Barekhi Nafshi

barechi nafshi

ברכי נפשי

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

Hebrew

אָהֳלוֹ, בְּצוּר יְרוֹמְמֵנִי׃ וְעַתָּה יָרוּם רֹאשִׁי עַל אֹיְבַי סְבִיבוֹתַי, וְאֶזְבְּחָה בְאָהֳלוֹ
זִבְחֵי תְרוּעָה, אָשִׁירָה וַאֲזַמְּרָה לַיהוָה׃ שְׁמַע־יְהוָה קוֹלִי אֶקְרָא, וְחָנֵּנִי וַעֲנֵנִי׃
לְךָ אָמַר לִבִּי בַּקְּשׁוּ פָנָי, אֶת־פָּנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֲבַקֵּשׁ׃ אַל־תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי, אַל
תַּט־בְּאַף עַבְדֶּךָ, עֶזְרָתִי הָיִיתָ, אַל־תִּטְּשֵׁנִי וְאַל־תַּעַזְבֵנִי, אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעִי׃ כִּי־אָבִי
וְאִמִּי עֲזָבוּנִי, וַיהוָה יַאַסְפֵנִי׃ הוֹרֵנִי יְהוָה דַּרְכֶּךָ, וּנְחֵנִי בְּאֹרַח מִישׁוֹר, לְמַעַן
שׁוֹרְרָי׃ אַל־תִּתְּנֵנִי בְּנֶפֶשׁ צָרָי, כִּי קָמוּ־בִי עֵדֵי־שֶׁקֶר, וִיפֵחַ חָמָס׃ ◂ לוּלֵא
הֶאֱמַנְתִּי לִרְאוֹת בְּטוּב־יְהוָה בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים׃ קַוֵּה אֶל־יְהוָה, חֲזַק וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ,
וְקַוֵּה אֶל־יְהוָה׃

Israeli

oholo, b'tzur yeromemeni. ve-atah yarum roshi al oyvai s'vivotai, ve-ezbechah ve-oholo
zivchei t'ru-ah, ashirah va-azamerah ladonai. sh'ma-adonai koli ekra, vechoneni va-aneni.
lecha amar libi bakshu fanai, et-panecha Adonai avakesh. al-taster panecha mimeni, al
tat-be-af avdecha, ezrati hayita, al-titsheni ve-al-ta-azveni, Elohei yishi. ki-avi
ve-imi azavuni, vadonai ya-asfeni. horeni Adonai darkecha, unecheni be-orach mishor, lema-an
shorerai. al-titneni b'nefesh tzarai, ki kamu-vi edei-sheker, vifeach chamas. < lulei
he-emanti lirot b'tuv-adonai be-eretz chayim. kaveh el-adonai, chazak veya-ametz libecha,
vekaveh el-adonai.

Mourner’s Kaddish (previous page)

ברכי נפשי

BAREKHI NAFSHI

The following psalms are said from the Shabbat after Simḥat Torah until (but not including) the Shabbat before Pesaḥ.

Ps. 104

Hebrew

בָּרֲכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת־יְהוָה, יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי גָּדַלְתָּ מְּאֹד, הוֹד וְהָדָר לָבָשְׁתָּ׃ עֹטֶה
אוֹר כַּשַּׂלְמָה, נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם כַּיְרִיעָה׃ הַמְקָרֶה בַמַּיִם עֲלִיּוֹתָיו, הַשָּׂם־עָבִים
רְכוּבוֹ, הַמְהַלֵּךְ עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רוּחַ׃ עֹשֶׂה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת, מְשָׁרְתָיו אֵשׁ לֹהֵט׃
יָסַד־אֶרֶץ עַל־מְכוֹנֶיהָ, בַּל־תִּמּוֹט עוֹלָם וָעֶד׃ תְּהוֹם כַּלְּבוּשׁ כִּסִּיתוֹ, עַל־
הָרִים יַעַמְדוּ־מָיִם׃ מִן־גַּעֲרָתְךָ יְנוּסוּן, מִן־קוֹל רַעַמְךָ יֵחָפֵזוּן׃ יַעֲלוּ הָרִים,
יֵרְדוּ בְקָעוֹת, אֶל־מְקוֹם זֶה יָסַדְתָּ לָהֶם׃ גְּבוּל־שַׂמְתָּ בַּל־יַעֲבֹרוּן, בַּל־
יְשׁוּבוּן לְכַסּוֹת הָאָרֶץ׃ הַמְשַׁלֵּחַ מַעְיָנִים בַּנְּחָלִים, בֵּין הָרִים יְהַלֵּכוּן׃ יַשְׁקוּ
כָּל־חַיְתוֹ שָׂדָי, יִשְׁבְּרוּ פְרָאִים צְמָאָם׃ עֲלֵיהֶם עוֹף־הַשָּׁמַיִם יִשְׁכּוֹן, מִבֵּין
עֳפָאיִם יִתְּנוּ־קוֹל׃ מַשְׁקֶה הָרִים מֵעֲלִיּוֹתָיו, מִפְּרִי מַעֲשֶׂיךָ תִּשְׂבַּע הָאָרֶץ׃

Israeli

barachi nafshi et-adonai, Adonai Elohai gadalta me-od, hod vehadar lavashta. oteh
or kasalmah, noteh shamayim kayri-ah. hamekareh vamayim aliyotav, hasam-avim
rechuvo, hamehalech al-kanfei-ruach. oseh malachav ruchot, mesharetav esh lohet.
yasad-eretz al-mechoneha, bal-timot olam va-ed. tehom kalevush kisito, al-
harim ya-amdu-mayim. min-ga-aratcha yenusun, min-kol ra-amcha yechafezun. ya-alu harim,
yeredu v'ka-ot, el-mekom zeh yasadta lahem. g'vul-samta bal-ya-avorun, bal-
yeshuvun lechasot ha-aretz. hameshaleach mayanim banechalim, bein harim yehalechun. yashku
kol-chayto Shaddai, yishberu f'ra-im tz'ma-am. aleihem of-hashamayim yishkon, mibein
ofayim yitnu-kol. mashkeh harim me-aliyotav, mipri ma-asecha tisba ha-aretz.

Commentary

Psalm 104. Together with the first chapter of Genesis and chapters 38–41 of the book of Job, this psalm is one of the supreme celebrations of creation in Tanakh. Note the profound difference between these religious texts and scientific cosmologies. They speak in poetry, not prose; they express wonder rather than causal explanation; and they testify to the goodness of the world and its Creator rather than to blind, indifferent forces. The account in Psalm 104 is consistent with that of Genesis 1, though it is structured differently because the Psalmist wishes to emphasize the beauty and grandeur of creation rather than the order …

BAREKHI NAFSHI / SHABBAT AFTERNOON PSALMS …

Between afternoon and evening services, customs varied. Some communities recited Ethics of the Fathers throughout the year; others between Pesaḥ and Shavuot. Our custom is to do so between Pesaḥ and the Shabbat before Rosh HaShana. Between Shabbat Bereshit and the week before Pesaḥ we recite Psalm 104 and the fifteen psalms known as “Songs of Ascents.” The connection between Shabbat Bereshit and Psalm 104 is that both are about creation. In general, the saying of these psalms during the winter months accords with the tradition that creation took place in the month of Tishrei, while the exodus took place in Nisan (Rosh HaShana 10b). The winter months therefore correspond to the period through which God was known through creation rather than redemption (the exodus) and revelation (the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai).