I bow before You, Yah,
Our indwelling God,
Our parents’ God,
Abraham and Sarah’s God,
Isaac and Rebekah’s God,
Jacob and Leah and Rachel’s God,
Great, Powerful and Awesome God.
God transcendent.
You nurture us gently
And are kind to us.
You, who possesses it all.
You remember
How our parents loved You.
Yes, we trust that You
Will bring redemption
To us, their children’s children,
Who chant Your name
And love You…
Our Prince, Our Helper,
Our Protector.
Barukh attah Yah
Magen Avraham u’Foked Sarah.

You are powerful with worlds Adonai.
What is dead, you can make live.
You are really capable of helping.
You give dew (and rain)
To parched earth and souls.
You feed all life with gentleness.
You invigorate bodies
With mercy’s flow.
You support us in falling.
You heal us in sickness.
You free us from compulsion.
You keep faith
With those now dead.
In Your might,
No one can compare with You.
You deal out life and death.
Yet in all this,
You make salvation grow.
 
Barukh attah Yah
M’ḥayeh Hametim.

You are Holy,
Your name is Sacred.
And those who daily aspire to be holy,
Sing your Halleluyah all day.
Indeed, You are
the Great and Holy God.
Barukh attah Yah
Ha’el haḲadosh.

 
 
 
 
We pray for the right awareness
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
Ḥonen Hada’at.

 
 
 
 
We pray for becoming harmonized
with God’s will
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
Harotseh Bit’shuvah.

 
 
 
We pray for forgiveness
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
Ḥannun Hammarbeh Lis’lo’aḥ.

 
 
 
 
 
 
We pray for support and redemption
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
Go’el Yisrael.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We pray for healing
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
Rofé Khol Bassar U’mafli La’assot.^[1] Here Reb Zalman substitutes the the wording of the morning Asher Yatsar blessing in place of the more familiar wording of the blessing: “rofé ḥolé amo Yisrael.” 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We pray for
the ecology and economy
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
M’varekh Hashanim.

 
 
 
 
We pray for
the the ending of exile
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
M’kabeits Nid’ḥei Amo Yisrael.

 
 
 
 
 
 
We pray for a just society
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
Melekh Ohev Tsedakah U’mishpat.

 
 
 
 
 
 
We pray for release
from the struggle with negativity
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
Shover Oyvim U’makhni’a Zeydim.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We pray for
all righteous effort to succeed
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
Mish’an U’mivtaḥ laTsadiqim.

 
 
 
 
 
 
We pray for Jerusalem,
God’s city, The House of Prayer
for all Peoples.
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
Boneh Yerushalayim.

 
 
 
 
 
We pray for
the rule of Mashi’aḥ
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
Matsmi’aḥ Ḳeren Yeshu’ah.

You hear Our Prayer,
Compassionate parent.
Accept our pleading,
With kindness and grace.
Everyone praying to You, is heard.
So, I add the concerns I still have
Beyond what I have expressed before,
And I trust, that You, will respond.
(in your own words)
 
Barukh attah Yah
Shome’a Tefillah.

Take pleasure God,
In our way of praying.
Teach us,
To encounter Your Presence.
May we merit
To pray in Your Temple in Ẓion.
 
 
 
 
Barukh attah Yah
HaMaḥazir Shekhinato l’Tsyion.

We are grateful God
and count our blessings
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(here in your words detail your gratitude
for events in your life)
Barukh attah Yah
HaTov Shimkha u’l’Kha Na’eh l’Hodot.

We pray for Peace
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(in your own words)
Barukh attah Yah
HaM’varekh Et Amo Yisrael baShalom.
Amen.

O Lord, open thou my lips, that my mouth may declare thy praise.^[1] Psalms 51:17 

Blessed art thou, Lord our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob; (God of Sarah; God of Rivqah; God of Raḥel & Bilhah and God of Le’ah and Zilpah;) great, mighty and revered God, sublime God, who bestowest lovingkindness, and art Master of all things; who rememberest the good deeds of our fathers, and who wilt graciously bring a redeemer to their children’s children for the sake of thy name.
O King, Supporter, Savior and Shield.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, Shield of Abraham.

Thou, O Lord, art mighty forever; thou revivest the dead; thou art powerful to save.

Between Sukkoth and Pesah add: Thou causest the wind to blow and the rain to fall.
Between Pesah and Shmini Atseret add: Thou causest the wind to blow and the dew to fall.

Thou sustainest the living with kindness, and revivest the dead with great mercy; thou supportest all who fall, and healest the sick; thou settest the captives free, and keepest faith with those who sleep in the dust. Who is like thee, Lord of power? Who resembles thee, O King? Thou bringest death and restorest life, and causest salvation to flourish.
Thou art faithful to revive the dead.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who revivest the dead.

Thou art holy and thy name is holy, and holy beings praise thee daily. Selah!

When the Reader repeats the Shemoneh Esreh, the following Ḳedushah is said:
We sanctify thy name in this world even as they sanctify it in the highest heavens, as it is written by thy prophet: “They keep calling to one another:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole, earth is full of his glory.”^[2] Isaiah 6:3. 
Those opposite them say: Blessed —
Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his abode.^[3] Ezekiel 3:12. 
And in thy holy Scriptures it is written:
The Lord shall reign forever,
Your God, O Ẓíōn, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!^[4] Psalm 146:10. 

Through all generations we will declare thy greatness; to all eternity we will proclaim thy holiness; thy praise, our God, shall never depart from our mouth, for thou art a great and holy God and King.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, holy God.

Thou favorest man with knowledge, and teachest mortals understanding.

On the night following the Sabbath or any other holy day, add: (Thou hast favored us with a knowledge of thy Torah, and taught us to perform the laws of thy will. Thou hast made a dis- tinction, Lord our God, between the holy and the profane, between light and darkness, between Israel and the nations, between the seventh day and the six days of work. Our Father, our King, grant that the approaching days may begin for us in peace; may we be withheld from all sin, cleansed from all iniquity, and devoted to the veneration of thee.)

O grant us knowledge, understanding and insight.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, gracious Giver of knowledge.

Restore us, our Father, to thy Torah; draw us near, our King, to thy service; cause us to return to thee in perfect repentance.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who art pleased with repentance.

Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, our King, for we have transgressed; for thou dost pardon and forgive.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who art gracious and ever forgiving.

Look upon our affliction and champion our cause; redeem us speedily for thy name’s sake, for thou art a mighty Redeemer.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, Redeemer of Israel.

Heal us, O Lord, and we shall be healed; save us and we shall be saved; for thou art our praise. Grant a perfect healing to all our wounds;

For the ill, say:
May it be your will YHVH our elo’ah and elo’ah of our ancestors to quickly relay a complete healing from Heaven:
a healing of spirit and a healing of body to the sick one (…) among the sick assembled in Israel.

for thou art a faithful and merciful God, King and Healer.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who healest the sick among thy people Israel.

Bless for us, Lord our God, this year and all kinds of its produce for the best.

From Pesah till December 4th say: Bestow a blessing
From December 4th till Pesah say: Bestow dew and rain for a blessing

upon the face of the earth. Satisfy us with thy goodness, and bless our year like other good years.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who blessest the years.

Sound the great Shofar for our freedom; lift up the banner to bring our exiles together, and assemble us from the four corners of the earth.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who gatherest the dispersed of thy people Israel.

Restore our judges as at first, and our counselors as at the beginning; remove from us sorrow and sighing; reign thou alone over us O Lord, in kindness and mercy, and clear us in judgment.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, King who lovest righteousness and justice.

