Shema

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

How to read the transliterations

Hebrew

לָהֶם וּלְבְנֵיהֶם אַחֲרֵיהֶם בְּכָל
דּוֹר וָדוֹר. בְּרוּם עוֹלָם
מוֹשָׁבֶךָ, וּמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ¹ וְצִדְקָתְךָ
עַד אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ.

Chabad

lohem ul'v'neihem achareihem b'chol
doyr vodoyr. b'rum oylom
moyshovecho, umishpotecho v'tzidkos'cho
ad afsei oretz.

Hebrew

אֱמֶת, אַשְׁרֵי אִישׁ שֶׁיִּשְׁמַע
לְמִצְוֹתֶיךָ, וְתוֹרָתְךָ וּדְבָרְךָ
יָשִׂים עַל לִבּוֹ.

Chabad

emes, ashrei ish sheyishma
l'mitzvoysecho, v'soyros'cho ud'vor'cho
yosim al liboy.

Hebrew

אֱמֶת, אַתָּה הוּא אָדוֹן
לְעַמֶּךָ, וּמֶלֶךְ גִּבּוֹר לָרִיב
רִיבָם² לַאֲבוֹת וּבָנִים.

Chabad

emes, atoh hu odoyn
l'amecho, umelech giboyr loriv
rivom la-avoys uvonim.

Hebrew

אֱמֶת, אַתָּה הוּא רִאשׁוֹן,
וְאַתָּה הוּא אַחֲרוֹן, וּמִבַּלְעָדֶיךָ
אֵין לָנוּ מֶלֶךְ גּוֹאֵל וּמוֹשִׁיעַ.

Chabad

emes, atoh hu rishoyn,
v'atoh hu acharoyn, umibalodecho
ein lonu melech goy-eil umoyshia.

God redeemed us from Egypt and split the Sea of Reeds

Hebrew

אֱמֶת, מִמִּצְרַיִם גְּאַלְתָּנוּ
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, וּמִבֵּית עֲבָדִים³
פְּדִיתָנוּ. כָּל בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם הָרָגְתָּ,
וּבְכוֹרְךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל גָּאַלְתָּ, וְיַם סוּף
לָהֶם בָּקַעְתָּ, וְזֵדִים טִבַּעְתָּ,
וִידִידִים הֶעֱבַרְתָּ, וַיְכַסּוּ מַיִם
צָרֵיהֶם, אֶחָד מֵהֶם לֹא נוֹתָר.

Chabad

emes, mimitzrayim g'altonu
Adonoy Eloyheinu, umibeis avodim
p'disonu. kol b'choyreihem horogto,
uv'choyr'cho Yisro-eil go-alto, v'yam suf
lohem bokato, v'zeidim tibato,
vididim he-evarto, vay'chasu mayim
tzoreihem, echod meihem loy noysor.

Hebrew

עַל זֹאת שִׁבְּחוּ אֲהוּבִים,
וְרוֹמְמוּ לְאֵל, וְנָתְנוּ יְדִידִים
זְמִירוֹת שִׁירוֹת וְתִשְׁבָּחוֹת, בְּרָכוֹת
וְהוֹדָאוֹת לְמֶלֶךְ אֵל חַי וְקַיָּם. רָם
וְנִשָּׂא גָּדוֹל וְנוֹרָא, מַשְׁפִּיל גֵּאִים
עֲדֵי אָרֶץ, וּמַגְבִּיהַּ שְׁפָלִים עַד
מָרוֹם, מוֹצִיא אֲסִירִים, פּוֹדֶה
עֲנָוִים, עוֹזֵר דַּלִּים, הָעוֹנֶה לְעַמּוֹ
יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֵת שַׁוְּעָם אֵלָיו.

Chabad

al zoys shib'chu ahuvim,
v'roym'mu l'Eil, v'nos'nu y'didim
z'miroys shiroys v'sishbochoys, b'rochoys
v'hoydo-oys l'melech Eil chai v'kayom. rom
v'niso godoyl v'noyro, mashpil gei-im
adei oretz, umagbiah sh'folim ad
moroym, moytzi asirim, poydeh
anovim, oyzeir dalim, ho-oyneh l'amoy
Yisro-eil b'eis shav'-om eilov.

Stand in preparation for the Amidah.

Hebrew

תְּהִלּוֹת לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן גֹּאֲלָם,
בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּמְבֹרָךְ, מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי
יִשְׂרָאֵל לְךָ עָנוּ שִׁירָה בְּשִׂמְחָה
רַבָּה, וְאָמְרוּ כֻלָּם: מִי כָמֹכָה
בָּאֵלִם יְהֹוָה, מִי כָּמֹכָה נֶאְדָּר
בַּקֹּדֶשׁ, נוֹרָא תְהִלֹּת עֹשֵׂה פֶלֶא:

Chabad

t'hiloys l'Eil Elyoyn goy-alom,
boruch hu um'voyroch, Moysheh uv'nei
Yisro-eil l'cho onu shiroh b'simchoh
raboh, v'om'ru chulom: mi chomoychoh
bo-eilim Adonoy, mi komoychoh nedor
bakoydesh, noyro s'hiloys oyseih fele:

Conclude the following paragraph together with the chazzan, avoiding any interruption between it and the Amidah (next page). Do not respond Amen after the blessing.

The Jewish Nation praised God for redeeming them

Hebrew

שִׁירָה חֲדָשָׁה שִׁבְּחוּ גְּאוּלִים
לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל עַל שְׂפַת
הַיָּם, יַחַד כֻּלָּם הוֹדוּ וְהִמְלִיכוּ
וְאָמְרוּ: יְהֹוָה יִמְלֹךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.
וְנֶאֱמַר: גֹּאֲלֵנוּ יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ
קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה,
גָּאַל יִשְׂרָאֵל:

Chabad

shiroh chadoshoh shib'chu g'ulim
l'shimcho hagodoyl al s'fas
hayom, yachad kulom hoydu v'himlichu
v'om'ru: Adonoy yimloych l'oylom vo-ed.
v'ne-emar: goy-aleinu Adonoy Tz'vo-oys sh'moy
k'doysh Yisro-eil. boruch atoh Adonoy,
go-al Yisro-eil:

Commentary

1 An alternative translation: "Your laws." Although God's essence is found in the "highest levels of the universe," His commandments must be kept in the lowest places of the world—"until the ends of the earth."

2 The wars referred to here are not just physical, but also spiritual. It is known that the Satan wages war against the Jewish Nation by accusing them of wrongdoing in the heavenly court. God fights this battle, too, on our behalf, subduing and belittling the Satan and preventing him from causing harm.

3 The "slavery" here symbolizes our dependence on physical pleasure. The "firstborn" symbolizes our minds, where these pleasures are first conceived and thought about. If we allow ourselves to think about worldly pleasures, our minds turn into unholy "Egyptian firstborns." It is our task to "kill" them and transform them into the holy "redeemed firstborns" of the Jewish Nation, by pushing negative thoughts away and thinking about the greatness of God.