Ahavat Olam is the liturgical form of the morning prayer containing the birkat ahavah, the blessing preceding the recitation of the Shema. Curiously, the prayer as translated in English is found in the Ahiman Rezon (Laurence Dermott, 1756), pp. 46-47, a Freemason work containing prayers used and recommended for meetings at Masonic Lodges. There, the prayer is preceded by the header, “A Prayer repeated in the Royal Arch Lodge at Jerusalem.” Shawn Eyer explains “this should be understood as a figurative reference and not a direct claim that there was a Masonic lodge in Jerusalem in 1756. Dermott is essentially saying that this would be a prayer used there in theory, and by extension, a prayer especially suitable to any Royal Arch Lodge. It is unknown the extent to which this prayer was used in Masonic Royal Arch meetings, but it is likely that numerous groups of Royal Arch Masons did so.”

As for the source of this prayer in its English translation, this is pointed to in an annotation following the romanized incipit, “AHAḆATH OLAM” — “A note here reads, ‘See Dr. Wooton, on the Mishna.'” Shawn Eyer clarifies, “Wooten is a typographical error. The English prayer is reprinted nearly verbatim from William Wotton, Miscellaneous discourses relating to the traditions and usages of the scribes and pharisees… (London: W. Bowyer, 1718), vol. 1, pp. 180–181.”

Shawn adds, “This material is part of the research of the Masonic Formation Academy. Support the MFA at <https://www.patreon.com/masonic>.”

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Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z”l, included his translation of “Ahavat Olam” for Shaḥarit in his Siddur Tehillat Hashem Yidaber Pi (2009). I have done my best to set Reb Zalman’s interpretive translation and devotional interpretation side-by-side with the Hebrew liturgy it was derived from. –Aharon N. Varady

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This Chinese translation of an Ashkenazi nusaḥ of the Birkat Ahavah (“Ahavah Rabah”) prayer before the Shema in Shaḥarit is found on pages 12 of the liner notes for the Chinese edition of Richard Collis’s album We Sing We Stay Together: Shabbat Morning Service Prayers (Wǒmen gēchàng, wǒmen xiāngjù — Ānxírì chén dǎo qídǎo).

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These are a series of kavvanot prepared by Rabbi Emanuel S. Goldsmith (1935-2024), z”l, for a Shaḥarit service containing the call to prayer (Barkhu), the blessings preceding the Shema, tthe conclusion of the Amidah, before and after the Torah reading service, and Aleinu. Rabbi Ben Newman, who shared these kavvanot in eulogy for Rabbi Goldsmith in a Facebook post, writes, “My dear teacher, friend, and mentor Rabbi Dr. Emanuel Goldsmith died on Friday. He was an amazing man who taught me a lot about how to be a rabbi, a Reconstructionist, a liturgist, philosopher of religion, and Yiddishist. He also was the “head rabbi” who officiated at my wedding to Rabbi Shoshana Leis….I had him write out for me [these kavvanot] when I substituted for him leading at Congregation Mvakshe Derekh in Scarsdale, NY, 20 years ago as a student rabbi.”

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kavanot for barkhu, yoster hameorot, and ahavah rabah (Emanuel Goldsmith ca. 2003)

kavanot for birkhat shalom (Emanuel Goldsmith ca. 2003)

kavanot for shema, torah reading, and aleinu (Emanuel Goldsmith ca. 2003)

Rabbi Shoshana Meira’s paraliturgical reflection on the Birkat Ahava for Shaḥarit (nusaḥ Ashkenaz), the second blessing before the Shema, was first published in her Siddur v’lo Nevosh (2014). Linear correspondence between the Hebrew source and the English by Aharon Varady.

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