May the slanderers have no hope; may all wickedness perish instantly; may all thy enemies be soon cut down.
Do thou speedily uproot and crush the arrogant; cast them down and humble them speedily in our days.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who breakest the enemies and humblest the arrogant.

May thy compassion, Lord our God, be aroused over the righteous and over the godly; over the leaders of thy people, the house of Israel, and over the remnant of their sages; over the true proselytes and over us.
Grant a good reward to all who truly trust in thy name, and place our lot among them; may we never come to shame, for in thee we trust.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who art the stay and trust of the righteous.

Return in mercy to thy city Jerusalem and dwell in it, as thou hast promised;
rebuild it soon, in our days, as an everlasting structure, and speedily establish in it the throne of David.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, Builder of Jerusalem.

Speedily cause the offspring of thy servant David to flourish, and let his glory be exalted by thy help,
for we hope for thy deliverance all day.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who causest salvation to flourish.

Hear our voice, Lord our God; spare us and have pity on us; accept our prayer in mercy and favor,
for thou art God who hearest prayers and supplications;
from thy presence, our King, dismiss us not empty-handed,
for thou hearest in mercy the prayer of thy people Israel.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who hearest prayer.

Be pleased, Lord our God, with thy people Israel and with their prayer; restore the worship to thy most holy sanctuary; accept Israel’s offerings and prayer with gracious love.
May the worship of thy people Israel be ever pleasing to thee.
May our eyes behold thy return in mercy to Ẓíōn.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who restorest thy divine presence to Ẓíōn.

We ever thank thee, who art the Lord our God and the God of our fathers. Thou art the strength of our life and our saving shield. In every generation we will thank thee and recount thy praise — for our lives which are in thy charge, for our souls which are in thy care, for thy miracles which are daily with us, and for thy continual wonders and favors — evening, morning and noon. Beneficent One, whose mercies never fail, Merciful One, whose kindnesses never cease, thou hast always been our hope.

When the Reader repeats the Shemoneh Esreh, the Congregation responds here by saying: (We thank thee, who art the Lord our God and the God of our fathers. God of all mankind, our Creator and Creator of the universe, blessings and thanks are due to thy great and holy name, because thou hast kept us alive and sustained us; mayest thou ever grant us life and sustenance. O gather our exiles to thy holy courts to observe thy laws, to do thy wall, and to serve thee with a perfect heart. For this we thank thee. Blessed be God to whom all thanks are due.)

All the living shall ever thank thee and sincerely praise thy name, O God, who art always our salvation and help.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, Beneficent One, to whom it is fitting to give thanks.

Priestly blessing recited by Reader:

Our God and God of our fathers, bless us with the threefold blessing written in thy Torah by thy servant Moses and spoken by Aaron and his sons the priests, thy holy people, as it is said:

“May the Lord bless you and protect you;

may the Lord countenance you and be gracious to you;

may the Lord favor you and grant you peace.”^[5] Numbers 6:24-26 

For the morning service say: O grant peace, happiness, blessing, grace, kindness and mercy to us and to all Israel thy people. Bless us all alike, our Father, with the light of thy countenance; indeed, by the light of thy countenance thou hast given us, Lord our God, a Torah of life, lovingkindness, charity, blessing, mercy, life and peace.

For the afternoon service say: O grant abundant peace to Israel thy people forever, for thou art the King and Lord of all peace.

May it please thee to bless thy people Israel with peace at all times and hours. * Blessed art thou, O Lord, who blessest thy people Israel with peace.

My God, guard my tongue from evil, and my lips from speaking falsehood. May my soul be silent to those who insult me; be my soul lowly to all as the dust. Open my heart to thy Torah, that my soul may follow thy commands. Speedily defeat the counsel of all those who plan evil against me, and upset their design.

Do it for the glory of thy name; do it for the sake of thy power;
do it for the sake of thy holiness; do it for the sake of thy Torah.
That thy beloved may be rescued, save with thy right hand and answer me.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing before thee, O Lord, my Stronghold and my Redeemer.^[6] Psalms 60:7. 

May he who creates peace in his high heavens create peace for us and for all Israel. Amen.

May it be thy will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, that the Temple be speedily rebuilt in our days, and grant us a share in thy Torah. There we will serve thee with reverence, as in the days of old and as in former years.
Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of old and as in former years.^[7] Malachi 3:4. 

If you are pressed for time,
you can use this short version.

Cause us, O Lord!
to understand Thy ways,
And fill our hearts
with rev’rent fear, all our days.

Help us Yah,
To understand your ways,
And sensitize our hearts,
With reverence all our days.

Forgive us, we entreat Thee, each sin,
That redemption we may hope to win.
In Thy merciful goodness
pain and suff’ring allay,
And satisfy us with Thine abundance,
we pray.

Forgive us, with compassion, each sin,
That redemption we may hope to win.
In your caring,
take our pain and suffering away,
And satisfy us, with your abundance,
we pray.

With Thine all-powerful and tremendous hand
Our scattered ones
gather together to our own land.

With your all-powerful and tremendous hand,
Our scattered ones
Bring together to our own land.

Transgressors, O mighty Being,
judge Thou,
Sinners to Thy just wrath shall submissively bow.
 
 
 
 
When Thy sacred city
with joy we rebuild
And Thy Sanctuary
with Thy glorious presence be fill’d,

May justice be effective,
And righteousness prevail.
May evil plots be razed and fail.
But righteous efforts
Be well regarded.
And those who serve goodness
Be rewarded
When your sacred city,
With joy we rebuild.
And your House of Prayer
With all peoples be fill’d.

Then with a loud and exultant voice
Will the righteous, O God of Israel, rejoice.

Then with a loud and exultant voice,
Will the righteous, O God of Yisrael, rejoice.

Let it be Thy divine will speedily to restore
The House of David, Thy servant, as of yore.

Let it be your divine will, to speedily found
A messianic life for all abound.

And may the light of the son of Jesse
blaze
As in reverence
Thy hallowed Name we praise.

And, may the light of peace,
Brightly blaze,
As in reverence,
Your sacred Name we praise.

 
 
 
 
 
For Thou who hearkenest
to the voice of Prayer,
Art blessed Thy people, O Lord!
declare

 
 
 
 
 
For you do hear
The voice of Prayer,
Are blessed!
This we declare. Amen

After reciting the Amidah for Shaḥarit and Arvit, everyone over the age of fifty (50) must engage in vidui (confession).
The following is the formula of the vidui to recite:

I acknowledge before you,
YHVH my elo’ah and elo’ah of my ancestors,
that the timing of my death is in your hand.
May it be your will
that I live a full lifetime
and that when I die,
may my death be a penance
for all the sins, iniquities, and crimes
that I sinned, transgressed, and committed before you.
Please place my lot among those in Gan Éden
and may I merit to be awarded Olam ha-Ba^[1] The world that is coming, i.e., a world without predation. 
which is set aside for the righteous.
Amen.

Father, whate’er of earthly bliss
Thy Sov’reign will denies,
Accepted at thy throne, let this,
My humble pray’r arise —

Give me a calm, a grateful heart,
From every murmur free;
The blessings of thy love impart,
And make me live to thee.

Let the sweet hope that thou art mine
My life and death attend,
Thy presence through my journey shine,
And crown my journey’s end.

Oh! Thou most holy, blessed God!
I come to seek thine aid,
and to ask Thy Divine counsel this day.

Teach me how to act, in all things,
and let me be so entirely governed
by Thy glorious presence
that my own power may be lost
in the heavenly radiance of Thine.

