The songs and blessings before the Friday night meal include: blessing for lighting the candles, blessing for the children, Shalom Aleichem (welcoming the Sabbath angels), Eshet Hayil (Woman of Valor), Kiddush, Netilat Yadayim (a blessing for washing hands), Hamotzi (blessing for the bread). After the meal, many recite Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals) and sing special Sabbath songs called Zemirot.

Read on for the text of these blessings and fuller explanation.

Blessing over the Candles

The lighting of candles as sunset approaches on Friday is the traditional sign of the arrival of Shabbat. After lighting the candles, it is customary to cover one’s eyes and recite the following:

בָּרוּך אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם אַשֶׁר קִדְשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶל שַבָּת

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat.

Blessed are You, God, Ruler of the universe, who sanctified us with the commandment of lighting Shabbat candles.

Blessing for the Children

In households with children, it is traditional to offer a special blessing on Friday night after candle-lighting. There are two versions, one for boys and one for girls.

For boys, the introductory line is:

יְשִׂימְךָ אֱלֹהיִם כְּאֶפְרַיְם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה

Yismech Elohim k’Ephraim v’chi-Menashe.

May you be like Ephraim and Menashe.

For girls, the introductory line is:

יְשִׂימֵךְ אֱלֹהיִם כְּשָׂרָה רִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאָה

Yesimech Elohim k’Sarah Rivka Rachel v’Leah

May you be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.

For both boys and girls, the rest of the blessing is:

יְבָרֶכְךָ ה׳ וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ

יָאֵר ה׳ פָּנָיו  אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ

יִשָּׂא ה׳ פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם

Yivarechecha Adonai v’yishmerecha

Ya’er Adonai panav eilecha vichuneka

Yisa Adonai panav eilecha v’yasem lecha shalom

May God bless you and protect you.

May God show you favor and be gracious to you.

May God show you kindness and grant you peace.

Shalom Aleichem

Upon approaching the table, it is traditional to welcome the Sabbath angels with this song whose name in fact means “welcome.”

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת‏‏ מַלְאֲכֵי עֶלְיוֹן מִמֶּלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

 בּוֹאֲכֶם לְשָׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי עֶלְיוֹן מִמֶּלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

בָּרְכוּנִי לְשָׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם מַלְאָכֵי עֶלְיוֹן מִמֶּלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

צֵאתְכֶם לְשָׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם מַלְאָכֵי עֶלְיוֹן מִמֶּלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

Shalom aleichem mal’achei hashareit mal’achei elyon mimelech malchei ham’lachim, ha-kadosh baruch hu

Bo’achem l’shalom mal’achei hashalom mal’achei elyon mimelech malchei ham’lachim, ha-kadosh baruch hu

Barechuni l’shalom mal’achei hashalom mal’achei elyon mimelech malchei ham’lachim, ha-kadosh baruch hu

Tzeitchem l’shalom mal’achei hashalom mal’achei elyon mimelech malchei ham’lachim, ha-kadosh baruch hu

Peace be with you, ministering angels, messengers of the Most High, messengers of the King of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He.

Come in peace, messengers of peace, messengers of the Most High, messengers of the King of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He.

Bless me with peace, messengers of peace, messengers of the Most High, messengers of the King of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He.

Go in peace, messengers of peace, messengers of the Most High, messengers of the King of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He.

Eshet Hayil (Woman of Valor)

Introduced by the Jewish mystics in the 17th century, this melody is sung as a tribute to the woman of the house, normally right after Shalom Aleichem. This excerpt from the 31st chapter of the book of Proverbs, and it describes a “woman of valor.”

You can read the full text of Eshet Hayil here.

Listen to Eshet Chayil (courtesy of Mechon Hadar)

Blessing over Wine or Grape Juice (Kiddush)

The kiddush marks Shabbat as sacred time. Recite the blessing before sipping the wine or grape juice. The Shabbat evening Kiddush is often preceded by a paragraph called Vayechulu, taken straight from the Hebrew Bible, which recounts the moment God completed creation and decided to rest. Here is the complete Kiddush, including Vayechulu:

וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר
יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי. וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם
וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּום הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּו אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה. וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּום הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּו אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ. כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת

סַבְרִי מָרָנָן וְרַבָּנָן וְרַבּותַי

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְרָצָה בָנוּ. וְשַׁבַּת קָדְשׁוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן הִנְחִילָנוּ זִכָּרוֹן לְמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. כִּי הוּא יוֹם תְּחִלָּה לְמִקְרָאֵי קדֶשׁ זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאוֹתָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְשַׁבַּת קָדְשְׁךָ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ מְקַדֵּשׁ הַשַּׁבָּת

(Quietly: Va-y’hee erev, va-y’hee boker.)
Yom ha-shishi. Vay’chulu hashamayim v’ha-aretz v’chol tz’va’am. Vay’chal Elohim bayom hash’vi’i milachto asher asa. Vayishbot bayom hash’vi’i mikol milachto asher asa. Vay’varech Elohim et yom hash’vi’i vay’kadesh oto. Kee vo shabbat mi-kol m’lachto asher bara Elohim la’asot.

Savri maranan v’rabanan v’rabotai. Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p’ri hagafen.

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’ratza vanu, v’shabbat kod’sho b’ahava uv’ratzon hinchilanu, zikaron l’ma’aseh b’reishit. Ki hu yom t’chila l’mikra-ay kodesh, zaycher l’tziat mitzrayim. Ki vanu vacharta v’otanu kidashta mikol ha’amim. V’shabbat kod-shi-cha b’ahava uv’ratzon hinchal tanu. Baruch ata Adonai, mi’kadesh ha Shabbat.

(Quietly: There was an evening, there was a morning.)

The sixth day: And the Heavens and the Earth and all they contained were completed, and on the seventh day God desisted from all the work that he had done. And God rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on that day he rested from all the work which he had done in creating the world.

[Leader:] By your leave, rabbis, masters, teachers!

[Diners:] To Life!

Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, how has sanctified us with his commandments and favored us, and given us in love and favor his holy Shabbat as an inheritance, as a remembrance of the act of creation. For this day is the beginning of all holy days, a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. For you have chosen us and you have blessed us from among all the nations. And you have bequeathed us your holy Shabbat in love and favor. Blessed are you, Lord, who sanctifies Shabbat.

Listen to the Kiddush for Shabbat Evening (courtesy of Mechon Hadar)

Blessing over Hand Washing (Netilat Yadayim)

Following Kiddush, it is customary to wash one’s hands prior to continuing the meal. After washing the hands with water from a cup — often twice on the right hand and twice on the left, though precise practices vary — the following blessing is recited:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדַיִם

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu al n’tilat yadayim.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and command us concerning the washing of the hands.

Blessing over the Bread (Hamotzi)

After the washing of hands, some people have the custom of remaining silent until bread is eaten. Prior to eating the bread, the following blessing is recited.

בָּרוּך אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם הָמוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הַאָרֶץ

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has brought forth bread from the earth.

Blessing after the Meal (Birkat Hamazon, or Benching)

After the meal, some families have the tradition of reciting Birkat Hamazon (sometimes called benching). This lengthy blessing, whose recitation is required after any meal that includes bread, includes multiple expressions of gratitude to God for providing food and sustenance to the Jewish people. On Shabbat, it is preceded by an additional Psalm and, if three adults (in some traditions, three adult males) have eaten together, by a short invitation to prayer known as a zimmun.

The full text can be found in most bentchers, small booklets containing the blessing after the meal and other festive songs. You can purchase a bentcher here  or at your local Judaica store. They also are frequently distributed at weddings and bar/bat mitzvah celebrations.

Read the full text of Birkat Hamazon in Hebrew and English here.

Listen to the Birkat Hamazon (courtesy of Mechon Hadar)

Zemirot

Singing festive hymns is a common practice at the Shabbat table. There are a number of traditional ones, many of them composed by the ancient Jewish mystics. You can listen to some traditional ones here.

A searchable database of Shabbat song recordings and lyrics can be found here.

Sign up for My Jewish Learning’s RECHARGE, a weekly email with a collection of Shabbat readings and more to enhance your day of rest experience.

The post Shabbat Blessings for Friday Night appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Jews traditionally pray three times a day. The morning prayer service, Shacharit, is recited after sunrise and before midday. These prayers are found in any siddur, or prayer book. There are alternate liturgies for weekday, Shabbat and holidays.

For morning prayers, it is traditional to cover one’s head with a kippah and wear a tallit, or Jewish prayer shawl. When it is not Shabbat or a holiday, it is also customary to wrap tefillin around one’s head and arm.

Learn more about Jewish prayer garments.

What follows is an overview of the major highlights of the Shacharit service, though the particulars can vary community and with the day of the week and time of year.

Blessings for putting on tzitzit and tefillin

Before praying, one prepares by putting on the garments of prayer, each of which has its own blessing. Some Jews also wash their hands before prayer, and recite the Netilat Yadayim blessing.

Click here to learn the blessing for putting on a tallit.

Click here to learn how to put on tefillin.

Birkot Hashachar: Blessings of the dawn

Birkot Hashachar is a series of blessings that thank God for the basic good things in life. Originally, they were meant to be recited as soon as one awakens, however they have been bundled and made part of the morning prayer service. 

Learn more about Birkot Hashachar.

Pesukei D’Zimra: Verses of praise

Pesukei D’Zimra is a collection of verses from the Hebrew Bible that praise God. Most of them are psalms, though the Song of the Sea, which is found in the Book of Exodus, is also included. Pesukei D’Zimra is considered a prayer “warm-up” designed to develop the kavnnah, or mindset, for the core prayers of Shacharit.

Learn more about Pesukei D’Zimra.

Barekhu: The call to prayer

When Jews pray as part of a quorum of ten adults (a minyan), the Barekhu is recited, signaling the end of preliminary prayers and the start of the core prayer service.

Learn more about Barekhu.

Shema: The Jewish declaration of faith

The Shema, one of Judaism’s best-known prayers, declares that God is one. The Shema is recited twice daily, accompanied by three blessings that meditate on the themes of God’s creation of the world (Yotzer Or), the revelation of Torah at Sinai (Ahava Rabbah), and the ultimate redemption in messianic times (Emet V’Yatziv). 

Learn how to say the Shema.

Amidah: Judaism’s central prayer

The weekday Amidah is a sequence of 19 blessings that begin with words of praise, move on to various petitions and close with words of gratitude. The words of the Amidah are fixed, but it is common for Jews to add their own private petitions. Ideally, the Amidah is recited in a minyan, with a quorum of ten other Jews. However, if that is not possible, it is permitted to recite the Amidah individually. On Shabbat, the Amidah is shortened as the petitionary prayers are omitted.

Learn more about the Amidah.

Tahanun

Tachanun is a set of prayers that includes the confession of sins and a request for God’s forgiveness. It is recited on weekdays and omitted on Shabbat.

Learn more about Tahanun.

Torah Reading

The Torah is read as part of a Shacharit service on Shabbat. Shorter sections of the Torah are also read on Mondays and Thursdays. The Torah is only read in the presence of a minyan.

Learn more about the Torah service.

Concluding Prayers

Like other Jewish prayer services, Shacharit wraps up with a collection of oft-recited prayers including Aleinu and Mourner’s Kaddish. 

The post Shacharit: The Jewish Morning Prayer Service appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

is as ancient as the Hebrew Bible, for the Torah records that even the patriarchs prayed to God in times of distress or to give thanks. In late antiquity, the Rabbis of the Talmud established formal structures and blessings to be recited for the various worship services.

History of the Prayerbook

Two of the earliest written versions of the prayerbook, called a siddur (meaning “order”) in Hebrew, were compiled in Babylonia by the sages Amram Gaon and Saadia Gaon in the ninth century CE. Over the centuries, scores of rabbis produced their own versions of the siddur, providing commentaries and additional religious poems as they were written and incorporated into a local community’s liturgy. Even to this day, while the talmudic structure of prayers remains the standard format, contemporary rabbis, denominational movements, and different ethnic communities within the Jewish people continue to update and publish new siddurim. Although separate prayerbooks (called machzors) exist for High Holy Day services and daily prayers, siddurim for Shabbat and holidays are more prevalent within any given synagogue and serve as the primer of spirituality for Jewish life.

Morning Blessings and Psalms: Pesukei D’Zimra, Shema and Barkhu

Nearly all Shabbat and holiday siddurim (plural of siddur) are structured around significant liturgical units. The first of these, and often the first section one finds in a siddur, is morning blessings and psalms. Called Birchot HaShahar, or blessings of the morning, these were originally recited by individuals in their home as they awoke, washed, and dressed for the day. Later on, these blessings—such as thanking God for giving sight to the blind (once recited before one opened their eyes in the morning), raising the downtrodden (recited before standing up from bed), and clothing the naked (recited before getting dressed)—were transferred to the synagogue and included in the siddur.

To spiritually prepare the worshipper for reciting the obligatory major prayers of the morning, the Rabbis established that a series of psalms and selected passages from the Hebrew Bible should be recited each morning. Called Pesukei D’Zimra (verses of song), these readings were chanted, mumbled, or read silently by the individual worshippers in order to build up to the proper mood and reverential attitude for reciting the later prayers of the service.

One of the most ancient prayers recited by Jews is called the K’riyat Shema, or the recitation of the Shema, meaning “Hear!” In the Torah, Moses declares, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone” (Deuteronomy 6:4), which has become the quintessential statement of Jewish monotheistic belief. The Rabbis ordained the recitation of the Shema and a series of additional selections from the Torah each morning and evening. A series of berakhot, or blessings, was established to be recited before and after the passages of the Shema. Forming its own mini liturgical unit, the recitation of the Shema and its attendant blessings begins with the Barkhu, the formal call to prayer (“Praise the Lord who is blessed!”), and its antiphonal response by the congregation (“Praised be the Lord, who is blessed, forever and ever.”). The two blessings preceding the Shema are extended paeans to God on the twin themes of creation of the world and revelation of the Torah. Following the Shema is a concluding blessing thanking God for redemption of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt and obliquely referring to a future, messianic redemption.

