Shacharit, Hallel and Yizkor

Pesach, Day 8, 2020

Updated 4/14/2010:23am

On Festivals, the leader begins here:

iry nrnTuD?

nav rtf?!nsr,

R'DiN'.!ul N'iDil'!.NPt'l trJ xgt )y ilrrnn l?air

On Shabbat, the leader begins here:

.rnl{j rrirP'! trir4 rp l)lu, <

.il?il! irlN? trr'lp1? ,ntir'] ilp'T5 rrl'l,lln?'l

Sbnnn trr'.lutr rD!' '' 3 '3

;]]Pr,tn trrP''TX''L?l?t

,tr4hnlr uJ'pE]irrhr.uTPr]n trlrrlrP rl.P?I

)XJt{,: n'):lpI nitt'.I ni)il?Dt:r)ir] rir+l!,Dp)D lAU itsprJl irt''l?

)xir)irln1i!)i]

coo )41. An anonymousearly medieval poet createda short poem elaborat-ing each of the adjectivesassociated with Cod at thebeginning of the first para-graph of the Amidah (ha-El

h a-gadol h a-$bor v'ha- no ra,"Creat, mighty, awe-inspir-ing God"), concluding withthe description from theend of that Amidah bless-

ing where God is calledmelekh, sovereign.

DwELLTNG roneven 1:iuty. At this point there is a

shift to the formal morningservice, which is markedmusically and in somecases by a change of prayerleader. On festivals, there is

a more elaborate descrip-tion of the relationship toCod and so the shift occursearlier at ha-El ("Godl' atthe top of this page).

srNG :lll-1. Psalm 33:r.

YOU ARE EXALTED IN THE

SPEECH OF THE UPRIGHT

DPi'rnI tr)',1v/r 'el. Thevision of God seated in

heaven pans out to thechorus of the faithful sing-

ing on earth. Note that thesecond word of each line is

an acrostic spelling out thename "lsaac" (yitzhak).

riirN1:lyil)X il,lir,r 1,,;?> n,,tsli:r*? nfin IIV .ils??,n}u? bla7,nfiin!,[u'Plnx1] urPE4

,]lT+t ,y p?il?t n?V? n_'r.17 ;rTi:r? ,trnh?.Il.,r'U4 l-l?U 'qjl-'l+ r'l':i ninlqJn'! ni'],,U

xiDl'r rpttrD . tru trrt n:ut nrlnu 141

Page 2 of 70

Faith in God

This faith in oneselfisnot merely faith in one's

ability to do things. Thelatter is necessary as a partof mental health, and is as

important as bodily health.The faith in oneself whichis not only a prerequisiteof faith in God, but is in a

sense faith in God, impliesbeing able to identi&r inoneself a principle of lifewhich is not a derivativefrom one's natural capaci-

ties, but which belongs toa different order ofexis-tence. In the yearning forsalvation, for life's worth-whileness, for truth, good-ness, and beauty for theirown sake, for freedom, jus-tice and peace in society, a

human being experiencessomething supra-humanor supra-natural. One whoexperiences that yearningin one's selfcannot be so

vain or unreasonable as tobelieve that he or she is

alone in the possession ofsuch yearning. The mostdifEcult step in achievingfaith in God is thus thefirst one ofachieving faitht"

i;:lt;".^, M. KAPLAN

PrayrWhat begins with a person's request ends with God's

Presence;what starts in t}le narrowness of the ego, emerges into

the wide expanse of humaniry;what originates in concern for the self becomes a

concern for others and concern for God's concern;what commences in petition concludes as prayer.

-SAMUEL DRESNER

The Presence of GodThe prayers that you pray are the very presence ofGod.

-PINIIAS OF KORETZ

On Festivals, the leader begins here:

Goo, in the fullness of Your power,Great, in accord with your glorious name,

Mighty, in all of time,Awesome, in your awe-inspiring deeds,

Sovereign, enthronedonhigh,

On Shabbat, the leader begins here:

> dwelling forever, exalted and holy is Your name-as the psalmist has written:

"Sing, O you righteous, to ADoNAT;

praise offered by the upright is lovely."

You are exalted in the speech ofthe upright;You are blessed in the words of the righteous;You are glorified in the language of the devoted;You are sanctified in the midst of the holy congregation.

So the choruses of the thousands of Your people, the house

of Israel, joyously glori$r Your name in every generation.> For it is the duty of all creation, ADoNAT our God and Godofour ancestors, to acknowledge and acclaim You, to bless

and honor You, to exalt and glorify You, to praise, laud, and

exalt You, adding our own tribute and songs to those of David,

Jesse's son, Your anointed servant.

147 SHABBAT AND FESTIVALS . MORNTNG SERVTCE . VERSES OF SONG

Page 3 of 70

lrJiri?i:rt )ir+ir I?ail )x1 ,up)B ru? uu nlDvl,,nlxL 11'ilr5 iltilr ,i'.r5l tl? ,I .T'l.lS?i tr?Fq]

,[u'f]inNll u'ntrN,n5;,il?V441 TY,il'14'l'! )?a,nF?Pl t'U

.nu?Dl ilqli?,nJ$?n'! il?ilIr,ilJll+l ilh+,i11i1', ilDx llrp.nliu ry'! ilDun niNJlil'l niflr <

PRAIsED nlnur. This

b'rakhah marks the com-

pletion of Ptukei D'zimra,

which began with Barukh

She-amar on page ez.Thetwo b'rakhot are consid'ered complementarY and

one is not recited withoutthe other; the psalms and

biblical passages of PlukeiD'zimra are preceded and

followed by these formalblessings, just as the Torah

reading itself is surrounded

by blessings.

HArzr KADDIsH. ln Jewish

liturgical usage, the fiatzi(or "partial") Kaddish, call-

ing us to praise the name

of God, marks the end of a

section of the service.

,nixhtil I'lr!-(,nlxTiiri:t ,x,nln?ptn! )i'i+ l?A )x.nrn)iyil ,i1 hS I?n ,n']4t '-'1'U?

''rni!il

r:ID rsn'l-

Leader:

,i:rllyll,NJ?'T N4?y?,Nl'] i'rnv UTPII?'I rTU,'l

n,l )?J'i[r1l'li]?D'Ft:l'lil'I[? ilnl])D'1t?4]'!.lns 114|.('! ,l'''lP 141ll N?+u! )xv:

Congregation and Leader :

.ryn?P 'n?y?t trIY? .t't?4 x?: "Ing xillLeader:

Nv/l r.tl'! tr Di.] nl'!''' NPr.'l'! n lDvl'! :i'l+Il

,N:Iil '1'!l,Npli?-l i=rDU )ril[]'l il?yll'l ]Tilr,rl'!

lon Shabbat shuvah we substitute:+?D x?P? x?y?l *? tn X?p?

,N4?y? n'DST NI'4[t] Nn[?v[ x!]'u] N):'?l].lDx l']Rx'!

I('IDIT rptoD . ftl trrt n:vr) notnvr 148

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Chorus of Song

The flasidic masterSim[rah Bunam onceoffered a play on thephr ase s hirei z imr ah, " cho -rus of song." He vocalizedthe letters differently-Hebrewwritten withoutvowels readily allows forthis-and read it as shayarei

zimra h, " that which is leftover after the singing," andsuggested that God mostdelights in the inexpress-ible feelings that remain inthe heart after the singinghas ended.

The Duty to PraiseMaimonides, the great me-dieval Jewish philosopherand codifier, asserts thatthere is an obligation topray. He enumerates thisobligation in his list of613mitzvot. Other medievalauthorities disagree and6nd no warrant for theobligation in the Torah. Sowhy does Maimonides turnprayer into an obligation,when our common-senseview is that prayer is anoffering of the heart whichwe choose to give?

Maimonides rinder-stands the entire systemof mitzvot as fashioninghuman beings who aremoral andwho come toknow God in deeper ways.

Prayer inculcates a sense

of appreciation and humil-ity before the wonders oflife-essential aspects ofa religious path. Thus hesees prayer as an essentialpart ofthe process ofreligious formation.

Concluding B'rakhahMay Your name be praised, always and everywhere,our soyereign, God, great and holy.For it is fitting, AooNar our God and God of our ancestors,to sing songs ofpraise to You,to ascribe strength and sovereignty, holiness and eterniryto You, to praise and exalt You,> to thank and bless You,now and forever.Barukh atah ADoNAr, Sovereign God, to whom we ofler thanksand ascribe wonders, who delights in the chorus of song-thesovereign God, giving life to all worlds.

flatzi KaddkhLeader:

May God's grear name be exalted and hallowed throughoutthe created world, as is God's wish. May God,ssovereignty soon be established, in your lifetime andin your days, and in the days ofall the house oflsrael.Andwe say:Amen.

Congregation and Leader:

May God's great name be acknowledged forever and ever!Y'hei sh'meih raba m'varakh l'alam u-l'almei almaya.

