Jewish Worship Texts

Shema Israel and its Blessings

Shema` Israel• Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One (Dt

6:4)• Praised be His Name, whose glorious kingdom is forever

and ever.• Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your

soul, and with all your might. And take to heart these words which I command you this day. Teach them diligently to your children. Repeat them at home and away, when you lie down and when you rise up. Bind them as a sign upon your hand, let them be a symbol between your eyes, and write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. (Dt 6:5-9)

• If you will indeed listen to the commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, then I will give rain to your land in its proper season, the autumn rain and the spring rain; and you will gather in your grain, your wine and your oil. I will let grass grow in your fields for your cattle; and you will eat and be satisfied. Take care lest you be tempted to turn aside to serve other gods and to worship them. For then the wrath of the Lord your God will be kindled against you. He will close the heavens, and there will be no rain. The earth will not yield its produce; and you will soon disappear from the good land which the Lord is giving you. Therefore, impress these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul.

• Bind them as a sign upon your hand, and let them be a symbol between your eyes. Teach them to your children, speaking of them at home and away, when you lie down and when you rise up. Write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. Then your days and the days of your children will be long as the days of the heavens over the earth, on the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers. (Dt 11:13-21)

• The Lord said to Moses: Speak unto the Israelites and say to them that, in every generation, they shall attach fringes to the corners of their garments, and bind a thread of blue to the fringe of each corner. Such shall be your fringes. When you see them, you will remember and fulfill all the commandments of the Lord; and you shall not wander after your heart and your eyes after which you are wont to go astray.

• It is in order that you will remember and fulfill all My commandments and be holy unto your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I, the Lord, am your God. (Numbers 15:37-41)

First Morning Benediction: Yotzer ‘Or

• You are praised, O Lord our God,• Sovreign of the universe,• Fashioner of light and Creator of darkness,• Maker of peace and Creator of all.• In mercy You give light to the earth• and to those who dwell upon it.• In your goodness You renew the work of creation• every day, perpetually.• How manifold are Your works, O Lord!• In wisdom you have made them all.• The earth is full of your creations.

• (Here follows a lengthy passage in which the heavenly luminaries are identified with the angelic hosts who are continually praising the Creator by singing such verses as the trisagion of Isaiah 6:3, and Ezechiel 3:12. This passage does not seem to have been a part of the original form of this benediction.)

• As it is said: "(Give thanks) to Him who made the great lights, for His steadfast love endures forever!"

• O cause a new light to shine upon Zion;• and may we all be worthy soon to enjoy its light.• You are praised, O Lord, Creator of the luminaries.

Second Morning Benediction:‘Ahavah Rabbah

• With great love have You loved us, O Lord our God;

• with great and exceeding pity have You pitied us.• Our Father, our King,• for the sake of our fathers who have trusted You,• and to whom You taught the statutes of life,• be gracious also unto us, and teach us.

• Our Father, merciful Father, O Compassionate One, have compassion upon us;

• and set it in our heart to understand and to comprehend, to hearken, to study and to teach,

• to observe, to do and to perform all the teachings of your Torah in love.

• Enlighten our eyes in Your Torah,• let our heart cling to Your commandments,• and unite our hearts to love and to revere Your Name.• Then shall we never be put to shame.• For we trust in Your holy, great and awe-inspiring

Name,• we jubilate and rejoice in your salvation.

• Bring us, then, in peace from the four corners of the earth,

• and lead us upright to our land.• For You are a God who works salvation,• and You have chosen us from all peoples and language

groups,• and You have brought us close to Your great Name in

truth --• that we may give thanks to You• and proclaim your unity• in love.• Blessed are you, O Lord, who has chosen His people

Israel in love.

Third Morning Benediction: ‘Emet we-Yatziv

• True and certain, established and enduring, right and faithful, beloved and precious, desirable and pleasant, awe-inspiring and mighty, correct and acceptable, good and beautiful is this word for us, forever and true.