May no thoughts of self intrude
for one single moment on my mind,
but let every thought
and every wish
be absorbed
in one earnest desire
of loving and pleasing Thee;
so that each gift I possess,
and each action I do,
may redound to thine honour and glory.

Enable me, oh! my heavenly Maker!
to lead all who come in my path
to worship and adore Thee,
and to make the knowledge of Thee
their highest knowledge,
and their trust in Thee
their highest trust.

Oh! Thou incomprehensible and eternal goodness —
oh! aid my endeavours this day,
and every day,
to attain that degree of perfection
in all my pursuits and undertakings,
that I may feel conscious of Thy guidance,
and not be led
to give to myself
the praise which is due to Thee alone.

Endow me, I beseech Thee,
with the spirit of wisdom and judgment,
that descending from the inexhaustible fountain of wisdom,
I might not cease
to act worthily of the teaching
of my Heavenly Father.

May my entire dependence upon Thee
fill me with confidence and humility,
so that resting in Thy wonderful love,
and constant, though invisible care,
I may not only be Thine now, oh! God,
but for ever and ever.
Amen.

In silent devotion:

O God, keep my tongue from evil,
and my lips from speaking deceit.

Arm me with meekness against ill-will;
implant humility in my soul,
and faith in my heart.

Be my support when grief silences my voice,
and my comfort when trouble burdens my spirit.
Let Your truth illumine my path, and guide me,
for You are my God and my Deliverer.
In You I trust day after day.

Receive with kindness the words of my lips
and the meditation of my heart,
O my Maker and Redeemer.

As You preserve peace in the heavenly spheres,
so preserve it unto us
and unto all who invoke Your holy name.
Amen.

Be praised, our God!
God of our fathers,
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
thou who art great and mighty and supreme,
the Giver of all good gifts;
thou who rememberest the pious deeds of the fathers,
and bringest redemption and love to their children’s children;
thou art our protector and helper.
Be praised, O God, shield of Abraham!

Choir and Congregation. Amen.

Thy power, O Lord, is boundless!
Thou sustainest the living with grace,
and with mercy redeemest the souls of thy servants from death.
Thou supportest the falling,
healest the sick,
settest free the prisoners,
and keepest thy faith to those who sleep in the dust.
Who is like unto thee, Almighty!
Who can be compared unto thee,
who killest and makest alive,
and causest salvation to spring forth!
Be praised, O God, who hast planted eternal life within us!

Choir and Congregation. Amen.

Thou art holy,
and thy name is holy,
and thy worshipers daily praise thy holiness.

[The Congregation rise.]

So let us praise our God and exclaim:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory. (Isaiah 6:3)

Praised be the glory of the Eternal,
which fills the earth and the heavens! (Ezekiel 3:12)

God reigneth forever, thy Lord, O Ẓíōn!
through all generations.
Hallelujah! (Psalms 146:10)

Forever will we glorify thee and hallow thy name;
never shall thy praise vanish from our lips.
Be praised, O holy God!

Choir and Congregation. Amen.

[The Congregation take their seats.]

Lord our God,
thou hast crowned man with honor and glory
by giving him an intelligent, immortal spirit.
May thy light enlighten us
and increase our knowledge and intelligence.
Be praised, O God, who hast endowed us with reason!

Forgive, O Father, our sins;
pardon our transgressions,
for thou art a merciful God.
Be praised, O Lord, God of compassion!

Send relief to the suffering,
defend the cause of the guiltless,
give healing and comfort to the sick and wounded,
for thou art the dispenser of health.
Be praised, O Redeemer of the oppressed!

Bless this year with fertility and plenty,
give rain to the soil and success to the work of the farmer,
that abundance of food may come out of the fields.
Be praised, O God, who blessest the years!

Grant that the trumpet of freedom
may soon sound through all the regions of the earth,
that Israel’s mourning may cease everywhere,
and the reign of wickedness vanish like smoke,
and all dwellers on earth recognize thee as their only King.
Be praised, O Ruler of the universe, who lovest right and justice!

Turn. O God, in love to all the just and virtuous;
strengthen all who sincerely trust in thee;
help us, too, in our weakness,
enlighten us in our ignorance,
arm us against danger and temptation;
and when our faces are bowed down in grief
and our soul is troubled,
and we know not what to say,
then reveal thy light within us,
that we may receive the gifts of trust and hope
and the peace which abideth forever.
Grant that our lot may fall with those who fear thy name,
so that we may never be brought to shame.
Be praised, O God, shield of the righteous!

Our God and God of our fathers,
receive graciously our prayers
and the prayers of all thy children
who come to seek thee,
and may we ever know how to serve thee in truth.
Be praised, O God, who art the loving Father of all mankind!

Choir and Congregation. Amen.

Our God and God of our fathers;
sanctify us by thy commandments,
give us light through thy law
and let us behold thy salvation.
Purify our hearts to serve thee in truth,
and let us enjoy our communion with thee
in love and grace
that thy name may be hallowed by us.

Choir and Congregation. Amen.

We render thanks unto thee, Lord our God!
for our life which is in thy hand,
for our souls which are of thee,
for thy providence,
for thy wonders which are manifested every day,
for the benefits which thou showerest upon us
at all times, at evening, morning and noon.
Thy mercies never fail,
thy kindness never ceases
and we put our trust in thee forever.

Be praised, O Lord! for Goodness is thy name,
and we shall glorify thee.

Our God, and God of our fathers!
bless us with the ancient, three-fold, priestly benediction:

May God bless thee and guard thee! (Numbers 6:24)

Choir and Congregation. Amen.

May God let his countenance shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee! (Numbers 6:25)

Choir and Congregation. Amen.

May God lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee peace! (Numbers 6:26)

Choir and Congregation. Amen.

Grant peace, happiness and blessing,
grace and mercy to us,
and to all Israel, thy people,
and to all thy children.
Bless us all, O our Father,
with the light of thy countenance!
As in thy light thou hast given us the law of life,
the love of virtue and justice, mercy and peace;
so may it please thee to bless us with thy peace
at all times and in all seasons.
Be praised, O giver of peace!

O God, keep my tongue from evil
and my lips from uttering deceit,
and grant that I may be meek and kind
to those who bear ill-will against me!
Implant humility in my heart
and strengthen me with faith!
Be my support when grief oppresses me
and my comfort in affliction!
Let truth illumine my path and guide me;
for thou art my God and my helper;
in thee I trust every day.

Graciously receive the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart,
my Rock and my Redeemer!
O God of peace, preserve peace to us
and to all who invoke thy holy name.
Amen.

Choir and Congregation. Amen.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel,
that they bring me an offering:
of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart
ye shall take my offering. (Exodus 25:1-2)

And king David said to Ornan …
I will not take that which is thine for the Lord,
nor offer burnt offerings without cost. (I Chronicles 21:24)

Offerings

Shall I offer unto the Lord
That which has cost me naught,
That which I have not bought
For silver and gold at a price?
Shall I to God’s altar bring
Thine oxen for offering?
Then thine, not mine, were the sacrifice.

Let me not bring thee, O Lord,
That which has cost me nought,
Prayers that I have not sought
To shape to my spirit’s need,
Resolves half-hearted and faint,
And hopes and longings that paint
Joys of earth’s giving, not heavenly meed.

Lord, let me bring unto Thee
Prayers that true faith has wrought,
Self-sacrifice, dearly bought,
And patience, whose lamp never dies,
With penitence, set apart;
For a broken and contrite heart
O Lord, Thou wilt not despise.^[1] Cf. Psalms 51:19. 

YHVH^[1] We have modified the title from that which was published, a popular vocalization of the Tetragrammaton: “Jehovah.” 