Leader:

May the name of the Holy One be acknowledged andcelebrated, lauded and worshipped, exalted and honored,exolled and acclaimed-though God, who is blessed,b'rikh hu, is truly lon Shabbat Shuvah we add: farfbeyond allacknowledgment and praise, or any e4pressions ofgratitude or consolation ever spoken in the world.And we say: Amen.

1{8 sxeeelr AND FEsrtvALs . MoRNTNG sERvlcE . vERsEs oF soNG

Page 5 of 70

ilrnll']l'l yDw nN?]Pl]lfb nlvrl

?ri]Df] 1n): rn 1n:! l)lrnrr3 ' !

.iitlp,y'! irX' }!A "ripD Nlill'n?t,irDSJ xr'llp nrnl t) 1p

::lilBsn] inx t',ln 17tr IrDl! '- -3

:N'!if)'l)'lh )';n i'rtl n5.Y

,rir, 'll ni;24 x) rp ):) nriznitN-lr N)l nxt).n''xtr N)i ;rNl

:ft':'

.:lilltl:l ?l-IN-nN vTiit1 ,N!

Bar'khu, the leader's invitation to prayer, is recited while standing. The leader

bows when saying the word ll11 and stands straight when reciting the name

oJ God. Similarly, the congregation bows at the word TltE and straightens to

full height at the recitation oJ God's name.

Leader:

ill:?il il]il''-nx 1]']?Congregation, then the leader repeats:

ing recitation of the Sh'ma; it speaks of redemption, reflecting thetheme of the exodus from Egypt, which is introduced in the thirdparagraph of the Sh'ma.

ALMtcHry in:t lrlgrD. A meditation for Bar'khu written by Yehu-

dah Halevi (Spain, d. rr+r).

eln'rxu: THE cALL To woRsHtp ToGETHER. The leader calls thecongregation together as a minyan; the congregation, by respond-

ing acknowledges its being assembled for prayer.

ro wHoM ALL pRArsE rs DTRECTED :lltr4n. The Talmud of the Land

of lsrael explains the word ha-m'vorakh to mean "whom all of us

praise" (Berakhot 7:3).

.rYltr?ly> :l-F4i:r i]',rilr 1r'l? 1We are seoted.

REctrATroN or txe sx'me,The call to worship marks

the formal beginning of theShaharit (morning) service.

Shaharit always includestwo central moments: theRecitation of the Sh'ma,

and the Amidah (the silentprayer). B'rakhot surround-ing the Sh'ma serve tointerpret the themes of itsbiblical verses. Preceding

the Sh'ma, in which wedeclare that Cod is one,

are two b'rakhot. The firstaffirms that Cod is thecreator of all, further re-

marking on the wonder ofcreation and the morninglight. The first paragraph

of the Sh'ma speaks of thelove for Cod, and so thesecond b'rakhah acknowl-edges the inverse: Cod!love ofthe people lsrael as

manifest in the gifts of theteachings of Torah. A single

b'rakhoh follows the morn-

ilrnlf,']tl yDu, nNrlP . flu trtll nflrt nrlnv, 49

Page 6 of 70

The Sh'ma and Its Blessings

TheEffictofPrayrPrayer is a way ofsensitiz-ing ourselves to the won-der of life, of expressinggratitude, and of praisingand acknowledging thereality of God. One neednot believe that God willinterfere with the ongoingprocess ofnature to Gelthat prayer is worthwhile.We may have different un-derstandings of what Godis. No definition we haveis sufficient or answersall doubts and questions.To be aware that God ex-ists-that there is more inthe universe than physicalmatter, that a moral orderis inherent in creation, thathumans are responsiblefor their conduct.arrd canhelp to bring about theperfection, or at least theimprovernent, of the worldand of life-that is suffi-cient reason for prayer.

-REUVEN HAMMER

The Congregation

A MBDITATION FOR BAR'KHU

Almighty no thing exists

without You and nonecan be like You the sourceof all maker and creator

You have no image eyes

observe but the soullodged in the heartrecognizes You and sees

Your glory's breadthencompassing allfor in You all finds its place

but You occupy no place

my soul seeing

but unseen come thankthe seeing but unseen

and bless

Bar'khu: The Call to Worship TogetherBar'khu, the leader's invitation to prayer, is recited while standing. The leaderbows when saying the word "bar'khu" (praise) and stands straight when recit-ingthe name of God. Similarly, the congregation bows at the word ,,barukh"

(praise) and straightens to fult height at the recitation oJ God's name.

Leader:

Praise AooNAl, to whom all praise is directed.

Congregation, then the leader repeats:

f Praise AooNAr, to whom all praise is directed foreverand ever.

Barukh Adonai ha-m'vorakh lblam va-ed.

We are seated.

Tabernacle and Ternple gave visible assurance ofGod's care and accessibility. But once that locus ofdivineindwelling was destroyed, what_could possibly replace it? The destrucrion of God's house should have auguredthe demise ofludaism. The well-known answeq of course, is that the rabbis, who replaced the priests at tiehelm ofthe nation, came up with the institution ofthe synagogue. But what, exactly, constituted a synagogue?How would we have recognized one? The heart of this radica$ new institution was neither a building i;abook, but a number. Whereas.,prior to the Temple's end, holiness was ascribed to a sacred place that Jould notbe duplicated, after 7o c-n. holiness resided inconspicuously in the quorum of ten without which basic com-munal rituals could not be enacted. To conduct a worship service, to recite certain prayers, to chant from theTorah or Prophets, to perform a wedding or a funeral, alirequir ed aminlan (Mishnah ivtegillah 4:3). . . . TheTalmud echoes the new salienc e of a minyan. once, Rabbi Yitzhak askei his friend, Rav N-ahmrrr, i"hy h" hrdfailed to come ro the synagogue ro pray. "I couldn't," he responded. .,so you should have gathered t., -.r, o1your own to prd' chided Rabbi Yitzlrak. "It was too troublesome." "Weit, at least," needlid nabbi yitzhak, *youshould have

Jrad a sryagog]re officialcome to inform you when exactly the congregation would be praying [sothat you mrght join them from afar]." At which point, Rav Nahm", piotested, "l\dat's this all about?,, .We

havea uadition," asserted Rabbi Yitzhak, "that goes back to Rabbi Shimon ben yohai that this is the intent oftheverse, As for_mel

-may my Prayer come to You, O Lord, at a favorable moment' (Psalm 69:14). And what indeed

constitutes that 'favorable moment'? It is when the congregation is absorbed in p."y..;lnrbylonian TalmudBerakhot 7b-8a).

-ISMAR SCHORSCH

149 SHABBAT AND FE-sTIvALs. MoRNING sERVIcE. sx,rua AND ITs BLEssINGs

Page 7 of 70

,tr?ry7 1fp u',;1)5 il'rirr ilJx"llli+;lUh N'lrll ''l'lN ''lYir

)ln-nx N''lifr nt)u atyyOn Festivals occuring on weekdays, we continue in the middle of page 62.

On Shabbat, we recite:

IlJi' )'liriFrjlul )iil'!

.i]'rilr! W11P yX :llnNr ,iil'!,n?v lrarp.l;

:ixn'llD '-].Iu nrn)T tril-r?l [Iiti: )xa

,]J,PJ 'ltr[ yPtrl,i'rrJ?u]il44 ill+?r i:tD'li7Dn ilEn x'sinrl:'

.trrnnl nrn! N''l!u l',f\r'Prr ih n)i* ''FN7t:l_ . : ?? 1.

' , : 1

tr'Dr_rll il,,ry tr',lTh rr.x? i,N4ir-! -: 'r- : I f r? t

.nrulN.]f i]uyn Trnn ntr):l uTnD Elu:l. -3 .. -: - T: -- : I

.TNn 1Tr7 trni']nil n7Dil-: ? : - lT rr -

.trriy nlpn Nv/lnnil ix'Dni'rr nlunil"-r.-3 ? 3-, 11i-

,u,?y D[.r-] tr'I'1il I'Er=r'l+ n)iu'i:D$.ll}ltun lrs

.llTU] r+qrD

ifhT'l'ts'!.1! n4t1 "4r

DIY'trrsllPvt',H4

=l?'tv? 't'ts.

anh ulxl::. rrr

:l?'.!Y?'t'rs

anbrt trxtl:r I -:

u?r tr?ts

FoRMTNG r-rcxr 'l'iN txit.This opening b'rokhah be-fore the Sh'ma acknowledg-es that we experience Codfirst of all, through witness-ing the miracle of creation.Praying in the morning, weare asked to pay attentionto the wonder of the dawn,of sunlight, and of a newday. ln the liturgy, the breakof dawn is then imagined as

a chorus of song in whichwe join.

This b'rakhah is adaptedfrom a verse in lsaiah (+s:z),

which reads oseh shalomu-vorei ra, "who makes

peace and creates evil."

The prophet insists thatboth good and evil comefrom the one Cod. But inthe moment of prayer, wefocus on all for which wecan be thankful, beginningwith the light that makes

life possible; therefore, theancient rabbis transformedthis biblical verse andchanged the ending to read'treating all."

rr-r )!n. The word hakol,"all," occurs five times inquick succession and refers

to the totality of human-ity, all earthly creatures

and forces, as well as theheavenly bodies and themost distant galaxies. ltechoes the last word of theopening b'rakhah (borei etha-kol,"crearing all," at thetop of this page) and antici-pates the affirmation of theone Co4 who is Cod of all,

and whom we are about topraise in the Sh'ma.

illi:l tr?IY+ :ll'ilrx il'li'ir

.N!i] tr7iyil ?on) il!7nI:I'p4ir ninr, :l]rxt)

.Dr)lni:r nlr.rr,l, uyruln 1! n4r:r lxr

NoNE rs L|KE you =l?'lYl l,Lt.The poet is playing with a variety of biblical verses: lsaiah 4o:r8,"what image can be ascribed to Youl r Samuel z:z, "there is none beside You"; and lsaiah

4o:zs,"to whom can you compare God."

MEssrANrc rce 1t'p41 nin,). The poet progresses through stages of redemption trom olamha-ba, the world that is coming to y'mot ha-mashiah, the messianic age, to t'fiiyat ha-meitim,life given to the dead.

nrnif-l:t lrbu nxrliz . flo trt,'t nfub nrtnv, 150

Page 8 of 70

AllThankYou First B'rakhah before the Sh'ma:It is not You alone, or we,

or those others who pray; The Creation of Lightall things pray, all things Barukh atah Aoowet,our God, sovereign of time and space,

pour forth their souls.

The heavens pray, forming light and creating darkness, bringing harmonythe earth prays, while creating all.every creature andevery living thing prays. On Festivals occuring on weekdays, we continue in the middle oJ page tz

In all life, there is longing.Creation is itself but a - On Shabbat, we recite:

longrng, All thank You,akindofprayerofthe ail praise you,

Almishw.and all declare: "None is as holy as AooNaI."

;Tl";:ffiX'J nri*n f',r'. Y* ro,.,..,creator ofall.

Godof AllEverythingyou see en- Each day, God, You raise the gates of the east,wraps holiness: take away open the windows of the slcy,the outer shell and gaze atthe spirirualbeauty. bring forth the sun from its place

-HTLLEL zErrLrN and the moon from where it sits,

illuminating the entire world and all its inhabitantswhom You created, with mercy.

With kindness You illumine the earth and all who dwell on it,and in Your goodness, day after day, You renew creation.

Sovereign, You alone ruled on high from the very beginning,praised, glorified, and exalted since earliest time.

Eternal One, in Your great mercy, have compassion on us.

Source of our strength, our protecting fortress,

our saving shield, our stronghold.

None is like You, none is beside You,

nothing exists without You,

and none can be compared to You:

none is like You, AooNar our God, in this world,none but You will be our sovereign in the world that is coming,no one butYou exists, who will redeem us

and usher in the messianic age,

and none can compare to You, our deliverer,giving life to the dead.

15O SHABBAT AND FEsrtvALs. MoRNING sERVtcE. stt'nal AND trs BLEsstNGs

Page 9 of 70

)v ti'rX )X

l]]Dr 1111

trrt lrpi:r+?nu:$:'ll

coD, MAsTER li'IB )N. Thispiyyut, conmonly attrib-uted to mystics of the rstmillennium, uses imagerybased on the visions ofEzekiel that describe avariety of heavenly hosts. ltfurther develops the themeenunciated in the previousprayers that everything increation praises Cod. Here

that thought is extendedto the heavenly hosts:

even heavenly powersoffer praise to Cod. Theuse of an alphabeticalacrostic may suggest thatCod! word is the primaryconstitutive element of all

creation.

HAPPY tr'nnvJ. Not infre-quently in alphabeticalpoetry, the letter silr (U) issubstituted for the similarlysounding samekh (u), as itis here. Such substitutionsare even found in biblicalacrostics. Most, if not all,

worshippers in ancienttimes did not have prayer-

books, and this substitutionis quite natural in an oralculture.

s'Rartm .. . oFANtM

tr'tllN. . . tr,gJv/. Angelicsongs figure prominentlyin ancient mystical texts.Descriptions of differentgroups of angels sing-

ing hymns to Cod surely

mirrored the seekers' own

,tr1r4 N+T+? i) nr:ni: nf'H,ytlill niiE'l Dr!D'rx'! tri!'lv,ilhl nl$?n

,tr?Ty xl4 rrlol 1511

ln'lx trlJ)iD iltfrll nyT

,t,li?il nlu ,Y ir$+r,rDil

,i1??l4ir by ri:;1'rTTt'liNPl rr!, tlu?n:l n:lll.rri::'l?> tr'D[']'l r![,r

,:nrilrx xJ}v n'lliNa trrfJD

,:ltanrl i']trll ny'Tt tr-]sr. - : -: "

.: - t-: r?:

,tr,I+'u:rt i]'l1flr l:I?

5rn :U? u>vJin nt'I,,i'ul tr'P'P4l ,l'j trrx?D

,n)ivry5;? trl'T ir$i,trsifl tr,taqr'! trIN$? tr'flDq

.trliP'lisJ i14'Nl tr't?Y

iDv> p'r141r rif?'! lND.inr:)D TI? irt''l'l il?itT

iiN n'tpt 1r4p> xlP.i1tt7i'1 n''l:tx]?Dnil'l i']Nl

" t: - - I l' | ' :

mystical experiences. The angels pictured here are closest

to Cod! throne. ln Jewish mystical thought, rhe oJanim

are the wheels of Cod! chariot, 6rst mentioned by theprophet Ezekiel; the s'rafim are the 6ery angels picturedas flaming serpents in lsaiah's vision of heaven. The holy

beings (fiayot ha-kodesh) were thought of as the legs

upholding Godl throne.

il''n1l']31 yEU, nxr'1 P :lU trtrt nfrr, nr1nu, 151

Page 10 of 70

APrayrfor the WorldLet the rain come and

wash away

the ancient grudges,the bitter hatreds

held and nurtured overgenerations.

Let the rain wash awaythe memory

ofthe hurt, the neglect.Then let the sun come

out andfill the sky with rainbows.Let the warmth of the sun

heal us

wherever we are broken.Let it burn away the fog

so thatwe can see each other

clearly.Let the warmth and

brightnessof the sun melt our

selfishness.

So that we can share thejoys and

feel the sorrows ofourneighbors.

And let the light of the sunbe so strong that we will

see allpeople as our neighbors.Let the earth, nourished

by rain,bring forth flowersto surround us with

beauty.And let the mountains

teach our heartsto reach upward to

heaven. Amten.

-HAROLD KUSHNER

God, master of all existence,

praised by all that brearhes,

the world is filled with Your greatness and glory;knowledge and understanding surround You.

Exalted above holy beings,resplendent in glory on Your chariot,integrity and mercy stand before Your rhrone,Iove and merit accompany Your presence.

Howgood are the lights that our God created-fashioned with understanding, intelligence, and insight;endowed with the strength and powerto have dominion over earthly realms.

Fully luminous, they gleam brightly,radiating splendor throughout the world.Happy as theygo forth, joyous on their rerurn,they accomplish, with awe, the will of their creator.

Theygive glory and honor ro rhe name of God,invoking God's sovereigntywith joyful song.

God called forth the sun, and light dawned,then considered and set the cycles of the moon.

And so the array ofheaven,s'rafim, ofonim, and holy beings,all the heavenly hosts,

give praise, and glory, and honor to God-

El adon al kol hama.asim, barukh u-m'vorakh b'fi kol nthamah.Codlo v'tuvo malei olam, da.at u-t'vunah sov'vim oto.Ha-mitga.eh al fayot ha-kodesh, v'nehdar b'khavod al ha-merkavah.Z'khut u-mishor lifnei khiso, fiesed v'rafamim lifnei kh'vodo.Tovim mebroc she-bara eloheinu, y'tzaram bda.at b'vinah u-v'haskel.Ko.a[r u-g'vurah natan ba-hem, lihyot moshlim b'kerev teiveil.M'lei.im ziv u-m'fikim nogah, na.eh zivam b'khol ha-olam.S'meihim b'tzeitam v'sasim b'vo.am, osim b'eimah r'tzon konam.Pe'eir v'khavod notnim lishmo, tzoholah v'rinah l'zeikher malkhuro.Kara la-shemesh va-yizrah or; ra.ah v'hitkin tzurat ha-l'vanah.Shevah notnim lo kol tz'va marom,Tiferet u-gdulah, s'rafim vbfanim v'hayot ha-kodesh.

151 SHABBAT AND FEsrrvALs. MoRNTNG sERvrcE. sx'tvtl AND rrs BLEsslNGs

Page 11 of 70

On Shabbat, we continue:

n?yr,riryrfqir triil,Ertr/yDir+?D nlr4r rgx,x?rl1r,ilEilDir trtt, ilpy n'1.15?n Jrlll NpI ry lul]nlqj i!r/,,y'JIPi:r Di,')v nlip i]I .nlui:r trtr, N'li?

I]DTD :lniN'l [r]U? ,yrfqir tri','l .lnfNln-,?n )XtUp: '1?'!? .irtilr> ntrir> f'lu,n?Ui:r trir) r',u

?l7n 7N7 Un, n)tll -'lp? ntg/ .t?.l15?+! 7I(7 :ll'"p?l-: !' i 1: r"3 -rT t I T "r 3r '

tri.,! inqir?I rx.lr{rt iny? il[ilR ,r]fnir )l r$r'up?n il?Tl;rrTpr,ll rrr;rl5 ;-1;'t lEU.\rT.p nlrl;

.n[DR T1$,] ,Yt bYPn trlpq] itsPllil'Tl iltl/uD nlP )y ,ili7rqjin :l'l?{rD.

.il?p 1tl{pl ,[r,,pyy rix ,']rx4 )y1Continue on the next page.

On Festivals occurring on weekdays, we recite:

,tr'Dt_]'tl ,lr?Y tr'']TI ru? T$nir.n'ri,N-"t? if illuD rrDD u,+?? uTt:I? ulp:l

{]'Py ir4?[? nll ,n]il, =l'tguD 1!'t i14

.q}tD 7"1Ni1 ill(7nlar:1. | ...rr r r, r

GOD, WHO CEASED WORK

n:? rux )X?. This prayer

forms a continuous narra-tive out of a disparate series

of biblical verses and rab-binic comments. Already in

the Bible, the seventh day is

spoken of as affecting Cod'sinner life: Cod was renewed(va-yinafash) on the seventh

day (Exodus 3r:r7). The an-cient rabbis pictured Godas achieving full sovereigntyonly on Shabbat, and theypersonified the relationshipin mutual terms: Shab-

bat itself praises God andchants Psalm 92,'A Song ofShabbat."

HOW VARIED ARE YOUR

wo RKs :ltp)l)_l :tt'l nD.Psalm ro4:24.

ALMTcHTY, sr-rsseo )Nll-ll. This early anonymousacrostic poem has fourbeats to the line and a

rhyming pattern of aa, bb,

cc, with a concluding b. JoelHoffman, a contemporaryscholar; writes: "The mean-ing of the individual wordshere was never the point.They were chosen for theirmeter and their initialletter." ln this conception,the Hebrew alphabet itselfis seen as an instrument ofcreation. Our translationhere is impelled by this idea

and is alphabetical, captur-ing the meaning of the textin a close, but not quiteliteral, translation.

ALwAYs nfp. The biblicalmeaning of this word,which occurs frequentlyin the Book of Psalms, is

unknown. The ancientrabbis, interpreting thebiblical text, thought that itmeant "forever," and that isits liturgical meaning here.

JgD 1rl, tr4ir4ir l?al.tr?iy ntnr4 xq/Irl4ir'!''r$'D4ir'! n?V4ir

,ur?Y trl1] tr,,]'1il 1'a[]],tr?iy "ilrs.llTu-l r+qD,,llpul lln,u}ltyn ]ls,lrTy'l'lTN

,ilYT.itEn ?''lilI )yD:l ]rlit-Tt I

lDuJ, Tif! rsr rionifrttr Inr ni''riND. : | -r :

,trrqjiTi? rr$?s nlrDtr','"!?p4 T'DIJ,'TE rn4ll

.inqr'IPt )N'rtlil'Tl illt UD nlp )tt ilri:tr$ il'liT :l'tlnn <

.i17tr ?1:l-lND1 nlUJyW ''liN ,'tiND 7ylrrf I r-:ri r r ?T - ' : -:

)ir1;1np )ry

ilrn]f1fl yau nxllp . f,lL trilt nfvr) nrlnu, $2

Page 12 of 70

GodBlessed

the Seventh Da1It is written, "God blessedthe seventh day" (Gen-esis z:3). In what way isthe seventh day blessed?On Shabbat a person's faceshines differently than itu*'u""T::::;::^,,^,

God, the World, and Us

A Fasidic master taught: Itis written in many books thatif one wants to enter the in-ner world ofprayer, to pres-ent speech before God, oneneeds, at the time ofprayer,to attach oneselfto all thatis living and all that exisrsin the world. The meaningofthis is as it is written inthe Book of Psalms, "Youcreated all with wisdom"(r o 4: z 4) -that is, there isnothing in this world whichis, God forbid, extraneous....When a person seekinginspiration pays attentionto this-reachingfor anunderstanding of that whichis clothed by everythingin this world, animal life,plant life, and sheer matter,everything that was created;and arouses one's heart withthis wisdom, speaks of itbefore God with love andreverence-then that Personfulfills the will of the creatorwho created the world in allits fullness.

-ZEV WOLF OF ZHITOMIR

On Shabbat, we continue:

who ceased work on the seventh day and ascended the throneof praise, robed in majesty for the day of rest, calling Shabbata delight.

Such is the distinction of the seventh day, that God ceased

all work, and so the seventh day itself praises God and says,

'A song of Shabbat it is good to thank AooNAr." Let all crea-tures likewise celebrate and bless God, offering praise, honor,and glory to God-the ruler, crearor of all, who, in holiness,grants peaceful rest to the people Israel on the holy Shabbat.May Your name, AnoNar our God, be hallowed and may thethought ofYou, our sovereign, be celebrated in the heavensabove and on earth below, though the praise due You, ourredeemer, is beyond any offered by Your handiwork or thelights You have made-may rhey conrinue always ro singYour glory.

Continue on the next page.

On Festivals occurring on weekdays, we recite:

With kindness, You illumine the earth and all who dwell on it;in Your goodness, You renew creation day after day.

Howvaried are Your works, AooN,rr,all fashioned with wisdom;the world in its entirety is Your dominion.You alone ruled on high from the very beginning,praised, glorified, and exalted since earliest time.God of the universe,with Your great kindness, have compassion on us.

Source ofour strength, our protecting fortress,our saYing shield our stronghold.

Almighty, blessed, creator of all who dwell on earth, theIirmament and goodly heavens are illuminated with Your

iustice, kindness, and light; they make Your name an obiecrof praise; quietly, resolutely, soulfully all tell in unified voiceof Your wise, excellent, and zealous care.

You are to be praised, AooNer our God, for the wondrouswork of Your hands, and for the radiant lights that Youfashioned, reflecting Your glory always.

152 SHABBAT AND FESTIVALS. MORNING SERVICE. SH'TVII AND ITS BLESSINGS

Page 13 of 70

All services continue here:

.trllu'lr? N_ri! D?x)r uplE rr?.Is'1'1?!n

,tr'I'lv? lsi', ,Dp)E ry? 14u nlDvln)tv urr n'r4ly tr?p r,r;r'lq4 rVS'l

tP? r[: ils'l]? D,y',DvD,r

.tr?iY ,l?Al n'U n,irbS',-'t?T

,trrl'rlt nll ,nrt1 trh ,trlf:ri'i4 trh ..tr)iP]is] irS]lll i14'ls+ tr,'lriy trh',l

,ir']ilI??r irvlpf tr,.1',p-nS trlrlrliD trh'l.trlnlvrn:l trrl-'llnl .i']''lnTl:l i']-Plt,!' ' : - : ' :' t ' r : .: r . :

:ilfrrn4:l trrUrTPD1,trt5tlYE1 trt''lSP41

.Nrir rrlri? Nlt!il'I]]uil )ir+l l?Fil )xir nu-n$,irID iri trlFV nu?D )v n;r')g tr'>?p4 trh'I.

,Er'1 n+l n'1Tl,? uJ\tpt?,il1? ill nru"! n'U'rl:'!TnN! Db!.irt iTi7 iln?y]t:l ;1"1:l''lf ilDtz!

:ilN'rr! trf''lniN'l tr)liy? :.: . : : .

,nix?s i]]ilr uriTP Nttlv )uttiz.'irl:! f'1.Sil-r? xra

tr'I.(PUD ,ir+ Uyll Uliz;l niori'l trrllixi'rl <

.lDlpan nrnr rlfp 1lr1

.tr:P'l 'l:r )rs l?a? .:HI] ninry: ;n1)5!i=rl) xln r! .tyr?Ul ninlun'l ,:l'.lFN? nltmt

,nirrJr-r irll/iy ,nlrul )ylE,niPJT 1l?.1r ,ninry?D rIrP

,niN:lD''! Xtil ,niy:lul llrnsD.nrx!nl1 '1try ,niln4 x1u

.n,lpx-l.? nW,DrrDD trl*r?l iflrr! lrTE4Ir <

.i'rpl:I n]iu? 'I ,tr'rTl D','tiN aW.)?:Tngprrxf il1il? upl np:r i,'ND lt'x )p uT[ iix

.nitiN4il 'tslr,i'I'rit irDN 1ti+

KEDUsHAH o'vorzen nqtp'lyi'T. This version of theKedushah, recited in thefirst b'rakhah before theSh'ma, blesses Cod for thecreation of the morninglight. Every Kedushah is

based on the mystical vi-sions of lsaiah and Ezekiel.

Each prophet describedan angelic chorus. lsaiah

saw them singing kadosh,

kadosh, kadosh ("holy, holy,

holy," 6:a) Ezekiel heardthem reciting barukh k'vodAdonai ("praised is Adonaitglory i' t:'rz). The Kedu-shah is placed here, in theblessing of creation, as if tosay that both heaven andearth offer praise to Cod.ln the mind of the mystics,

all of creation constitutesa praise of Cod; every cre-ated being, animate andinanimate, sings to Cod.

BEINGS THAT SERVE YOU

...SERVANTS...trrl-up}D-]p)?. Rabbinic lore tellsof two kinds of angelic cre-ations: those who are partof Codt permanent court,like the angels Michael andGabriel, and those whoare created each day tobe conveyers of that day!message, and so the litur-gist talks of both of themas "proclaiming ... thewords of the living sover-

eign" (Babylonian Talmud,

Hagigah r+a).

THANK THE CREATOR OF

THE GREAT rrcxrs nu- y)o')tl urlix. Psalm t36:7.

zroN lirf. The prayer takes

the motif of the light ofcreation and of the dawn,and ties it to an image ofthe Temple in Jerusalemas a source of ultimateillumination.

il!n1:1:1 yhu nxr''lP . f]t, tr'lll nfur5 nrlnu, 153

Page 14 of 70

In the BeginningIn the beginning God

createdthe heavens that actually

are notand the earth that wants to

touch them.In the beginning God

createdthreads stretching between

them-between the heavens that

actually are notand the earth that cries out

for help.And God created humans,for each person is a prayer

and a threadtouching what is notwith a tender and delicate

touch.

-RIVKA MIRIAM

(translatedbl Darid C. Jacobson)

Angels

The Hebrew word for angelis malakh,which also means"messenger," one who is

sent.... Unsuspecting andunaware. Consumedbytheir own plans and itiner-aries. Busy at work on theirownschemes...peoplechosen to be.messengers ofthe Most High rarely evenknow that they are God'smessengers. ... I do notknow how many times inone's life one is also a mes-senger. But for everyone itis at least once.

-LAWRENCE KUSHNER

All services continue here:

KEDT]SHAH D'YOTZER: THE ANGELIC PRAISE OF GOD

You are to be praised, our protector, our sovereign, our re-deemer, creator of celestial beings. Our sovereign, Yourname is to be acclaimed forever; You fashion beings that serve

You, and Your servants all stand at the edges ofthe universe,proclaiming reverently with one voice the words of the livingGod, the sovereign of the universe.

> All of them loved, all of them pure, all of them mighty, andall of them in reverence and awe carry out the will of the one

who has dominion over them. In purity and in holiness, all ofthem raise their voices, in song and chant, to praise, bless,

glorify, extol, hallow, and celebrate the name of God, thegreat, mighty, awe-inspiring sovereign, the Holy One.

et shem ha-El, ha-melekh ha-gadol, ha-gibor v'hanora kadosh hu.

> Each turns to another as they proclaim their loyalty to God,and each gives permission to the other to hallow their creator;in a clear voice and with sacred speech, together as one, theyrespond with awe, saying:

Holy, holy, holy is AooxuTz'va'ot,the whole world is filled with Godt glory.Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh Adonai Tz'va,ot, m'lo khol ha-aretz k'vodo.

> With a deafening sound, the ofanim and other holy beingsrise up opposite the {rafim and proclaim their praise:

Praised is AooNaI's glory wherever God dwells.Barukh k'vod Adonai mimkomo.

They offer adulation to God, whom they bless. They chantsongs and voice their praise to the sovereign, the living and

enduring God. For God alone achieves victory, creates anew,

masters war, sows righteousness, cultivates deliverance,effects healing, is praised with reverence, and is the authorof wonders. > In Godt goodness, the work of creation is re-newed each day, as the psalmist declared: "Thank the creatorof the great lights, for God's Iove is everlasting." Cause a newlight to shine on Zion, and may we all soon be worthy of itsillumination.Barukh atah Aooue4 creator of lights.Or hadash al tziyon ta'ir v'nizkeh khulanu m'heirah lbro.

153 SHABBAT.AND FEsrlvALs . MoRNtNG sERvtcE . sx'naa AND lrs BLEssrNGs

Page 15 of 70

[u'Irnxr] u'pi:ry t:lfq],up)D u'?$.Er?t't ,irn nfn)nt nl :lnp1gr

r- .r - : - : - r: : ? a

.:ltT)o7n:l :E!nn l!r" 3 - : ,'t ! l"

.trn'tnit .tnn']i'] tNi'] .:lrrtN)rzwrpt 'Ptil) ilt7t'ln] :ll?7y trn"l: r": r-:

nira*'l iDV> rnlh iD?> ,yhP>.ir+,IX? =lf lin -fl nh'rtrh-nry n1i??r

ilflltnl,rr';'v lxT'l.E?nlXDt:lt!7 73'I',lI I rr : ': P.. , - -:

.nnvr-nN nxtr)r ilrllN7l:ll) tnrt.'ru nfru) u:nl x)'t

nrrJrp? NJrlil'l )ir4i1 lUT? trU?,I.1nylv/r! irnnut]l ;t7,tlIr+ r . r : : .:

Some gather their tzitzit belore reciting this line:

rHT ntDD y]lxn ilrv) DN,filt <

,,ll$''lN? nt.,nnlP ll;,,)in',,i'rnN niyltu, )yis >x'l' rt? : -

x1w21 try-7tn ntnt :ltf:t'r r: - T . r :t- T

,nAS? nlp )i.r11 IDW?,n1l?tp'l.irrirNr iu,)r E: niriaz? -r - : | , a -! r: !

.ir+,lts+ )Xlq: iny? rnili:r,il'lir? irryS :'lr"l+

of the "Written Torah" and the "Oral Torah," the latter referring to the teachings of the Midrash, Mishnah,and Talmud-and even to "whatever new teaching a student of wisdom might impart until the end of time"(Leviticus Rabbah zzr). ln this prayer, "Torah" embraces the widest meaning: the laws of life-all those teach-ings that instruct us concerning a full ethical and religious life.

ro uNDERSTAND AND DrscERN , . . oBsERvE, FULFTLL, AND eERFoRM ooizh niu)2! ah?? . . . )rfVl?t tfi).This sequence implies that study is intimately linked with action-indeed, that study should lead to action.

cATHERTNG rHE rztrztr. Many observe the custom, originating in the late Middle Ages, of gathering the fourtzitziyot (plural of tzitzit) of the tallit while reciting the words "bring us safely from the four corners of theearth," thus symbolizing lsraelt unity and ingathering.The tzitziyot are then held through the third paragraphof the Sh'ma, and kissed when reciting the word tzitzit (which appears three times in that paragraph). By thispractice, we indicate that we are lovingly undertaking to observe these words of Torah, and we hope that ourcommitment to strive for holiness will lead to greater unity. We are also gathering within us all our positiveintentions.

,Drilrx il'lit!,rrlJfi:r$ il?] ir?4x.u')y n?pt,r irJlr''l il?ir) il?AI,I

YOU HAVE LOVED US DEEPLY

iUl illilL{. The Hebrewroot alef-hei-vet, meaning"love," appears six times in

this passage (both as thenoun and a verb). Reuven

Hammer points out thatthree of them speak ofour love for Cod andthree speak of Codl love

for us. While reciting thisb'rakhah, the worshippercan anticipate the seventhoccurrence, which is foundin the first paragraph ofthe Sh'ma: "You shall love

Adonai your Cod."

AVrNU MALKETNU l)rJBl:p)B. Literally, "our father;our king." The pairing ofthe two words emphasizes

that Cod is at once bothintimate as a close relationand distant as a monarch.The word av,"fatheri' sug-

gests the image of Cod as

source or progenitor, andtherefore it may also be

translated as'treator."

LAws oF L|FE trr'l_'l ,Pf. Theword "Torah" encompasses

many different meanings.

ln its most limited usage, itrefers to the Five Books ofMoses. But in a larger sense

it refers to all of Scripture,and even to all of later

Jewish teaching. Thus, therabbis of the Talmud spoke

ilrntf1:l )rnu nxilp . flu trrt n:ub nrlnu, E4

Page 16 of 70

The Bhssings of thePriests before the Sh'maThe priesrs in the Templewould say the followingb' rakh ah befor e the Sh'ma:"Maythe one who dwellsin this House always grantyou love, harmony, peace,and friendship."

-TALMUD OF THE LAND

OF ISRAEL

You Haye LovedUsDeepllWith a great love (aha.oah

rabah)Yothave loved us(aharttanu). The love ofGod for the people Israelis declared here just beforethe Sh'ma. It prepares usfor the Sh'ma. Nowyoumight expect a lisring ofgifts to us-God's freeingus, feeding us, deliveringus. Instead, we thank Godfor one gift: God's teach-ing, God's opening ourminds and hearts to Torah.