• It is true that the eternal God is our King, the Rock of Jacob is the Shield of our salvation.

• Throughout all generations He endures and His Name endures, His throne is established, and His rule and His faithfulness endure forever.

• His words are living and enduring; they are faithful and precious forever and unto all eternity --

• for our fathers and for us, for our children and for all our future generations, yea, for all the generations of the seed of Israel, Your servants.

•  For the former as for the latter generations it is a good and an enduring word, forever and ever --

• a truth and a faithfulness, a law which will never pass away.

• It is true that You are the Lord our God and the God of our fathers, our King and the King of our fathers, our Maker, the Rock of our salvation, our Deliverer and Rescuer.

• Eternal is your Name; there is no God beside You.

• You have been our father's help from of old, a Shield and a Savior to their children after them in every single generation.

• In the height of the universe is your habitation; Your judgments and Your righteousness reach the uttermost ends of the earth.

• Happy is the man who obeys your commandments, who places your Torah and Your Word upon his heart.

• It is true that You are the Lord of Your people, and a mighty King to champion their cause.

• It is true that You are the First and the Last, and that beside You we have no King, Redeemer or Savior.

• From Egypt You have redeemed us, O Lord our God, and from the house of bondage You have delivered us.

• All their firstborn You have slain, but your own firstborn You have redeemed.

• The Sea of Reeds You have split, the arrogant You have drowned, but those You befriended You have brought across.

• The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.

• For this the beloved people praised and extolled God.• Those You love offered hymns and songs, praises,

blessings and thanksgivings to the King, the living and enduring God.

• Lofty is He and exalted, great and awe-inspiring, bringing low the proud and raising up the lowly, freeing the captives and delivering the meek, helping the poor and answering His people when they cry out to Him.

• Praises to God Supreme, praised is He, and ever to be praised!

• Moses and the children of Israel intoned a song unto You in great joy, as all of them said: "Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods men worship? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awe-inspiring in renown, doing wonders?" (Ex 15:11)

•  With a new song the redeemed praised Your Name at the shore of the sea. All of them together gave thanks and proclaimed Your sovereignty, and they said: "The Lord shall reign forever and ever." (Ex 15:18)

• O Rock of Israel, arise to the help of Israel.

• Deliver, as You have promised, Judah and Israel.

• Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His Name, the Holy One of Israel.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who has redeemed Israel.

Shemoneh ‘Esreh:The Eighteen Benedictions

• Amidah = “standing prayer”• Tefillah = “THE prayer”• Three benedictions of God, mighty, holy (1-3)• Thirteen intermediate petitions

– Spiritual blessings (4-6)

– Material blessings (5-10)

– Social blessings (11-16)

• Three final blessings of thanksgiving to God (17-19)

1. 'Avot ("Fathers")

• Blessed are you, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, / God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, / the great, mighty and revered God, / the most high God, / who bestows lovingkindness, and are Master of all things; / who remembers the pious deeds of the patriarchs, / and in love will bring a redeemer to their children's children for His Name's sake, / O King, Helper, Savior and Shield.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, the Shield of Abraham.

2. G’vurot ("Mighty acts")

• You, O Lord, are mighty for ever, / you revive the dead, / you are mighty to save. / [In the summer add: You make the dew to fall. In the winter add: You cause the wind to blow and the rain to fall.] / You sustain the living with lovingkindness, / revive the dead with great mercy, / support the falling, / heal the sick / free the bound, / and keep your faith unto them that sleep in the dust. / Who is like unto you, Lord of mighty acts, / and who resembles you, O King, / who orders death and restores life, / and causes salvation to spring forth? / Yes, faithful are you to revive the dead.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who revives the dead.

3. K’dushat ha-shem ("Sanctification of the Name")

• Unto all generations we will proclaim the lordship of God, / for he alone is most high and holy. / Let your praise, O our God, / never lessen on our lips forever, / for you are a great and holy God and King.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, the holy God.

