Blessings Of The Shema

birchot k'ri-at sh'ma

בִּרְכוֹת קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע

Chabad: ' is a reduced vowel — every vocal shva, always pronounced. - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

God is holy

Hebrew

קָדוֹשׁ | קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ
יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת, מְלֹא כָל
הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ:¹

Chabad

kodoysh kodoysh kodoysh
Adonoy Tz'vo-oys, m'loy chol
ho-oretz k'voydoy:

The Ofanim and Chayot all praise God together

Hebrew

וְהָאוֹפַנִּים וְחַיּוֹת הַקֹּדֶשׁ בְּרַעַשׁ
גָּדוֹל מִתְנַשְּׂאִים
לְעֻמַּת הַשְּׂרָפִים, לְעֻמָּתָם
מְשַׁבְּחִים וְאוֹמְרִים:²

Chabad

v'ho-oyfanim v'chayoys hakoydesh b'ra-ash
godoyl misnas'-im
l'umas has'rofim, l'umosom
m'shab'chim v'oym'rim:

God's glory is blessed

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד יְהֹוָה
מִמְּקוֹמוֹ:

Chabad

boruch k'voyd Adonoy
mim'koymoy:

The angels praise God, Who continuously creates and controls everything

Hebrew

לָאֵל בָּרוּךְ נְעִימוֹת יִתֵּנוּ,
לְמֶלֶךְ אֵל חַי וְקַיָּם,
זְמִרוֹת יֹאמֵרוּ וְתִשְׁבָּחוֹת
יַשְׁמִיעוּ, כִּי הוּא לְבַדּוֹ מָרוֹם
וְקָדוֹשׁ, פּוֹעֵל גְּבוּרוֹת, עוֹשֶׂה
חֲדָשׁוֹת, בַּעַל מִלְחָמוֹת, זוֹרֵעַ
צְדָקוֹת, מַצְמִיחַ יְשׁוּעוֹת, בּוֹרֵא
רְפוּאוֹת, נוֹרָא תְהִלּוֹת, אֲדוֹן
הַנִּפְלָאוֹת, הַמְחַדֵּשׁ בְּטוּבוֹ בְּכָל
יוֹם תָּמִיד³ מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית.
כָּאָמוּר, לְעֹשֵׂה אוֹרִים גְּדֹלִים,
כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה
יְהֹוָה, יוֹצֵר הַמְּאוֹרוֹת:

Chabad

lo-eil boruch n'imoys yiteinu,
l'melech Eil chai v'kayom,
z'miroys yoymeiru v'sishbochoys
yashmiu, ki hu l'vadoy moroym
v'kodoysh, poy-eil g'vuroys, oyseh
chadoshoys, ba-al milchomoys, zoyreia
tz'dokoys, matzmiach y'shu-oys, boyrei
r'fu-oys, noyro s'hiloys, adoyn
haniflo-oys, ham'chadeish b'tuvoy b'chol
yoym tomid ma-aseih v'reishis.
ko-omur, l'oyseih oyrim g'doylim,
ki l'oylom chasdoy: boruch atoh
Adonoy, yoytzeir ham'-oyroys:

While saying the words וְהַבִיאֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם below, gather the four tzitzit and hold them in your left hand. The chazzan says the concluding words of the following blessing below quietly; Amen is not said.

May God give us the ability to understand His Torah and fulfill His commandments

Hebrew

אַהֲבַת עוֹלָם אֲהַבְתָּנוּ יְהֹוָה
אֱלֹהֵינוּ, חֶמְלָה גְּדוֹלָה
וִיתֵרָה חָמַלְתָּ עָלֵינוּ. אָבִינוּ
מַלְכֵּנוּ, בַּעֲבוּר שִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל
וּבַעֲבוּר אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁבָּטְחוּ בְךָ
וַתְּלַמְּדֵם חֻקֵּי חַיִּים לַעֲשׂוֹת
רְצוֹנְךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם, כֵּן תְּחָנֵּנוּ
וּתְלַמְּדֵנוּ.⁴

Chabad

ahavas oylom ahavtonu Adonoy
Eloyheinu, chemloh g'doyloh
viseiroh chomalto oleinu. ovinu
malkeinu, ba-avur shimcho hagodoyl
uva-avur avoyseinu shebot'chu v'cho
vat'lam'deim chukei chayim la-asoys
r'tzoyn'cho b'leivov sholeim, kein t'choneinu
us'lam'deinu.

Hebrew

אָבִינוּ אָב הָרַחֲמָן הַמְרַחֵם
רַחֵם נָא עָלֵינוּ, וְתֵן בְּלִבֵּנוּ
בִּינָה לְהָבִין וּלְהַשְׂכִּיל,⁵
לִשְׁמֹעַ לִלְמֹד וּלְלַמֵּד לִשְׁמֹר
וְלַעֲשׂוֹת, וּלְקַיֵּם אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי
תַלְמוּד תּוֹרָתֶךָ בְּאַהֲבָה.
וְהָאֵר עֵינֵינוּ בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ, וְדַבֵּק
לִבֵּנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶיךָ, וְיַחֵד לְבָבֵנוּ

Chabad

ovinu ov horachamon ham'racheim
racheim no oleinu, v'sein b'libeinu
binoh l'hovin ul'haskil,
lishmoya lilmoyd ul'lameid lishmoyr
v'la-asoys, ul'kayeim es kol divrei
salmud Toyrosecho b'ahavoh.
v'ho-eir eineinu b'soyrosecho, v'dabeik
libeinu b'mitzvoysecho, v'yacheid l'voveinu

Commentary

1 God's true honor is Torah, as it is Torah that causes God's honor to "fill the entire land."

2 The Chayot and Ofanim angels are on a lower level than the Serafim angels and are not familiar with the level of God that is above creation. For this reason, when the Serafim say קָדוֹשׁ (i.e., that there is a level of Godliness that is higher than the creations), they become excited and make a lot of noise.

The Ofanim are usually on a lower level of holiness than the Serafim. Nevertheless, through their intense emotion and "great noise" during their Divine service, they "rise above" the Serafim at that time.

3 God renews and re-creates the universe every day and every second from nothingness, just as He created the universe in the Six Days of Creation.

4 God's love for the Jewish Nation is so great that He has lowered Himself by giving us His Torah and commandments, so that we can have the opportunity to come close to Him by fulfilling them.

5 The power of understanding is in the mind, not the "heart." Nevertheless, we ask God to place this power in our "heart," because we want our Godly thoughts to have a positive effect on our emotions.