What You've given usis the ability to listen roYou, so we can thank anddraw close to You. yourcompassion is expressedin teaching our hearts toknow compassion, to loveYou, giving us not per-sonal freedoms but, in fact,boundaries bringing usclose to the Unbounded,the One. Bygving usTorah, You've shown ushow to live. We can nowoffer thanks and say:"Hear O Israel, Adonai isour God, Adonai is one."

-JoHN I. CLAYTON

Second B'rakhah before the Sh'ma: God's Great LoyeYou have loved us deeply, Aooxar our God, and showered uswith boundless compassion. Avinu Malkeinu,for the sake ofour ancestors who trusted in you and to whom you taught thelaws of life, so may You be gracious to us and instruct us. Kindcreator, have compassion for us, open our hearts so that wemay understand and, with love, discern, hear and study,observe, perform, and fulfill all the teachings of your Torahwith love. Enlighten our eyes with your Torah; atach ourhearts to Your mitzvot; uni4/ our hearts to love and revereYour name so thatwe never lose hope. As we trust in yourgreat, holy, awe-inspiring name, we will delight and rejoicein Your deliverance.Some gather their tzitzit before reciting this line:

> Bring us safely from the four corners ofthe earth, and leadus in dignity ro our land, for you are the God who effectsdeliverance. You have chosen us from all other tongues andpeoples, always drawing us nearer to your name, that we maytruly acknowledge You and lovinglyproclaim your oneness.Barukh atah AooNar,who lovingly cares for the people Israel.Ahavah rabah ahavtanu Adonai eloheinu,hemlah g dolah viteirah hamalta aleinu.Avinu malkeinu, ba.avur avoteinu [v,imoteinu] she-bathu v,khava-t'lamdeim f ukei fuayim, ken r,honeinu u-t,lamdeinu.Avinu ha-av ha-rafuaman, ha-m,rafeim, raheim aleinu, v,ten b,libeinul'havin u-l'haskil lishmo.a lilmod u-l,lamed lishmor v,la.asor u-l,kayemet kol divrei talmud toratekha b,ahavah.

V'ha.eir eineinu b'toratekha, v dabeik libeinu b,mitzvotekhav'yafued l'vaveinu l'ahavah u-l'yirah et sh,mekha, v,lo neivosh lblam va-ed.Ki vthem kodsh'kha ha-gadol v,hanora batahnu,nagilah v'nism'hah bishuatekha.

Some gather their tzitzit belore reciting this line:) Va-havi.einu lthalom mei.arba kanfot ha-aretz,v'tolikheinu kom'miyut l'artzeinu,ki el po.el ylhu.ot atah,u-vanu vafarta mikol am v,lashon,v'keiravranu lthimkha ha-gadol selah be.emer,l'hodot l'kha u-l'yafedkha bhhavah.Barukh atah adonai, ha-bofer bhmo yisrael b,ahavah.

154 SHABBAT AND FEsrrvALs. MoRNtNG sERvrcE. sx'rral AND rrs BLEsstNGs

Page 17 of 70

YDV ms'li?Some people may wish to pause here Jor a moment' Some may close their

eyes; others may place a hand over their eyes. The intention is to concen'

trate on God's oneness.

ln the absence of a minyan, we add the Jollowing: lpitJ l?n )X.

.][rs iI'li]r l]il)x illi]')xrq: ypvRecited quietty:.lv'I tr?'iy? inu?n lifl trI?'1r'l?

covering his eyes came to be seen as a sign of deep contemplation, and so it became the custom of many to

cover the eyes while reciting the Sh'ma, as a moment to meditate on God's unity.

GoD rs A FATTHFUL sovERElcN1DBl l?p )L{.These words form an acronym of amen. When we recite the

Sh'ma with a minyan, the leader concludes with the words Adonai eloheikhem emet, "Your Cod truly"; when, in

the absence of a minyan, that affirmation is not recited, we add this private affirmation at the beginning of the

Sh'ma. The Kabbalists noted that the Sh'ma contained u45 words and so by adding three additional words,

we reach 248-the number of limbs in the body, according to the belief of the ancient rabbis. Thus we affirm,

whether by adding words at the beginning or the end of the Sh'ma, that our entire being is dedicated to God.

sx'rvra yrsuer )X'tyl vn?.To whom are these words addressed? Certainly, we are speaking to ourselves,

enjoining ourselves to truly hear what our lips are saying. We may also be speaking to each other-the collec-

tive people lsrael-reminding each other that we are a people united by values, nurturing our own sense of

peoplehood. A moving midrash imagines these words recited by Jacob! sons, addressed to their father Jacob/

lsrael, reassuring him on his deathbed that they remain true to his teachings, and that the Cod ofJacob is and

will remain "their Cod" (Cenesis Rabbah g8:a). And so, we too may be speaking to our forebears, reassuring

our ancestors (all the way back to Jacob!) that their legacy continues in us.

oNE -I['lN. The Hebrew word ehad, "one," has been variously interpreted. lt can mean that Cod is totally uni-

fied and not made up of parts, as is the case with everything else we encounter in the universe. lt can mean

unique, that God is different from all else we encounter. lt can mean "only," that there is no other being who is

divine. Mystics interpret it as meaning that Cod is one with the universe-or in another formulation, present

throughout the universe.

pRAlsED BE THE NAME trv/;ltu. This phrase is not part of the biblical text but was the customary response of

those assembled to hearing the name of God as part of priestly prayers in the Temple. To differentiate it from

the actual biblical text, it is recited silently. ln the legend mentioned above, this sentence constitutedJacob's

response to his children's afErmation, and so it is voiced differently.

tNscRrBE rHEM upoN rHE DooRposrs niTp? )y trDlltlt. The observantJew lives a life surrounded by the

Sh'ma: reciting it in the morning upon arising and at night before going to sleep, walking past its inscription

on the mezuzah when entering onet home, and even adorning oneself with the words on weekday mornings

upon onet head and near one! heart when putting on t'fillin, phylacteries.

u--I:] trr1]-I

ll n?il)N i']]it? nN nl|lN]T:lf..f.r:-f:

THE RECITATION OF THE

sn'r,ae. Rabbinic literature

refers to the Sh'ma as a

k'riah, a reading aloud of a

passage of the Torah. Later

it became a meditationas well, a way to focus on

Godt "oneness"-so much

so that for some it became

a moment to experience a

mystical union with God.

The Babylonian Talmudreports: Rabbi Judah thePrince was teaching and

needed to stop, since thehour for rsciting the Sh'ma

was passing, so he covered

his eyes for a moment and

then continued teaching(Berakhot rab). ln this story,

reciting the Sh'ma was buta momentary interruption.Laten Rabbi.ludaht act of

nrn]:lf'l ybu nx?']P . l'lu trIrl nlu, nr'lnv/ 155

Page 18 of 70

Hear, O IsraelThe core ofour worshipis not a prayer at all, buta cry to our fellow ]ewsand fellow humans. In itwe declare that God isone-which is also to say

that humanity is one, thatlife is one, that joys andsufferings are all one-forGod is the force that bindsthem all together. Thereis nothing obvious aboutthis truth, for life as weexperience it seems infi-nitely fr agmented. Humanbeings seem isolated fromone another, divided by allthe fears and hatreds thatmake up human history.Even within a single life,one moment feels cut offfrom the next, memoriesof joy and fullness offeringus little consolation whenwe are depressed or lonely.To assert that all is one inGod is our supreme act offaith. No wonder that theSlt'ma, the 6rst "prayer" welearn in childhood, is alsothe last thing we are to say

before we die.

-ARTHUR GREEN

The Challenge of FaithThe Israeli poet YoramNissonovitch remarks thatreligious questions maynot constitute the subver-sion of our faith; rather, it mayhelp us get past tired notionsthat narrow our vision; and itmay open our souls to new and

deeper understan&ngs.And his colleague Elfanan Niradds: Doubts lead to a strong,surprising, and deep faith thatcannot be compared with classical faith. This is a faith for whichnothing is taken for granted.

Recitation of the Sh'maSome people may wish to pause here for a moment. Some may close theireyes; others may place a hand over their eyes. The intention is to concentrateon God's oneness.

The Jollowing words are added in the absence oJ a minyan:God is a faithful sovereign.

Hear, O Israel, AooNer is our God, AooNAr is one.Sh'ma yisrael, Adonai eloheinu Adonai ehad.

Recited quietly:Praised be the name of the onewhose glorious sovereignty is forever and ever.

You shall love AooNar your God with all your heart,with all your soul, and with all that is yours.

These words that I command you this day

shall be taken to heart.

Teach them again and again to your children;speak of them when you sit in your home,when you walk on your way,

whenyou lie down,

and when you rise up.Bind them as a sign upon your handand as a symbol above your eyes;

inscribe them upon the doorposts of your homeand on yourgates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

V'ahavta er Adonai elohekha b'khol l'vav'kha u-v'khol nafsh'khau-v'khol mebdekha. V'hayu ha-d'varim ha-eileh asher anokhi m'tzav'khaha-yom al l'vavekha. Vthinantam l'vanekha v'dibarra bam, b'shivt'khab'veitekha u-v'lekht'kha va-derekh u-v'shokhb'kha u-v'kumekha.U-kthartam lbt al yadekha v'hayu l'totafot bein einekha.U-kh'tavtam al m'zuzot beitekha u-visharekha.

