Oak Park Temple
B'nai Abraham Zion

1235 N. Harlem Avenue
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 386-3937

A GUIDE TO THE FRIDAY EVENING SERVICE

with transliterations,
translations, and brief commentaries on the
major Hebrew prayers

This booklet was prepared by Janice Weiss
with the assistance of Rabbi Gary Gerson

Introduction: Why Do We Pray?
(adapted from Rabbi Harold S. Kushner,

When Children Ask About God)

One can pray privately, any time, any place. Then what is the purpose of public, congregational prayer? When we pray together with others, we strengthen the feeling of being part of a congregation, past and present, who share values and goals. We find reassurance that we are not alone in our view of the world, and we renew our dedication to our common goals.

If God were a Superperson living in Heaven, it would be easy enough to understand why we pray to God and what we pray for. Yet we Jews, who do not conceive of God as a person and who reject the idea that our prayers will influence events beyond our control, must find reasons for prayer, other than the belief that we are "telling God what is in our hearts".

Prayer is one way of putting ourselves in contact with God--with the spirit that guides us to human fulfillment. Through our prayers, private or public, we express our belief in that beneficent force in the universe that makes our living fully human. When we pray, we do not ask that force to do anything additional for us. Rather, we express the hope that our lives will be marked by the presence of those qualities we consider divine: the wish to act justly, to practice compassion, to speak the truth, and to build peace. We also express gratitude for these qualities in ourselves and in the world around us. And we affirm the goodness of the world and of life.

We pray, then, for what we want to become, not for what we want to be given or what we want to happen outside of ourselves. In this sense, prayer expresses the hope that we find in ourselves the ability to do the things we think are important. We pray in hopes of finding clarity of understanding and strength of purpose.1

1 Blessing over the candles

Baruch ata, Adonai Eloheinu, melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu bemitsvotav vetsivanu lehadlik ner shel Shabbat.

Blessed is the Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, who hallows us with Mitzvot, and commands us to kindle the lights of Shabbat.

(The custom of lighting candles to usher in the Sabbath goes back 2000 years. Traditionally, the candles were lit at home, but Reform Judaism instituted the practice of lighting them in the synagogue as well. Like many Jewish prayers, this one begins with the words ⁹'Praised be you, God," an opening phrase common since at least the 5th century BCE.)

2 Shalom Aleichem

1) Shalom aleichem, malachei hashareit, malachei Elyon mimelech malechei ham¹lachim, hakadosh baruch Hu.

2) Bo-achem leshalom, malachei hashalom malachei .

3) Barechuni leshalom, malachei hashalom malachei .

4) Tseitechem leshalom, malachei hashalom, malachei .

1) Peace be to you, 0 ministering angels, messengers of the Most High, the supreme Ruler of rulers, the Holy One, the blessed One.

2) Enter in peace, 0 messengers of peace,....

3) Bless me with peace, 0 messengers of peace,...

4) Depart in peace, 0 messengers of peace,

(This hymn, probably dating from the 17th century, is traditionally recited on returning home from the synagogue after the Sabbath evening service. It is based on the legend that two angels accompany the Jew on the return home. If the home has been made festive for the Sabbath, the good angel says "So may it be also next Sabbath," and the evil angel says reluctantly, "Amen." If not, it is vice versa. "Shalom Aleichem'⁹ is now a classic song for welcoming the Sabbath.)

3 Lecha Dodi

Lecha dodi likrat kala, penei Shabat nekabela.

1) Shamor vezachorbedibur echad, hishmi-anu Eil ham'yuchad. Adonai echad ushemo echad, lesheim ul'tiferet velit'hila. Lecha dodi .

2) Likrat Shabat lecha veneil'cha, ki hi mekor habracha. meirosh mikedem nesucha, sof ma-aseh, bemachshava techila. Lecha dodi .

3) Hitoreri, hitoreri, ki va oreich! kumi, on, uri uri, shir dabeiri; kevod Adonai alayich nigla. Lecha dodi .

4) Boi veshalom, ateret ba-ala; gam besimcha uvetsohola. toch emunei am segula. bo-i chala! bo-i chala! Lecha dodi .

Beloved, come to meet the bride; beloved, come to greet Shabbat. "Keep" and "Remember": a single command the Only God caused us to hear; the Eternal is One, God’s name is One; to God we give honor and glory and praise. Beloved .