“Destroying and making alive,
and causing salvation to spring forth.” (from “Birkat Meḥayéh haMétim” in the Amidah)

I sing the uplift and the upwelling,
I sing the yearning toward the sun,
And the blind sea that lifts white hands of prayer.
I sing the wild battle-cry of warriors
And the sweet whispers of lovers,
The dear word of the hearth and the altar,
Aspiration, Inspiration, Compensation,
God!

The hint of beauty behind the turbid cities.
The eternal laws that cleanse and cancel.
The pity through the savagery of nature,
The love atoning for the brothels,
The Master-Artist behind his tragedies.
Creator, Destroyer, Purifier, Avenger,
God!

Come into the circle of Love and Justice,
Come into the brotherhood of Pity,
Of Holiness and Health!
Strike out glad limbs upon the sunny waters
Or be dragged down amid the rotting weeds,
The festering bodies.
Save thy soul from sandy barrenness.
Let it blossom with roses and gleam with the living waters.

Blame not, nor reason of your Past,
Nor explain to Him your congenital weakness,
But come, for He is remorseless,
Call Him unjust, but come.
Do not mock or defy Him, for He will prevail;
He regardeth not you; He hath swallowed the worlds and the nations;
He hath humor, too: disease and death for the smugly prosperous.

For such is the Law, stern, unchangeable, shining,
Making dung from souls and souls from dung,
Thrilling the dust to holy, beautiful spirit,
And returning the spirit to dust.
Come, and ye shall know Peace and Joy,
Let what ye desire of the Universe penetrate you,
Let Loving-kindness and Mercy pass through you,
And Truth be the law of your mouth.
For so ye are channels of the divine sea.
Which may not flood the earth but only steal in
Through rifts in your souls.

In thankfulness.

Ⅰ.
 
O God,
I come into thy presence
with songs of thanks
on my lips and my heart.
I thank Thee
for the joy of living
and learning
and doing
which thou hast given unto me,
and for all the revelations of thy lovingkindness.
 
Our Father!
among all other blessings
I thank Thee for this,
that I can realise thy presence at all times.
I know not what thou art,
but I can feel thine influence.
I thank thee for having given me
the power to love,
by which I have made for myself
a bridge stronger than death,
whereon I may walk fearlessly
even to eternity.
Amen.

Ⅱ.
 
We give thanks unto thee,
for thou art the Lord our God
and the God of our fathers
for ever and ever;
thou art the Rock of our lives,
the Shield of our salvation
through every generation.
We will give thanks unto thee
and declare thy praise
for our lives
which are committed unto thy hand,
and for our souls
which are in thy charge,
and for thy miracles,
which are daily with us,
and for thy wonders and thy benefits
which are wrought at all times,
evening, morn and noon.
O thou who art all-good,
whose mercies fail not;
thou, merciful Being,
whose lovingkindnesses never cease,
we have ever hoped in thee.

Ⅲ.
 
Almighty God,
source of all goodness and happiness,
I offer thee my heartfelt thanks
for the numberless tokens of thy love
with which my life is crowded.
For the gift of life itself
with all its possibilities,
for the soul with its power
to recognise and confess thee
as the Author of all things,
I bless and praise thee, my heavenly Father.
 
For the wise and loving laws
which thou hast designed for my guidance and happiness;
for the prophets and teachers of Israel who,
having led many to righteousness,
are like the stars for ever;
for the great and good of all ages, lands, and peoples,
upon whose inheritance I have entered,
I bless and praise thee, my heavenly Father.
 
For all the pleasant things of the earth;
for the beauty in which thou has robed thy creation;
for the gift of health;
for the joys of home and family;
for the sweet communion of friendship;
and for the desire within me for goodness and purity,
for gentleness and self-control,
for unselfishness and brotherly love,
which prepares the way on earth
for the kingdom of God,
I bless and praise thee, my heavenly Father.
 
Help me, O Lord my God,
to make a right use of these and all thy gifts.
Sanctify unto me every earnest effort which I make,
even as I do at this hour,
to remember some part of what I owe to thee,
so that I may live more worthily in thy sight,
and in seeking the welfare and the happiness of thy children,
may serve thee, as thou desirest,
heavenly Father.
Amen.

Ⅳ.
 
How wonderful are the works of thy hand, O Lord.
The Heavens declare thy glory
and the firmament showeth thy handiwork.
 
In thy love
hast thou given unto me the power
to behold the beauty of thy world,
robed in all its glory,
the sun and the stars,
the valleys and the hills,
the flowers of the meadow
in their colours and their gracefulness.
They shine like a beacon,
heralding thy presence.
The boisterous roaring of the breakers of the sea
tells me of thine awful power,
and the beasts of the field
and the birds of the air
speak of thy greatness and thy glory.
May my eyes behold and rejoice.
O Lord, make me worthy of these thy gifts!
 
In thy marvellous greatness
hast thou granted unto me the power
to hear the music of the world,
to listen to the grandness of the winds
that roar out thy majesty
or whisper of thy love;
the songs of the birds
and the sweet melody of the strings
which speak of thy gentleness and purity;
the voice of loved ones,
manifesting unto me that thou art in our midst.
May my ears be open and give heed.
O Lord, make me worthy of these thy gifts!
 
In thy Fatherly care for me
hast thou breathed into me thy holy spirit
to guide me,
to comfort me,
to shield me,
and to strengthen me,
to remind me ever of thy righteousness,
for I am built in thine image.
May my soul be conscious of it
and my heart be humble.
O Lord, make me worthy of this thy most glorious gift.
Amen.

For peacefulness.

Ⅰ.
 
Almighty Father!
I humbly ask thee for thy help,
for my need is great.
Do thou grant peace unto my soul.
My days fly past in quick succession,
and are marked by happy expectations
or by grievous disappointments.
With thee, O Lord, is peace.
O Lord,
in the thought of thy constant love and pity
may I learn to find my rest.
I am weary
with trying to understand
the mysteries of sin and of evil
against which I so often struggle in vain.
Teach me to be still
and to wait patiently for Thee,
who art perfect in knowledge and goodness.
Amen.

Ⅱ.
 
Grant abundant peace unto thy people for ever;
for thou art the sovereign Lord of all peace;
and may it be good in thy sight
to bless thy people
at all times
and at every hour
with thy peace.
Blessed art thou, O Lord,
who blessest thy children with peace.
Amen.

Grant us peace, Thy most precious gift,
O Thou eternal source of peace,
and enable Israel to be a messenger of peace
unto the peoples of the earth.
Bless our country
that it may ever be a stronghold of peace,
Bless our country
that it may ever be a stronghold of peace,
and the advocate of peace in the council of nations.^[1] The Union Prayerbook for Jewish Worship, revised edition, part Ⅱ (1922) has “councils of nations”. Abraham Cronbach, in The Jewish Peace Book (1932) has “and its advocate in the council of nations.” 
May contentment reign within its borders,
health and happiness within its homes.
Strengthen the bonds of friendship and fellowship
between all the inhabitants of our land.
Plant virtue in every soul,
and may the love of Thy name
hallow every home
and every heart.
Praise be to Thee, Giver of peace.

Grant, Lord,
that we might overcome our enemies
by transforming them into friends.
Make them
and make us
conscious of those deep inward reaches
whereby every heart is rooted
in the world’s deep common life.

Cause us
to cease looking into directions
that oppose.
Cause us, O thou our Utmost Good,
to look into the one direction
of a united look unto Thee.
Amen.

