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

תְּפִלָּה לִשְׁלוֹם הָאָרֶץ

A Prayer for the Renewal of Creation

Hebrew

רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדְךָ נֶפֶשׁ כׇּל־חַי וְרוּחַ כׇּל־בְּשַׂר
אִישׁ, הַנְחִילֵנוּ שַׁבַּת מְנוּחָה, יוֹם לִשְׁבּוֹת בּוֹ מִכׇּל־
מְלָאכָה. בְּכׇל־תְּחוּשָׁה, נַכִּיר וְנֵדַע אֶת־הוֹד יְצִירָתְךָ.
שַׂבְּעֵנוּ מִטּוּבֶךָ שֶׁנִּהְיֶה עֵדִים לְגֹדֶל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ. חַזְּקֵנוּ
לִהְיוֹת עִמְּךָ שׁוּתָפִים נֶאֱמָנִים, לִשְׁמוֹר עַל עוֹלָמְךָ
בַּעֲבוּר הַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים. יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יהוה
אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמּוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתְּבָרֵךְ אֶת־עוֹלָמְךָ
בְּיָמֵינוּ כִּימֵי קֶדֶם.

Israeli

ribono shel olam, asher b'yadcha nefesh kol-chai veruach kol-b'sar
ish, hanchilenu Shabat menuchah, yom lishbot bo mikol-
melachah. b'chol-t'chushah, nakir veneda et-hod yetziratcha.
sabe-enu mituvecha shenihyeh edim legodel ma-asecha. chazkenu
lihyot imecha shutafim ne-emanim, lishmor al olamecha
ba-avur hadorot haba-im. yehi ratzon milefanecha Adonai
Eloheinu veilohei avoteinu ve-imoteinu, shetvarech et-olamecha
b'yameinu kimei kedem.

English

Master of the universe, in whose hand is the breath of all life and the soul of every person, grant us the gift of Shabbat, a day of rest from all our labors. With all of our senses may we perceive the glory of Your works. Fill us with Your goodness, that we may attest to Your great deeds. Strengthen us to become Your faithful partners, preserving the world for the sake of future generations. Adonai our God and God of our ancestors, may it be Your will to renew Your blessing of the world in our day, as You have done from the beginning of time.

תְּפִלָּה לִשְׁלוֹם הַמְּדִינָה

A Prayer for Our Country

Hebrew

אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמּוֹתֵינוּ, קַבֵּל נָא בְרַחֲמִים
אֶת־תְּפִלָּתֵנוּ בְּעַד אַרְצֵנוּ וּמֶמְשַׁלְתָּהּ. הָרֵק אֶת־בִּרְכָתְךָ
עַל הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, עַל תּוֹשָׁבֶיהָ, עַל רֹאשָׁהּ, שׁוֹפְטֶיהָ,
וּפְקִידֶיהָ הָעוֹסְקִים בְּצׇרְכֵי צִבּוּר בֶּאֱמוּנָה. הֲבִינֵם
מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ לְמַעַן לֹא יָסוּרוּ מֵאַרְצֵנוּ שָׁלוֹם וְשַׁלְוָה,
אֹשֶׁר וָחֹפֶשׁ כׇּל־הַיָּמִים.
אָנָּא יהוה, אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחוֹת לְכׇל־בָּשָׂר, שְׁלַח רוּחֲךָ עַל
כׇּל־תּוֹשְׁבֵי אַרְצֵנוּ. עֲקֹר מִלִּבֵּנוּ שִׂנְאָה וְאֵיבָה, קִנְאָה
וְתַחֲרוּת, וְטַע בֵּין בְּנֵי הָאֻמּוֹת וְהָאֱמוּנוֹת הַשּׁוֹנוֹת
הַשּׁוֹכְנִים בָּהּ אַהֲבָה וְאַחֲוָה, שָׁלוֹם וְרֵעוּת. כִּי עַד־צֶדֶק
יָשׁוּב מִשְׁפָּט בְּבָתֵי דִינֵנוּ, וְחׇנֵּנוּ מֵאִתְּךָ דֵעָה לִשְׁפֹּט
בְּצֶדֶק וּבְבִינָה, לִפְעֹל בְּחֶסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים, בְּשֵׂכֶל טוֹב
וּבְאֹמֶץ לֵב, לַעֲקוֹר עֲנִיּוּת מֵאַרְצֵנוּ.
וּבְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ שֶׁתְּהִי אַרְצֵנוּ בְּרָכָה לְכׇל־יוֹשְׁבֵי
תֵבֵל, וְתַשְׁרֶה בֵּינֵיהֶם רֵעוּת וְחֵרוּת, וְקַיֵּם בִּמְהֵרָה
חֲזוֹן נְבִיאֶיךָ: לֹא יִשָּׂא גוֹי אֶל גוֹי חֶרֶב וְלֹא יִלְמְדוּ עוֹד
מִלְחָמָה. וְנֶאֱמַר: כִּי כוּלָּם יֵדְעוּ אוֹתִי לְמִקְּטַנָּם וְעַד
גְּדוֹלָם. וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.

