.

[One] should not stand up to pray unless they are in a serious frame of mind {lit. “heavy of head”}. The original Ḥasidim used to wait one hour and then pray, in order to direct their hearts towards the Omnipresent.

Amidah

Adonai, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your glory.

Ancestors

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God and God of our ancestors: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob; God of Sarah, God of Rebecca, God of Rachel and God of Leah, God great, mighty, and awesome, God supreme. God who bestows lovingkindness. Creator of all. You remember the faithfulness of our ancestors, and in love bring redemption to their children’s children for Your name’s sake.

On Shabbat Teshuva add: Remember us for life, ruler who delights in life, and inscribe us in the book of life, for Your sake, living God.

You are our ruler, the One who helps, saves, shields and remembers.
Blessed are You, Adonai, who shields Abraham and remembers Sarah.

Power

Eternal is Your strength, Adonai, You bring low but also raise up, great is Your power to save.

From the first day of Pesach until Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah: You drop the dew
From Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah until the first day of Pesach: You cause the wind to blow and rain to fall.

With love You sustain the living, with great compassion give life to all/to the dead. You support the falling and heal the sick; You bring freedom to the captive and keep faith with those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, Master of Might? Who is comparable, Source of life and death, who causes salvation to blossom?!

On Shabbat Teshuva add: Who is like You, nurturing parent who in compassion sustains the life of Your creatures?
You faithfully sustain every living thing.
Blessed are You, Adonai, the Source of life.
Traditional version: Blessed are You, Adonai, who brings life to the dead.

The Sanctity of God’s Name

When the Amidah is read silently, this Kedusha is read:

You are holy and Your name is holy, and holy ones declare Your glory day by day.
Blessed are You, Adonai, the holy God (on Shabbat Teshuva: the holy Ruler).

When the Amidah is recited communally, the full Kedusha is included:

We sanctify Your name on earth, even as in the heights of heaven they proclaim Your holiness; and in the words of the prophet, they call one to another, saying:
Holy, holy, holy is Adonai of Hosts; the fullness of the whole earth is God’s glory!
and responding they say “blessed:”
Blessed is the glory of Adonai from His place.
In Your holy words it is said:
Adonai will reign forever, your God, O Zion for all generations. Halleluyah!
To all generations we will make known Your greatness, and to all eternity proclaim Your holiness. Your praise, O God, shall never depart from our lips, for You are a great and holy Ruler. Blessed are You, Adonai, the holy God (On Shabbat Teshuva: the holy Ruler].

Our God and God of our ancestors, may our rest on this day be pleasing in Your sight. Make us Holy with Your Mitzvot, and let Your Torah be our way of life. Satisfy us with Your goodness, gladden us with Your salvation, and purify our hearts to serve You in truth. In Your gracious love, Adonai our God, let Your holy Shabbat remain our heritage, that all Israel, declaring Your name holy, may find rest and peace. Blessed are You, Adonai, who makes the Shabbat holy.

Worship

Adonai our God, accept Your people Israel, and receive our prayers with love. May our worship always be acceptable to You. Dwell in Zion, that Your worshippers may serve You in Jerusalem.

On Shabbat Rosh Chodesh and Ḥagim:

Our God and God of our ancestors, may our remembrance and our reckoning ascend, come, and reach, appear, be desired, and heard, counted and recalled; the remembrance of our ancestors; and the remembrance of Jerusalem, the city of your Holiness; and the remembrance of all Your people Israel before you, for survival and well-being, for grace, kindliness and compassion, for life and for peace on this day of:
On Rosh Chodesh: the New Moon.
On Pesach: the Festival of Matzot.
On Succot: the Festival of Succot.
Adonai our God, remember us on this day for good. Visit us with blessing. Deliver us for a good life. May we find acceptance and favor, love and mercy in Your sight. In Your infinite compassion show us Your pardon and Your salvation. Our eyes are turned to You, for You are a compassionate and merciful God and ruler.

Let our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy. Blessed are You, Adonai, who restores the divine presence and His people to Zion.

Thanksgiving

We gratefully acknowledge that You are Adonai our God and God of our people, the God of all generations. You are the rock of our life, the power that shields us in every age. We thank You and sing Your praises: for our lives, which are in Your hands; for our souls, which are in Your keeping and for your daily miracles, your wonders and goodness which are ours at all times; morning, noon, and night. You are Goodness: Your mercies never end; You are Compassion: Your loving-kindness will never fail. You have always been our hope.

On Hanukkah:

We give thanks for the redeeming wonders and the mighty deeds by which our people was saved and comforted in days of old and in this season.

Hanukkah

In the days of the Hasmoneans, of Mattityahu son of Yochanan the High Priest and his sons, the wicked Hellenistic kingdom rose against our ancestors, determined to make them forget Your Torah, and to turn them away from obedience to Your will. But You, in Your great mercy, were at their side in time of trouble. You fought their fight and vindicated them. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak; the many into the hands of the few; the arrogant into the hands of those who kept Your covenant; You have wrought great victory and miraculous deliverance for Your people down to this day, revealing Your glory and Your holiness to all the world. Then Your children returned to Your house, to purify the sanctuary and kindle its lights. And they dedicated these eight days to give thanks and praise to Your great name. As You have made miracles for them, so may You for us, saving us in these days as in those.

For all these things, Sovereign God, let Your name be for ever exalted and blessed.

On Shabbat Teshuva add: And inscribe all the children of Your covenant for a good life.

All who live shall affirm You and praise Your name in truth, God our Redeemer and Helper. Blessed are You, Adonai, whose nature is goodness, it is fitting to give thanks and praise to You.

During the repetition of the Amidah the Leader says:

Our God and God of all generations, bless us with the three-fold benediction of the Torah:
May Adonai bless you and keep you. (May this be God’s will. Ken yehi ratzon)
May Adonai’s presence shine on you and be gracious to you. (May this be God’s will. Ken yehi ratzon)
May Adonai’s countenance be turned to you and give you peace. (May this be God’s will. Ken yehi ratzon)

Peace

May peace, happiness and blessing, life, grace and love and mercy descend upon us, and on all Israel Your people. Bless us, our Creator, one and all, with the light of Your presence; for by that light, O God, You have revealed to us the Torah of life; to love kindness, and justice, blessing and mercy, life and peace. It is good in Your eyes to bless Your people and all peoples at all times with Your peace.

On Shabbat Teshuva add:
In the Book of life, blessing and peace and good sustenance may we and all the household of Israel be remembered and inscribed before You, for a good life and for peace.

Blessed are You, Adonai, who makes peace.

Upon concluding the Amidah, one may add a personal prayer or recite from the following.

My God, keep my tongue from evil and my lips from deceit. Help me to be silent in the face of derision, humble in the presence of all. Open my heart to Your Torah, and I will pursue Your Mitzvot totally. As for those who wish me evil, hasten to undo their evil plans and thwart their purposes. Do so for the sake of Your name, Your power, Your Torah and Your holiness, that those whom You love might be rescued, deliver with Your right hand and answer me.

Mar son of Rabinah

May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable to You, Adonai, my Rock and my Redeemer. May God who causes peace to reign in the high heavens, grant us peace, and all Israel, and on all the world, and let us say: Amen.

At this moment of profound silence when we contemplate upon those things which cannot be expressed in words, let us take the opportunity to deepen the insight with which we have been endowed. Let us look inward. Let us draw up our past life as one would draw a pail out of a well. It is incumbent upon us to reach full self-awareness, to create a balance among the forces at work within us.

Based upon Martin Buber

Rabi El’azar, on concluding his prayer, used to say the following:
May it be Your will, Adonai our God, that You imbue our fate with love and empathy and peace and friendship, and may You make our borders rich in disciples and prosper our latter end with good prospect and hope, and set our portion in Paradise, and perfect us through a good companion and a good impulse in Your world, and may we rise early and obtain the yearning of our heart to fear Your name, and may You be pleased to grant the satisfaction of our desire.