The Amidah (Standing)

The Amidah (literally, “standing”) is the second major liturgical unit of the Shabbat and holiday service. Taking its name, obviously, from the posture in which it is said, the Rabbis also referred to it as HaTefillah, or simply, “The prayer” par excellence. Using the image of master and servant, the Rabbis declared that a worshipper should come before their master first with words of praise, then ask one’s petitions, and finally withdraw with words of thanks. Using this tripartite division, every Amidah begins with three blessings, praising God’s relationship with the biblical patriarchs, God’s divine power to give and restore life, and God’s holiness. On Shabbat and holidays, instead of petitions that might distract us by reminding us of our physical wants and needs, the Rabbis established the middle section as an opportunity to celebrate the holiness of the Sabbath day and/or the festival. The final section of every Amidah concludes with blessings of thanksgiving to God for accepting our prayers, for the daily miracles of creation, and a final prayer for God to bestow justice, mercy, and peace on the world.

The Torah Service

Every Shabbat and holiday includes a service in which Torah scrolls are removed from the holy ark and read. Each Shabbat, a portion of the Torah is read, advancing each week until the entire five books of Moses are completed in a single year, although some liberal communities read the Torah in a three-year cycle, chanting one-third of each portion each week. On festivals, special selections are read outside of this order that either mention the particular holiday or highlight a theme of the festival.

As the Torah scroll is removed from the ark, the congregation chants, “From Zion shall come forth the Torah, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3). Most siddurim also include the special blessings chanted before and after the reading of the Torah as well as the blessings before and after the Haftarah. Concluding with prayers for the host country, the State of Israel, and (in some siddurim) world peace, as well as additional psalms, the Torah is wrapped up in its mantle, marched around the sanctuary once again and returned to the ark as the congregation sings, “It is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it, and all of its supporters are happy” (Proverbs 3:18).

Ein K’eloheinu, Aleinu, Mourner’s Kaddish and Adon Olam

At the conclusion of every Shabbat and festival service, the medieval hymn Ein K’eloheynu (“There is none like our Lord”) is chanted, followed by a prayer called Aleinu, which means, “It is incumbent upon us.” Referring to the obligation to acknowledge the sovereignty of God, its highpoint is the line, “We bend the knee and bow, acknowledging the King of Kings, the Holy One, praised be God,” at which the congregation as a whole bows in the direction of the ark, toward the east—Israel and Jerusalem. Concluding with a messianic commitment to improving this world, the Aleinu prayer ends with a hope that on “that day, the Lord shall be one and God’s name will be one” (Zechariah 14:9). This is followed by the Mourner’s Kaddish, at which anyone in the community who is mourning the recent loss of a family member, or anyone observing the yearly anniversary of the death of a loved one, recites a prayer of praise to God. The service ends with the singing of the medieval hymn, Adon Olam, (“Lord of the World”), which contrasts Gods eternity and infinity with human mortality and finitude.

Hallels for Holidays

What has just been described is the general flow of a regular Shabbat service. On festivals there are additional sections of prayers included as way to celebrate the unique character of the day. One such addition is called Hallel, which means “praise.” This name is derived from the fact that of the six psalms of celebration chanted that make up Hallel, nearly all of them begin with the Hebrew word halleluyah, or “praise God!” Scholars surmise that the joyous chanting of Psalms 113 through to 118 were sung by the Levitical Temple workers even in ancient biblical times. Extolling God for the exodus from Egypt, for God’s power to effect salvation and save from enemies, the psalms of Hallel represent a brief spectrum of religious reasons for praising and rejoicing in God’s omnipotence. Beginning and ending with a blessing, Hallel is chanted immediately following the Amidah, preceeding the Torah service on the pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.

Liturgy as Replacement for Temple Sacrifices

Upon the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE by the Romans, the Rabbis of antiquity moved quickly to transform the rites and rituals of the now-defunct sacrificial cult into a spiritually based religion predicated on prayer and observance of the Torah’s commandments. In place of the daily and festival animal sacrifices, the Rabbis established the recitation of the Amidah, the central prayer of Jewish worship, as a substitute based on a creative interpretation of the prophetic utterance, “Let the [utterings of our] lips compensate for the bulls [which used to be sacrificed]” (Hosea 14:3).

Based on a one-to-one correspondence of Amidahs in place of animal sacrifices (except for the evening or ma’ariv service, which has no ancient sacrificial parallel), the Rabbis established an additional Amidah for Shabbat and holidays to be recited after the Torah reading. This is called the Musaf, or additional service, and corresponds to the additional animal sacrifice offered on these days. Consisting of the same opening and closing set of blessings, the central portion of the Musaf Amidah for Shabbat or holiday deals once again with the themes of the day, making specific mention of the animal sacrifices that were offered as the additional offering of that day. (Today, many liberal communities have eliminated the Musaf service.)

The post Siddur Contents: Shabbat & Holiday Liturgy appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

This passage from the Book of Deuteronomy and the three passages that follow constitute a central part of each morning and evening Jewish prayer service. Probably the most important single sentence in the liturgy, the Shema is not a prayer but rather an affirmation of the unity of God.

The Amidah (“Standing Prayer”)

The Amidah, a series of prayers recited while standing in silent meditation, is the major liturgical piece of every synagogue service throughout the year. On a weekday, the Amidah contains prayers for the physical and spiritual well-being of the one praying as well as of the entire community of the people of Israel. On Shabbat, we praise God for the joy of the Shabbat and the rest that we enjoy. It is perfectly acceptable and even desirable that people recite the Amidah in English, and worshippers are also encouraged to pray from their hearts if the printed words do not speak to them.

The Torah Service

Sign up for My Jewish Learning’s RECHARGE, a weekly email with a collection of Shabbat readings and more to enhance your day of rest experience.

The post Highlights of the Shabbat Morning Synagogue Service appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

On Shabbat, Requests Yield to Thanks

On weekdays, the central portion of the 19-blessing Amidah prayer—fully 13 of its blessings—contains temporal requests, such as those for a prosperous livelihood, a bountiful year for produce, and for true justice to be enacted on earth. This entire section is replaced on Shabbat with a single blessing that emphasizes the special holiness of the day.

Called in Hebrew kedushat ha-yom (“the sanctity of the day”), this paragraph is repeated in each of the Amidah prayers recited on Shabbat—at Ma’ariv (evening service), Shaharit (morning service), at the additional Musaf service, and at Minhah on Shabbat afternoon.  In it, worshippers thank God for the gift of Shabbat and say: “Grant that we inherit Your holy gift of Shabbat forever, so that Your people Israel who sanctify Your name will always find rest on this day. Praised are You, Adonai, who sanctifies Shabbat.”

Why Not Ask for Things on Shabbat?

Why are there no individual or communal requests made of God on Shabbat?  After all, it might seem that such a holy day would be an especially propitious time to ask — and possibly receive — whatever one might request of God. An ancient midrash (rabbinic interpretation) deals with this precise question when it offers the following scenario:

“Why does a person not pray ‘Blessed are You, Adonai, Healer of the people Israel’ [one of the 13 weekday petitionary blessings] on Shabbat? Lest they remember a sick loved one and then become sad on the holy Shabbat which has been set aside as a day of rest and delight. Therefore, on Shabbat we consciously choose to enjoy and celebrate the unique sanctity of the day” (from Midrash Tanhuma, Parashat Vayera).