155 SHABBAT AND FEsrlvALs. MoRNtNG sERvtcE. sH'MA AND trs BLEsstNGs

Page 19 of 70

*;r lt?yh h?'il)x il'rir'.nN al,1x? trt:il +nxnJ'F tny! tr,?T1N-lp4 'FDt'! :n;qp;11?1 tr;?l?

Itzlt ,,FUl ::ll,,r1l'l 1qi',n1 il+l nppXt uip?nri'1RD?-18 Df7 :l-]D1rit :nyllz/l nTlI(] ;lnnill7 ;lTll/3

(T:' lt !J J:T' r_tl?T:r?I-t3 rrj ir!' rr:r:

trf,r''l4ltqil'! tr"1l14 n,,7}S bT]:Ut trDlp'l tr*;?l?

ir'1irt-Nr'l htfqrn$ r5y'! tr?? nia'-T\ n)ry1 :nii))yn nli1? q;r'TtSt n):1-nylpn N? il4T$[q rt24

'l?T-nS hD4rIT'l :n;! '1;r: il]ir, iy/!_( nr,'oil f'l..S,lhrx? qrN n[']U?i tr;Up:*rn nprr?]y n]StrFx trDlpl :tr)lltu1,P n?piu) 1i,71 n?r:tyI'til U?hl 1:,r')? :lT?U? trP lPT? tr;':?'nS

:l'J.yvll 1[r] nrnrD'ry trFlr:lll :lElPf:t Tl??v?,lylqt rV{ ir4T4,l )q n?':?'n,t b?'nl Ult IyD?

:Tl5,l-ry qpqil'F'I tril? ryr) n;'1:Sl nJn'xf-I:xr Drllil

lF YoU wlLL HEAR DN nl,ll!hP. This paragraph sug-

gests a direct relationshipbetween the righteousnessof our acts and our fate. lfwe are good, God will be

good to us, and vice versa.

That theology was ques-'

tioned throughout the ages

and even by biblical writers

themselves, most sharply in

the Book ofJob. Neverthe-less, it does speak to a deep

human need to see a worldas containing a moral bal-

ance between good and

evil. What is expressed here

in concrete terms may be

understood more broadly:moral and immoral actionshave consequences, bothseen and unseen.

rzfiztr nxrY. The biblicalscholar lsrael Knohl, ex-

panding a medieval Jewishcomment, suggests thatthe word tzitzit may derivetrom tzitz, a headbandworn by the High Priest

and tied in back with a p'tilt'khelet, a "thread of blue."

On it were the words u-Ii7

ntn,) (kodesh ladonai),"holy before Adonai." Wear-

ingthe tzitzit (literally, the"little tzitz"), we are asked

to serve Cod in a holy way,

much as the High Priest

did; thus the paragraph

commands us to be "holybefore your Cod." The act

of wearing tzitzit turns us

all, metaphorically, intoHigh Priests.

rRULY nDN. The traditionread the word emet,"trulyi'as referring both backward

and forward: it is the firstword of the following para-

graph and is also recited as

if it were the last word ofthe preceding paragraph.

continued

xE-It:'lD lf,'rEf

nnxWhen there is a minyan, the leader says:

- n4s - trfrilrN iTli'I' <

r4rJI r',]l;1'! llils'l 't4$]]vl'l tr?P'l lirll frxr'!

]+Tir il5ll ltDl )ilal 'li?!4,t TTls'l N'lil'l tr'!J'!iTyl tr?iy> Dt)Y ilTir

il!n1:1f'l ynu, nNl'lP . :lo trlr) nflrb nIlnu, 156

Page 20 of 70

Other GodsWhat is an idol? A thing,a force, a person, a group,an institution or an ideal,regarded as supreme. Godalone is supreme.

-^r"^""i1::i::

To Loye and Reyere GodWhen one contemplatesthe wonders of God'screation and sees in themGodt infinite wisdom, oneimmediately loves, praises,

and craves to know God'sgreat name, as David sang,"I thirst for the living God"(Psalm 4z:3). But as onecontemplates these thingsone is immediately struckdumb and becomes fearful,for one knows that a personis only a tiny part ofthe vast-

ness of creation-humbleand ignorant, standing withlittle understanding beforethe fullness of knowledge,as David lamented, "WhenI gaze at Your heavens, Yourhan&work, what are mortalsthat You care for them?"(Psalm 8:4-5)'

MATM.NTDE'

If you will hear and obey the mitzvot that I command youthis day, to love and serve AooNar your God with all yourheart and all your soul, then I will grant the rain for yourland in season, rain in autumn and rain in spring. You shallgather in your grain and wine and oil; I will provide grass inyour fields for your cattle and you shall eat and be satisfied.

Take care lest your heart be tempted, and you stray and serve

other gods and bow to them. Then Aooner's anger will flareup against you, and God will close up the sky so that therewill be no rain and the earth will not yield its produce. Youwill quickly disappear from the good land that ApoNar isgiving you. Therefore, impress these words of mine uponyour heart and upon your soul. Bind them as a sign uponyour hand and as a symbol above your eyes; teach them toyour children, by speaking of them when you sit in yourhome, when you walk on your way, when you lie down andwhen you rise up. Inscribe them upon the doorposts ofyourhome and on your gates. Then your days and the days ofyourchildren, on the land that Aoor.{ar swore to your ancestors togive them, will be as many as the days the heavens are above

the earth.Deuteronomy r1i13-21

AooNar said to Moses: Speak to the people Israel, and

instruct them that in every generation they shall p:ut tzitziton the corners of their garments, placing a thread of blue onthe tzitzit,the fringe of each corner. That shall beyour tzitzit,

you shall look at it and remember all the mitzvot of Aooxer,and ful,fill them, and not be seduced by your eyes and heartas they lead you astray. Then you will remember and fulfill allMy mitzvot, and be holy before your God. I am AooNar yourGod, who brought you out of the land of Egrpt to be yourGod. I am AooNar your God- Numbers r5:37-4r

TrulyWhen there is a minyan, the leader says:

> AooNaryour God-truly-this teaching is constant, well-founded and enduring, right-eous and trustworthy, beloved and cherished, desirable andpleasing, awe-inspiring and majestic, well-ordered and estab-

lished, good and beautiful, and so incumbent on us forever.

156 sHABBAT AND FEsrtvALs. MoRNtNG sERvtcE. sx'aal AND trs BLEsstNGs

Page 21 of 70

.Dyvl '84 tiTul'11s,Dp)D nliu ,il9 n4{'li:l tNpl'l ,tr:P infi qP Nril l'q rir) <

.n4:p'ry| inlrnxl inu)Br.tr1Tnn]] trrlnNl .tr?niDl trrtn'P'llT:l' iiTtir: '"T:r' 'rl-: t? |

[u,pinxr] u'nnN )y,n'D?1y',n?iyh rU)nil:r*l )y1 ,urliri-i )U u';p )y ,D'?yl

n':ir1r51 )u1 n,:ir/x'lir by.I'T?u )xlq: v'r].ryt n>iy: noizt lip tl=tr : rr- :

:g: xh ph ir?rDtsl n4Surni:x'n)xt u'n)x ilritr x:lil itnxu nnx <

,furpinxl] urpu5 1)n,upl4,[urfin41],ufyru: rls ,,n1si:,[urpinyl] u'pEy )yl u)yl

ilhT n'irrS't,rs ilAV nfiun u),XDr rrTrD

,n?iyn Nrir irDN [urnlExl] 1I1.rif$ nTIrirl l=r-)ll tri3'Lt_rry tr,:r'll) ytuint 1l4

illp'rn n)iu nru.ns'Q?ts rv llPls] =l'I?PvDt

il'f1Tn? yDV1rtJ vt'$ ,'lq)s

.tl? )y tr't?l =l.l+lt lrllin'lnpy) lirg xrir il+x nAS

;rr,rx N:r i.., il'rs'I,,,r'; I*T il]ol l?$.UPinl )t5ir 1)P D?'l'ts'l'TYhRr

mandments as obligatory, as many Christians did. ln its current context, the liturgical afhrmation refers to theconstancy of the entire Torah.

HELp oF ouR ANcEsroRs [l]'FinNll tl,Iil4 nll)I. Two contrasting theological concepts are at work in thisblessing. The first emphasizes the value of personal observance of Torah and mitzvot ("Blessed are the ones

who attend to Your mitzvot. .."); the second emphasizes communal redemption and the need for Cod todestroy oppression, with the exodus from Egypt serving as a paradigm for all future redemptions. The first is

non-violent, speaking of personal practice and virtue through performing acts of love and care; the second

insists that Cod must war against evil in order to root it out. These two views echo a talmudic argument as towhether the future redemption will be athieved peacefully or will come through war.

rRULv, you wERE Ar rHE BEGINNING AND you wtLL BE Ar rHE END li-lnN Nti"l ;rDL{r ,liltlNl Nril nBN,nQ!J. A

similar expression, "l am the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end," is quoted three times in the Chris-

rian restament. The wording of this prayer may have been deliberately polemical at the time it was written in

antiquity, and intended to oppose Christian theological claims, which were emerging as a rival to Judaism.

continued

Read forward, the wordafhrms what follows: credalstatements spelling out theimplications of the Sh'ma;

each statement is preceded

by the word emet, thusarticulating a kind of Jewishcreed. Read backward, itrefers to God, who is identi-fied with truth.

