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Sefaria 18

above ( Ten Days of Penitence: far above) all the blessings and hymns, 6 May God be praised and exalted far beyond all the blessings, hymns and praises that are uttered.— Mishnah Berurah in the name of the Vilna Gaon 56:14. praises and consolations 7 Consolations are uttered because God is in mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temple and the exile of His people. which we utter in the world—and say Amein.

It has become a universally-accepted custom to recite Barechu before proceeding to the blessings of Shema. Barechu, like Kaddish and Kedushah, cannot be recited unless a quorum—a minyan of ten adult males—is present. Barechu is also said by one who is called upon to read from the Torah. The practice of saying Barechu is mentioned numerous times in the Talmud. It is even cited in the Mishna (Maseches Berachos 49b) in the names of Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael.

The Chazzan says:

Bless Adonoy Who is blessed.

The Congregation responds and the Chazzan repeats:

Blessed is Adonoy, Who is blessed forever and ever.

The two blessings יוֹצֵר אוֹר "He Who forms light" and אַהֲבָה רַבָּה "Great love," are referred to as the blessings preceding Shema ( Maseches Berachos 11a). According to Rambam they were formulated by Ezra and his Court ( Laws of Shema 1:7). You may not interrupt your prayers from this point on until after the Shemoneh Esrei . But you may answer "Amein" to the blessings of הָאֵל הַקָּדוֹשׁ "The holy Powerful One" and שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִילָּה "He Who heeds prayer;" say the thrice-repeated קָדוֹשׁ "Holy…" and בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד "Blessed is the glory…" of Kedushah ; and answer Barechu. You may also answer אָמֵן יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא "Amein, May His great Name," when you hear Kaddish." You may also answer Amein after the blessings of יוֹצֵר הַמְּאוֹרוֹת, "Who forms the luminaries," and הַבּוֹחֵר בְּעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאַהֲבָה, "Who chooses His people Israel with love." For a more detailed exposition of these laws, see Metsudah Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Vol. I, pp. 172-176.

Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Former 1 Forming, יוצר, is the act of refining or modifying an original substance, whereas, creating, בורא, refers to creating the original substance from nothing. For example, when one shapes a wooden table, to make it round, he "forms" the wood, the original substance which was "created." Similarly, God "forms the light" which is His act of modifying or limiting the darkness He created.— Siddur HaGra of light, Creator of darkness, Maker 2 Making, עושה, is the act of completion, such as when one completes a table by painting it. Similarly, God's finishing touch of creation is "making peace," the vessel that holds it all together, as stated in the Mishna, "God found no vessel to contain blessing other than peace." לא מצא הקב"ה כלי מחזיק ברכה אלא השלום— Siddur HaGra of peace, Creator 3 The verse in Isaiah 45:7, on which this blessing is based concludes with the words, "and creates evil." In His original creation, God created the potential for evil, which He constantly limits and controls as the Former and Maker.— Siddur HaGra of all things.

He illuminates the earth [and provides light] for those who dwell on it, with compassion; 4 God causes light to appear in stages, gradually. This is an act of great compassion for if He made it appear all at once, we would be overwhelmed and blinded by its brightness.— Avudraham and in His goodness renews every day, continually, 5 God is not a far-off observer of a mechanism which He created and ignores, but a Living Ruler, Who guides the universe and continually maintains it. the work of creation. How many are Your works, Adonoy; You made them all with wisdom, the earth is full of Your possessions. 6 Lit., Your acquisitions: See Genesis 14:22. The King Who alone is exalted from then, 7 I.e., before Creation, See p. 9: God was King before all creatures were created. Who is praised and glorified and uplifted, from the beginning of time. 8 I.e., after Creation. Ever since Creation, God has been praised and glorified by His creatures. Eternal God, in Your abundant mercy, have compassion on us, Master, Who is our strength, Rock, Who is our stronghold Shield, of our deliverance, [Be] a stronghold for us. The blessed Almighty, great in knowledge, prepared and made the rays of the sun. [The] Good [One] created [everything] for the glory of His Name: 9 See Isaiah 43:7: "All that is called by My Name, I have created for My glory." —Avudraham the luminaries He set around His strength (His throne). The chiefs of His hosts are holy beings, 10 "Holy beings" are angels. In Hebrew, the word for angels means messenger, and includes all the instruments of Divine purpose, whether in human form, or in the forces of nature.— Kuzari the exalters of Shadai 11 A name of God (Genesis 17:1; 35:11; 43:14, etc.) which refers to His setting boundaries and limits throughout creation. continually recount the glory of the Almighty and His holiness. Be Blessed, Adonoy, our God, for the excellent works of Your hands, 12 The Heavenly throne is thus conceived of as surrounded by angels and all the adoring heavenly bodies.—See Isaiah 6:12 and for the light-giving luminaries which You formed; they will glorify You forever. 13 Those of His creatures capable of praising Him do so. The rest are evidence of His astonishing wisdom and arouse the others to praise Him.