Grace us with knowledge, understanding, and insight.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for You have graced us with the knowledge of Your holiness.

Grace us with forgiveness and absolution for all of our transgressions, all our rebellions, and for all of our lowliness.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for You have forgiven our transgressions.

Grace us with a decisively plain and pure faith,
until we can be certain of ourselves that we will not again return to folly.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for You have fixed faith in You within us for eternity.

Guard us that we should not sully ourselves with bodily pleasure,
and do not give us any more physical pleasure than that which our soul needs.
Purify our hearts that they should not want anything other than that which is needed to give pleasure to You.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for You have purified our hearts until we don’t want other than that which gives pleasure to You.

Grace us with Your great blessing in all the work of our hands,
as it is written, “In every place in which I cause my name to be mentioned I will come to you and bless you.”
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for You have prepared blessings which flow down to us.

Redeem us, HASHEM, with a complete redemption, from the seventy nations who dominate us and cause us to falter.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for you have redeemed us.

Grant us great favor in Your eyes.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for Your eyes have found favor in us.

Bring us, HASHEM, to Your innermost chamber, to a place saturated with love for Your Creation.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for You have brought me to Your chambers.

Reveal to us all of Your secrets,
and do not hide from us that which you have revealed to the Prophets and Sages who know Your name.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for You have revealed to us the secret meanings of Torah.

Recall us so that we turn completely toward You out of awe and love.
Gather up all the wickedness and materialism with which we have rebelled against You,
and transform it so that it merits to illuminate Your face as much as possible.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for You have gathered up all of our transgressions and transformed them into merits.

Remember us when we say before You a single word or even one letter with perfect clarity during our life.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for You have fulfilled all our desires.

Reveal within our hearts Your wondrous love, no less than romantic love.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for You have chosen us with a naturally eternal love.

Insert Your love into our hearts so that even when I walk in the streets or deal in business, Your divinity does not leave my heart for a second, and I will meditate on it day and night.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for You have connected all my limbs and ligaments with Your love.

Let us serve You with great works which pleases You,
for I am prepared to labor like an yoked ox or a burden-laden donkey for the sake of the power which could yet be,
in order to extol Your name in the world.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, for you have let me labor before You always.

The Amidah’s choreography
is designed to call to mind
an appearance before a sovereign
so as to invoke the proper “stance.”

Consider, though, the variety of God-communications depicted just in the book of Genesis:
God talks to Adam and Eve,
to Cain,
to Noaḥ,
and to Avimelekh.

God even talks to the serpent.

God heeds Ishmael “where he is.”

And Hagar names “YHVH who spoke to her: ‘God-who-sees-me’.”

So, in stepping up to greet God,
it is sometimes fruitful to picture,
instead of a royal audience,
an opportunity to meet God in the cool of the garden,
or to approach, at a desert spring, “God-who-sees-me.”

[You can add personal affirmations to the following.]

I affirm…

The power of positive affirmations.
I affirm that the Shekhinah
Surrounds me,
And blesses me.
I affirm the light beings
Of God’s service,
Who support and guide me.

Avot

I affirm the blessings
Of Avraham and Sarah, in my life.

T’ḥiyah

I affirm the sacrifice of Yitsḥak,
And God’s power over my life,
And death.

Ḳedushah

I affirm God’s holiness,
And my growth toward it.

הָ Shover oyvim

I place myself
Under the protection of the Sefirah of Keter,
Which will shield me
From all harm and neutralize it.

הַ Atah ḥonen

I invoke the inflow of Ḥochmah,
To align my intellect
With clarity and purpose,
To inspiration and realization.

הֵ Hashivenu

I invoke the care of Binah,
To lead me to God’s heart.

הֶ Seliḥah

I invoke the abundance of Ḥesed,
To bring me to atonement.

הְ Ge’ullah

I invoke the power of Gevurah,
To see me through trouble
And lead me to redemption.

הוֹ Refu’ah

I place myself
In the compassionate heart
Of God’s Tiferet,
And affirm the healing,
balancing, integrative,
Centering light within me.

הִ Brakhah, Mashiaḥ, Shekhinah

I support myself
On the pillar of Netzaḥ,
Channeling to me
All manner of
Blessing and prosperity,
And place it at the disposal
Of the redeeming Mashiaḥ,
Unfolding to witness
The Shekhinah’s residing in Tsiyyon.

הֻ Kibbutz Galuyot, Yerushalayim, Modim

I support myself
On the pillar of Hōd,
Making order in my life,
Gathering all the forces
From dispersion,
And settling them
In the blessed Yerushalayim,
Where I offer my thanks
To God’s Glory.

הוּ Tsedakah Umishpat, Tsaddikim, Shalom

I base myself
On the foundation
Of Yesōd,
To act righteously and justly.
To assist
Every righteous effort
In the world,
And to become
Peaceful,
To work for peace.

ה Shome’a T’fillah

I affirm that Malkhūt,
The Shekhinah, is the one
Offering these affirmations in me,
And is attracting
The flow of blessings,
To suffuse my life.

Amen…Amen.

G!d, Open up my lips
as I begin your praise.

1. God of Ancestors

2. Mighty God

3. Holiness

3. Holiness of your Name

Awesome creator of angels and holy beings, we seek your presence every day and Praise you Ribono shel Olam, Master of the Universe.

4. Knowledge

We aspire to knowledge and wisdom.
Blessed are you all knowing E’in Sof, Endless One, Source of Wisdom.

5. Return

With you there is never a point of no return. Blessed are you Ro’eh Israel, Shepherd of Israel who wants us to return to your presence.

6. Forgiveness

We always know when we act selfishly, with disregard to others. Blessed are you HaRachaman, who always forgives.

7. Redemption of Israel

Hashem, see our plight. Praised are you HaKadosh Baruch hu, Our liberator and redeemer.

8. Healing

Healer of hearts, minds, souls, healer of relationships; families, friends and loved ones. Give us strength and insight into our ailments and discords for a speedy recovery. Blessed are you, yad chazakah, strong hand, healer of the sick of Israel.

9. Abundance

Boreh, Creator of the infinite universe, of dancing planets that provide the seasons that we depend on for our comfort and source of food. Blessed are you Boreh, Creator of the Cycles.

10. End to Exile

Tzur Israel, Our Rock and inspiration to be free, gather us in from the four corners of the world. Blessed are you Tzur Israel, who ends the Galut for his people Yisrael.

11. Charity and Justice

Nurture our role models, gemilut chesed and justice in all nations of the world. Blessed are you Melech HaMelachim who loves righteousness and justice.

12. End to Evil

Let there be no time and no space where evil can flourish. Blessed are you Adir, Strong One who defeats enemies of love and compassion and humbles all.

13. The righteous

Take those that put trust in you under the wings of the Shechina. Blessed are you HaKadosh Baruch hu, who provides the support and energy for the Tzadikim.

14. Restoring Jerusalem

Make Jerusalem the eternal symbol of our ideals. Blessed are you Boreh, Creator, who rebuilds Jerusalem.

15. Salvation

Hashem, there are more times that we need your rescue than not. Blessed are you Avinu Malkeinu who causes salvation to flourish.

16. Hear the prayer

You hear the prayers of your people Israel with compassion. Blessed are you our G!d who hears prayer.

17. Return the Shechina to Ẓíōn

Be pleased with us and with the prayers of our people. Blessed are you G!d who restores the Shechina to Ẓíōn.

18. Bowing to you

We give thanks to you for being our G!d and the G!d of our ancestors for ever. You are always our rock and shield of rescue in all generations. Blessed are you Hashem, G!d of the Good Name, it is good to bow to you and give thanks.