Come with me to meet Shabbat, for ever a fountain of blessing. Still it flows, as from the start; the last of days, for which the first was made. Beloved

Awake, awake, your light has came: Arise, shine, awake and sing; the Eternal 's glory dawns upon you. Beloved .

Enter in peace, 0 crown of your husband; enter in gladness, enter in joy. Come to the people that keeps its faith. Enter, 0 bride! Enter, 0 bride! Beloved . .

(The metaphor of the Sabbath as Israel's bride dates from the early Middle Ages. This particular poem is from the 16th century and incorporates various verses from the Bible. It describes the Sabbath as the day for people to be at peace and commune with God. The poem paints a picture of joy, tenderness, peace, and happiness--not only of the Sabbath, but also of the messianic future.)

4 Chatsi Kaddish ("Reader's Kaddish")

Yitgodal ve-yitkadash she-mei raba be-alma divera chirutei, ve-yamlich malchutei bechayeichon uveyomeichon uvechayei dechol beit ba-agala uvizman kariv, ve-imeru: amein

Ye-hei shemei raba mevarach le-alam ul'almei almaya. Yitbarach ve-yishtabach, ve-yitpa-ar ve-yitromam ve-yitnasei, ve-yit-hadar ve-yitaleh ve-yit-halal shemei dekudesha, berich hu, le-cila min kol birechata ve-shirata, tushbechata ve-nechemata da-amiran be-alma, ve-imeru: amein.

May God's great name be magnified and made holy in the world created according to God's will. May You rule in our own day, in our own lives, and in the life of Israel. And let us say, Amen. May God's great name be blessed now and forever. May the name of the Holy One be blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored, magnified, and celebrated, even though God is above and beyond all the blessings, songs, praises, and consolations that are spoken in the world. And let us say, Amen.

(This prayer praising God, probably 2000 years old, is most commonly recognized as a prayer of mourners. Yet it entered synagogue liturgy as a prayer to end a section of a service. Only later did it become a mourner's prayer. In fact, the prayer hardly refers to death at all, but focuses on the coming of the messianic time when "death will be swallowed up forever.")

At this point begins the first of the two sections that form the heart of every synagogue worship service--morning or evening; weekday, Sabbath, or holiday; Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox. This first section is called the "Shema u'virkhoteha," the Shema and its blessings, after its central prayer. Taken together, the prayers in this section affirm various aspects of Jewish belief, centering on creation, revelation, and redemption--the three ways in which we know God.

5 Barechu

Barechu et Adonai hamevorach! Baruch Adonai hamevorach le-olam va-ed!

Praise God, to wham our praise is due!

Praised be God, to whom our praise is due, now

and far ever!

(This prayer, an ancient call to worship, is drawn from the book of Psalms and dates back to the 5th century BCE.)

6 Ma-ariv Aravim ("Creation")

Baruch ata, Adonai Eloheinu, melech haolam, asher bid'varo ma-ariv aravin. Bechochma potei-ach she-arim, uvitevuna meshaneh itim, umachalif et haz manim, um'sadeir et hakochavim bemishmeroteihem beraki-a kir'tsono. Boreiyom valaila, goleil or mip'nei choshech vechoshech mip'nei or, uma-avir yam umeivi laila, umavdil bein yom uvein laila, Adonai tseva-ot shemo. Eil chai vekayam, tamid yimloch aleinu, le-olam va-ed. Baruch ata, Adonai, hama-ariv aravim.

Praised be the Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, whose word brings on the evening. Your wisdom opens heaven 's gates; Your understanding makes the ages pass and the seasons alternate; and Your will controls the stars as they travel through the skies. You are Creator of day and night, rolling light away from darkness, and darkness from light; You cause day to pass and bring on the night; You set day and night apart:

You are the Lord of Hosts. May the living and eternal God rule us always, to the end of time! Blessed is the God, whose word makes evening fall.

(This ancient prayer, more than 2,000 years old, speaks of creation. It praises God as the author of nature, as expressed in the changing seasons, night and day, darkness and light. It also makes clear that God is not a far-off power, nor one that created in the beginning but now has disappeared. Rather, through God's power "the work of creation is daily renewed." The prayer reveals Judaism's difference from other religions, some of which see nature as the realm of evil and others of which equate nature with God. Judaism sees God as transcending nature, not synonymous with it, yet believes that God's creative power is visible everywhere in nature.

