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Shema
Introduction:
The Jewish Pledge of Allegiance: "Hear O Israel, the
Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deut. 6:4).
The Recitation of the Shema certainly does solidify one's
acceptance of God as King. It discusses loving God, sacrificing
for God, Torah study, God's Oneness, tefillin, mezuzah, and
many more facets to serving Him.." We begin life with
the Shema. From our earliest days, our parents said it with
us as they put us to sleep in our cribs, we declare the Shema
twice each day and aspire to say these as the last words before
we die
Before the creation of the world, only God existed. There
was no separate entity in any form.
Even after creation, everything in the world remained part
of God.
The only difference is that through the miracle of creation,
God gave each human being free will. With this, we have the
unique ability to think for ourselves and to act upon those
thoughts. It's as if from within God, we maintain a certain
autonomy.
Yet we're still part of God. Because that's all there is.
So what was the purpose of making us a separate entity from
God?
Rabbi M.C. Luzzatto (18th century Italy) explains in his famous
book "Path of the Just": The purpose of creation
is to earn pleasure. The ultimate pleasure is attachment to
God. Where is this pleasure most manifest? In the eternal
World of Souls, where we have absolute clarity of God's unity,
and recognize that we are totally attached to Him, as we always
have been.
Every
word should be said out by carefully.
Each word of the Shema represents a particular limb of
your body; every time you say a word of the Shema clearly,
it strengthens that particular limb; it's simple and powerful.
The Amidah
Introduction:
The Amidah is the central prayer of all four services:
shacharit (morning), mincha (afternoon), maariv (evening),
and mussaf (additional)on the Sabbath. The word Amidah
literally means standing, because it is recited while
standing. It is also known as Shemoneh Esrei, meaning
eighteen, because it originally consisted of eighteen
blessings, and as prayer because it is the most important
Jewish prayer. The should try to pray three times a
day, which was established by Ezra and codified in the
Talmud (Berakhot 26b), is fulfilled by reciting the
Amidah.
Question: Every Jew recites the same Amidah,
yet every human being needs different things from God,
so we do we all recite the same Amidah?
Answer: The Amidah was composed enormously
powerful, that it becomes everyone's personal prayer.
One can want wealth, the Amidah will focus on that.
One can want health, it will focus on that. That's the
power of the Amidah.
One should stand
with one's feet together while reciting the Amidah as
a show of respect for God. If one is unable to stand
such as in a car or perhaps ill, you may sit. The rabbis
add that this pose mirrors the vision of angels that
Ezekiel had in which the feet of the angels appeared
as one (Ezekiel 1:7). The custom is to face the direction
of Israel,( from the USA its East, the rest do the math)
and if one is in Israel, to turn to Jerusalem and the
Temple Mount. Because all prayers head tours the Temple
Mont and then rise up. This also shows respect for the
Temples, which were central to Jewish life, and reminds
one that the synagogue was established to try to fill
the gap in Jewish life left by the Temples' destruction.
In many synagogues in the west, the ark is on the eastern
wall of the synagogue for this reason.
To Begin
Take three steps backward, then three steps forward. Remain
standing with the feet together while reciting Shemoneh Esrei.
It should be recited with quiet devotion and without interruption.
Please note: The Sabbath amidah is different.
Recite:
When I call out the Name of God, ascribe greatness
to our God.
My Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your
praise.
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1.
THE GOD OF HISTORY:
 Blessed
are You, O Lord
our God and God
of our fathers, the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the great, mighty
and revered God, the Most High God who bestows
loving kindnesses, the creator of all things,
who remembers the good deeds of the patriarchs
and in love will bring a redeemer to their children's
children for his name's sake. O king, helper,
savior and shield.
Blessed
are You, O Lord,
the shield of Abraham. |
Bend the knees at 'Blessed'
bow at
'You'
straighten at
'Lord' |
2.
THE GOD OF NATURE:
You,
O Lord, are mighty forever,You revive the
dead, You have the power to save. *
You sustain the living with loving kindnesses,
You revive the dead with great mercy, You support
the falling, heal the sick, set free the bound
and keep faith with those who sleep in the dust.
Who is like You, O doer of mighty acts? Who resembles
You, a king who puts to death and restores to
life, and causes salvation to flourish? And You
are certain to revive the dead.
Blessed are You, O Lord, who revives the dead.
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*
From the end of Sukkot until the eve
of Passover, insert:
You cause the wind to blow and the rain to
fall. |
3.
SANCTIFICATION OF GOD:
Only
with a group of ten, recite
[Reader]
We will sanctify Your name in this world just
as it is sanctified in the highest heavens, as
it is written by Your prophet: "And they
call out to one another and say:
[Cong.]
'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole
earth is full of his glory.'
[Isa. 6:3]
[Reader]
Those facing them praise God saying:
[Cong.]
"Blessed be the Presence of the LORD in his
place." [Ezek. 3:12]
[Reader]
And in Your Holy Words it is written, saying,
[Cong.]
"The LORD reigns forever, Your God, O Zion,
throughout all generations. Hallelujah."
[Ps. 146:10]
[Reader]
Throughout all generations we will declare
Your greatness, and to all
eternity we will proclaimyour holiness. Your praise,
O our God, shall never depart
from our mouth, for You are a great and holy God
and King. Blessed are You, O
Lord, the holy God. You are holy, and Your name
is holy, and holy beings praise
You daily. (Selah.) Blessed are You, O Lord, the
holy God.
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By Yourself
Recite
You are holy and Your name
is holy and holy beings praiseYou evrey day forever
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4.
PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING:
You
favor men with knowledge, and teach mortals
understanding. O favor us with the knowledge,
the understanding and the insight that come
from You.
Blessed are You, O Lord, the gracious giver
of knowledge.
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5.
FOR REPENTANCE:
Bring
us back, O our father, to Your Instruction;
draw us near, O our King, to Your service;
and cause us to return to You in perfect repentance.
Blessed are You, O Lord, who delights in repentance. |
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6.
FOR FORGIVENESS:
Forgive
us, O our Father, for we have sinned; pardon
us, O our King,
for we have transgressed; for You pardon and
forgive.
Blessed are You, O Lord, who is merciful and
always ready to forgive.
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7.
FOR DELIVERANCE FROM AFFLICTION:
Look
upon our affliction and plead our cause,and
redeem us speedily
for Your nameís sake, for You are a
mighty redeemer.
Blessed are You, O Lord, the redeemer of Israel.
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8.
FOR HEALING:
Heal
us, O Lord, and we will be healed; save us
and we will be saved,
for You are our praise. O grant a perfect
healing to all our ailments,
* for
You, almighty King, are a faithful and merciful
healer.
Blessed are You, O Lord, the healer of the
sick of his people Israel.
*
At this point, one may interject a prayer
for one who is ill:
May it be Your will, Hashem my G-d, and
the G-d of my forefathers, that You quickly
send a complete recovery from heaven, spiritual
healing and physical healing to the patient
(name) son/daughter of (mother's name) among
the other patients of Israel. - continue:
For You ...
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9.
FOR DELIVERANCE FROM WANT:
Bless
this year for us, O Lord our God, together with
all the varieties of its
produce, for our welfare. Bestow ([from
the 15th of Nissan insert:] dew and rain
for) a blessing upon the face of the earth. O
satisfy us with Your goodness, and bless our year
like the best of years.
Blessed are You, O Lord, who blesses the years.
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10.
FOR GATHERING OF EXILES:
Sound
the great shofar for our freedom, raise the ensign
to gather our exiles,
and gather us from the four corners of the earth.
Blessed are You, O Lord, who gathers the dispersed
of his people Israel. |
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11.
FOR THE RIGHTEOUS REIGN OF GOD:
Restore
our judges as in former times, and our counselors
as at the beginning;
and remove from us sorrow and sighing. Reign over
us, You alone, O Lord,
with lovingkindness and compassion, and clear
us in judgment.
Blessed are You, O Lord, the King who loves righteousness
and justice.
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12.
FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF APOSTATES AND
THE ENEMIES OF GOD:
Let
there be no hope for slanderers, and let all wickedness
perish in an instant.
May all Your enemies quickly be cut down, and
may You soon in our day uproot, crush, cast down
and humble the dominion of arrogance.
Blessed are You, O Lord, who smashes enemies and
humbles the arrogant.
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13.
FOR THE RIGHTEOUS AND PROSELYTES:
May
Your compassion be stirred, O Lord our God,
towards the righteous, the pious, the elders of
Your people
the house of Israel, the remnant of their scholars,
towards proselytes,
and towards us also. Grant a good reward to all
who truly trust in Your
name. Set our lot with them forever so that we
may never be put to shame,
for we have put our trust in You.
Blessed are You, O Lord, the support and stay
of the righteous.
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14.
FOR THE REBUILDING OF JERUSALEM:
Return
in mercy to Jerusalem Your city, and dwell in
it as You have promised.
Rebuild it soon in our day as an eternal structure,
and quickly set up in it the
throne of David.
Blessed are You, O Lord, who rebuilds Jerusalem.
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15.
FOR THE MESSIANIC KING:
Speedily
cause the offspring of Your servant David to flourish,
and let him be exalted by Your saving power,
for we wait all day long for Your salvation.
Blessed are You, O Lord, who causes salvation
to flourish. |
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16.
FOR THE ANSWERING OF PRAYER:
Hear
our voice, O Lord our God; spare us and have pity
on us.
Accept our prayer in mercy and with favor, for
You are a God who hears
prayers and supplications. O our King, do not
turn us away from
Your presence empty-handed, for You hear the prayers
of Your people Israel with compassion. Blessed
are You, O Lord, who hears prayer. |
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17.
FOR RESTORATION OF TEMPLE SERVICE:
Be
pleased, O Lord our God, with Your people Israel
and with their prayers.
Restore the service to the inner sanctuary of
Your Temple,
and receive in love and with favor both the fire-offerings
of Israel and their prayers. May the worship of
Your people Israel always be acceptable to You.
And let our eyes behold Your return in mercy to
Zion.
Blessed are You, O Lord, who restores his divine
presence to Zion. |
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18.
THANKSGIVING FOR GOD'S UNFAILING MERCIES:
We
give thanks to You that You are the Lord our God
and the God of our fathers forever and ever.
Through every generation You have been the rock
of our lives, the shield
of our salvation. We will give You thanks and
declare Your praise for our
lives that are committed into Your hands, for
our souls that are entrusted
to You, for Your miracles that are daily with
us, and for Your wonders and
Your benefits that are with us at all times, evening,
morning and noon.
O beneficent one, Your mercies never fail; O merciful
one,
Your lovingkindnesses never cease. We have always
put our hope in You.
For all these acts may Your name be blessed and
exalted continually,
O our King, forever and ever. Let every living
thing give thanks to You and
praise Your name in truth, O God, our salvation
and our help. (Selah.)
Blessed are You, O Lord, whose Name is the Beneficent
One,
and to whom it is fitting to give thanks.
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19.
FOR PEACE:
My
G-d, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from
speaking deceitfully.
To those who curse me, let my soul be silent;
and let my soul be like dust
to everyone. Open my heart to Your Torah, then
my soul will pursue Your commandments. As for
all those who design evil against me, speedily
nullify
their counsel and disrupt their design. Act for
Your Name's sake; act for
Your right hand's sake; act for Your sanctity's
sake; act for Your Torah's sake.
That Your beloved ones may be given rest; let
Your right hand save, and
respond to me. *
May they be acceptable the words of my mouth and
the
thoughts of my heart, before You Adonoy, my rock
and my redeemer.Bow
and take
three steps back, Bow left and say He
Who makes peace in His heights
bow right
and say
may He make peace among us
bow forward and say and upon all Israel...
Amen.
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* A
special personal
name remembrance
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