Shabbat’s Themes: Creation, Revelation and Redemption

Turning from what is absent from the Shabbat liturgy to what is present, we find that the first significant theme is actually a pattern of three subjects that appear in subtle ways in many prayers, just as the musical theme of a fugue reappears in subtly different forms.  This first three-in-one theme, pointed out and explored by the early 20th-century German Jewish theologian Franz Rosenzweig, is that of creation, revelation, and redemption.

The creation of the world appears throughout many prayers in Jewish liturgy because it emphasizes God’s role as the supreme author of all existence.  Revelation of the Torah illustrates God’s active involvement in the world of human beings, especially the origins and ongoing history of the Jewish people. And finally, redemption of the Israelites from slavery serves as a harbinger of the messianic redemption, of not just the Jewish people but all humanity, in some distant time.

Taken together, these three topics encapsulate the essential Jewish understanding of all existence:  the beginning (creation), the middle (revelation), and the end (redemption)—two of them having already arrived and one yet to come.

On Shabbat, the subject of creation is emphasized in the Friday-evening Amidah. One of the paragraphs of the central kedushat ha-yom blessing states (quoting from the Torah), “The heavens and the earth and all they contain were completed.  On the seventh day God finished the work [of creation] which God had been doing…” (Genesis 2:1-2).

On Shabbat morning, the subject of revelation is brought to the foreground in the parallel portion of the Shaharit Amidah, which states, “Moses rejoiced at the gift of his destiny when You [O God] declared him a faithful servant… Two tablets of stone did he bring down, inscribed with Shabbat observance….”

Finally, the topic of redemption is subtly alluded to in the same spot during the final Amidah of the day, in the Mincha service, which states, “A day of rest and sanctity You [O God] have given your people…a perfect rest in which you delight.” While this passage also refers to the Shabbat day itself, it mentions too a day of “perfect rest,” which, according to the Jewish tradition, will only be enjoyed in the days of the Messiah.

Shabbat Services Are Longer

The Shabbat worship service is longer than the weekday service.  On weekdays, we do not have the time to spend in extended prayer.  Weekday prayer services include not much more than the bare essentials of what is considered obligatory for every Jew to recite. However, because Shabbat is a day of rest and relaxation, a day set aside for spiritual enjoyment and contemplation, the liturgy of that day is significantly expanded to enable us to more fully appreciate its unique holiness.

On a weekday, the preliminary Pesukei D’Zimra service offers a relatively short selection of Psalms and biblical passages, just enough to put us in a reverent mood for the full Shaharit (morning) service. On Shabbat this section is significantly expanded. Ten additional celebratory psalms are added, reaching a crescendo with Psalm 92, “Song for the Sabbath day,” the only psalm out of 150 to praise God for the gift of the Shabbat.

On a weekday, we move quickly from Pesukei D’Zimra to the Barekhu, the beginning of the Shaharit service.  On Shabbat, a number of extra introductory piyyutim (liturgical poems) are included, which creatively express the inadequacy of human beings to truly praise God. One passage states,

“Could song fill our mouth as water fills the sea and joy flood our tongue like countless waves,  could our lips utter praise limitless as the sky… never could we fully state our gratitude for one ten-thousandth of the lasting love which is Your precious blessing, dearest God, granted to our ancestors and us.”

One More Plea, Much More Music

During the communal repetition of the Amidah, the third blessing—called Kedushah (holiness) or Kedushat Ha-shem, a prayer praising God’s holiness—is also expanded on Shabbat. Surprising, in light of the general elimination of blessings of request in the Shabbat Amidah, is the inclusion here of a plea for God to “reign over us soon, for we await You! When will You reign in Zion?  Let it be soon…” The direct language and heartfelt sentiment of this prayer serves to emphasize the close spiritual connection between God and Israel on Shabbat.

In every Jewish community, the Shabbat liturgy is performed with far more musical embellishment than one finds in weekday worship. This too serves to extend the time needed for worship, but few participants would prefer the relatively bland weekday musical style to prevail during Shabbat worship as well.

Musaf (Additional Service) and a Taste of Paradise

The final contrast between the Shabbat and weekday liturgy is the presence of an entire extra service at the end of every Shabbat morning service. It is called Musaf, or “addition,” and it is omitted in most Reform and Reconstructionist synagogues. Replacing a 2,000-year-old additional animal sacrifice offered each Shabbat (korban musaf), the Musaf service stands as a verbal substitute. It also offers another opportunity to thank God for the joy of Shabbat.

In the Ashkenazic rite, this is the only time during Shabbat in which the worshippers recite a paragraph that begins thus: “Those who celebrate Shabbat rejoice in Your kingship, hallowing the seventh day, calling it a delight…”

According to the Talmudic rabbis, the celebration of our temporal Shabbat is only one-60th of the delight that we will all merit to experience in the messianic World to Come.  Therefore, the themes mentioned in the prayers, underscored by the festive musical settings and the additional length of the services, invite the worshipper to imagine the idyllic spiritual state awaiting us all, and offer us an all-too-brief foretaste of that time.

Sign up for My Jewish Learning’s RECHARGE, a weekly email with a collection of Shabbat readings and more to enhance your day of rest experience.

The post Shabbat Liturgy appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

For children, this moment can feel magical, especially with a little added drama. In the house Aliza grew up in, she and her siblings would race to stand by the dining room light switch, at the ready. The goal was to switch off the overhead light at the exact moment that a parent struck the match to light the Shabbat candles. So literal; so gratifying. Then the youngest, who was likely shoved on the way to the light switch, got to blow out the match, thereby taking another essential role in “turning on” Shabbat and extinguishing the week that was.

Yet nowhere in the Torah does God command us to light two candles at dusk. Rather, over the centuries, the sages linked the practice to shamor and zachor, the commandments to keep and remember Shabbat.

Ritual doesn’t exist for the sake of itself; it is an ancient technology designed to accomplish something. The rabbis of generations past reimagined the light of the Shabbat candles as a way for us to accomplish these mitzvot, these commandments. Through ritual, we transform a warm centerpiece for our home into a symbolic reminder to keep and remember Shabbat. Added to that, many find in the candles a physical reminder to slow down, to see each other differently, with candlelight reflecting in our eyes.

Perhaps even more remarkable is the recognition that candle lighting was, for our ancestors, a ritual as practical as it is spiritual. Before there was electricity, candle lighting ensured that Shabbat wouldn’t be celebrated in the dark. In fact, our legal sources clearly state that if you can only afford to buy one thing to ready your home for Shabbat, it should be candles. Why? If you can’t see your table, your wine, your food, your guests, it’s impossible to achieve the ultimate goal: oneg Shabbat, the sheer enjoyment of Shabbat.

From birthday cakes to campfires, we know from our daily lives that gathering around firelight can be magical. With Shabbat candle lighting, we are invited to close our eyes and, with a little light and a little magic, welcome the weekend.

Aliza Kline is the founding executive director of OneTable, which empowers young Jews to develop a Shabbat dinner practice. Rabbi Jessica Minnen is OneTable’s director of programs.

