Morning Blessings

birchot hashachar

ברכות השחר

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

שִׁיר שֶׁל יוֹם לְשַׁבָּת, רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ, וְהָרְגָלִים

Psalms for Shabbat, New Moon, and Festivals

Psalms from the following pages may be recited, as appropriate to the occasion. Additional psalms for weekdays may be found on pages 433–438.

ON SHABBAT: PSALM 92

Hebrew

הַיּוֹם יוֹם שַׁבָּת קֹדֶשׁ, שֶׁבּוֹ הָיוּ הַלְוִיִּם אוֹמְרִים בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ:

Israeli

hayom yom Shabat kodesh, shebo hayu haleviyim omerim beveit hamikdash:

English

Today is Shabbat, the day on which the Levites recited this psalm in the Temple:

Hebrew

מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת
טוֹב לְהֹדוֹת לַיהֹוָה, וּלְזַמֵּר לְשִׁמְךָ עֶלְיוֹן.
לְהַגִּיד בַּבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךָ, וֶאֱמוּנָתְךָ בַּלֵּילוֹת.
עֲלֵי עָשׂוֹר וַעֲלֵי נָבֶל, עֲלֵי הִגָּיוֹן בְּכִנּוֹר.
כִּי שִׂמַּחְתַּנִי יְהֹוָה בְּפָעֳלֶךָ, בְּמַעֲשֵׂי יָדֶיךָ אֲרַנֵּן.
מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יְהֹוָה, מְאֹד עָמְקוּ מַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ.
אִישׁ בַּעַר לֹא יֵדָע, וּכְסִיל לֹא יָבִין אֶת זֹאת.
בִּפְרֹחַ רְשָׁעִים כְּמוֹ עֵשֶׂב וַיָּצִיצוּ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן,
לְהִשָּׁמְדָם עֲדֵי עַד.
וְאַתָּה מָרוֹם לְעֹלָם יְהֹוָה.
כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ יְהֹוָה, כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ,
יִתְפָּרְדוּ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן.
וַתָּרֶם כִּרְאֵים קַרְנִי, בַּלֹּתִי בְּשֶׁמֶן רַעֲנָן.
וַתַּבֵּט עֵינִי בְּשׁוּרָי, בַּקָּמִים עָלַי מְרֵעִים תִּשְׁמַעְנָה אָזְנָי.

Israeli

mizmor shir leyom hashabat
tov lehodot ladonai, ulezamer leshimcha Elyon.
lehagid baboker chasdecha, ve-emunatcha baleilot.
alei asor va-alei navel, alei higayon b'chinor.
ki simachtani Adonai b'fo-olecha, b'ma-asei yadecha aranen.
mah godlu ma-asecha Adonai, me-od ameku machshevotecha.
ish ba-ar lo yeda, uchsil lo yavin et zot.
bifroach resha-im k'mo esev vayatzitzu kol po-alei aven,
lehishamedam adei ad.
ve-atah marom le-olam Adonai.
ki hineh oyvecha Adonai, ki hineh oyvecha yovedu,
yitparedu kol po-alei aven.
vatarem kireim karni, baloti b'shemen ra-anan.
vatabet eini b'shurai, bakamim alai mere-im tishmanah oznai.

English

A PSALM: THE SONG OF THE DAY OF SHABBAT It is good to thank You, Adonai, and sing to Your name, Most High; to proclaim Your love at daybreak, Your faithfulness each night. Finger the lute, pluck the harp, let the sound of the lyre rise up. You gladdened me with Your deeds, Adonai, and I shall sing of Your handiwork. How wonderful are Your works, Adonai, how subtle Your designs! The arrogant do not understand, the fool does not comprehend this: the wicked flourish like grass and every evildoer blossoms, only to be destroyed forever—but You, Adonai, are exalted for all time. Surely Your enemies, Adonai, surely Your enemies will perish; all who commit evil will be scattered. As a wild bull raises up its horn, You raised my head high, anointed it with fresh oil. As my enemies gather against me, my gaze remains steady, for my ears listen and hear:

Psalm 92

Hebrew

צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרָח, כְּאֶרֶז בַּלְּבָנוֹן יִשְׂגֶּה.
שְׁתוּלִים בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה, בְּחַצְרוֹת אֱלֹהֵינוּ יַפְרִיחוּ.
עוֹד יְנוּבוּן בְּשֵׂיבָה, דְּשֵׁנִים וְרַעֲנַנִּים יִהְיוּ.
לְהַגִּיד כִּי יָשָׁר יְהֹוָה, צוּרִי, וְלֹא עַוְלָתָה בּוֹ.

Israeli

tzadik katamar yifrach, ke-erez balevanon yisgeh.
sh'tulim beveit Adonai, b'chatzrot Eloheinu yafrichu.
od yenuvun b'seivah, d'shenim vera-ananim yihyu.
lehagid ki yashar Adonai, tzuri, velo avlatah bo.

English

The righteous flourish like the date palm, thrive like a cedar in Lebanon; planted in the house of Adonai, they flourish in our God’s courtyards. In old age they remain fruitful, still fresh and bountiful, proclaiming: Adonai is upright, my rock in whom there is no flaw.

Some congregations recite Mourner’s Kaddish here; see page 121.

Commentary

SHABBAT AND FESTIVAL PSALMS. Since the late Middle Ages, it has been customary to recite a special psalm for each day of the week, a custom based on the Mishnah’s report that these psalms were recited in the Temple by the Levites (Tamid 7:4). Tractate Sofrim (18:3–4), a minor tractate of the Talmud, records that on festivals, other psalms appropriate to these occasions were recited. Accordingly, we include here the traditional psalm for Shabbat and the New Moon, as well as a psalm for each of the festivals.

PSALM 92 begins by contemplating the wonder of creation and ends with a vision of the righteous flourishing in God’s house. It thus celebrates two themes of Shabbat: Shabbat as the day of appreciating creation and Shabbat as a taste of redemption.

ALL WHO COMMIT EVIL WILL BE SCATTERED יִתְפָּרְדוּ כָּל־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן. In this specific vision of the end-time, enemies are not destroyed, but simply made ineffective.

ANOINTED IT WITH FRESH OIL בַּלֹּתִי בְּשֶׁמֶן רַעֲנָן. The Hebrew may be translated “You anointed me with fresh oil,” but Radak (David Kimhi, 1160–1235, Provence) suggests that the object of the verb is the speaker’s head mentioned in the first part of the verse; the anointing is ceremonial, giving the speaker a special divine function and blessing. The faithful thus become God’s royal entourage.