Israeli

Eloheinu veilohei avoteinu ve-imoteinu, kabel na v'rachamim
et-t'filatenu be-ad artzenu umemshaltah. harek et-birchatcha
al ha-aretz hazot, al toshaveha, al roshah, shofteha,
ufkideha ha-oskim b'tzorchei tzibur be-emunah. havinem
mishpetei tzidkecha lema-an lo yasuru me-artzenu shalom veshalvah,
osher vachofesh kol-hayamim.
ana Adonai, Elohei haruchot lechol-basar, sh'lach ruchacha al
kol-toshvei artzenu. akor milibenu sinah ve-eivah, kinah
vetacharut, veta bein b'nei ha-umot veha-emunot hashonot
hashochnim bah ahavah ve-achavah, shalom vereut. ki ad-tzedek
yashuv mishpat bevatei dinenu, vechonenu me-itcha de-ah lishpot
b'tzedek uvevinah, lifol b'chesed uvrachamim, b'sechel tov
uve-ometz lev, la-akor aniyut me-artzenu.
uvchen yehi ratzon milefanecha shetehi artzenu b'rachah lechol-yoshvei
tevel, vetashreh beineihem reut vecherut, vekayem bimherah
chazon nevi-echa: lo yisa goy El goy cherev velo yilmedu od
milchamah. vene-emar: ki chulam yedeu oti lemiktanam ve-ad
g'dolam. venomar Amen.

English

Our God and God of our ancestors, with mercy accept our prayer on behalf of our country and its government. Pour out Your blessing upon this land, upon its inhabitants, upon its leaders, its judges, officers, and officials, who faithfully devote themselves to the needs of the public. Help them understand the rules of justice You have decreed, so that peace and security, happiness and freedom, will never depart from our land. Adonai, God whose spirit is in all creatures, we pray that Your spirit be awakened within all the inhabitants of our land. Uproot from our hearts hatred and malice, jealousy and strife. Plant love and companionship, peace and friendship, among the many peoples and faiths who dwell in our nation. Grant us the knowledge to judge justly, the wisdom to act with compassion, and the understanding and courage to root out poverty from our land. May it be Your will that our land be a blessing to all who dwell on earth, and may You cause all peoples to dwell in friendship and freedom. Speedily fulfill the vision of Your prophets: “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” “For all of them, from the least of them to the greatest, shall know Me.” And let us say: Amen.

Commentary

PRAYER FOR THE RENEWAL OF CREATION. Concerns about our environment are as much a part of our consciousness as are the issues that were historically raised in this part of the service. This prayer, written by Daniel Nevins, expresses the hope that by ceasing to labor on Shabbat, by being able to appreciate and be grateful for life and its gifts, we will increase our awareness of the need to be responsible caretakers of the natural world.

PRAYER FOR OUR COUNTRY. It has been customary since medieval times to include in the liturgy a prayer for the welfare of the government. Secure governments were seen as providing safety for the Jewish community, and a biblical warrant for such prayers was found in Jeremiah’s instruction to Israel to “seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to Adonai on its behalf; for in its prosperity you shall prosper” (29:7). Early versions of this prayer referred to God as “the one who gives dominion to kings” and reflected the anxiety that Jews felt as a beleaguered minority. The text here is based on a prayer composed in the 1920s by Professor Louis Ginzberg, which transforms what had formerly been “A Prayer for the Government” into “A Prayer for Our Country” and for its people, the source of authority in a democracy. Whereas earlier prayers asked that the monarch be compassionate to the Jewish people, this prayer expresses the hope that the leaders of the country will be fair and just to all, helping to bring the world closer to a vision of peace and justice. The prayer ends with two prophetic verses: Isaiah 2:4 (“Nation shall not lift up sword...”) and Jeremiah 31:33 (“For all of them. . .”).

Alternative Prayer for Our Country Our God and God of our ancestors, grant to our country the will and wherewithal to fulfill its calling to justice, liberty, and equality. May each of us fulfill our responsibilities of citizenship with care, generosity, and gratitude, ever conscious of the extraordinary blessing of freedom, ever mindful of our duties to one another. Bless those who volunteer to labor on behalf of us all; may they find the strength and courage to complete their tasks and fulfill their dreams. May our judges, elected leaders, and all who hold public office exercise their responsibilities with wisdom, fairness, and justice for all. Fill them with love and kindness, and bless them that they may walk with integrity on the paths of peace and righteousness. Creator and protector of all, watch over our armed forces and all those entrusted with our safety, as they daily put their lives at risk to protect us and our freedoms. Be with them in times of danger; give them courage to act with honor and dignity, as well as insight to do what is right in Your eyes. Fill us all with the gifts of love and courage, that we may create a world that reflects Your glory. May we each respond to the charge of Your prophet, “For what does Adonai demand of You—but to act justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with Your God” (Micah 6:8). May the one who brings peace on high bring peace and prosperity to our world and keep us in safety. And let us say: Amen.