Sign up for My Jewish Learning’s RECHARGE, a weekly email with a collection of Shabbat readings and more to enhance your day of rest experience.

The post Hadlakat Nerot: The Spark of Transition appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Ein kamocha va’elohim Adonai v’ein k’ma’asecha

Malchutecha malchut kol olamim umemshaltecha b’chol dor va’dor

Adonai melech. Adonai malach. Adonai yimloch l’olam va’ed.

Adonai oz l’amo yitein. Adonai yivarech et amo vashalom.

Av Harachamim. Heitivah vir’tzonecha et tziyon. Tivneh chomot yerushalayim: ki v’cha l’vad batachnu. Melech el ram v’nisa, adon olamim.

There is none like you among the gods, Adonai, and nothing like your creation.

Your kingdom is eternal, and your reign extends to every generation.

Adonai is king. Adonai was king. Adonai will be king forever and ever.

Adonai will give strength to God’s people. Adonai will bless God’s people with peace.

Parent of mercy, find favor with Zion. Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem: For we have faith in You, King, God who is exalted and lifted high, master forever.

The post Complete text of Ein Kamocha appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

For a video tutorial on how to say Ashrei, click here.

אַשְׁרֵי יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶךָ, עוֹד יְהַלְלוּךָ סֶּלָה

Ashrei yoshvei veitekha, ode yehalelukha selah

Happy are those who dwell in Your house, may they always praise You, selah!

אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם שֶׁכָּכָה לּוֹ, אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם שֶׁיהוה אֱלֹהָיו

Ashrei ha’am shekakhah lo, ashrei ha’am she’Adonai elohav

Happy is the people for whom it is so, happy is the people for whom Adonai is their God

תְּהִלָּה לְדָוִד

Tehilah le’david

A psalm of David

אֲרוֹמִמְךָ אֱלוֹהַי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וַאֲבָרְכָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד

Aromimkha elohai hamelekh, v’ahvarkha shimkha le-olam va’ed

I will exalt my God, the sovereign, I will bless Your name forever and ever

בְּכָל יוֹם אֲבָרְכֶךָּ, וַאֲהַלְלָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד

B’khol yom avarkheka, v’ahalelah shimkha le-olam va’ed

Every day I will bless You, I will praise Your name forever and ever

גָּדוֹל יהוה וּמְהֻלָּל מְְאֹד, וְלִגְדֻלָּתוֹ אֵין חֵקֶר

Gadol Adonai u’mehulal me’od, v’ligdulato ein kheiker

The Lord is great and highly praised, and there is not limit to God’s enormity

 דּוֹר לְדוֹר יְשַׁבַּח מַעֲשֶׂיךָ,  וּגְבוּרֹתֶיךָ יַגִּידוּ

Dor l’dor yishabakh ma’asekha, u’gevurotekha yagidu

Each generation shall praise your deeds to the next, telling of your greatness

הֲדַר כְּבוֹד הוֹדֶךָ,  וְדִבְרֵי נִפְלאֹתֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה

Hadar kevod hodekha, v’divrei niflotekha asikha

The splendid honor of your glory, and I will tell of your amazing deeds

וֶעֱזוּז נוֹראוֹתֶיךָ יֹאמֵרוּ, וּגְדוּלָּתְךָ אֲסַפְּרֶנָּה

Ve’ezuz norotekha yomeiru, u’gedulatekha asaprena

And they will speak of your awesome strength, and I will tell of your enormity

זֶכֶר רַב טוּבְךָ יַבִּיעוּ, וְצִדְקָתְךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ

Zekher rav tuvkha yabiyu, v’tzidkatkha y’raneinu

They will share a reminder of your great goodness, and they will sing of your righteousness

חַנּוּן וָרַחוּם יהוה, אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וּגְדָל חָסֶד

Khanun v’rakhum Adonai, erekh apayim u’gdahl khased

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness

טוֹב יהוה לַכֹּל, וְרַחֲמָיו עַל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו

Tov Adonai lakhol, v’rakhamav al kol ma’asav

The Lord is good to all, and God’s mercy is bestowed on all things God has made

יוֹדוּךָ יהוה כָּל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ, וַחֲסִידֶיךָ יְבָרְכוּכָה

Yodukha Adonai kol ma’asekha, v’khasidekha y’varkhukha

All God’s creatures will give thanks to Adonai, and Your righteous ones shall bless You

כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתְךָ יֹאמֵרוּ, וּגְבוּרָתְךָ יְדַבֵּרוּ

Kevod malkhut’kha yomeiru, u’gevurat’kha y’dabeiru

They will tell of the glory of Your sovereignty, and speak of your greatness

לְהוֹדִיעַ לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם גְּבוּרֹתָיו, וּכְבוֹד הֲדַר מַלְכוּתוֹ

L’hodiya livnei ha-adam gevurotav, u’khevod hadar malkhuto

In order to announce to all people God’s greatness, and the honor and glory of God’s sovereignty

מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל עֹלָמִים, וּמֶמְשַׁלְתְּךָ בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדֹר

Malkhutekha malkhut kol olamim, umemshaltekha b’khol dor vador

Your kingdom shall last for ever and ever, and Your rule shall extend into each and every generation

סוֹמֵךְ יהוה לְכָל הַנֹּפְלִים, וְזוֹקֵף לְכָל הַכְּפוּפִים

Someikh Adonai l’khol ha-noflim, v’zokeif l’khol ha-kefufim

Adonai supports those who are fallen, and straightens those who are bent

עֵינֵי כֹל אֵלֶיךָ יְשַׂבֵּרוּ, וְאַתָּה נוֹתֵן לָהֶם אֶת אָכְלָם בְּעִתּוֹ

Einei khol eilecha yisabeiru, v’ata notein lahem et okhlam b’ito

Every eye shall turn expectantly to You, for You give them food in the proper time

פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ, וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל חַי רָצוֹן

Potei-akh et yadekha, umasbiya l’khol khai ratzon

Open Your hands, and satiate all living creatures

צַדִּיק יהוה בְּכָל דְּרָכָיו, וְחָסִיד בְּכָל מַעֲשָׂיו

Tzadik Adonai b’khol d’rakhav, v’khasid b’khol ma’asav

The Lord is righteous in all ways, and virtuous in all deeds

קָרוֹב יהוה לְכָל קֹרְאָיו, לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָאֻהוּ בֶאֱמֶת

Karov Adonai l’khol kor’av, l’khol asher yikra’uhu ve’emet

The Lord is close to all who call upon God, to all who call to God with sincerity

רְצוֹן יְרֵאָיו יַעֲשֶׂה, וְאֶת שַׁוְעָתָם יִשְׁמַע וְיוֹשִׁיעֵם

R’tzon y’rei’av ya’aseh, v’et shavatam yishma v’yoshi’em

God will do the will of those who fear God, God will hear their cry and save them

שׁוֹמֵר יהוה אֶת כָּל אֹהֲבָיו, וְאֵת כָּל הָרְשָׁעִים יַשְׁמִיד

Shomer Adonai et kol ohavav, v’et kol ha’r’sha’im yashmid

The Lord guards all those who love God, and destroys all who are wicked

תְּהִלַּ֜ת יהוה יְדַבֶּר פִּי, וִיבָרֵיךְ כָּל בָּשָׂר שֵׁם קָדְשׁוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד

Tehilat Adonai yidaber pi, vivareikh kol basar sheim kodsho l’olam va’ed

May the praise of God fill my mouth, and may all life bless God’s name forever and ever

וַאֲנַחְנוּ נְבָרֵךְ יָהּ, מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם, הַלְלוּיָהּ

Va’anakhnu nevareikh ya, mei’ata v’ad olam, haleluyah!

