Tefillin • the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶקְט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ

ברכת תפלין | Ευχη Δια Τα “Τεφιλιν„ (Φυλακτηρια) :: The Blessings for Wrapping and Crowning Oneself with Tefillin, Greek translation by Yosef Naḥmuli (1885)

Yosef Naḥmuli — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 05:10:03 +0000

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (Greek)
ברכת תפלין	ΕΥΧΗ ΔΙΑ ΤΑ “ΤΕΦΙΛΙΝ„ (ΦΥΛΑΚΤΗΡΙΑ)
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֺתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהָנִיחַ תְּפִלִּין:	Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ Βασιλεὺς τοῦ Παντὸς, ὁ ἁγιάσας ἡμᾶς διὰ τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ δοὺς εἰς ἡμᾶς τὴν ἐντολὴν νὰ φορῶμεν τὰ «Τεφιλίν.»
ואם הפסיק בדבור בין תפלין של יד לתפלין של ראש יברך
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֺתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל מִצְוַת תְּפִלִּין:	Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ Βασιλεὺς τοῦ Παντὸς, ὁ ἁγιάσας ἡμᾶς διὰ τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ δοὺς εἰς ἡμᾶς τὴν ἐντολὴν τῶν Τεφιλίν.

From ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΑΙ ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΑΙ (Seder Tefilot K’Minhag K.K. Sefaradim, Yosef Naḥmuli, Corfu 1885). Many thanks to Aharon Varady for his digital scan of the microfilm graciously provided by the HUC Klau Library (Cincinnati), and to Ah3kal for his transcription.

Can you read and type in Greek with its diacritics? If so, you can join our transcription project for this prayer book on Greek Wikisource.

Source(s)

[Prayer] for understanding, by Basil Lucas Quixano Henriques (1916)

Basil Lucas Quixano Henriques — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 03:12:45 +0000

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	For understanding.
	Lord of the Universe, I know not what Thou art, and yet I feel Thy presence to be before me at all times.
	Thou hast no eyes, and yet I know no act nor thought of mine is hidden from Thy sight;
	Thou hast no hands, and yet when I am faint and weak, I feel Thy love upholding me;
	Thou hast no ears, and yet when I call unto Thee, I know that Thou art listening;
	Thou hast no voice, and yet when I pray unto Thee I hear Thy answer in my heart;
	Thou hast no form, and yet, O King I see thee ever before me.
	All that is beautiful and pure art Thou, all that is tender and merciful, all that is righteous and good. For Thou art love.
	O Father in Heaven, help me to understand Thee better and open my heart to Thy holiness. Amen.

Basil L.Q. Henriques’s prayer “For Understanding” was first published in The Fratres Book of Prayer for the Oxford and St. George’s Synagogue Jewish Lads Club in 1916, and later reprinted in the Prayer Book of the St. George’s Settlement Synagogue (1929), “Special Prayers” section, pages 94-95.

Source(s)

The Phylacteries, a poem by Rabbi Alter Abelson (1931)

Alter Abelson — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 20:21:17 +0000

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	The Phylacteries
	In love of lawful liberty, My head and arm I bind with glee, With holy phylacteries, to tell That slavery lost her snaky spell.
	For freedom is a heavenly creed Which all the centuries will heed. Freedom from kings and masters proud,— From tyrannies of court and crowd.—
	Behold the leathern straps and case With which my hand and arm I lace— The case contains a parchment writ With words which hearts and planets knit.
	The words are rays of Honor’s sun; God’s mandates which civilization won And which will bring, with song, the good And long-awaited brotherhood.
	And so, I deck my hand and arm With T’filin as we don a charm. With hints of God before my eyes, I rise through prayer to higher skies.
	The Bible texts tucked in within The case, are often shields from sin; Reminders they to straying man That Heaven is watching all we plan.
	The verses, which our love increase, Are amulets for human peace. As trains need rails, as birds need wings, So man needs law, a law that sings.
	Oh, Ceremonies, thoughts which live, Dynamic life to dreams you give. You are live history anew; We live what we believe through you.
	Before my bread, my God I need. My faith is life, and life my creed.

The poem “The Phylacteries” can be found in Alter Abelson’s collection of poetry, Sambatyon and other Poems, vol. 1 (New York: Ariel Publications, 1931), p. 149.

Source(s)

The Phylacteries (Alter Abelson 1931)

הֶגְיּוֹן הַלֵּב (לפני הנחת תפלין) | Meditation Prior to Laying Tefillin, by Asher Hillel Burstein

Asher Hillel Burstein — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 04:30:49 +0000