Be blessed our Former, 14 Some render צורנו "our Rock." The Gaon of Vilna, however, maintains that it refers to God as our Creator, thus describing Him in the tri-epochal aspect of His Unity: past, present, and future. He was our Creator, He is our King, and He will be our Redeemer. our King, and our Redeemer—Creator of holy beings. 15 These are the Jewish People, who are sanctified in body and soul. The word Creator implies a creation of real substance—the Jewish People rather than angels.— Vilna Gaon Praised be Your Name forever, our King, Who forms ministering angels; and Whose ministering angels all stand at the height of the Universe, and proclaim with reverence, in unison aloud the words of the living God, King of the Universe. All of them are beloved, 16 Beloved —there is no envy, jealousy or rivalry among them. Pure —they have no selfish or ulterior motives; they serve God with all their being.— Siddur HaGra all of them are pure, all of them are mighty and all of them perform with awe and reverence the will of their Possessor. And they all open their mouths in holiness and purity, with song and music, and they bless, and praise, and glorify, and revere, and sanctify, and proclaim the sovereignty of—

the Name of the Almighty, the King, the Great, the Mighty, the awesome One; holy 17 Despite the attributes we use to describe Him, He remains holy—beyond our conception. is He. And they all take upon themselves the yoke 18 The yoke of Divine Sovereignty is borne willingly and joyfully by each creature as an emblem of his free service to God.— S.R. Hirsch of Divine sovereignty one from the other, and give leave to one another 19 They take care not to precede one another in their praise of God. On the contrary, each says to the other, "You begin, because you are greater and more worthy than I."— Avos of R' Nosson to sanctify their Former in a spirit of serenity with clear speech and pleasantness, 20 The clear speech of the angels is the holy tongue (pure Hebrew).— Ya'avetz all exclaim Kedushah in unison and reverently exclaim:

Holy, holy, holy is Adonoy of Hosts, the fullness of all the earth is His glory. 21 Isaiah 6:3. Targum Yonoson paraphrases this verse: "Holy [is God] in the highest heights of heaven, the abode of His Divine Presence; holy upon earth, the work of His almighty power; holy [is He] forever and for all eternity." The Talmud, ( Masechcs Chulin 91b) refers to this verse as the "Sanctification of the Angels." According to Avudraham and Ya'avetz; this Kedushah has been inserted here to refute those who maintain that God relinquished His control over the heavenly bodies, and they are now able to function independently. We are therefore told that all the heavenly hosts proclaim God's sanctification and dominion over all the universe.

And the Ofanim 22 Ofanim, Chayos haKodesh, and Serafim are various classes of Angels. Ofanim denotes animated wheels as conceived in association with the Heavenly throne. ( Avudraham ); Chayos are those angels who exist eternally ( Ya'avetz; some angels exist only for short times for specific functions.) Serafim indicate "beings of fire." and the holy Chayos, with a mighty sound rise toward the Serafim. Facing them, they offer praise and say,

Blessed is the glory of Adonoy from His place. 23 Ezekiel 3:12. According to the Kuzari, God's glory is a euphemism for God Himself. Thus the verse means, "Blessed is Adonoy from His place," conveying this concept: God is more blessed (i.e., greater) than His place; He is not confined to any place. Another view set forth in the Kuzari is that "God's glory" includes the angels. His throne, His chariot, the firmament, and the spheres. These are called God's glory, similar to a king's retinue, which is his royal splendor.

To the Blessed Almighty, they 24 The angels. offer pleasant melodies; to the King, the Almighty, [Who is] living and enduring, they utter hymns and make praises heard. For He alone is the Performer of mighty deeds, Maker of new things; Master of battles, Sower of acts of righteousness, 25 Rabbi Pinchos ben Ya'ir was given two measures of barley for safekeeping. The owner forgot about it for a number of years. Rabbi Pinchos ben Ya'ir planted the barley seed, and each year replanted the previous year's harvest until it grew to be a substantial crop. After seven years, the owner returned to claim his two measures of barley and Rabbi Pinchos told him, "Come I will show you the great fortune you have accumulated." God does the same with the good and righteous deeds of man. He sows each righteous deed, and when the person is ready to receive his reward, God returns the original righteous investment plus all the accumulated dividends.— Midrash Rabba, Deuteronomy 3:6 Causer of deliverance to sprout forth; Creator of cures. Awesome in praise, Master of wonders, He renews in His goodness, each day, continuously, 26 Since the blessing began with the praise of God as the Former of light Who continually renews the creation, it concludes on the same note. the work of creation, as it is said: "[Give thanks to Him] Who makes the great luminaries," for His kindness is everlasting." 27 Psalms 136:7. Shine a new light upon Zion, 28 We pray that we will be worthy of enjoying the original light of creation, which God put aside for the righteous in the future world.— Ya'avetz and may we all soon be privileged to [enjoy] its brightness. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Former of the luminaries. 29 When reciting this blessing, bear in mind that even though the heavenly spheres appear immense to us and we attach much importance to them because of the vital functions they perform, in the eyes of their Creator they are no greater than worms. On the contrary, His wisdom and providence are more acutely recognized in an ant or bee because, in spite of their minuteness, they are endowed with a complex of faculties and organs.— Kuzari

