Shema Before Sleep at Night

k'ri-at sh'ma al hamitah

קריאת שמע על המיטה

Israeli: ' marks a reduced vowel that Israeli speech drops (b'rachah); when the vowel is pronounced it is written e (lefanecha). - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

קריאת שמע על המיטה

SHEMA BEFORE SLEEP AT NIGHT

Hebrew

הֲרֵינִי מוֹחֵל לְכָל מִי שֶׁהִכְעִיס וְהִקְנִיט אוֹתִי אוֹ שֶׁחָטָא כְּנֶגְדִּי, בֵּין בְּגוּפִי בֵּין בְּמָמוֹנִי
בֵּין בִּכְבוֹדִי בֵּין בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר לִי, בֵּין בְּאֹנֶס בֵּין בְּרָצוֹן, בֵּין בְּשׁוֹגֵג בֵּין בְּמֵזִיד, בֵּין
בְּדִבּוּר בֵּין בְּמַעֲשֶׂה, וְלֹא יֵעָנֵשׁ שׁוּם אָדָם בְּסִבָּתִי.

Israeli

hareini mochel lechol mi shehichis vehiknit oti o shechata k'negdi, bein b'gufi bein b'mamoni
bein bichvodi bein b'chol asher li, bein be-ones bein b'ratzon, bein b'shogeg bein b'mezid, bein
b'dibur bein b'ma-aseh, velo ye-anesh shum Adam b'sibati.

When saying all three paragraphs of Shema, say:

Hebrew

אֵל מֶלֶךְ נֶאֱמָן

Israeli

El melech ne-eman

The following verse should be said aloud, while covering the eyes with the right hand:

Deut. 6

Hebrew

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה ׀ אֶחָד׃

Israeli

sh'ma Yisra-el, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad.

Quietly.

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

Israeli

baruch shem k'vod malchuto le-olam va-ed.

Deut. 6

Hebrew

וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל־
מְאֹדֶךָ: וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם, עַל־לְבָבֶךָ:
וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ,
וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ: וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל־יָדֶךָ, וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין
עֵינֶיךָ: וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל־מְזוּזֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ:

Israeli

ve-ahavta et Adonai Elohecha, b'chol-levavcha uvchol-nafshecha uvchol-
me-odecha: vehayu hadvarim ha-eleh, asher anochi metzavcha hayom, al-levavecha:
veshinantam levanecha vedibarta bam, b'shivtecha beveitecha uvlechtecha vaderech,
uvshachbcha uvkumecha: ukshartam le-ot al-yadecha, vehayu letotafot bein
einecha: uchtavtam al-mezuzot beitecha uvisharecha:

Ps. 90

Hebrew

וִיהִי נֹעַם אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ
כּוֹנְנֵהוּ:

Israeli

vihi no-am Adonai Eloheinu aleinu uma-aseh yadeinu konenah aleinu uma-aseh yadeinu
konenehu:

Commentary

Him, and He rescues them" (Psalm 34:8) and "He will command His angels about you, to guard you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11); (7) Psalm 128, about work, recalling the phrase from Ecclesiastes (5:11), "Sweet is the sleep of one who labors"; (8) רִגְזוּ וְאַל־תֶּחֱטָאוּ "Tremble, and do not sin," from Psalm 4:5, mentioned in the Talmud (Berakhot 4b) as an appropriate verse before sleep; (9) a prayer for peaceful sleep and a safe awakening, mentioned in the Talmud (Berakhot 60b); and (10) Adon Olam / "LORD of the Universe," said here because of its closing lines with their reference to entrusting our souls and bodies to God's safekeeping at night.

SHEMA BEFORE SLEEP AT NIGHT Just as our first words in the morning should be words of prayer, so should our last at night. The night prayers consist of: (1) the first paragraph of the Shema, ensuring these words are with us וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ, "when we lie down"; (2) Psalm 91, a prayer for protection from danger; (3) Psalm 3, chosen because of its reference to night: "I lie down to sleep and I wake again, for the LORD supports me"; (4) הַשְׁכִּיבֵנוּ "Help us lie down" - three paragraphs from the evening service; (5) הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגֹּאֵל אֹתִי "May the angel who rescued me from all harm," a series of biblical verses about safety and security; (6) A verse about angels (בְּשֵׁם), based on "The LORD's angel encamps around those who fear …