19. Peace to Israel

Grant peace, happiness, blessing, beauty, loving kindness and compassion to us and to all Israel your people and the whole world. O G!d, who blesses his people Israel and the whole world with peace.

Rain is important in every society, but particularly so in places like Eretz Yisrael, where rain only falls during a defined portion of the year. It is critical, then, that the “rainy season” in fact be rainy, since no rain can be expected for the remainder of the year. Accordingly, prayers, liturgies, and fast days relating to rain (or the lack thereof) played, and continue to play, a prominent role in Jewish tradition.

Our tefillot today contain two major references to rain. The first, “hazkarat geshamim“, is better known as “mashiv haruaḥ umorid hagashem” and is found in the second berakhah of the Amidah. This is recited in accordance with the rainy season in Eretz Yisrael, which runs from the beginning of Sukkot through the beginning of Pesaḥ. We follow R. Yehoshua’s position in Mishnah Ta’anit 1:1 that we should postpone hazkarat geshamim until Shemini Atzeret, as it would be inappropriate for us to speak of rain while we still hope to sit in the sukkah.

The second reference to rain is “she’eilat geshamim“, found in the weekday Amidah in the 9th berakhah, “birkat hashanim“. There, an alternating liturgy was established: during the dry months, we say “v’tein berakhah“, whereas during the rainy season, we say “v’tein tal umatar livrakhah“, an explicit request for the rain to fall. Consensus emerged around the opinion of Rabban Gamliel in Mishnah Ta’anit 1:3 that “she’eilat geshamim” should begin on the 7th of Marḥeshvan (15 days after Shmini Atzeret, the 22nd of Tishrei). This would give pilgrims from as far away as the Euphrates (a 15-day journey) sufficient time to return home in dry weather. This is current practice in Eretz Yisrael to this day.

However, a Tanna named Hananiah, mentioned on Bavli Ta’anit 10a, rules that “Bagolah” (a term that refers to Babylonia) rain should not be requested until the 60th day of the “tekufah“. “Tekufah” is a term that refers to one of the quarterly divisions of the year between solstices and equinoxes, what we call seasons. In this context, Hananiah is ruling that Babylonians should start asking for rain on the night of the 60th day of the period that begins with the Jewish day in which the autumnal equinox falls (known as Tekufat Tishrei).

Seasons are not as simple as they seem, and there was some dispute in the ancient world about the length of the seasons and the precise times of the equinoxes and solstices. On Bavli Eruvin 56a, we find a method for computing the tekufot that is ascribed to Shmuel (an early Babylonian post-Mishnaic sage): “The time between one tekufah and the next is 91 days and seven and a half hours.” This adds up to a solar year of 365.25 days, the figure used by the ancient Egyptians and already adopted by the Romans under the Julian calendar in Shmuel’s time. Babylonian Jews, who followed Hananiah’s ruling, used Shmuel’s standard for computing the autumnal equinox. With a few interesting exceptions (see below), the Babylonian system has prevailed in all Diaspora communities until the current day: we begin requesting rain on the night of the 60th day of the autumnal tekufah, computed by Shmuel’s reckoning, and we cease asking for rain on Pesaḥ.

We know that under the Julian calendar, Shmuel’s computation of the autumnal equinox reckoned it to fall on September 24th, occurring in successive years at 3 am, 9 am, 3 pm and 9 pm. In the first three cases, the 60 day count into Tekufat Tishrei would begin from the start of the Jewish day, the night of September 23rd. In Jewish years divisible by four, when the equinox was reckoned to fall at 9 pm, already after nightfall, the 60 day count would begin with the Jewish day commencing on the night of September 24th. The 60th day would thus begin the night of November 22nd, or the night of November 23rd, in Jewish years divisible by four. Shmuel’s solar year, identical with the Julian solar year, would thus remain in synchronization with these secular dates, on which she’eilat geshamim began for centuries.

So how did we get to December 4th/5th? To explain that, we need to take a short detour into the history of the Julian and Gregorian calendars.

As mentioned above, Shmuel’s computation was identical to that of the Julian calendar, which reckoned a 365.25 day solar year, inserted a leap day in February every 4 years, and was established by Julius Caesar in 45 BCE. When Caesar fixed the calendar, he established March 25th as the date of the vernal equinox. In 325 CE, at the Council of Nicea, the calendar was recalibrated to tie the equinox to March 21st.

The time it takes the earth to orbit the sun, however, is actually about 365.2422 days. The Julian calendar, therefore, was .0078 days too long every year. Every 400 years, the Julian calendar was slipping forward about 3 days. By 1582, the Julian calendar had slipped about 10 days since the 4th century, and the vernal equinox was falling on March 11th.

Pope Gregory XIII reformed the Julian calendar that year, suppressing 10 days (he decreed that October 5th would be October 15th) and decreeing that from there on leap years would occur 97 times every 400 years (instead of 100 every 400 under the Julian), with century years being non-leap years, unless they were divisible by 400 (like 2000). Most Catholic countries accepted the reform immediately, and others gradually after that, with England and the American colonies not signing on until 1752. (Some countries under the influence of the Eastern Churches did not change over until the 20th century.) Were the Julian calendar still in effect today, it would be 13 days ahead of the Gregorian calendar.

The switch to the Gregorian calendar revealed how the Julian system had been slipping forward, and Jews continued to compute the tekufot according to Shmuel and his Julian-length year (much like the other nations and regions mentioned above, who stuck with the Julian calendar). The date for she’elat geshamim in 1582 was thus shifted 10 days to December 1st. In 1700, a leap year on the Julian calendar, but not on the Gregorian, the date slipped to December 2nd, and by 1900 it had slipped to December 4th (December 5th in Jewish years divisible by four). It did not slip in 2000, since that year is a leap year according to both the Gregorian and Julian calendars.

And that is why we in the Diaspora today begin saying v’tein tal umatar on the night of December 4th (or of December 5th in Jewish years divisible by four).

Two final notes:

1) Though most authorities and communities accepted the Babylonian schedule for requesting rain, as they accepted Babylonian positions in almost all areas of halakhah, there were a few who were troubled by the seeming absurdity of this position. After all, the Babylonian shift for the practice of starting at 7 Marḥeshvan in Eretz Yisrael was intended to reflect the local schedule for rain. Rabbeinu Asher b. Yehiel, a turn-of-the-fourteenth-century leader in Germany who later moved to Spain, lobbied intensively to change the Babylonian schedule to one that would more accurately address the local needs of his communities. In Europe, rain was needed much earlier than late November, and moreover, it was especially needed in the spring, even after Pesaḥ. In Repsonsum 4:10, he laid out an extensive case for this change, citing Maimonides’ comments on the Mishnah, which explicitly explain the schedule of she’eilat geshamim as being tied to local needs. Though there seem to have been communities in Provençe that followed his ruling, he was largely unsuccessful, as members of the German and Spanish communities themselves were unwilling to go along with the seemingly daring proposal. He eventually backed off. No serious effort to depart from the Babylonian schedule has been mounted since.

2) Shmuel’s reckoning of the equinoxes and solstices continues to slip and no serious effort has ever been made to address it. This is true for two reasons: First, the reckoning is only important for two extremely minor rituals, she’eilat geshamim, and the blessing over the sun that is said once every 28 years. Second, even in the case of she’eilat geshamim, where the calendrical absurdity is somewhat alarming, the Julian slippage is dwarfed by the discrepancy between the Babylonian schedule and local needs. As long as she’eilat geshamim is completely detached from any local reality, it is hard to get worked up about the additional 13 days that this ritual has advanced over time. Perhaps when the date gets into January, in the year 5700 CE (!), people won’t be able to take it anymore and something will be done.