4. Binah ("Knowledge")

• You favor human beings with knowledge, / and teach mortals understanding. / O favor us with knowledge, understanding and discernment from you.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who graciously gives knowledge.

5. T’shuvah ("Repentence")

• Cause us to return, O our Father, unto your Torah; / draw us near, O our King, unto your service, / and bring us back in perfect repentence unto your presence.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who delights in repentence.

6. S’lichah ("Forgiveness")

• Forgive us, O our Father, for we have sinned; / pardon us, O our King, for we have transgressed; / for you pardon and forgive.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who is gracious and abundantly forgives.

7. G'ulah ("Redemption")

• Look upon our affliction and plead our cause, / and redeem us speedily for your Name's sake; / for you are a mighty Redeemer.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, the Redeemer of Israel.

8. R’fu'ah ("Healing")

• Heal us, O Lord, and we shall be healed; / save us and we shall be saved; / for you are our praise. / Grant a perfect healing to all our wounds; / for you, almighty King, are a faithful and merciful Physician.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who heals the sick of his people Israel.

9. Birkat ha-shanim ("Benediction for the years")

• Bless this year unto us, O Lord our God, / together with every kind of produce thereof, / for our welfare; / give [dew and rain for] a blessing upon the face of the earth. / O satisfy us with your goodness, / and bless our year like other good years.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who blesses the years.

10. Kibbutz Galuyot ("Gathering the Exiles")

• Sound the great horn for our freedom; / raise the ensign to gather our exiles, / and gather us from the four corners of the earth.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who gathers the dispersed of his people Israel.

11. Mishpat ("Justice")

• Restore our judges as in former times, / and our counselors as at the beginning; / remove from us sorrow and sighing; / may you reign over us, O Lord, alone, / in lovingkindness and tender mercy, / and clear us in judgment.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, the King who loves righteousness and judgment.

[12. Birkat ha-minim ("Benediction of the heretics")]

• And for slanderers [and heretics] let there be no hope, / and let all wickedness perish as in a moment; / let all your enemies be speedily cut off, / and the dominion of arrogance uproot and crush; / cast down and humble speedily in our days.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who breaks the enemies and humbles the arrogant.

13. Tsadikim (“The Righteous”)

• Towards the righteous and the pious, / towards the elders of your people, / the house of Israel, / towards the remnant of their scribes, / towards true proselytes, / and towards us also may your tender mercies be stirred, / O Lord our God; / grant a good reward unto all who faithfully trust in your Name; / set our portion with them forever, / so that we may not be put to shame; / for we have trusted in you.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, the stay and trust of the righteous.

14. Y’rushalayim (“Jerusalem”)

• 14. And to Jerusalem, your city, return in mercy, / and dwell therein as you have spoken; / rebuild it soon in our days as an everlasting building, / and speedily set up therein the throne of David.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who rebuilds Jerusalem.

15. David (“David”)

• 15. Speedily cause the offspring of David, your servant, to flourish, / and lift up his glory by your divine help / because we wait for your salvation all the day.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who causes the strength of salvation to flourish.

16. T’fillah (“Prayer”)

• 16. Hear our voice, O Lord our God; / spare us and have mercy upon us, / and accept our prayer in mercy and favor; / for you are a God who hearkens unto prayers and supplications; / from your presence, O King, turn us not empty away; / for you hearken in mercy to the prayer of your people Israel.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who hearkens unto prayer.

17. `Avodah ("Service")

• Accept, O Lord our God, your people Israel and their prayer; / restore the service to the inner sanctuary of your house; / receive in love and favor both the offerings of Israel and their prayer; / and may the worship of your people Israel be ever acceptable unto you. / And let our eyes behold your return in mercy to Zion.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who restores his divine presence unto Zion.