And we bless God, from now and for always, Hallelujah!

The post Complete Text of Ashrei appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

First and foremost, the middle portion of every Amidah–or “standing” prayer, the central prayer of Jewish services–is different depending upon the day. In each Shabbat Amidah, we recite biblical verses or poetry about Shabbat, thanking God for the gift of a day of rest. On Passover, we thank God for the holiday of “our redemption” from Egypt; on Shavuot for the “giving of our Torah” at Mt. Sinai; and on Sukkot for the “season of our joy.” The central blessing of each festival Amidah thanks God for the gift of the season and for sanctifying the people of Israel with these holidays.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, although somewhat more somber festivals, also include additions thanking God for these holidays. Only Hanukkah and Purim lack these inclusions. Instead, they have special additions in the regular Amidah thanking God for the miracles and redemptive acts that God wrought for the Jewish people in ancient times.

The three pilgrimage festivals, Shemini Atzeret, Hanukkah, and Rosh Chodesh are also characterized by the joyous singing and recitation of a group of Psalms called Hallel, meaning “praise.” Beginning with Psalm 113 and concluding with Psalm 118, the theme of Hallel is gratitude to God. Some Jews have added Hallel to their celebration of Yom Ha-Atzma’ut (Israel Independence Day).  An abbreviated version of Hallel is recited on Rosh Chodesh and the last six days of Passover.

Some holidays are also characterized by the chanting of one of the five megillot, or biblical scrolls, which further emphasize the character of the festival. Song of Songs, which is a celebration of young love, is chanted on Passover in the spring; Ruth, a story about a convert’s accepting the Torah, is chanted on Shavuot, which celebrates the assumption of the Torah on behalf of the whole people of Israel; and Ecclesiastes (Kohelet), which deals with the cyclical nature of all life, is chanted on Sukkot in the autumn. Purim, of course, is celebrated by the raucous chanting of the scroll of Esther (Megillat Esther).

Every Shabbat, a portion of the Torah is read in seven parts (aliyot), as well as a corresponding Haftarah (prophetic) reading. Each holiday has special Torah and Haftarah readings, and the three pilgrimage festivals and Yom Kippur add a special addition to the service called Yizkor. Yizkor is a semi-regular opportunity for congregants to recall their departed loved ones.

As on Shabbat, nearly all of the festivals include a special Musaf, or additional service, which also reiterates the spiritual theme of the day. For the three pilgrimage festivals, many congregations include the chanting of special religious poems, which further emphasize the agricultural or historical motif of the day.

And finally, every Shabbat and holiday (apart from Hanukkah and Purim) has its own special Kiddush, or blessing of sanctification over wine, and special additions to the Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals) to conclude festive meals.

Despite the seemingly chaotic nature of these additions and conclusions, there actually is a fairly predictable structure of prayers that serves to emphasize the festive nature of Shabbat and the Jewish holidays.

The post Jewish Holiday & Shabbat Prayers appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Learn how to chant Yigdal here.

Yigdal is a thematic meditation on Maimonides’ Thirteen Articles of Faith. Maimonides concisely boiled down Judaism’s essential tenets, arguing that anyone who cannot stand by them in perfect faith is a heretic. The wording of Yigdal is attributed to Daniel ben Judah of Rome (14^th century), who riffed on a longer poetic summary of the principles by Immanuel of Rome (dated a little earlier).

The content of Yigdal’s thirteen couplets serves as a chronological summary of Judaism, following the order of the original thirteen principles.  According to Alyssa Gray, professor of rabbinics at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the first principles about God harken to the time before Creation, when there was only God:

1. Glorify and praise the living God, who exists, but not in time—
2. Singular and unique, hidden and unbounded,
3. Having no body, not a physical being: we cannot describe God’s distinctness.
4. God existed before every thing; first of all—but with no beginning.

The piece then moves onto the creation of humanity, and God’s relationship to us:

5. This is the Master of the world; all of creation points to God’s greatness and sovereignty.
6. Prophetic inspiration was bestowed upon the people God treasured and honored.
7. There never arose in Israel another like Moses, a prophet able to see the very likeness of the Divine.
8. By the hand of this prophet, trusted in God’s house, Torah, a truthful teaching, was given to God’s people.
9. God will never alter the divine law, nor change it for another.
10. God knows our innermost thoughts, and foresees their consequences from the start.
11. God repays the righteous for their deeds; punishes evildoers in accord with their transgressions.

And in the end, Yigdal invites us to imagine the unimaginable future, beyond our lifespans and beyond our comprehension.

12. The Divine will send us our Messiah at the end of days, redeeming those who wait for the time of God’s triumph.
13. God, with great mercy, will give life to the dead—may God’s name be praised forever.

Through Yigdal, we spare a moment to sing about our past, present, and future.  It can be humbling to situate ourselves in the grand span of Jewish time, feeling small amidst the universe of possibilities that extends before and after our lifespans.

We find Moses featured in the middle of Yigdal. It seems a fitting place for such a central figure and our primary archetypal leader. Moses, we are told, had a more intimate relationship with God than anyone else has ever had or will ever have. The Midrash even tells us that, at the time of Moses’ death, God ended his life with a kiss. Yigdal’s seventh line:

There never arose in Israel another like Moses, a prophet able to see the very likeness of the Divine.

No one else will ever be able to see God like Moses did.  But didn’t the second stanza just tell us that God has no body that we can see or even describe? How, then, did Moses see God? In fact, if we look back to the place where Moses is described as seeing God in Torah, we read Moses asked to see God’s “glory,” and that God caused God’s “goodness” to pass before Moses. But Moses was not able to see God’s metaphorical “face.”  (Exodus 33:18-23)

What, then, is Yigdal saying about Moses — and us — in this moment?  While the first few stanzas seem to be praising God, they are more specifically relaying Maimonides‘ understanding that God defies our comprehension, description, and imagination. We know that Moses, who was the closest with God, understood God’s vision, but was never able to see God clearly, or understand all of God’s actions.  And Yigdal reminds us that no one like Moses ever arose again. That, even Moses — who knew God best — did not not possess a perfect understanding of the world or the Divine.

Yigdal tells that not only can we not describe exactly our relationship with God, but that we never will be able to — and we never really have. And so we, who revere Moses as our greatest prophet and teacher, can also embrace our own questions, doubts, and sense of wonder at life’s mysteries. A prayer that seems to be about certainty turns out to actually be all about doubt and the limits of our own knowledge.