[With] unbounded love You have loved us 48 The Kuzari writes, "When reciting the blessing ‘Unbounded Love' אַהֲבָה רַבָּה, one should bear in mind that Hashem's Divine influence is especially directed at the Jewish People who receive it as naturally as a mirror receives rays of light. He should also bear in mind that the Torah is the expression of Hashem's will and through it He establishes His dominion on earth as in heaven. Whenever an individual or a community attains a high degree of spiritual purity, they become worthy of receiving the Divine light to guide their destiny in a miraculous manner far removed from the ordinary course of events which affect the world. This special relationship with the Creator is called love." Adonoy, our God; [With] great and abundant pity 49 Hashem bestowed His great and abundant pity on us after we sinned in making the golden calf. He not only pardoned us, but gave us the Second Tablets and ordained the construction of the Tabernacle (Mishkan) for His Divine Presence to dwell among us.—Siach Yitzchak have You pitied us. Our Father, our King! for the sake of our forefathers who trusted in You, and whom You taught statutes of life, so too, be gracious to us and teach us. Our Father, merciful Father, Who acts with compassion have compassion on us and put into our hearts to comprehend, and to be intellectually creative, to listen, to learn, and to teach, to preserve, to practice, and to fulfill 50 We preserve the Torah by not forgetting its teachings; we practice the commandments and we fulfill them by making them permanent parts of our lives.—Siach Yitzchak all the words of instruction in Your Torah with love. And enlighten our eyes in Your Torah, and cause our hearts to hold fast to Your commandments, and unify 51 Make us single-hearted and undivided in our love and reverence of Your Name. Keep us from distraction of personal thoughts and selfish motives.—Siach Yitzchak our hearts to love and fear Your Name; and may we never be put to shame, 52 When one has to receive a favor that is completely undeserved, he feels a sense of shame. We therefore pray to Hashem, that our redemption will not be a "hand out" without merit and cause us to be ashamed. We proclaim that since we "trusted in His Name" and accepted the bitterness of our exile, our deliverance is not totally undeserved.—Siach Yitzchak for in Your holy, great, and awesome Name— have we trusted; may we exult and rejoice in Your deliverance. And bring us to peace from the four corners of the earth and lead us upright 53 May we return from our exile with our heads held high, not in meekness.—Siach Yitzchak to our land. Because, You are the Almighty, Who performs acts of deliverance, 54 Even if we do not deserve to be saved in our own merit, save us anyhow because You perform acts of deliverance. and You have chosen us 55 At the moment Hashem gave the Torah to the Jews at Sinai, we became His chosen people and were brought close to Him for eternity.—Siach Yitzchak from among all peoples and tongues, and You have brought us close to Your great Name, forever in truth; that we may give thanks 56 These final words complete the prayer begun earlier: "Bring us in peace, and lead us upright to our land, so that we may give thanks to You, and proclaim Your Oneness, with love.—Siach Yitzchak to You, and proclaim Your Oneness, with love. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who chooses His people Yisrael with love.

The following three words should be said when praying without a minyan:

(Almighty, faithful King)

Hear, Israel: Adonoy is our God, Adonoy is One. 1 Deuteronomy 6:4. It is customary to recite this verse aloud, the ear hearing what the lips utter. This helps one concentrate on the meaning of this important declaration. Interestingly, the last letter of the first word שמע and last letter of אחד arc written larger than the others. These two letters form the word עד "witness"—i.e., every Jew by saying Shema testifies to God's oneness.— Avudraham Customarily one closes his eyes when pronouncing this testimony in order to shut out all distractions, and to concentrate all of one's thoughts on God's oneness. The last word, אחד, "One," is to be said with special emphasis, drawing it out for the length of time needed to reflect that God, the Giver and Sustainer of life Whose Providence guides the destinies of all men, is the unique God of Israel, that He is alone in His world, ruling all four corners of the universe.

The following two lines are to be said silently:

Blessed [is His] Name, Whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever. 2 Jacob wished to reveal to his sons the ‘end of the days,' whereupon the Shechinah departed from him. Said he, "Perhaps, Heaven forbid! there is one unfit among my children." His sons exclaimed to him, "Hear Israel" etc., just as there is only One in your heart so is there only One in our heart. Ben Lakish explained that Jacob said, "Blessed [is His] Name" in response to his sons' exclamation. The Sages wondered, "Shall we recite it aloud when our teacher Moses did not say it? Shall we not say it at all, when Jacob ordained it?" Thus, the Rabbis enacted that it be said quietly.— Maseches Pesachim 56a. When Moses went up to the heavens, he heard the angels praise God by saying, "Blessed [is His] Name, etc." When he returned to earth, he taught it to the Jewish People. We say it in an undertone so as not to offend the angels. On Yom Kippur however, when we are considered like angels, we are permitted to say ברוך שם aloud.— Midrash Rabba to Deuteronomy

And you shall love Adonoy your God with all your heart 3 Our Sages ( Sifrei to Deuteronomy 31) explain "With all your heart" to mean "With all your desires—including the evil inclination," i.e., subject your earthly passions and ambitions to God's Law and make them instruments for His service. and with all your soul 4 The Sages (ibid.) take these words to mean "With your whole life—even to the last drop of blood." It was such an understanding that led Rabbi Akiva to say, when the executioner was tearing his flesh with iron hooks, "All my life, I have longed for this moment. I have loved God with all my heart and with all my might; and now at last, I can love Him with my whole life." It was this concept that gave Jewish martyrs the courage to lay down their lives for their faith. and with all your possessions. 5 The Sages (ibid.) explain, "With whatever lot Providence has assigned to you," i.e., despite whatever material sacrifice your loyalty to God and to Torah might entail. And these words which I command you today, 6 The teachings of the Torah should be ever fresh in your minds, as though you received it today .— Ibid. shall be upon your heart. And you shall teach them sharply 7 See to it that your children have a clear, and not a confused, stammering knowledge of the Torah.— Ibid. to your children. And you shall discuss them when you sit in your house, and when you travel on the road, and when you lie down and when you rise. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for totafos between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gateways. 8 Deuteronomy 6:5-9. This paragraph contains 10 commandments: 1) accepting the "yoke" of heaven; 2) proclaiming the Unity of God; 3) loving God; 4) studying Torah (and you shall speak of them); 5) teaching your children; 6-7) reciting Shema in the evening and in the morning; 8-9) putting on the tefillin of the hand and head; 10) putting up mezuzos on the door-posts.

And it will be— if you vigilantly obey My commandments which I command you this day, to love Adonoy your God, and serve Him with your entire hearts 9 The service of the heart is prayer, as David said (Psalms 141:2) "May my prayers be acceptable to You as an incense [service]." and with your entire souls— that I will give rain for your land in its proper time, 10 God will make it rain at night so as not to cause you discomfort.— Rashi the early (autumn) rain and the late (spring) rain; 11 Reward and punishment are here connected with the rainfalls vital to the Land of Israel. The heavy rains which open the growing season in the fall and the showers which fall while the grain is ripening are of utmost importance. and you will harvest your grain and your wine and your oil. And I will put grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. Beware lest your hearts be swayed 12 One who is satisfied can easily be induced to forget the Source of his fullness.— Rashi and you turn astray, and you worship alien gods and bow to them. And Adonoy's fury will blaze among you, and He will close off the heavens and there will be no rain and the earth will not yield its produce; and you will perish swiftly 13 No extension will be given. The "generation of the flood" was granted a reprieve of 120 years (Genesis 6:3) because they did not have from whom to learn; but you do have from whom to learn.— Sifrei, cited by Rashi from the good land which Adonoy gives you. Place these words of Mine 14 Even in exile you must fulfill God's commandments —Sifrei cited by Rashi upon your hearts and upon your souls,— and bind them for a sign upon your hands, and they shall be for totafos between your eyes. 15 Between your eyes is not to be taken literally. The correct position of the phylactery of the head ( shel rosh ) is at the edge of the hair line directly above the place which is between the eyes. And you shall teach them to your sons, to speak them 16 From the moment your son knows how to talk, begin teaching him the Torah.— Rashi. when you sit in your house, and when you travel on the road, and when you lie down and when you rise. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gateways. In order that your days be prolonged, and the days of your children, upon the land which Adonoy swore to your fathers to give them [for as long] as the heavens are above the earth.

And Adonoy spoke to Moses saying: Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them 17 Rabbi Yehuda bar Chaviva said that this third section was added to Shema because of six important things contained therein: 1. the commandment of fringes, 2. mention of the Exodus, 3. the call to assume the yoke of God's commandments, 4. the warning against heretical concepts, 5. the warning against straying after sinful desires, and 6. the warning against idolatrous worship.— Maseches Berachos 12b to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations; and they will place with the fringes of each corner a thread of blue. And it will be to you for fringes, and you will look upon it and you will remember all the commandments of Adonoy, 18 Rabbi Meir says: "The blue thread of the fringes resembles the sea, the sea reflects the heavens, and heavens resemble the Throne of Glory" ( Sifrei ). The outward act of looking upon the tzitzis leads the Jew to inward spiritual conformity with the precepts of God. and you will perform them; and you will not turn aside after your hearts 19 The heart and the eyes of a person are the agents of sin—the eye sees, the heart desires, and thus the person sins —Tanchuma cited by Rashi. and after your eyes which cause you to go astray. In order that you will remember and perform all My commandments; and you will be holy unto your God. I am Adonoy, your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am Adonoy, your God— 20 Numbers 15:37-41.

You must be careful to connect the last words of Shema, ה' אֱלֺקֵיכֶם (Adonoy, your God), with the word אמת (is true) without pause or interruption so that these three words form one sentence, meaning "Adonoy your God is true" (Maseches Berachos 13a).

—is true—

The chazan repeats:

Adonoy, your God, is true.

The following prayer, which culminates with גָאַל יִשְׂרָאַל, Who redeemed Israel, constitutes the "Blessing after Shema" mentioned in the Talmud (Maseches Berachos 11a). It is also mentioned in Maseches Tamid (32b) as part of the morning service in the Temple.

—and firm, certain and enduring, upright and faithful, beloved and cherished, desired and pleasant, 21 The Jew declares his commitment to God, and states that His precepts are not forced upon him. On the contrary, they are beloved, cherished, delightful and pleasant to him.— Siach Yitzchok awesome and mighty, correct 22 The teachings of Torah are correct in their totality. They lack nothing and are eternally valid for all situations.— Siach Yitzchok and acceptable, 23 Even those precepts that are not easily understood and appear to contradict human nature, are accepted by us.— Siach Yitzchok good and beautiful is this 24 All that was affirmed above in Shema. [affirmation] to us for all eternity. It is true, that the God of the Universe, is our King, the Stronghold of Jacob is the Shield of our deliverance. Throughout the generations He endures and His Name endures, and His throne is confirmed; and His sovereignty and His faithfulness endure forever. 25 After having affirmed that all that was said in Shema is true, firm, certain, enduring, etc., we take an oath and testify that we accept the "yoke of heaven" upon ourselves as did our fathers before us and as will our children after us, forever and ever. Thus we say in the following prayer: "For our fathers, for us, for our children and for our descendants—Your word is good and lasting—a Law that will never be abrogated."— Kuzari His words are alive and enduring, faithful and desirable forever and to all eternity; for our fathers and for us, for our children and for our generations, and for all generations of the seed of Israel, Your servants.

Upon the first and upon the last, [generations] [it is] a matter that is good and everlasting. It is true and faithful, a Law that will never be abrogated. Truly you Adonoy, are our God, and the God of our fathers, our King, the King of our fathers, our Redeemer, Redeemer of our fathers, our Former, Rock of our deliverance; our Liberator and our Saver which is Your Name from old, and there is no God besides You.

You have always been the Help 26 The word help indicates that the recipient also participated in his rescue, whereas the words shield and deliverer indicate that the rescue was made without any help from the rescued party. Our fathers who were righteous, participated in their rescue, and God "helped" them. Since we are not that righteous, God shields and delivers us even though we have no merit.— Siach Yitzchok of our fathers; a Shield and a Deliverer to their children after them in every generation. The heights of the universe is Your habitation, and Your judgments and Your righteousness [reach] to the ends of the earth. 27 Alternatively: "Affect mankind to the end of earthly time."— Avudraham Fortunate is man who heeds Your commandments; and takes Your Torah and Your word to his heart. 28 Your Torah" means the basic concepts of the Torah itself, and "Your word" refers to ethical concepts, derived from events described in the Torah and by the Prophets.— Siach Yitzchok Truly, You are the Master of Your people and a mighty King to defend their cause. Truly, You are First and You are Last, 29 We refer to God as First and Last only in order to preclude the notion that anything existed before Him, and to repudiate the idea that there is an end to His existence. We do not assert that He has a beginning or a fixed term.— Kuzari and we have no king, redeemer, or deliverer besides You. You redeemed us from Egypt. Adonoy, our God, You liberated us from the house of bondage. You slew all their firstborn, and You redeemed Your firstborn,. 30 See Exodus 4:22. You split the Sea of Reeds, and You drowned the wicked. You caused the beloved ones to pass through, while the waters covered their enemies; not one of them remained. Because of this, the beloved ones praised and exalted the Almighty; and the beloved ones offered hymns, songs, and praises, blessings and thanksgiving to the King, the Almighty, [Who is] living and enduring. (He is) exalted and uplifted, great and awesome; He humbles the haughty and raises the lowly. 31 God humbled the Egyptians who were haughty and raised high the Jews who had been lowly captives in Egypt. He frees the captives and redeems the humble, helps the impoverished, 32 God also helps those who are spiritually impoverished.— Rabbi Yehuda ben Yakar and He answers His people when they cry out to Him.

Praises to the most high Almighty, blessed is He, 33 Intrinsically. and He is blessed. 34 By others. Moses and the Children of Israel sang a song to You with great joy, and they all proclaimed:

Who is like You among the mighty, Adonoy! Who is like You— [You are] adorned in holiness, awesome in praise, performing wonders!

With a new song the redeemed people praised Your Name at the seashore! All of them gave thanks in unison and proclaimed Your sovereignty and said:

Adonoy will reign forever and ever.

Rock of Israel, arise to the aid of Israel, and liberate Judah and Israel as You promised. 35 As it is said, "And a redeemer will come to Zion and to those of Jacob who repent of their transgression, said Adonoy" (Isaiah 59:20). Our Redeemer— ‘Adonoy of hosts' is His Name, the Holy One of Israel Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who redeemed 36 While God is always referred to as the Redeemer of Israel, this blessing utilizes the past tense, "Who redeemed Israel," as it refers specifically to our redemption from Egypt.— Tzelosa d'Avrohom Our faith in the Redeemer of Israel, Who redeemed us from Egypt, and our hope that He will redeem us from exile, give us the spiritual energy and courage to stand before Him, to pray and beseech Him for our needs, as we proceed to the Amidah.— Yesodos HaTefillah Israel.

Fundamentals of Kuzari, (Metsudah Publications, 1979) pages 269, 271, 273. When reciting Shemoneh Esrei, you must adhere to these rules: 1. Before beginning the prayer, take three steps backwards and then return to your former position. Upon completing the prayer, take three steps backwards and return. 2. Keep your feet together. 3. Concentrate on the meaning of the words you are uttering. Remove all distracting thoughts and worries from your mind. 4. You may not interrupt Shemoneh Esrei by talking, not even by answering Amein. If you should hear Kedushah, Kaddish, or Barechu while saying the Shemoneh Esrei, you should remain silent and listen to the Chazzan's words. 5. At the beginning and end of the first blessing, at the beginning and end of the blessing that begins: "We are thankful to You," (page 133) and ends with "The Beneficent is Your Name," (page 140) we half-kneel and bow in the following manner: At the word "Blessed," bend your knees; at the word "You," bend forward until the vertebrae of your spinal cord are loosened; at "Adonoy," return to your upright position in keeping with the verse, "Adonoy straightens the bent" (Psalms 146:8). 6. Each individual recites Shemoneh Esrei in silence. Only the prayer leader, the Chazzan, ever recites it aloud, and then only after the entire congregation, himself included, has recited it silently.

My Master, 1 When God's name is spelled Alef-Daled-Nun-Yud it means "my Master", i.e., it is a personal declaration of the person uttering it. When it is spelled Yud-Hey-Vov-Hey, it indicates God as the Creator of all.— Avudraham open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. 2 Psalms 51:17.

Blessed 3 The first blessing of Shemoneh Esrei contains eighteen expressions of praise which parallel the Eighteen Benedictions. are You, Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, the Almighty, the Great, the Powerful, the Awesome, most high Almighty, Who bestows beneficent kindness, Who possesses everything, Who remembers the piety of the Patriarchs, and Who brings a redeemer to their children's children, for the sake of His Name, with love.

(During the Ten Days of Penitence add: Remember us for life King, Who desires life; and inscribe us in the Book of Life, for Your sake, Living God.) 4 We ask God for life so that we can fulfill His purpose in creating us, i.e., to observe and fulfill His commandments.

If you forgot to say this, and became aware of your omission before saying the blessing, you should recite it. If you have already said "Blessed are You Adonoy," you must continue the prayers without saying "Remember."