Adonai,
open my lips,
so my mouth will be able to praise You.

Let us remember all who came before us, each seeking their connection to the Divine in their own way.
Let us remind ourselves that while our ways of approaching the Source of Life may be different from the ways of our parents’, their ways were different from the ways of their parents.

Blessed is the One who defended Abraham and Approached Sarah.

Let us remember the great strengths of the Universe, turning around situations that seemed irreparable.

Blessed is One who brings back to life.

Let us remember the Holiness of the Eternal One. The kind of Holiness that even the holiest creatures are always in attempt to capture.

Blessed is the Holy One

Let us remember the Source of our knowledge and wisdom.
Let us remind ourselves that no matter how much we learn, there is a limit to how much we will understand in our lifetimes.

Blessed is the One who grants us knowledge.

Let us remember to avoid self-righteousness.
Let us remind ourselves that we are not perfect and have a natural tendency to transgress.
Let us remind ourselves that the gates of t’shuvah are always open.

Blessed is the One who desires our repentance.

Let us remember that forgiveness is possible.
Let us remind ourselves that we have to ask before receiving it.

Blessed is the Merciful One, who often forgives.

Let us remember our People, and their grievances.
Let us remind ourselves even in times of joy that redemption is not yet here.

Blessed is the One, who redeems Israel.

Let us remember to take care of ourselves and of the people around us.
Let us remind ourselves of those who are not well, and wish them a speedy recovery.

Blessed is the One who heals the ill.

Let us remember the earth and how unpredictable it can be.
Let us remind ourselves of all those affected by natural disasters, those wishing for more rain this year and those who could use a little less.

Blessed is the One, who blesses the years.

Let us remember that some of us are still in exile.
Let us remind ourselves that some of us may physically be in Ẓíōn but are spiritually exiled.

Blessed is the One, who gathers us from our exile.

Let us remember that justice is yet to be restored.
Let us remind ourselves of those who are transparent to our legal systems and those wronged by it.

Blessed is the One, who loves justice.

Let us remember those who betrayed us and have enabled our enemies.
Let us remind ourselves that not everyone who seems to have betrayed us actually has, but that sometimes evil does exist.

Blessed is the One, who crushes our enemies and surrenders the evil.

Let us remember those who joined our Family from their own free will, and the hardships that they sometime encounter.
Let us remind ourselves how lucky we are to have them in our lives and how crucial their presence is.

Blessed is the One, whom the righteous can rely upon.

Let us remember the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Let us remind ourselves of its beauty, its diversity, and also of its divisions. May it truly become a City of Peace swiftly and soon.

Blessed is the One, who builds Jerusalem.

Let us remember that this is not yet the end of history.
Let us remind ourselves that there are always better times ahead.

Blessed is the One, who brings forth salvation.

Let us remember that sometimes prayers are answered.
Let us remind ourselves to keep asking.

Blessed is the One, who listens to prayers.

Let us remember to keep looking for better ways to serve the Eternal One, and avoid the temptation to remain set in our ways.
Let us remind ourselves that at times, sacrificing animals seemed to be the ultimate form of Avodah.
Let us remind ourselves that we can do better – in Ẓíōn and everywhere else.

Blessed is the One, who returns Shekhinah to Ẓíōn.

Let us remember to be grateful.
Let us remind ourselves that more of our prayers have been answered than we might be willing to admit.

Blessed is the One, who deserves our thanksgiving.

Let us remember that Peace is not yet at hand.
Let us remind ourselves to keep pursuing it, no matter how unattainable it may seem.

Blessed is the One, who blesses us with peace.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your eyes, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Holy One, open my lips to praise You.

I bless You, Holy One
My life force and life force of my parents.
Life force of my mythic ancestors,
Each of them in their own relationship wrestling with You.
When I remember them, my own life is put in perspective
as one strand of breath among the lifelines of Your people.
The force of life that came through my parents and turned into me
is cosmic greatness, goodness, and lovingkindness.
When I am aware that this force lives on through me
I help bring redemption to my generation and all coming generations
for the sake of Your love.
You are my helper, my lover, my protector.
I bless You, Holy One, whose love holds me in the arms of my ancestors.

You are a beautiful and fierce lover-warrior, God.
Your love wrests life from death.
In the cycles of rain on the soil,
In the cycles of growth in my soul
You lift what has fallen
You heal what is ailing
You release what is bound.
You keep firm faith with me when I feel like dust and ashes,
Your presence slips into my heart even when I sleep
or want to be sleeping.
Who is like You, Master of Strength? Who compares to You?
You are life and You are death and You are the gardener who tends to both.
I affirm my trust in Your power to wrest life from death.
I bless You, Holy One, who brings forth life from death.

You are holy and Your name is holy.
You are the balance between lovingkindness and justice.
I affirm your ability to help me find that balance
as I am made in your image.
I bless You, Holy One, Holy of Holies.

Help me to be reflect upon my actions
Help me to be aware of my thoughts
Help me to discern my emotions
that I may ever grow in balance, integrity and compassion.
I bless you, Holy One, who graciously grants me awareness.

Return me to You, Holy One!
Bring me close to You through service.
Circle me back to my whole heart
Which knows I belong to You.
I bless You, Holy One, Who Loves t’shuvah.

Forgive me, God
and help me forgive myself.
I am so imperfect and I judge myself so harshly.
Help me remember that perfection is Yours alone
and my job is to show up with courage and compassion
to my own messy human life.
I bless You, Holy One, who forgives.

See my struggles and help me with my troubles!
Bring me out of my stuck places so I can better be awake to my life.
Redeem me quickly and with ease from the pain of shame.
I bless You, Holy One, who redeems.

Heal me, Holy One, and let me feel healed.
Save me, Holy One, and let me feel saved.
Healed in body, mind, spirit,
Saved from the power of my own fears.
Heal me from the damaging messages of perfectionism and achievement
Save me from believing my own inner critics.
Send healing love to all those I am holding in my heart today: say names here.
I bless You, Holy One, healer of all.

Bless me on your good land, God.
Bless me with the courage and compassion to accept the bounty of Your Earth
Bless me with the courage and compassion to accept the bounty of the years I have been given.
May I nourish my body.
May I eat and be satisfied.
May I greet each turning year with love and gratitude.
I bless You, Holy One, who nourishes my years.

I call out to all of me, God!
Let me witness the miracle when all the banished parts of me feel Your love.
Gather me in from the edges of my subconsciousness
Let me bring all myself to be seen and loved before You in prayer.
I bless You, Holy One, who gathers me in when I am exiled.

Loosen judgement’s hold from my heart, God.
Get me out of the judge’s seat
Where I am exhausted and scared
Where I dole out harsh rulings on myself and others.
Help me remember that You are the only judge, and You are compassionate.
I bless You, Holy One, who loves compassion.

And as for my shame gremlins, God, help me bring them to the light
Where they vanish, melt, disappear.
Help me voice their frightening messages to people I trust
And let my voicing be received with compassion.
May the connection between me, my loved ones, and You
uproot the power shame holds over me.
I bless You, Holy One, who uproots and transforms.

Bless the courageous moments in my life, God.
Bless the small and great triumphs when I am able to breathe
and see through fear and shame to my inherent worthiness.
Bless those who hear my vulnerability with compassion
and bless me with the honor to be that compassionate listener for others.
This practice of giving and receiving compassion and connection will truly protect from shame.
I bless You, Holy One, who shields me and my loved ones from shame.