So whether you are accustomed to singing Yigdal to the classic melody adapted from the English hymn, “The God of Abraham Praise,” or a more modern setting, the next time Yigdal is stuck in your head on a Friday night you can use it as a reminder to consider: part of being human is taking some time every week to contemplate the big questions, and to accept that many of the answers will never come.  And that is okay.

The translation of Yigdal used in this piece comes from Siddur Lev Shalem, published 2016 by The Rabbinical Assembly.

The post Yigdal Orders the World appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

From a Jewish mystical perspective, the entire Torah can be understood as a manual for having loving and healthy relationships. Jewish mysticism teaches that all of creation is a marriage between human beings and God. One clear allusion to this is that the first and last letters of the Torah spell the Hebrew word for heart, lev, our primary symbol for love.

So it should be no surprise that Shabbat, the culmination of the week, is also the day we focus on love. Shabbat is the time we stop creating and connect to being, and where we make our relationships our priority. Even the word Shabbat is a poetic contraction for the Hebrew words shalom bayit, which means “peace in the home,” the goal that all relationships should strive for.

One of the most well-known prayers that ushers in Shabbat is Lecha Dodi, a poem written by Rabbi Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz, a great Jewish mystic who lived in the 16th century. The title translates to “Come out my Beloved.” It begins with the words: Lecha dodi, likrat kallah, penei Shabbat n’kabalah, which means: “Come, beloved to greet the bride! Let us receive the Shabbat.”

We learn in the Midrash that each day of creation was partnered. Days 1 and 4 are connected to light, days 2 and 5 with water and the oceans, days 3 and 6 with earth and vegetation. Yet day 7, Shabbat, had no partner. So God promised Shabbat that it would not be alone and the Jewish people would be its partner. Therefore, as Shabbat begins, we go out to greet our beloved, like a groom would greet his bride.

It is known that Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as the Arizal, the foremost teacher of Jewish mysticism, would go out to the fields to greet Shabbat. From this we learn that if we want our beloved to come out (out of their shell, come towards us, be open) we need to make the effort to take the first step and go out and greet them. To connect with someone requires a willingness to work, to trust and to be vulnerable.

The second verse states: Shamor v’zachor b’dibur echad. This translates to: “Guard and remember in one word.” The idea of zachor, remembrance of Shabbat, is the fourth of the Ten Commandments. But here we have a twist. Guarding (or observing) Shabbat and remembering it must be united. The Talmud explains that God miraculously uttered both words simultaneously Shavuot 20b, so we can understand literally how they were one. But the lesson it teaches must be integrated into our interpersonal relationships.

Remembrance is generally of things past, while guarding is very much focused on the present and the future. Both are needed and intertwined. Why is remembering the past so important? Often we hear that the past should be left in the past. And yet, Judaism teaches us that we always remember what was to ensure that we repeat what was positive and avoid what was negative.

In my work as a relationships coach, couples often seek me out when things are really problematic. When there is so much tension, hurt and difficulty in a relationship, it is hard for either partner to understand how anything ever worked between them. One of the first things I do is try to bring them back to a memory of when they were happy, when they saw the other as beloved and felt the intense love that they had on their wedding day.

When a couple can remember when things were healthy and positive, they have a starting point. They have something they can tap into and work toward achieving again. But to do so, they must actively remember those thoughts, feelings and actions that resulted in intense feelings of love and connectedness.

In Lecha Dodi, we start with shamor, with guarding. Protect your love. Protect yourself from distraction, temptation or simply boredom. Healthy relationships require constant work. They require effort at ensuring that the other person is always a priority. Complacency results in laziness, which leads to taking advantage of the other. One of the ways we avoid this is by guarding our time. Just as on Shabbat we stop working and focus on the internal, so too we must ensure that there is always time that is dedicated to the relationship.

And protect yourself. Ensure you take time each day to think about your relationship, to focus on your partner, to recognize the blessing of having someone in your life who loves and cares about you. We must guard and protect what is valuable to us, and our relationship is the most precious thing of all. We do this through remembering the past we share together, ensuring that we work constantly and consistently on the present, and prepare together for a solid and healthy future. Then shamor and zachor are truly one.

Lecha Dodi continues for another seven stanzas, each referring to different aspects of our relationship with Shabbat. Each of those can, in turn, be connected to our relationships with one another. Between each stanza, we sing again “Come, beloved to greet the bride! Let us receive the Shabbat,” for a total of nine repetitions. The poem begins with this line and ends with this line, reminding us that these messages need to be remembered, guarded and repeated.

Sara Esther Crispe is a writer, motivational speaker, and life and relationships coach. She is the founder of LuminStory.org and co-director of Interinclusion, an educational non-profit celebrating the convergence between contemporary arts and sciences and timeless Jewish wisdom. She lives with her family in Danby, Vermont, where they run experiential Jewish retreats.

The post Love Lessons from Lecha Dodi appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

One place where this observation proves true is the biblical word shamor. It comes from the Hebrew root shin-mem-resh — שמר — and usually has a meaning associated with “guard” or “protect.” In modern Hebrew, a shomer is a guard you might find at a border crossing or at the airport.

But in the Jewish prayer book, shomer refers to a different type of guardian. In the prayer V’shamru, we recite the biblical command to guard the Sabbath. This prayer is recited during Friday night services, at the onset of Shabbat, and is repeated the following morning as part of the blessing over Sabbath wine.

Taken from Exodus 31:16-17, the prayer reads as follows:

וְשָׁמְר֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת לַעֲשׂ֧וֹת אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֛ת לְדֹרֹתָ֖ם בְּרִ֥ית עוֹלָֽם׃בֵּינִ֗י וּבֵין֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל א֥וֹת הִ֖וא לְעֹלָ֑ם כִּי־שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֗ים עָשָׂ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י שָׁבַ֖ת וַיִּנָּפַֽשׁ

The Israelite people shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath throughout the ages as a covenant for all time: it shall be a sign for all time between Me and the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and was refreshed.

In V’shamru, we are the guardians of the Sabbath. What can this mean? How do we guard a day of rest? To guard something is to protect it, usually an item or a place from someone or something. But how do we guard Shabbat, a day of the week?

We do so by guarding its existence. Without Jews observing the Sabbath, the Sabbath would cease to exist. It would be just another day.

This is why some prayer books translate shamor not as guard, but as “observe.” Some biblical translations also use this translation when translating the fifth of the Ten Commandments as written in the fifth chapter of Deuteronomy. The use of the word shamor — instead of zachor (“remember”), the word used when the commandments are revealed in the book of Exodus — is one of the tiny differences between the two versions. We remember and we observe. In fact, we might say we remember by observing.

We do more than remember, however, when we observe the Sabbath. We also sustain a sacred relationship. As the prayer itself notes, the Sabbath is a covenant between God and Israel forever. The Sabbath is a weekly act of love and communion, a meeting point between God and Israel.

This metaphor of the Sabbath as a celebration of the relationship between God and Israel has other expressions as well. For example, the rabbis considered the Sabbath an ideal time for spouses to make love, signifying their intimate relationship. They also saw the reading of the Torah on Shabbat as a reenactment of the establishment of the covenant between God and Israel when God revealed the Torah at Mount Sinai.