King, Helper, and Deliverer and Shield. 5 God is a helper in all the fortunes of life by giving us the necessary energy and talents to succeed. He delivers us from both moral and physical suffering, and He shields us by keeping tragedy and evil influences from us. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Shield of Abraham. 6 These words complete the first blessing of Shemoneh Esrei called "Avos" (Patriarchs). And here too we bend our knees and bow when saying, "Blessed are You." The major theme of this section is to praise God as "the Great", as manifested in the Divine protection and providence He gave to the Patriarchs, of whom Abraham was the first.— Vilna Gaon

You are mighty forever, 7 God's rule of the world is permanent and perpetual.— Kuzari my Master; You are the Resurrector of the dead 8 This is the emphatic expression of our belief in the immortality of the soul.— Kuzari the Powerful One 9 This passage begins the section of Shemoneh Esrei called "Gevuros" (Might) and its major theme is to praise God as "the Mighty One." Who alone restores man to life, health, freedom, and well-being.— Vilna Gaon to deliver us.

From the Musaf of the first day of Pesach until the Musaf of Shemini Atzeres one should say:

He causes the dew to descend.

From the Musaf of Shemini Atzeres until the Musaf of the first day of Pesach you should say:

Causer of the wind to blow and of the rain to fall. 10 God's might is as much manifested in causing the rain as it is in reviving the dead. In fact the Talmud (Maseches Taanis 7a) declares in the name of Rabbi Avohu: "The day when rain falls is greater than the day of the resurrection of the dead." Rabbi Yochanan said, ( Ibid, 2a): "There are three 'keys' which God retains in His own hands and does not entrust to any emissary: the key to rain, the key to childbirth, and the key to the resurrection of the dead."

If you neglected to say this, and became aware of your omission before saying the blessing מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים, "the Resurrector of the dead," you must say it at that time. If you reminded yourself after saying וְנֶאֱמָן אַתָּה "You are faithful," you must repeat it and then complete the blessing of מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים. If you became aware of your omission after starting the blessing אַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ "You are holy," even if you only said the word "You," say the Shemoneh Esrei from the beginning. If during the first thirty days after Shemini Atzeres you are in doubt whether you said it, you must assume that you didnot say it. After thirty days, however, since you have become accustomed to saying it, you may assume that you recited the proper phrase and you need not repeat the Shemoneh Esrei.

Sustainer of the living with kindliness, Resurrector of the dead 11 The most extraordinary manifestation of God's might—to our perception—is when He restores the dead to life. Avudraham writes that the three following praises represent various examples of how God restores life to those who arc near death. When a person falls (either physically or morally) he is often near death; thus, when God supports the fallen he restores their lives. When a person is sick, he often faces death, so when God heals the sick He restores their lives. A person who is imprisoned—i.e., confined—is like dead; thus when God releases the imprisoned He restores their lives. with great mercy, Supporter of the fallen, and Healer of the sick, and Releaser of the imprisoned, and Fulfiller of His faithfulness to those who sleep in the dust. 12 Just as God shows His faithfulness to the living, so too will He keep faith with the dead who lie in the dust. Others say that "Those who sleep in the dust" refers to the Patriarchs; God will remember the oath He made to them and keep His promises to them.— Avudraham Who is like You, Master of mighty deeds, and who can be compared to You? King Who causes death and restores life, and causes deliverance to sprout forth. 13 Deliverance will "grow" in stages rather than all at once.

(During the Ten Days of Penitence add: Who is like You merciful Father, Who remembers His creatures for life, in His mercy)

If you forgot to say this, the same law applies as above concerning "Remember us for life."

And You are faithful 14 How remarkable is the Jew's conviction of God's faithfulness. When the Chazzan says the blessing of "Resurrector of the dead," the Jew responds, "Amein" even though he has not seen God restore the dead to life; when the Chazzan says the blessing "Redeemer of Israel," he responds "Amein", even though he has not yet been delivered; and when the Chazzan says the blessing "Builder of Jerusalem," he responds "Amein" even though Jerusalem has not yet been rebuilt.— Midrash Tanchuma to restore the dead to life. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Resurrector of the dead.

(When the Chazzan repeats the Shemoneh Esrei, the Kedushah is said here)

You are holy and Your Name is holy and holy beings praise You every day, forever. For You are an Almighty King— great and holy.

Blessed are You, Adonoy, the Almighty, the Holy One. 19 This blessing completes the section of Shemoneh Esrei called Kedushah (Holiness) which emphasizes that God is indeed awesome.

During the Ten Days of Penitence: Blessed are You, Adonoy, the King, the Holy One.

If you mistakenly said, "the Almighty" instead of "the King," or if you are in doubt—if you realized your error after a lapse of time sufficient to utter a three word greeting (Shalom Aleichem Rebbe), or if you had already started the next blessing, you must say the Shmoneh Esrei from the beginning. If you became aware of your error before that, you should immediately say "the King the Holy One" and continue your prayers.

The Congregation says and the Chazzan repeats:

We will hallow Your Name in the world, as they hallow it in the heavens above, as is written by the hand of Your prophet, 16 Isaiah 6:3. And they called one to another, and said:

Congregation says and Chazzan repeats:

‘Holy, holy, holy, is Adonoy of Hosts, the fullness of all the earth is His glory.'"

The Chazzan says:

Those facing them say "Boruch..."

Congregation says and Chazzan repeats:

Blessed is the glory of Adonoy from its place 17 Ezekiel 3:12.