7 Ahavat Olam ("Revelation")

Ahavat olam beit yisraeil amcha ahavta, Torah umitzvot chukim umishpatim otanu limad'ta. Al kein Adonai Eloheinu b'shochbeinu uv'kumeinu nasi-ach b-chukecha, v' nis mach b'divrei torat'cha uv'mitzvotecha 1-olam va-ed. Ki heim cha-yeinu v-orach yameinu uva-heim nehgeh yomam valaila. V-ahavatcha al tasir mimenu 1-olamim, Baruch ata Adonai, oheiv amo yisraeil.

Unending is Your love for Your people, the House of Israel: Torah and Mitzvot, laws and precepts have You taught us. Therefore, 0 God, when we lie down and when we rise up, we will meditate on Your laws and rejoice in Your Torah and Mitzvot for ever. Day and night we will reflect on them, for they are our life and the length of our days. Then Your love shall never depart from our hearts! Blessed is God, who chose Israel in love.

(This prayer speaks of revelation and of God as the source of the Torah. According to tradition, God chose the people of Israel to receive the Torah, and by accepting it, the people of Israel chose to live according to God's commandments. Being chosen by God thus did not imply a privilege, but a task. The Torah is not a sign of human sinfulness or of the futility of human effort, nor is it punishment from God. Rather, the Torah is the expression of God's love, for through it God guides us toward fulfillment.)

8 Shema

Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad! Baruch sheim kevod malchuto le-olam va-ed!

V'ahavta eit Adonai elohecha b'chol l'vavcha uv-chol naf-sh'cha uv-chol m'odecha. V'hayu ha-d'varim he-eileh asher anochi m'tza-v'cha ha-yam al l'vavecha. V'shi-nantam 1'vanecha v'dibarta barn b'shiv-t'cha b'veitecha uv-lech-t¹cha va-derech uv'shoch-b'cha uv-kumecha. Uk-shartam l'ot al yadecha v'hayu l'totafot bein einecha. Uch-tavtam al m'zuzot beitecha uvisharecha. Lema-an tizkeru, va-asitem et kol mitsvotai vihe-yitem kedoshim leiloheichem. Ani Adonai Eloheichem, asher hotseiti etechem mei-erets Mitsrayim, liheyot lachem leilohim. Ani Adonai Eloheichem.

Hear, 0 Israel: the Eternal is our God, the Eternal alone!

Blessed is the glory of God’s dominion far ever and ever!

You shall love the Eternal your God with all your mind, with all your strength, with all your being. Set these words, which I command you this day, upon your heart. Teach them faithfully to your children; speak of them in your home and on your way, when you lie down and when you rise up. Bind them as a sign upon your hand; let them be a symbol before your eyes; inscribe them on the doorposts of your house, and on your gates. Be mindful of all My Mitzvot, and do them: so shall you consecrate yourselves to your God. I, the Eternal, am your God who led you out of Egypt to be your God; I, the Eternal, am your God.

(This prayer, taken from Deuteronomy and Numbers, was already part of synagogue worship 2000 years ago or more. It was to be recited evening and morning, and is still spoken at every evening and morning service, and if possible, by every Jew at the moment of death. As the central statement of Jewish belief, the Shema is still spoken at every evening and morning service, and if possible, by every Jew at the moment of death. As the central statement of Jewish belief, the Shema implies various negations and affirmations about the nature of God. It was composed after the Jews returned from Babylonia, where they had been exposed to Zoroastrianism, a dualistic religion that posited two gods, one of good and one of evil. The Shema expressly differentiates Jewish belief from such dualism, as well as from pagan polytheism, and atheism. It also differentiates Judaism from the polytheism that became widespread with the coming of Alexander the Great and the spread of Hellenistic culture in the 4th century BCE--and later, from Christian trinitarianism.

The Shema affirms the unity and order of nature as the work of one God and the unity of all people as the children of one parent. But in addition, the prayer speaks of "our" God, since Jews are bound to God by an unbreakable covenant whose purposes they are to fulfill. Since God must be loved not only in words but also in deeds, the Shema is followed by the V'ahavta; this expresses the need to obey God's commandments and to teach them to our children.)