The V’Shamru prayer highlights our role in observing the Sabbath as a way of protecting the covenant. By living it, we protect it. And it protects us. As the famous Zionist thinker Ahad Ha’am once said, “More than Israel has kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept Israel.”

The post V’shamru: Guarding the Divine Convenant appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

When saying Kiddush over wine or grape juice, the blessing is:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱֹלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ri hagafen. 

Blessed are Your, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Why is wine used for Kiddush?

Wine has been associated with celebratory and festive meals in many cultures since ancient times. The Book of Psalms even says that “Wine gladdens the heart of man” (Psalms 104:15). 

While wine is the most widespread beverage used for Kiddush, it is possible to recite Kiddush over other beverages. For those seeking a non-alcoholic option for Kiddush, grape juice has been a popular swap since talmudic times (Bava Batra 97b) because the language of the blessing includes the words pri hagafen, fruit of the vine. 

Kiddush Without Wine on Friday Night: Use Challah

On Shabbat, Kiddush is recited as part of Friday night dinner and Saturday lunch. Jewish tradition understands Kiddush as having different functions on Friday and Saturday. In the Ten Commandments, God adjures the Jewish people to remember and sanctify Shabbat. Reciting Kiddush on Friday night fulfills both aspects of this commandment. At Shabbat meals on Saturday, Kiddush is recited again in order to make the meal special, rather than as a fulfillment of the commandment. 

Since Friday night Kiddush is considered essential to fulfilling the commandment of sanctifying Shabbat, most Jewish authorities agree that Kiddush should be recited over challah instead of another beverage if wine is not available. Wine is considered the most important part of Shabbat dinner, followed by the challah. (Shulchan Aruch 272:9)

When saying Kiddush over challah, one should start with the prayer for ritual hand-washing, Netilat Yadayim, then say the full Kiddush while holding the challah, replacing the words borei pri hagefen with hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz. At that point, the challah is eaten and one does not need to make a separate Hamotzi.

In other cases, or when challah is also not available, other drinks can be used for Kiddush including beer, whiskey, tea and coffee. Preference should go to an “important” or preferred drink.

Kiddush Without Wine at Other Times: Alternate Beverages

For the Kiddush recited on Shabbat lunch, it is preferable to use an alternate drink (rather than challah) when wine is not possible.

Even in ancient times, Jews lived in places where other alcoholic beverages, such as beer and liquor, were more readily available than kosher wine. In these instances, the Shulchan Aruch encourages Jews to make Kiddush on whatever beverage is common locally for celebrations. (Shulchan Aruch 271:22) If alcohol or grape juice is not available, traditional Jewish law also permits making Kiddush over coffee or tea.

When using other beverages to make Kiddush, “fruit of the vine” is replaced by a more generalized blessing:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, shehakol ni-yeyah be-devaro. 

Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, by Whose word all things come into being.

Find more information about making Kiddush here.

The post Can You Make Kiddush On Anything Other Than Wine? appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

For a video tutorial of Yigdal, click here

יִגְדַּל אֱלֹהִים חַי וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח, נִמְצָא וְאֵין עֵת אֶל מְצִיאוּתוֹ

yigdal elohim khai v’yishtabakh, nimtza v’ein eit el metziyuto

Acclaim and praise the living God who exists beyond the boundaries of time

אֶחָד וְאֵין יָחִיד כְּיִחוּדוֹ, נֶעְלָם וְגַם אֵין סוֹף לְאַחְדוּתוֹ

echad v’ein yakhid k’yikhudo, ne’elam v’gam ein sof l’akhduto

Most singular of all, concealed and yet also without bound

אֵין לוֹ דְמוּת הַגּוּף וְאֵינוֹ גוּף, לֹא נַעֲרֹךְ אֵלָיו קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ

ein lo d’mut ha’guf v’eino guf, lo na’arokh eilav kedushato

He has no body — nor even the appearance of a body, it is impossible to measure his holiness

קַדְמוֹן לְכָל דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר נִבְרָא, רִאשׁוֹן וְאֵין רֵאשִׁית לְרֵאשִׁיתוֹ

kadmon k’khol davar asher nivra, rishon v’ein reishit l’reishito

Prior to everything that was created, first of all, and yet himself without a beginning

הִנּוֹ אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם לְכָל נוֹצָר, יוֹרֶה גְדֻלָּתוֹ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ

hino adon olam l’khol notzar, yoreh gedulato u’malkhuto

Behold the master of the world, every creature is in awe of his greatness and his sovereignty

שֶׁפַע נְבוּאָתוֹ נְתָנוֹ, אֶל אַנְשֵׁי סְגֻלָּתוֹ וְתִפְאַרְתּוֹ

shefa nevu’ato netano, el anshei segulato v’tifarto

An abundance of prophetic inspiration was given to the people who are God’s treasure and glory

לֹא קָם בְּיִשׂרָאֵל כְּמשֶׁה עוֹד, נָבִיא וּמַבִּיט אֶת תְּמוּנָתוֹ

lo kam b’yisrael k’moshe od, navi u’mabit et t’munato

In Israel there never arose another prophet like Moses, able to see God’s likeness

תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת נָתַן לְעַמּוֹ אֵל, עַל יַד נְבִיאוֹ נֶאֱמַן בֵּיתוֹ

torat emet natan l’amo el, al yad neviyo ne’eman beito

God gave a true Torah to his people, through the hand of his prophet, trusted in his house

לֹא יַחֲלִיף הָאֵל וְלֹא יָמִיר דָּתוֹ, לְעוֹלָמִים לְזוּלָתוֹ

lo yakhalif ha’el v’lo yamir dato, l’olamim l’zulato

God will never alter the divine law or exchange it for another, forever and ever

צוֹפֶה וְיוֹדֵעַ סְתָרֵינוּ, מַבִּיט לְסוֹף דָּבָר בְּקַדְמָתוֹ

tzofe v’yodeya s’tareinu, mabit l’sof davar b’kadmato

God sees and knows our secret thoughts, and foresees their consequences from the very beginning

גּוֹמֵל לְאִישׁ חֶסֶד כְּמִפְעָלוֹ, נוֹתֵן לְרָשָׁע רַע כְּרִשְׁעָתוֹ

gomel l’ish khesed k’mifalo, noten l’rasha ra k’rishato

God repays each righteous person for his actions, and punishes the wicked in proportion to their wickedness

יִשְׁלַח לְקֵץ יָּמִין מְשִׁיחֵנוּ, לִפְדּוֹת מְחַכֵּי קֵץ יְשׁוּעָתוֹ

yishlakh l’keitz yamim m’shikheinu, lifdot m’khakei keitz yeshu’ato

At the end of time, God will send the Messiah, to redeem those who wait for his salvation

מֵתִים יְחַיֶּה אֵל בְּרֹב חַסְדּוֹ, בָּרוּךְ עֲדֵי עַד שֵׁם תְּהִלָּתוֹ

meitim yekhayeh el b’rov khasdo, barukh adei ad shem tehilato

God will revive the dead in his full kindness, may his name be blessed and praised forever

For more on the meaning of Yigdal, click here

The post Complete Text of Yigdal appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Other Synagogue Streaming Options:

The post Watch Kabbalat Shabbat Services Live appeared first on My Jewish Learning.