The Chazzan says:

And in Your Holy Words it is written:

Congregation says and Chazzan repeats:

Adonoy will reign forever; Your God, Zion, throughout all generations! Praise God. 18 Psalms 146:10.

The Chazzan says:

From generation to generation we will declare Your greatness, and to all eternity, we will sanctify Your holiness, and Your praise, our God, will not depart from our mouth forever and ever; because You are the Almighty Who is King; Great, and Holy. Blessed are You, Adonoy, the Almighty, the Holy One. 19 This blessing completes the section of Shemoneh Esrei called Kedushah (Holiness) which emphasizes that God is indeed awesome.

You favor man with perception 20 The blessing "You favor man with perception" begins the group of thirteen petitions which make up the "intermediate" section of Shemoneh Esrei. The first six petitions (blessings 4-9) are for our individual needs and well-being: understanding, repentance, forgiveness of sins, deliverance from trouble, from illness, and from want. Though these six petitions are of a personal nature, they voice the needs of all mankind. Note that the worshipper prays for his spiritual needs—knowledge, repentance, and forgiveness before he prays for his physical wants. and teach mankind understanding. Grant us knowledge, understanding and intellect from You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Grantor of perception.

Cause us to return, 22 The goal of wisdom is the realization of man's true relationship to his Maker. Wisdom should be used for Torah study and Divine service. our Father, to Your Torah and bring us near, our King, to Your service; and bring us back in whole-hearted repentance 23 Since the Sages say, "Repent the day before you die" (Maseches Avos 2:10), and every day may be our last, we petition God daily for Divine guidance in repenting. before You Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who desires penitence. 24 Repentance in Judaism implies regret for past misconduct and firm resolve for correct conduct in the future. God holds out His hand to the erring sinner and leads him back to righteousness, as the Talmud (Maseches Yoma 38b) declares, הבא ליטהר מסיעין אותו. God desires penitence as it is written, "I do not desire the death of the wicked: but (rather) that the wicked return from his way and live" (Ezekiel 33:11).

Pardon 25 Sin can only be pardoned after repentance. Hence, the order of these two petitions. Even if a person was the worst of sinners, his supplication (after repentance) makes him fit to receive Divine mercy and helps him attain it— R' Yosef Albo us, our Father, for we have sinned, forgive us, our King, for we have transgressed; 26 Error, חטא, is the result of carelessness, ignorance, or weakness; sin, פשע, is a deliberate disregard of moral or religious duty. for You forgive and pardon. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Gracious One, Who pardons abundantly. 27 "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of iniquity, his thoughts. Let him return to Adonoy and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God for He abundantly pardons" (Isaiah 55:7).

Look upon our affliction, and defend our cause: and redeem us speedily 28 As an outgrowth of our penitence and our forgiveness we pray that we may be deemed worthy of Divine redemption.— Kuzari for the sake of Your Name; because You are a Mighty Redeemer. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Redeemer of Israel.

(On Fast Days, the Chazzan says "Answer us" and concludes, "Blessed are ... Who responds at times of trouble.")

Heal us, 29 After the petitions for our spiritual needs, we pray for earthly blessings—for health of body and soul, and for food to maintain our strength.— Kuzari Adonoy, and we will be healed, deliver us and we will be delivered; for You are our praise. Grant a complete healing to all our affliction

If you wish to pray for the recovery of a sick person, you may do so here.

May it be Your will, Adonoy, our God, and the God of our fathers, that You send, quickly, a complete recovery from the heavens, healing for the soul, and healing for the body, for the ailing ( name ) son/daughter of ( mother's name ) among the ailing of Israel.

because You are the Almighty, King, Who is a faithful and merciful Healer. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Healer of the sick of His people Israel.

Bless for us, Adonoy our God, this year and all the varieties of its produce for good; and bestow

From the first say of Pesach until the evening service [ Maariv ] on December 4, or, on a civil leap year, December 5, we say the following line.

blessing

From the evening service [ Maariv ] on December 4, or, on a civil leap year, December 5, until the First day of Pesach, we say the following line.

dew and rain for a blessing*

upon the face of the earth; satisfy us from Your bounty 30 According to the Gaon of Vilna, the petition here reads מטובה, "Satisfy us from its bounty", referring to the bounty of Eretz Yisroel. and bless our year, like the good years. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Blesser of the years.

* If you forgot to say this and became aware of your omission before concluding the blessing, you may say it at that time and conclude the blessing. If you became aware of your omission after saying the blessing, continue the prayers, and before concluding the 16th blessing שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִילָּה, "Who heeds prayer," say: וְתֵן טַל וּמָטָר לִבְרָכָה כִּי אַתָּה וגו' "bestow dew and rain for blessing, for you heed etc.". If you reminded yourself after concluding the blessing שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִילָּה, but before you started רְצֵה, "be pleased," you may say: "bestow dew and rain,"וְתֵן טַל וּמָטָר and then continue with רְצֵה . If you remembered after that you must go back and say the 9th blessing, בָּרֵךְ עָלֵינוּ, and continue from there. But if you became aware of your omission after concluding the entire Shemoneh Esrei [and taking three steps backwards] you must repeat the entire Shemoneh Esrei.

Sound the great shofar for our liberty, 31 The following six benedictions, beginning with this one, are prayers for the restoration of the spiritual-national life of the Jewish People. This tenth benediction is an impassioned prayer for the fulfillment of the prophecy, "And it will come to pass on that day, the great Shofar will be sounded; and those who were lost in the land of Assyria shall come and those who were dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they will worship Adonoy on the Holy Mountain at Jerusalem (Isaiah 27:13).— Avudraham and raise a banner to gather our exiles, and gather us together from the four corners of the earth. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Gatherer of the dispersed of His people Israel.