9 Geula ("Redemption")

Mi chamocha ba-eilim, Adonai? Mi kamocha, nedar bakodesh, nora tehilot, osei feleh? Malchutecha ra-u vanecha, bokei-a yam lif'nei Mosheh; "Zeh Eili" anu ve-ameru. "Adonai yimloch le-olam va-ed. Vene-emar: 'Ki fada Adonai et Ya-akov, uge-alo mi-yad chazak mimenu." Baruch ata, Adonai, ga-al Yisraeil.

Who is like You, Eternal One, among the gods that are worshipped? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? In their escape from the sea, Your children saw Your sovereign might displayed. "This is my God! they cried. "The Eternal will reign for ever and ever!" And it has been said: "The Eternal delivered Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of one stronger than himself." Blessed is the Eternal, the Redeemer of Israel.

(This describes the third way we experience God:

through God's acts of redemption, or saving. The prayer refers to the Exodus from Egypt, but states that God redeems us in all ages, past, present, and future.)

10 Hashkiveinu ("Divine Providence")

[Since this prayer is always chanted by the cantor and/or choir, no transliteration is included here.]

Grant, 0 Eternal God, that we may lie dawn in peace, and raise us up, 0 Sovereign, to life renewed. Spread over us the shelter of Your peace; guide us with Your goad counsel; and for Your name's sake, be our Help. Shield us from hatred and plague; keep us from war and famine and anguish; subdue our inclination to evil. 0 God, our Guardian and Helper, our gracious and merciful Ruler, give us refuge in the shadow of Your wings. 0 guard our coming and our going, that now and always we have life and peace. Blessed is the Eternal, whose shelter of peace spread aver us, aver all the people of Israel, and over Jerusalem.

(This prayer asks for inner peace. In referring to nighttime, when we "lie down," the prayer reflects the ancient view of night as a time of particular danger, when God's protection is especially needed. Furthermore, sleep was seen as a kind of death, so God is here asked to raise us again to life after sleep. The prayer also asks for God's help against the power of our own evil impulses.)

11 V'shameru ("The covenant of shabbat")

V'shameru v'nei Yisraeil et hashabat, la-asot et hashabat ledorotam, bent olam. Beini u-vein b'nei Yisraeil at hi le-olam. Ki sheishet yamim asa Adonai et hashamayim ve-et ha-arets, u-vayom hashevi-i shavat vayinafash.

The people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath in every generation as a covenant far all time. It is a sign for ever between me and the people of Israel, far in six days the Eternal God made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day God rested from those labors.

(In every festival or Sabbath observance, there is a

portion citing the Biblical mandate for that

observance. This is that portion, drawn from Exodus.)

Here begins the second of the two main sections of the service, called the Amidah. "Amidah" means "standing," since traditionally the congregation stands to recite these prayers. An alternative name for the section is "Tef illah," which simply means "prayer." These prayers are believed to have been written in about 100 CE. In this section, we shift from the affirmation characterizing the first part to the spirit appropriate to the day, whether weekday, Sabbath, or holiday. On the Sabbath, the appropriate spirit is gratitude for the joy of the Sabbath, the blessings of Sabbath rest, of companionship, and of home. The Tefillah for the Sabbath include seven prayers, beginning with the Avot, culminating in the Kedushat hayom, and ending with the Birkat shalom.

12 Avot ("God of all generations")

Adonai, sefatai tiftach, ufi yagid tehilatecha. Baruch ata, Adonai, Eloheinu veilohei avoteinu, Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitschak, veilohei Ya-akov; ha-eil hagodol, hagibor vehanora, Eil elyon, gomeil chasadim tovim, vekonei hakol, vezocheir chas'dei avot, umeivi geulah liv'nei veneihem, lema-an shemo, beahava. Melech ozeir umoshi-a umagein. Baruch ata, Adonai, magein Avraham.

We praise You, Eternal our God and God of all generations: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob; great, mighty, and awesome God, God supreme. Creator of all the living, Your ways are ways of love. You remember the faithfulness of our ancestors, and in love bring redemption to their children's children for the sake of Your name. You are our Ruler and our Help, our Savior and our Shield. Blessed is the Eternal God, the Shield of Abraham.

(Here we praise God's loving and redemptive acts. By referring to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we remember the long history of our people and of our relationship with God. Yet according to some interpreters, by repeating "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob," we acknowledge that all of us, even our ancestors, may have our own varying ideas of God.

13 Gevurot ("God's power")

Ata gibor le-olam, Adonai, mechayei hakol ata, rav lehoshi-a. Mechalkeil chayim bechesed, mechayei hakol berachamim rabim. Someich nof'lim, verofei cholim, umatir asurim, umekayeim emunato lisheinei afar. Mi chamocha₁ ba-al gevurot, umi domeh lach, melech mei-mit um'chayeh umatsmiach yeshua? Vene-eman ata lehachayot hakol. Baruch ata, Adonai, mechayei hakol

Eternal is Your might, 0 Lord; all life is Your gift; great is Your power to save! With love You sustain the living, with great compassion give life to all. You send help to the falling and healing to the sick; You bring freedom to the captive and keep faith with those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, Master of Might? Who is Your equal, 0 Lord of life and death, Source of salvation? Blessed is the Eternal, the Source of life.

(This prayer expresses God's physical and moral power. Believed to have been written by the Pharisees in Ca. 100 BCE₁ the prayer originally asserted that God resurrected the dead, an issue over which the Pharisees and Sadducees were then hotly debating. Although the Hebrew Bible makes no mention of resurrection, the idea of life after death became popular among some Jews--especially the Pharisees-following the Babylonian exile. Most Jews came to accept the idea of resurrection, and the concept was included in this prayer to indicate God's great power.

When Reform Judaism began in the early 19th century, it rejected the concept of resurrection. Believing that once a body dies, it cannot be revived, Reform Judaism teaches instead the immortality of the soul--the spiritual, non-physical aspect of humans, seen as a spark of God. Accordingly, Reform Judaism amended this prayer to the present version, which affirms generally the power of God as the source of all life. It speaks of God as both a powerful king and a loving, compassionate parent-like figure.)

14 Kedushat Hashem ("God's holiness")

Ata kadosh v'shimcha kadosh u'kedoshim bechol-yom yehalelucha selah. Baruch ata, Adonai, ha-eil hakadosh.

You are holy, Your name is holy, and those who strive to be holy declare Your glory day by day. Blessed is the Eternal, the holy God.

(The Hebrew word "kodesh" which is the basis of this prayer means holy, special, and unlike anything else. Based on a passage from Isaiah, the prayer expresses God's uniqueness and the wonder of divine power that fills the world.)

15 Kedushat Hayom ("The holiness of the Sabbath")

Eloheinu veilohei avoteinu, retsei vim'nuchateinu. Kad' sheinu bemitsvotecha, v'tein chelkeinu b'toratecha. Sabe-einu mituvecha, v'samecheinu bishuatecha, v'taheir libeinu le-avdecha be-emet. V'hanchileinu, Adonai Eloheinu, be-ahava uveratson Shabat kadshecha, v'yanuchu va Yisraeil m'kadeshei shemecha. Baruch ata, Adonai, m'kadeish hashabat.

You set the seventh day apart for Your service; it is the goal of creation, more blessed than other days, more sacred than other times, as we read in the story of creation:

Now the whale universe--sky, earth, and all their array--was completed. With the seventh day God ended the work of creation; on the seventh day God rested, with all that work completed. Then God blessed the seventh day and called it holy, for with this day God had completed the work of creation.

Our God and God of ages past, may our rest an this day be pleasing in Your sight. Sanctify us with Your Mitzvot, and let Your Torah be our way of life. Satisfy us with Your goodness, gladden us with Your salvation, and purify our hearts to serve You in truth. In Your gracious love, 0 God, let Your holy Sabbath remain our heritage, that all Israel hallowing Your name, may find rest and peace. Blessed is God, for the Sabbath and its holiness.

(This is in many ways the high point of the service. Just as God rested on the seventh day of Creation, so too do we rest on the seventh day and express gratitude for God's gifts. Traditionally, the Sabbath is a day of celebration and joy, and nothing is to interfere with that spirit; even mourners are expected to stop mourning on the Sabbath.

16 Avodah ("Worship")

(Since this and the following prayer are never spoken by the congregation, no transliterations of them are included.)

Be gracious, 0 Eternal God, to Your people Israel, and receive our prayers with love. 0 may our worship always be acceptable to You. Fill us with the knowledge that You are near to all who seek You in truth. Let our eyes behold Your presence in our midst and in the midst of our people in Zion. Blessed is God, whose presence gives life to Zion and all Israel.

(We ask God to accept our worship. According to Jewish thinkers over the centuries, several aspects make our prayers "acceptable to God": they should express our responsibilities and relationships to others; they should not stem from foolishness or laziness, excessive piety or over concern with material things; they should express not only the words of the prayer book but also the words of one's own heart.

17 Hoda-ah ("Thanksgiving")

We gratefully acknowledge that You are the Eternal our God and God of our people, the God of all generations. You are the Rack of our life, the Power that shields us in every age. We thank You and sing Your praises: far our lives, which are in Your hand; far our souls, which are in Your keeping; for the signs of Your presence we encounter every day; and far Your wondrous gifts at all times, morning, noon, and night. You are

Goodness: Your mercies never end; You are

Compassion: Your love will never fail. You have always been our hope. For all these things, 0 Sovereign God, let Your name be forever exalted and blessed. 0 God our Redeemer and Helper, let all who live affirm You and praise Your name in truth. Eternal God, whose nature is Goodness, we give You thanks and praise.

(The theme of gratitude to God, as expressed here, is one of the oldest themes in the history of prayer.)

18 Birkat Shalom ("Peace")

Shalom rav al Yisraeil am'cha tasim l'olam, ki atah hu melech adon 1'chol ha shalom. V'tov b'einecha l'vareich et amcha Yisraeil b'chol eit uv-chol sha-ah bish'lomecha. Baruch atah Adonai, oseh hashalom.

0 Sovereign God of peace, let Israel Your people know enduring peace, for it is goad in Your sight continually to bless Israel with Your peace. Praised be the Eternal God; You bless Your people Israel with peace.

(This prayer for peace is usually sung as the song "Shalom rav," sometimes substituted by "Sim shalom" ("Grant us peace"; see below). One Talmudic scholar called this "the climax of all blessings"; another said that "our prayers will not help us unless we include a prayer for peace among them." Some believe that the "Shalom rav" prayer was written in the 11th century by Jews suffering persecution and death during the Crusades.)

Sim Shalom

Sim shalom tovah uv'racha, chein vachesed v'rachamim, aleinu v'al kol Yisraeil amecha. Bar'cheinu, avinu, kulanu k'echad, b'or panecha, ki b'or panecha natata lanu Adonai eloheinu, torat chayim, v'ahavat chesed, utz'daka uv'rachah v'rachamim, v'chayim v'shalom. V'tov beinecha l'vareich et amcha Yisraeil, v'eit kol ha-amim, b'cho eit uv'chol sha-ah bish'lomecha.

19 Yih-yu l'ratzon and Oseh shalom (Conclusion of silent prayer)

Yih-yu l-ratzon imrei fi v'hegyon libi l'fanecha, Adonai, tsuri v'go-ali.

May the wards of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable to You, 0 God, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Oseh shalom bim'ro-mav hu ya-aseh shalom aleinu v'al kol Yisraeil, v' im'ru "Amein."

May the heavens and all

One who causes peace to reign in the high let peace descend an us, on all Israel, the world. And let us say, Amen.

(These are the conclusion to the silent prayer that follows the Tefillah. During the silent prayer, individuals should express what is in their own hearts. "Yih-yu" comes from Psalm 19; "Oseh shalom" is also the conclusion of the Kaddish.)

Torah service

(Reading from the Torah is a prescribed part of every Sabbath morning service, but not of Sabbath evening. Traditionally, on Friday evening the rabbi reads only a few brief verses from the Torah and might not even take the Torah scrolls from the ark. Here at Oak Park Temple we nevertheless include a full Torah service in perhaps half the Friday evening services.

The Torah service is the dramatic center of the Sabbath service, since the Torah guides us to live morally and thus to achieve spiritual happiness. The moral code presented in the Torah pertains to the Jews, but is ultimately considered to be a standard for all peoples. Other moral codes existed before the Torah, but they were written by earthly rulers. The Torah, by contrast, was thought to be the law of God, divinely revealed or inspired by the one God who created and ruled the universe. Next to God, all earthly rulers were insignificant.

Since the Torah service we usually use incorporates translations of the Hebrew for its English text, we omit the translations below.)

20 Ein Kamocha, Av Harachamim, Ki Mitsiyon, Baruch

Shenatan, Shema, Echad eloheinu

Ein kamocha va-elohim Adonai, v'ein k-ma-asehcha, malchutecha malchut kol olamim umemshalt'cha b'chol dor vador. Adonai melech, Adonai malach, Adonai yimloch l'olam va-ed. Adonai oz l'amo yitein, Adonai y' vareich et amo vashalom.

Av harachamim, heitiva viretsonecha et Tsiyon, tivneh chomot Yerushalayim. Ki vecha levad batachnu, melech Eil ram venisa, adon olamim.

Ki mitsiyon teitsei Torah udevar Adonai mirushalayim.

Baruch shenatan Torah le-amo Yisraeil bikedushato.

Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad.

Echad eloheinu, gadol Adoneinu, kadosh sh-mo.

(These prayers are spoken in front of the ark of the Torah and as the ark is opened. In asserting that "no gods can compare to You," the first prayer distinguishes Judaism from the idolatry common in ancient times.)

21 Lecha Adonai

Lecha, Adonai, hagedula, vehagevura vehatiferet, vehaneitsach, vehahod, ki chol bashamayim uva-arets, lecha, Adonai, hamamlacha vehamitnasei lechol lerosh.

(From Chronicles, based on words of King David, this text is usually sung while the Torah is being taken to the reading desk.)

22 Torah blessings

Before the reading:

Barechu et Adonai hamevorach!

Baruch Adonai hamevorach le-olam va-ed!

Baruch ata, Adonai Eloheinu, melech ha-olam, asher bachar banu mikol ha-amim, venatan lanu et Torato. Baruch ata, Adonai, notein hatorah.

After the reading:

Baruch ata, Adonai Eloheinu, melech ha-olam, asher natan lanu Torat emet, vechayei olam nata betocheinu. Baruch ata, Adonai, notein hatorah.

(The blessings recited before and after the Torah is read; traditional for at least 2000 years. The beginning of the first blessing is the same as the call to worship at the beginning of the service.)

23 Hodo Al Erets

Hodo al erets veshamayim, veyarem keren le-amo, tehila lechol chasidav, livenci Yisraeil, am kerovo'. Haleluyah!

24 Eits Chayim ("Tree of life")

Eits chayim hi lamachazikim ba, vetomecheha me-ushar. Deracheha d'rachei no-am, vechol netivoteha shalom.

(Taken from the book of Proverbs, this prayer expresses the idea of ancient rabbis that "the whole Torah exists for the purpose of promoting peace. The prayer is usually sung as the Torah is being rolled, tied, covered, etc.)

25 Hashiveinu Adonai

Hashiveinu, Adonai, eilecha venashuva; chadeish yameinu kekedem.

(Here we express the desire to turn from sinfulness and to "return" to God as whole, pure people; we ask God's help in this task. On this emotional note, the Torah service ends.

The D'var Torah (commentary on the Torah) or sermon may be presented here.

26 Kiddush ("Sanctification of the Sabbath")

Vayehi erev, vayehi voker, yom hashishi. Vayechulu hashamayim veha-arets vechol tseva-am, vayechal Elohim bayom hashevi-i melachto asher asa; vayishbot bayom hashevi-i mikol melachto asher asa. Vayevarech Elohim et yom hashevi-i vayekadeish oto, ki vo shavat mikol melachto asher bara Elohim la-asot.

Baruch ata, Adonai Eloheinu, melech ha-olam, borei pen hagafen.

Baruch ata, Adonai Eloheinu, melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu bemitsvotav veratsa vanu, veshabat kodsho be-ahava uveratson hinchilanu, zikaron lema-asei vereishit. Ki hu yom techila lemikra-ei kodesh, zeicher l'tsiat Mitsrayim. Ki vanu vacharta ve-otanu kidashta mikol ha-amim, veshabat kodshecha be-ahava uveratson hinchaltanu. Baruch ata, Adonai, mekadeish hashabat.

Blessed is the Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. Blessed is the Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, who hallows us with Mitzvot and takes delight in us. Through love and favor God made the holy Sabbath our heritage, as a reminder of the work of creation. It is first among our sacred days, and a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. 0 God, You have chosen us and set us apart from all the peoples, and in love and favor have given us the Sabbath day as a sacred inheritance. Blessed is the Eternal God, far the Sabbath and its holiness.

(This prayer, with which we sanctify the Sabbath, is traditionally recited over sweet wine. Wine is a symbol of joy, and since the Sabbath is a day of joy, wine became especially associated with it. The prayer is ancient and traditionally is said at home before the Sabbath eve meal. But the practice of reciting Kiddush also in the synagogue began in the first few centuries of the Common Era, for the benefit of travelers who might eat and sleep there. It may be done at this point or at the end of the service.)

27 Aleinu

Aleinu leshabeiach la-adon hakol, lateit gedulah leyotseir bereishit, shelo asanu kegoyei ha-aratsot, velo samanu kemishpechot ha-adamah; shelo sam chelkeinu kahem, ve-gor-aleinu kechol hamonam. Va-anachnu kore-im umishtachavim umodim lifenei melech malechei hamelachim, hakadosh baruch Hu.

We must praise the Eternal God of all, the Maker of heaven and earth, who has set us apart from the other families of earth, giving us a destiny unique among the nations. We therefore bow in awe and thanksgiving before the One who is Sovereign over all, the Holy One, You are blessed.

Vene-emar: "Vehaya Adonai lemelech al kol ha-arets; bayom hahu yiheyeh Adonai echad ushemo echad."

And it has been said: "Adonai shall reign over all the earth; on that day, 0 God, You shall be One and Your name shall be One."

(The origins of this prayer are ancient; its present form was written in the 3rd century. Because of its eloquent assertion of God's grandeur, it has been included in every synagogue worship service since the 14th century. The first paragraph asserts Israel's uniqueness compared to idolatrous peoples; Israel's God is described as the only God and the God of all. The second paragraph expresses the hope that God's kingdom will be established for all peoples--the Jewish hope for a messianic age. This reflects the distinctiveness of Judaism in ancient times, when Jews were the only people who conceived of a universal religion.)

28 Kaddish Yatom ("Mourner's Kaddish")

Yitgadal ve-yitkadash she-mei raba be-alma divera chire-utei, ve-yamlich malchutei bechayeichon uveyomeichon uvechayei dechol beit Yisraeil, ba-agala uvizeman kariv, ve-imeru: amein.

Ye-hei shemei raba mevarach le-alam ule-almei almaya.

Yitbarach ve-yishtabach, ve-yitpa-ar ve-yitromam ve-yitnasei, ve-yit-hadar ve-yitaleh ve-yit-halal shemei dekudesha, berich hu, le-eila mm kol birechata ve-shirata, tushbechata ve-nechemata da-amiran be-alma, ve-imeru: amein. Yehei shelama raba mm shemaya vechayim aleinu ve-al kol Yisraeil, ve-imeru: amein. Oseh shalom bimeromav, hu ya-aseh shalom aleinu ve-al kol Yisraeil, ve-imeru: amein.

May God's great name be magnified and made holy in the world created according to God's will. May You soon establish Your kingdom, 0 God, during our life and days and during the lifetime of all Israel. And let us say, Amen.

May God's great name be blessed now and forever. May the name of the Holy One be blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored, magnified, and celebrated, even though God is above and beyond all the blessings, songs, praises, and consolations that are spoken in the world. And let us say, Amen.

May there be great peace from heaven and life far us and all Israel. And let us say: Amen. May the One who makes peace in the heavens make peace for us and for all of Israel. And let us say, Amen.

(As noted above, the Kaddish praises God, and hardly mentions death at all. Yet it became a mourner's prayer on the principle that one should praise God in sorrow as well as in joy. The mourner's Kaddish is the same as the reader's Kaddish (Chatsi Kaddish) except that the former adds the two concluding sentences seen here.)

Closing Songs

(Since the prayer book presents both transliterations and translations of the closing songs, they are not included here.]

29 Adon Olam ("The eternal Lord")

(Believed to date from the 11th or 12th century--or perhaps much earlier--this hymn affirms the eternity of God, and only God. It describes God not as a cold, remote power, but as one that also cares for finite creatures such as humans.)

30 Yigdal

(Believed written in the 14th century, this prayer expresses the 13 principles fundamental to Jewish belief as set down by Maimonides, the greatest medieval Jewish philosopher, in the l2th-l3th centuries. Maimonides' formulation was very popular with the masses, and within 100 years of his death, Jewish poets had written many prayers and poems based on it. But Jewish scholars didn't all agree on his ideas--nor, of course, do they all today. Yet to recite the Yigdal is to express one's faith and one's membership in a historic people bound together by a set of convictions.)

31 Ain Keiloheinu

(Composed in about the 8th century CE and included in Jewish prayer ever since.)