Holy One, may I feel you return to the places in me
that are wracked in conflict and full of beauty.
May I live gracefully in the paradox of longing for You
yet knowing You are with me all the time in total wholeness.
Draw out my holiest self, God, to serve You,
To be a messenger of the even better world that is coming.
I bless You, Holy One, who builds wholeness.

Give me the fortitude to hope for my own transformation, Holy One.
Give me the discipline to envision my goals
To make steps to achieve them
To be flexible and change my goals when needed
And to believe in my ability to change.
I bless You, Holy One, saving grace of change.

Help me really hear my own words, God.
My desire to build capacity for compassion, courage, and connection
is stronger than my fears.
By gracious to me, and open my heart to hear my own longing
for gentleness, grace, and ease.
Let me not walk away from this prayer unmoved.
I bless You, Holy One, who helps me hear my own prayers.

May my struggles to grow be received as holy service.
May my breath, my softening, my moments of courage be received as sacrifices on the altar.
This is my devotional practice:
I offer my changing self to You
Ever growing in love and trust
ever leaning in toward the belief that I am totally worthy just as I am.
I bless You, Holy One, who receives my offerings with love.

I humbly bow in thanks before You, Life of my life
for all the blessings I am aware of
and all the blessings I do not even think about.
I thank you especially right now for… Speak what you are especially grateful for in this moment.
I know that practicing gratitude fosters joy
and helps me endure the hard times.
So I join my voice to all of life when I say
that I am grateful in every moment, every evening, morning, and afternoon.
I bless You, Holy One, receiver of my gratitude.

Help me feel the wholeness of my own heart, God.
Amidst all my brokenness, let me feel how whole I am.
Help my loved ones feel their own wholeness too.
Lead me on a path of peace, to make peace with myself,
To find rest and integrity even as I struggle to grow.
I bless You, Holy One, who makes me whole.

May the words I of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be received fully and with love.

In this silence
I do not call to You, my God.
I do not call out at all

Instead, for an instant of openness
I offer, not demand
I surrender, just for a moment

Instead of asking for my needs
or of challenging You, our usual way
I am quiet and available to You

You, You, You
I am here
I am open

“And to Jerusalem Your city return in mercy,
and dwell therein as You have said;
build it soon, in our days, in a lasting structure…”

As I head Eastward,
Holy One,
and pause for prayer in an airport chapel,
one of several earthly portals
into awareness of You,
I wonder:

Have we been capitalizing certain words to our own detriment?
Perhaps the reflective act of prayer might one day
render this Jerusalem paragraph entirely lowercase, human,
claiming as our own the obligation
too often outsourced to You:

to the heart of jerusalem
you must return
with a merciful heart.
when you arrive,
build something eternally worthy,
as you always say you will.
do it today.

amen.

May my lips open
and my voice exclaim a song
that brings pleasure and nourishment
to the source of life.

1. Ancestors (Avot / Imahot)

Ancestors and Guides,
I invoke your love,
care,
blessing,
protection,
guidance,
and support.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Magen Avraham
v’Ezrat Sarah.

2. Source Of Miracles (Gevurot)

Source of Life,
I invoke and praise you,
the force capable of creating
miracles in my life.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
M’ḥayei Ha-Metim.

3. Source Of Holiness (Ḳadosh)

Source of loving evolution,
I invoke you to correct any imbalances
or impurities within my field,
so that I may be presentable,
and able to be present in this Holy Space.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Ha-El HaḲadosh.

4. Humble Knowing (Ḥonen HaDa’at)

I allow my attention to rest in the place
where inner knowing, insight, and understanding
bubble forth within me.
I offer praise to the source of life,
and I allow the divine to communicate with me
and for awareness to grow within me.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Ḥonen HaDa’at.

5. Repentance (Teshuvah)

I stand before
the presence
of compassion,
understanding,
forgiveness
and right action
to ask to re-align my life
with joy,
happiness,
vitality,
success
and fulfillment.
I align my being
with the vision and manifestation
of my most fulfilled life.
I allow myself to notice
what falls out of alignment,
and to invoke compassion,
understanding,
forgiveness
and right action.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Ha-Rotseh ḆiTshuvah.

6. Forgiveness (Seliḥah)

I invoke the divine power of forgiveness
and ask the source of life to help me
in forgiving myself and others
for any transgression and hurt.
I ask for forgiveness,
and ask to be forgiven.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Ḥanun HaMarbeh Lislōaḥ.

7. A Redeemed World (Gəulah)

I invoke the presence of Geulah,
and ask this presence to fill the world
and bring healing,
compassion,
and evolution.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai
Gōel Yisrael.

8. Bring Healing to those who are ill (Refuah)

I invoke the presence of Hashem Refuah, the great healer,
and ask that this presence come
and heal those who are sick —
(specifically . . .) —
May they be healed
and blossom with health and vitality.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Rofeh Ḥolei Amo Yisrael.

9. We Ask for a Year of Blessing (M’varekh HaShanim)

I have complete trust
with perfect faith and gratitude
that this year ahead
is filled with joy,
prosperity,
success,
health,
happiness,
generosity,
security,
peace,
and miracles!
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
M’varekh HaShanim.

10. End Of Exile (Ḳibbuts Galuyot)

I invoke the mother who calls her children home.
May the human heart
hear her call like a Shofar
and repent our ways,
and create an Eden once again.
 
Barukh atah Adonai,
M’kabets Nidḥei Amo Yisrael.

11. Justice (Tsedeḳ)

I invoke the spirit of righteousness,
justice,
and compassion
to fill the hearts and minds of all man.
Fill our world, fill our actions,
fill me, fill my actions.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Melekh Ohev Tsedaḳah u’Mishpat.

12. Pray for the Failure of Evil Forces (Birkat Haminim)

I pray for the heart of humanity.
I uplift the heart of the world.
I sing to you.
May the forces of goodness prevail
and be much stronger than any force of evil!
May the plans of evil be disrupted.
May those creating disharmony
repent immediately
and work towards the good of all.
May the web of life be restored to harmony.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Shover Oyvim
u-Makhniya Zedim.

13. Pray for the Ascended Masters (Tsadiḳim)

I invoke the righteous
and evolutionary strength
of the Tsadiḳim.
Please bestow blessings of prosperity and success
for those who are building a sacred world of peace.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Mish’an u-Mivtaḥ LaTsadiḳim.

14. Build A City Of Peace (Binyan Yerushalyim)

Great Spirit,
assemble us,
fill us with the knowledge of peace,
wisdom,
and beauty.
May we join hearts and minds
to build dwelling places of peace.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Boneh Yerushalayim.

15. Wellspring of Salvation (Malkhut Beit David)

Please God,
cause salvation to spring up
and flourish in our world.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Matsmiaḥ Ḳeren Yeshua.

16. (Ḳabbalat T’filah)

Spirit of Life,
I love you.
Please receive nourishment
through these words.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Shome’a T’filah.

17. (Shekhinah)

Great Shekhinah,
may you be united again with your world
that you love so much.
May you be forever honored,
respected,
and welcomed home.
We crown you as Queen of the world once more.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
HaMaḥzir Shekhinato L’Tsiōn.

18. Gratitude (Modim)

Thank you ancestors, guides,
thank you Hashem,
thank you, Goodness
for the pleasure of connecting with you.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
HaTov Shimkha
u-lekha naeh ləhodot.

19. (Shalom)

Great Spirit,
bring your peace,
to all the nations of the world,
and to the nation of Yisrael.
 
Barukh Atah Adonai,
Hamvorekh et Amo Yisrael BaShalom.