Torah Service

seder k'ri-at hatorah

סדר קריאת התורה

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

A Mystical Prayer Before the Open Ark

Hebrew

בְּרִיךְ שְׁמֵהּ דְּמָרֵא עָלְמָא,
בְּרִיךְ כִּתְרָךְ וְאַתְרָךְ.
יְהֵא רְעוּתָךְ עִם עַמָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעָלַם,
וּפוּרְקַן יְמִינָךְ אַחֲזֵי לְעַמָּךְ בְּבֵית מַקְדְּשָׁךְ,
וּלְאַמְטוּיֵי לָנָא מִטּוּב נְהוֹרָךְ,
וּלְקַבֵּל צְלוֹתָנָא בְּרַחֲמִין.
יְהֵא רַעֲוָא קֳדָמָךְ דְּתוֹרִיךְ לָן חַיִּין בְּטִיבוּתָא,
וְלֶהֱוֵי אֲנָא פְקִידָא בְּגוֹ צַדִּיקַיָּא,
לְמִרְחַם עֲלַי וּלְמִנְטַר יָתִי וְיָת כָּל דִּי לִי וְדִי לְעַמָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל.
אַנְתְּ הוּא זָן לְכֹלָּא, וּמְפַרְנֵס לְכֹלָּא.
אַנְתְּ הוּא שַׁלִּיט עַל כֹּלָּא.
אַנְתְּ הוּא דְּשַׁלִּיט עַל מַלְכַיָּא, וּמַלְכוּתָא דִילָךְ הִיא.

Israeli

b'rich sh'meh d'marei alma,
b'rich kitrach ve-atrach.
yehei reutach im amach Yisra-el le-alam,
ufurekan yeminach achazei le-amach beveit makdeshach,
ule-amtuyei lana mituv nehorach,
ulekabel tz'lotana b'rachamin.
yehei ra-ava kodamach d'torich lan chayin b'tivuta,
velehevei ana f'kida b'go tzadikaya,
lemircham alai ulemintar yati veyat kol di li vedi le-amach Yisra-el.
ant hu zan lechola, umefarnes lechola.
ant hu shalit al kola.
ant hu d'shalit al malchaya, umalchuta dilach hi.

English

Ruler of the universe, praised be Your name and Your sovereignty. May You desire Your people Israel forever, and may Your liberating power be revealed to them in Your sanctuary. Extend to us the goodness of Your light and with compassion accept our prayers. May it be Your will to grant us long life and well-being; may I be counted among the righteous, and in Your compassion protect me, my family, and all the people Israel. You are the one who nourishes and sustains all life. You rule over all, You have dominion over rulers, for true sovereignty is Yours.

Hebrew

אֲנָא עַבְדָּא דְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא,
דְּסָגִידְנָא קַמֵּהּ, וּמִקַּמֵּי דִּיקַר אוֹרַיְתֵהּ בְּכָל־עִדָּן וְעִדָּן.
לָא עַל אֱנָשׁ רָחִיצְנָא, וְלָא עַל בַּר אֱלָהִין סָמִיכְנָא,
אֶלָּא בֶּאֱלָהָא דִשְׁמַיָּא, דְּהוּא אֱלָהָא קְשׁוֹט,
וְאוֹרַיְתֵהּ קְשׁוֹט, וּנְבִיאוֹהִי קְשׁוֹט,
וּמַסְגֵּא לְמֶעְבַּד טָבָן וּקְשׁוֹט.

Israeli

ana avda d'kudsha b'rich hu,
d'sagidna kameh, umikamei dikar orayteh b'chol-idan ve-idan.
la al enash rachitzna, vela al bar elahin samichna,
ela be-Elaha dishmaya, dehu Elaha k'shot,
ve-orayteh k'shot, unevi-ohi k'shot,
umasgei lemebad tavan ukshot.

English

I am a servant of the Holy One, whom I revere and whose precious Torah I revere in every time and place. Not on mortals, nor on angels do I rely, but rather on the God of heaven, the God of truth, whose Torah is truth and whose prophets are true and who abounds in deeds of goodness and truth.

Hebrew

בֵּהּ אֲנָא רָחִיץ
וְלִשְׁמֵהּ קַדִּישָׁא יַקִּירָא אֲנָא אֵמַר תֻּשְׁבְּחָן.
יְהֵא רַעֲוָא קֳדָמָךְ דְּתִפְתַּח לִבִּי בְּאוֹרַיְתָא,
וְתַשְׁלִים מִשְׁאֲלִין דְּלִבִּי וְלִבָּא דְכָל־עַמָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל,
לְטַב וּלְחַיִּין וְלִשְׁלָם. אָמֵן.

Israeli

beh ana rachitz
velishmeh kadisha yakira ana emar tushbechan.
yehei ra-ava kodamach d'tiftach libi be-orayta,
vetashlim mishalin d'libi veliba d'chol-amach Yisra-el,
letav ulechayin velishlam. Amen.

English

It is in God that I put my trust, and it is to Your holy and precious name that I utter praise. May it be Your will that You open my heart to Your Torah, and that You fulfill the desires of my heart and the hearts of all Your people Israel, for goodness, for life, and for peace. Amen.

Commentary

PRAISED BE YOUR NAME בְּרִיךְ שְׁמֵהּ. The mystic Isaac Luria (1534–1574, Safed) recommended that this prayer be recited before the open ark. It appears in printed editions of the Zohar (II:206a), where the passage that appears in the left-hand column of the facing page serves as an introduction, but it is not found in earlier manuscripts. One manuscript attributes it to the writings of Moses Naḥmanides (1194–1270, Spain). Although its provenance is disputed, it has been cherished by many rites.

The Zohar’s Introduction to B’rikh Sh’meih As soon as the Torah scroll is placed on the reading desk, the whole congregation below should assume an attitude of awe and fear, of trembling and quaking, as though they were at the moment of standing at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, and they should pay attention and listen carefully; for it is not permitted then to open one’s mouth, even for discussing the Torah, still less other subjects. All must be in awe and fear, as though they were speechless, as it is written: “And when he [Ezra] opened it, all the people stood up,” and also “And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Torah scroll” (Nehemiah 8:5 and 8:3). Rabbi Shimon said: “When the Torah scroll is taken out to be read before the congregation, the heavenly gates of mercy are opened, the attribute of love is stirred up, and each one should then recite the following prayer: ‘Ruler of the universe, praised be Your name and Your sovereignty . . .’”