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
אָנָּא ה׳, אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן. אֶת־בְּרוּאֲךָ הָרַךְ הַזֶּה לֹא שָׁחַטְתִּי, אֶת־יַלְדְּךָ, אֶת־יַקִירֶֽךָ. בְּשָׂרוֹ הַכָּשֵׁר נֶאֱכַל עַל־יְדֵי יְהוּדִים טוֹבִים שֹׁמְרֵי אֱמוּנִים. וּשְׁאָר בְּשָׂרוֹ נֶאֱכַל עַל־יְדֵי בְּנֶֽיךָ אֲשֶׁר עֹבְדִים אֶת־כְּבוֹדְךָ עַל־פִּי דַּרְכֵי עַמָּם. דָּמָיו וְעַצְמוֹתָיו שָֽׁבוּ אָֽרְצָה, לְהַחֲיוֹת בָּהּ אֶת־עֲפַר הָאֲדָמָה וְאֶת־הַצֹּמֵֽחַ מִמֶּֽנָּהּ. וַאֲנִי, אֵין בִּרְצוֹנִי לְהָמִית נֶֽפֶשׁ כָּל חָי אֲשֶׁר יָצָא מֵרֶֽחֶם אִמּוֹ, וְאֵין לִי חֵֽפֶץ לֶאֱכֹל מִן בְּשָׂרוֹ.	I beseech Thee, O Lord, Merciful and Beneficent God: I did not slaughter this, Thy tender creature, Thy child, Thy dear one. Its kosher flesh was consumed by good Jews who observe Thy Torah, while the remainder of its flesh was consumed by Thy children who worship Thy glory according to the custom of their people. Its blood and its bones returned to the earth to vivify the soil and that which grows therefrom. It is not my desire to bring death to any spirit-bearing creature who emerged from a mother’s womb; neither is it my wish to eat of its flesh.
הִנֵּה, יֵשׁ אֶת־לִבִּי לְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת־הַיְּצוּר הַנָּאֶה הַזֶּה עַל־יְדֵי מִצְוַת תְּפִלִּין הַקְּדוֹשָׁה וְהָעֶלְיוֹנָה. יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁיָנֽוּחַ בְּשָּׁלוֹם, וּבִזְכוּתוֹ תַּעֲזְרֵֽנִי לְקַיֵּם אֶת־מִצְוַת תְּפִלִּין בְּכַוָּנָה, בְּיִרְאַת הַכָּבוֹד, וּבִדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ. אָמֵן.	Behold, my heart desires to sanctify this beautiful creature by means of the holy and exalted mitsvah of tefillin. May it be Thy will that it rest in peace. And in its merit help Thou me to fulfill the mitsvah of tefillin with full intentionality, with due reverence, and with awe and love. Amen.

Source (Hebrew)

Translation (English)

אָנָּא ה׳,
אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן.
אֶת־בְּרוּאֲךָ הָרַךְ הַזֶּה לֹא שָׁחַטְתִּי,
אֶת־יַלְדְּךָ, אֶת־יַקִירֶֽךָ.
בְּשָׂרוֹ הַכָּשֵׁר נֶאֱכַל עַל־יְדֵי יְהוּדִים טוֹבִים
שֹׁמְרֵי אֱמוּנִים.
וּשְׁאָר בְּשָׂרוֹ נֶאֱכַל עַל־יְדֵי בְּנֶֽיךָ
אֲשֶׁר עֹבְדִים אֶת־כְּבוֹדְךָ עַל־פִּי דַּרְכֵי עַמָּם.
דָּמָיו וְעַצְמוֹתָיו שָֽׁבוּ אָֽרְצָה,
לְהַחֲיוֹת בָּהּ אֶת־עֲפַר הָאֲדָמָה וְאֶת־הַצֹּמֵֽחַ מִמֶּֽנָּהּ.
וַאֲנִי, אֵין בִּרְצוֹנִי לְהָמִית נֶֽפֶשׁ כָּל חָי
אֲשֶׁר יָצָא מֵרֶֽחֶם אִמּוֹ,
וְאֵין לִי חֵֽפֶץ לֶאֱכֹל מִן בְּשָׂרוֹ.

I beseech Thee, O Lord,
Merciful and Beneficent God:
I did not slaughter this, Thy tender creature,
Thy child, Thy dear one.
Its kosher flesh was consumed by good Jews
who observe Thy Torah,
while the remainder of its flesh was consumed by Thy children
who worship Thy glory according to the custom of their people.
Its blood and its bones returned to the earth
to vivify the soil and that which grows therefrom.
It is not my desire to bring death to any spirit-bearing creature
who emerged from a mother’s womb;
neither is it my wish to eat of its flesh.

הִנֵּה,
יֵשׁ אֶת־לִבִּי לְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת־הַיְּצוּר הַנָּאֶה הַזֶּה
עַל־יְדֵי מִצְוַת תְּפִלִּין הַקְּדוֹשָׁה וְהָעֶלְיוֹנָה.
יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁיָנֽוּחַ בְּשָּׁלוֹם,
וּבִזְכוּתוֹ תַּעֲזְרֵֽנִי לְקַיֵּם אֶת־מִצְוַת
תְּפִלִּין בְּכַוָּנָה,
בְּיִרְאַת הַכָּבוֹד,
וּבִדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ.
אָמֵן.

Behold,
my heart desires to sanctify this beautiful creature
by means of the holy and exalted mitsvah of tefillin.
May it be Thy will that it rest in peace.
And in its merit help Thou me to fulfill the mitsvah of tefillin
with full intentionality,
with due reverence,
and with awe and love.
Amen.