18. Hoda’ah ("Thanksgivings")• We give thanks unto you, for your are the Lord our

God / and the God of our fathers for ever and ever; / you are the Rock of our lives, / the Shield of our salvation through every generation.

• We will give thanks unto you and declare your praise / for our lives which are committed unto your hand / and for our souls which are in your charge, / and for your miracles which are daily with us, / and for your wonders and your benefits, / which are wrought at all times, evening, morning and noon. / O you who are all-good, whose mercies fail not; / you, merciful Being, who lovingkindnesses never cease, / we have always hoped in you.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, whose Name is all-good, / and unto whom it is becoming to give thanks.

19. Birkat ha-shalom ("Benediction of peace")

• Grant peace, welfare, blessing, grace, lovingkindness and mercy unto us and unto all Israel, your people. / Bless us, O our Father, even all of us together, / with the light of your countenance; / for by the light of your countenance / you have given us, O Lord our God, / the Torah of life, lovingkindness and righteousness, / blessing, mercy, life and peace; / and may it be good in your sight to bless your people Israel / at all times and in every hour with your peace.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who blesses his people Israel with peace.

Daily Meal Prayers

Blessing before the Meal:Birkat ha-Motsi

• Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth (ha-mo[t]si le[c]hem min ha'are[t]s).

Blessing after the Meal:Birkat ha-Mazon

• Birkat ha-zan ("Benediction for food"): • Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, /

who feeds the whole world with your goodness, / with grace, with lovingkindness and tender mercy; / you give food to all flesh, / for your lovingkindness endures forever. / Through your great goodness food has never failed us; / O may it not fail us for ever and ever for your great Name's sake, / since you nourish and sustain all beings, / and do good unto all, / and provide food for all your creatures who you have created.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who gives food to all.

• Birkat ha-aretz ("Benediction for the land"): We thank you, O Lord our God, because you gave as a heritage unto our fathers / a desirable, good and ample land, / and because you brought us forth, O Lord our God, from the land of Egypt, / and delivered us from the house of bondage; / as well as for your covenant which you have sealed in our flesh, / your Torah which you have taught us, / your statutes which you have made known to us, / the life, grace and lovingkindness which you have bestowed upon us, / and for the food wherewith you constantly feed and sustain us on every day, in every season, at every hour. / For all this, O Lord our God, we thank and bless you, / blessed be your Name by the mouth of all living / continually and forever, / even as it is written: / "And you shall eat and be satisfied, / and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which he has given you [Deut 8:10]."

• Blessed are you, O Lord, for the land and for the food.

• Boneh Jerushalaim ("You who rebuild Jerusalem"): Have mercy, O Lord our God, upon Israel your people, / upon Jerusalem your city, / upon Zion the abiding place of your glory, / upon the kingdom of the house of David, / and upon the great and holy house that was called by your Name. / O Lord our God, our Father, / feed us, nourish us, sustain, support and relieve us, / and speedily, Lord our God, grant us relief from all our troubles. / We beseech you, O Lord our God, let us not be in need of help / either of the gifts of mortals or of their loans, / but only of your helping hand, / which is full, open, holy, and ample, / so that we may never be put to shame or humiliated. / And rebuild Jerusalem the holy city speedily in our days.

• Blessed are you, O Lord, who in his compassion rebuilds Jerusalem. Amen.

• Ha-tov we-ha-metiv ("Who are kindly and deals kindly with all"): Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, / O God, our Father, our King, our Mighty One, / the Holy One of Jacob, / our Shepherd, the Shepherd of Israel, / O King, who are kind and deals kindly with all, / day by day you have dealt kindly, / deal kindly, / and will deal kindly with us; / you have bestowed, bestow and will ever bestow benefits upon us, / yielding us grace, lovingkindness, mercy and relief, / deliverance and prosperity, blessing and salvation, / consolation, sustenance and support, / mercy, life, peace and all good: / of no manner of good let us be in want.