The phrase is based onthe words of Jeremiah,'Adonai is true (Adonai

emet),is truly the livingCod, and the sovereign oftime and the world" Go:ro).Additionally, another bibli-cal meaning of the wordemet is steadlastness orfaithfulness. ln this inter-pretation, what is affirmedis that Cod will always be

present for us.

TRULY THIS TEACHING IS

coNsrANr rll n4N.Reuven Kimelman, a

contemporary liturgicalscholar, contends thatthe "teaching" referredto in this assertion is theDecalogue, which originallypreceded the recitation ofthe Sh'ma in the ancientsynagogue. The recita-tion of the Decalogue was

dropped from the liturgybecause the rabbis wereafraid that people wouldconsider only those com-

il:nrrr:I ynw nxlli? . ftu tr'rl nfub n'tnur $7

Page 22 of 70

Redemption

What might redemptionmean in our time? GordonTucker, a contemporaryrabbi, points out that inthe Bible, when an objectis redeemed, it returns toits original state. Followinga teaching of the Hasidicmaster Awaham Mordecaiof Gtlr (Imrei Emet, p arashatEmor), he remarks thatthere was a moment afterleaving Egypt and crossingthe Sea when we experi-enced freedom and the in-fi nite possibility signalledby the limitless horizon ofthe desert. It was the timebefore the giving oftheTorah on Mount Sinai, yetit was a special moment ofbeing with God. Jererniahrecords God saying, "Iremember the generosityofyour young days, thelove you exhibited whenwe were first engaged,walking with Me in thedesert" (z:z). We can hopet1rr, o.u lsligious life willlead us back to a momentofinnocence, when we feelfree and in unselfconsciousrelation to God.

Tru\t,the God of the universe, our sovereign, is the strongholdofJacob and our protecting shield.In every generation God is present, God's name endures,

God's throne is established, and God's sovereignty andfaithfulness abide.

God's teaching is living and enduring, trurhful and belovedthroughout all time.

As our ancestors accepted it as incumbent on them, weaccept it as incumbent on us, and on our children, and allthe future seed ofthe house oflsrael who serve You. Bothfor our ancestors and our descendants, it is a goodly teach-ing, enduring forever, a constant truth, a never-changingprinciple.

> Trull,You are AnoNar our God and the God of our an-

cestors, our sovereign and our ancestors'sovereign, ourredeemer and our ancestors' redeemer. You are our creator,and the rock of our deliverance, our redeemer and help.So You are known throughout time, for there is no Godbut You.

You were always the help of our ancestors, a shield and

deliverer for their descendants in every generation.You abide at the pinnacle of the universe-Your judgment and Your righteousness extend to the ends of

the earth.

Blessed are the ones who attend to Your mitzvot and placeYour teaching and words on their hearts.

Trult,Youare the ruler ofYour people, a mighty sovereign,who takes up their cause.

Tru[t,Yotwere at the beginning and You will be at the end-aside from You we have no ruler who can redeem anddeliver.

157 sxesBnr AND FEsrtvALs. MoRNtNG sERvtcE. sn'rvrl AND rrs BLEsstNGs

Page 23 of 70

D'il)N iltirt DF)XI trl?TDD

nSxl ari::rr: rrr l: :

.ltn?TE trrTfy nrln:lrr . : .7--:

n)-lll nnort:yhJ]YP] llD tr]]

D']?UI DrT'T?l

rtYlp n'll'!

.r4ri: x) tr14 r[S Eirr-].T tr?p :rtr)ll

)ts lnDtrl ,trrfri'rl_( rnlu nx\ )y,nlnl!rn'! nlrrp nirqi D''IrJl Dlt'l

.triP'l '|:I rx l?n? nixJiill nt]l],NJlr'i riT+ .Nt :'l tr']

' r '!

pryl )rprpDnrSotu ilrlrp:rn''l?u irJi5l tr','l'ps xrsin

n'b=i'rtiyt.r,?x nyv nyl tny? ruty'l

:.t'114,r Nril '1nl ti'?V )X? nrbnn <

,irlr anniat i't"t'Iul 1ly i7 7N'tv/' ?tt:l Di'tn:t ilvrnt ! ' : r r: " ! T

:nb: lrnxt

.ur1i?! iTlq ill,D? r7r,irrilr trrx? il?4?'D.x?p ntr'y ,ribir4 x1:

.rry1nfu) 1'5n'ntn',

,)y1tp'ts,)xltfl nti171 ir4rp

)xtr+ll i-.rJ:rilr l?{lt ir?i il#J::,j:J"ii*]Hf".)xttf uiT? inq nix?S il'lil'? ,u!yi sH,aaA rruo rHE AM,DAH.

.bxttf )51,ntn, ir4x :t:rrl lff,}1?]i:I11,li#i,The Amidah for Festivals is found on page 306. the Recitatiorr of the sh'ma'

mentioning Codt redeem-ing the people lsrael from Egypt, to the personal prayers that now follow in

the Amidah, and recommends that there be no verbal interruption at thispoint (Berakhot gb). lt is as if to say that the possibility of prayer flows outof our experience of Godt love as exhibited in freeing us from slavery.

MOSES, MIRIAM, AND THE

PEoPLE TsRAEL tr:'lnl nu.r... n)x1v21 ,-:3. The Torah is

emphatic that Moses ledthe men and Miriam ledthe women, so that all

the people lsrael sang theSong at the Sea. (See pages

ut-tc+.)

wHo rs UKE vou nlp; rn.

The Sh'ma was preceded

by the song of the angels,"Holy, holy, holy. .

"" and

now is followed by oursinging a praise of Codfrom the Song at the Sea.

Through the recitation ofthe Sh'ma, our song andthe angels'song become acommon chorus.

ADONAT WtLt RETGN i"l'li"lt

;i)tll. Exodus rsrg.

rsnlrr- )x'1utr. The name"lsrael" is repeated fourtimes before the conclusionol the b'rakhah, empha-sizing the plea for theredemption of the people

lsrael.

ouR REDEEMER u)9. lsaiah

47i4.

LIBERATED THE PEOPLE

rsnrer )x1q1 )U. Thisb'rakhah, in contrast tomost, concludes with a

verb in the past tense. We

can properly bless Cod forthe redemptive acts thathave already occurred-not those we still hope

ilrnrri:r yru nx!1p . flu trrI n:vr) notnu I58

Page 24 of 70

The Violence at the Sea AooNar our God, You redeemed us from EgyptThe flasidic master Sha- and freed us from the house of bondage.lom shakhna taught: That Their firstborn you slayed, your firstborn you redeemed,which results in the goodcannot take place wiihout You split the sea, You drowned the wicked,opposition. You rescued Your cherished ones.

B t e s s ing or Re d e m p ti o n ;*#::T ;:,fl :: i;lru*::: :::lffi _';:;TT;[ff -

Let us bless the source

of life, had occurred.source of faith and daring, The cherished people offered songs of thanksgiving, hymnswellspringof newsong of praise, and blessings to the sovereign ever-living God,*u'n" t'"::t^t:.1t**

who is transcendenr, powerful, and awe-inspiring,humbling the haughty, raising up the lowly,freeing those in chains, redeeming the poor,helping the weak, and answering Godt peoplewhen they cry out.

> Our homage is to God on high, who is ever praised.

Moses, Miriam, and the people Israel joyfully sang

this song to You:

"Who is like You, AooNar, among the mighry!Who is like You, adorned in holiness,

revered in praise, working wonders!"Mi khamokha ba-eilim Adonai, mi kamokha nedar bakodesh,

nora t'hilot, oseh feleh.

> At the edge ofthe Sea, the rescued sang a new song ofpraiseto Your name; together, as one, they thanked You andacclaimed Your sovereignty, saying:

'AooNAr will reign forever and ever."Adonai yimlokh lblam va-ed.

Stronghold ofthe people Israel,arise and help the people Israel!Redeem, as You promised, /udah and the people Israel.

Our redeemer is called A DoNAr Tz'rd.ot,

the Holy One of the people Israel.Tzur yisrael, kumah b'ezrat yisrael,

u-f?eih khinumekha y'hudah v'yisrael.Co.aleinu Adonai Tz'va.ot sh'mo, kdosh yisrael.

Barukh atahAooN,+r,who liberated the people Israel.

The Amidah Jor Festivals is t'ound on page 306.

158 sHABBAT AND FEsrtvALs. MoRNtNG sERvtcE. sx'ma AND trs BLEsstNGs

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