Restore our judges 32 We pray for the restoration of God's reign of justice, as the prophet said, "And I will restore your judges as in former times, and your advisors as the beginning; afterward you (Jerusalem) will be called the city of righteousness, faithful city" (Isaiah 1:26). This will be manifested with the restoration of the Sanhedrin and their system of halachic justice. as before and our counselors as at first. Remove sorrow and sighing from us, 33 Few evils are the source of deeper grief and suffering than the absence of justice. With the restoration of justice, our sorrow and sighing will change to joy and gladness.— Avudraham and reign over us You, Adonoy, alone with kindness and compassion; and make us righteous with justice,

Blessed are You, Adonoy, King, Lover of righteousness and justice.

During the Ten Days of Penitence: Blessed are You, Adonoy, the King of Justice.

If you mistakenly said, "King, Lover of righteousness and justice," instead of "the King of Justice" and became aware of your mistake within the time it takes to utter the three word greeting (Sholom Aleichem Rebbe), you should immediately say "the King of Justice." If you remembered after that interval, you may continue the Shemoneh Esrei since the word "King" was mentioned in the regular blessing.

Let there be no hope for informers 34 This petition was added to the original Eighteen Benedictions. It was ordained by Rabban Gamliel and his Bais Din in Yavneh, according to the text of Shmuel HaKattan, its author (Maseches Berachos 28:b). It is directed against the early Christians who informed against Jews to the Roman authorities after the destruction of the Second Temple, causing them to be put to an excruciatingly painful death. and may all wickedness 35 Not the " wicked ," but " wickedness ." This particular prayer is based on the Talmudic interpretation of the verse, "Let sins be terminated on earth and the wicked will be no more" (Psalms 104:36). instantly perish; may all the enemies of Your people 36 The internal enemies of the Jews, against whom this prayer was originally directed, disappeared within a short time. be swiftly cut off, and may You quickly uproot, crush, rout and subdue the insolent, speedily in our days. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Crusher of enemies. and Subduer of the insolent.

May Your mercy be aroused, Adonoy our God, upon the righteous, 37 The prayer for the righteous follows the prayer against the wicked, following the same sequence of the Psalmist's verse, "And all the pride of the wicked, I shall cut down; exalted will be the pride of the righteous" (75:11).—Talmud, Maseches Megillah 17b upon the pious, upon the elders of Your people, Israel, upon the remnant of their scholars, upon the true proselytes and upon us. Grant bountiful reward to all who trust in Your Name in truth; 38 As King David said, "Those knowing Your Name will trust in You" (Psalms 9:11). These men who perceive God's ways with undistorted clarity are of the highest caliber. They see God's hand guiding the world and they know with certainty that He directs all.— Avudraham, Malbim and place our lot among them, and may we never be put to shame, 39 The worshiper begs to be saved from the inner catastrophe of feeling that his trust in God has been in vain.— Pesher Dovor for we have put our trust in You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Support and Trust of the righteous.

And return in mercy to Jerusalem, 40 The "pride of the righteous will be exalted" in the restored city of Jerusalem. Hence in this blessing we plead for the reconstruction of Jerusalem, as it is stated, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may they who love You have peace" (Psalms 122:6) —Maseches Megillah 17b Your city, and dwell therein as You have spoken; and rebuild it soon, in our days, as an everlasting structure, and may You speedily establish the throne of David therein. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Builder of Jerusalem.

Speedily cause the sprout of David, 41 The prayer for the Messiah, descendant of David, follows the prayer for Jerusalem, following the sequence of Hosea's prophecy (3:5), "Afterward, the Children of Israel will return to Jerusalem and seek Adonoy their God, and David their King "— Masechcas Megillah 18a Your servant, to flourish and exalt his power with Your deliverance. We hope all day for Your deliverance. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who causes the power of salvation to sprout.

Hear our voice, Adonoy, our God; 42 The last of the intermediate benedictions petitions God to answer all our preceding prayers. spare us and have compassion on us, and accept our prayers compassionately and willingly, for You are Almighty Who hears prayers and supplications; and do not turn us away empty-handed from Your Presence, our King, 43 At this point, the worshiper may add any private petition, and ask God's help for himself, for his household, or for his community. for You hear the prayers of Your people, Israel, with compassion. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who hears prayers.

Be pleased, 44 The three concluding benedictions are known as the benedictions of thanksgiving. They consist of prayers for the re-establishment of God's service at Jerusalem; thanksgiving for God's daily wonders in our behalf; and a prayer for peace and prosperity. Adonoy, our God, with Your people, Israel, and their prayer; 45 In the previous blessings the first person was used: "Heal us," "Have mercy on us," whereas here the third person is used: "Their prayer," "Accept their prayer." In order to achieve a level in which we will be a source of pleasure to God, we must possess greater merit than what we as individuals can claim. We therefore ask God to take pleasure in the entire people of Israel among whom there are pious and righteous individuals who possess great merit, and we ask Him to accept "their prayer" with love and satisfaction.— Siach Yitzchok and restore the service to the Holy of Holies in Your abode, and the fire-offerings 46 The prayer "Be pleased" in a different form was recited by the Kohanim (priests) every day following the morning fire-offering.— Maseches Berachos 11b of Israel; and accept their prayer, lovingly and willingly. And may You always find pleasure with the service of Your people, Israel.

On regular weekdays continue, "And may our eyes". On Rosh Chodesh and on Chol HaMoed, the following prayer is added: