A Sinaite's Liturgy – 5th Sabbath of May

[A 5th Sabbath in a month is like a bonus, and so we take this occasion to borrow from the faith expressions in the prayer tradition of Israel. 

This liturgy is patterned after My People’s Prayer Book:  Traditional Prayers, Modern Commentaries: Seder K’riat Hatorah (The Torah Service), Vol. 4 —edited by Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman —Admin1]

 

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KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS

 

Blessed is the Name of the Master of the universe. 

Blessed is Your crown and Your place.

May You love your people Israel and all gentiles who revere You . . . .

Lead us to discover the goodness of Your Light 

and accept our prayer in mercy. 

May it be Your will to prolong our lives in happiness.

May we be counted among the righteous,

 that You might show compassion toward us

and watch over us and ours and all who have discovered

You as Creator, Revelator on Sinai, God of Israel.

You are the one Who feeds and sustains all.

You are the One Who rules over kings, for dominion is Yours.

We are servants of the Holy Blessed One, 

before Whom and before the glory of Whose Torah

we bow at all times.

We trust not in man and rely on no angels

but in the God of heaven Who is a God of Truth

and whose Torah is true and whose prophets are true

and who performs many acts that are good and true.

In You do we trust, and to Your holy precious Name

we speak praise.

May it be Your will that You open our hearts to Your Torah

and fulfill the wishes of our hearts,

for good, for life, and for peace. Amen.

 

O YHWH, YHWH,

merciful and gracious,

endlessly patient, most kind and truthful,

preserving kindness to the thousandth generation,

forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin cleansing.

 

We offer our prayer to You, O YHWH,

at this time of favor, in Your great mercy,

answer us with Your saving truth.

 

Hear O Israel,

Hear O Nations, O Gentiles,

YHWH is our God, YHWH is One.

Let us proclaim His greatness, 

let us exalt His Name together.

 

Greatness and power, glory, victory, and majesty are Yours,

YHWH, along with everything in heaven and on earth. 

Dominion and sovereignty above all are Yours, 

Exalt YHWH our God and bow down toward His footstool, He is holy.

Exalt YHWH our God, and bow down at His holy mountain,

for YHWH our God is holy.

May the Name of the King over the kings be made great,

holy, praised, glorified, exalted, and extolled above all

in the worlds He created—this world and the world to come—

according to His will and according to the will of those who fear Him,

according to the will of the entire house of Israel.

Rock of every world, Master of every creature,

God of every soul, Who dwells in the expanse of the high heavens

and inhabits the loftiest heavens of old —

His holiness dwarfs the celestial beings,

and His holiness dwarfs the throne of glory.

Your Name will be sanctified through us,

YHWH our God,

before the sight of all living.

Let us sing a new song before Him,

Sing to YHWH, sing out His Name.

Pave the way for the One who rides where the sun sets–

His Name being YAH—

and rejoice before Him.

We will each see Him with our own eyes

when He returns to His abode,

as it is written: “For they will see the return of YHWH to Zion,

with their own eyes.”

And it is also said, “YHWH’s glory will be revealed

and all shall see together that YHWH has spoken.”

 

 

Bless YHWH Who is to be blessed,

Blessed be YHWH Who is to be blessed forever and ever.

Blessed are You, YHWH our God, Ruler of the world,

Who chose Israel from all the nations and gave them Your Torah.

Blessed are You, giver of the Torah.

Blessed are You, YHWH our God, ruler of the world,

Who rewards the undeserving with goodness,

Who has rewarded us with goodness.

For the Torah, for worship, for this Shabbat day that You have given us,

for holiness and rest, for honor and glory,

for all these, we acknowledge You with thanks and praise.

May Your Name be praised by the mouths of all the living

to the ends of time.

Blessed are You, YHWH, Who makes the Sabbath holy. 

May salvation arise from heaven:

grace, kindness, and compassion

long life, abundance, and help from heaven,

healthy bodies, perfect light,

progeny who live and endure

and who never abandon or treat lightly the wisdom of Torah—-

may all these be granted to this Sinai community, 

old and young, to our children and their spouses.

May the Master of the universe bless us,

extend our lives, make our days numerous,

and lengthen our years.

May we and ours be saved from all distress

and evil illness.

May our Master in heaven sustain us in all seasons and times,

and let us say: Amen.

 

[Partake of the wine and bread, and make a toast “to life”, “l’chaim”.]

 

 

 

HAVDALAH

 

Happy are they who dwell in Your house;

they will ever praise You.

Happy are the people whose God is YHWH.

I will exalt You, YHWH the King,

and praise Your Name forever and ever.

Everyday I will praise You and extol Your Name forever and ever.

Great is YHWH and highly praised.

Endless is Your greatness.

Generation upon generation will praise Your deeds,

and tell of Your mighty acts.

I will speak of Your wondrous acts, 

and Your glorious majesty in its splendor.

Gracious and merciful is YHWH,

endlessly patient and most kind.

YHWH is good to all,

showering all His creatures with mercy.

All creatures will thank You, YHWH,

and Your faithful will praise You.

Announce His greatness to humankind,

and the majestic glory of His kingdom.

Your kingdom is a kingdom for all times,

and Your reign for every generation.

YHWH supports all who fall, and uprights all who are bent over.

The eyes of all look to You, and You give them timely food.

You open Your hand, and satisfy every living being.

YHWH is righteous in all His ways, and gracious in all His acts.

YHWH is near to all who call upon Him, 

to all who call upon Him in truth.

He does the will of those who revere Him, 

and hears their cry and saves them.

YHWH guards all who love Him, and destroys all who are wicked.

Let my mouth speak YHWH’s praise,

and all creatures praise His holy Name forever and ever.

Let us praise YHWH from now and evermore.

Hallelu YAH! 

Image from www.eliyah.com

Shabbat Shalom!

NSB@S6K