[First posted 2017: Part of a new series; please read the introduction in —
Let us learn from the Jewish Prayer Tradition – 1.
Followed by:
The source book is:
GATES OF REPENTANCE
The New Union Prayer Book for the Days of Awe
CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF AMERICAN RABBIS,
7538 New York 1978, Revised 1996
The Sinaite’s Sabbath Liturgy is patterned after the Jewish prayer traditions. We are grateful to observant Israel, the Rabbis, for the prayer books they have shared with the world in print. There will be Sabbath liturgies on this website that will borrow directly from these books, if only to expose our readers/visitors of their beautiful awe-inspiring prayers. Reformatted and color added to biblical text.—Admin1]
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Evening Service II
With the setting of this evening’s sun, united with Jews of every place and time, we proclaim a new year of hope. May the light of the divine shine forth to lead us, to show us the good we must do, the harmony we must create. Let the fire we kindle be for us a warming flame, whose brightness shows us the path of life.
Blessed is the eternal Power that inspires us to kindle the light of (Shabbat and ) Yom Tov. Blessed is the Source of life and light.
Blessed is the eternal Power of the universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.
God, I cry out to You,
and from Your holy mountain’s summit
Your answer comes.
I lie down and sleep,
And then I am awake,
safe in Your hand,
and unafraid. . .
God, rise up;
help me, O my God,
for You, O Eternal, are the One
from whom help comes,
and Your blessing rests upon Your people.
As for me, in Your abundant loving-kindness
let me enter Your house,
reverently to worship in Your holy temple.
For all who trust in You
there is joy and everlasting song;
You will give them shelter;
and all who love Your name
shall exult in You.
For You give your benediction to the just;
God, You throw Your favor about them like a shield.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains; what is the source of my help? My help will come from the Eternal, Maker of heaven and earth.
God will not allow you foot to slip; your Guardian will not slumber. Behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. The Eternal is your Keeper, the Eternal is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The eternal will guard you from all evil, and protect your being. The Eternal will guard you, coming and going, from this time forth, and forever.
IN THE TWILIGHT
In the twilight of the vanishing year, we lift up our hearts in thanksgiving.
Our souls are stirred by the memory of joy, as the new year begins.
We were sustained by love and kindness; comforted in times of sorrow; found happiness in our homes, and gladness with our friends. We lift up our hearts in thanksgiving, as the new year begins.
As the new year begins, our spirits rise in grateful song.
But there were dreams that came to naught. . . and times when we refused to dream. These, with much regret, we now remember, as the new year begins.
As the new year begins, contrition fills out thoughts.
Some of our days were dark with grief. Many a tear furrowed our cheeks: alas for the tender ties that were broken! We look back with sorrow, as the new year begins.
As the new year begins, tears well up within us.
Yet we look ahead with hope, giving thanks for the daily miracle of renewal, for the promise of good to come. May this Rosh Hashanah, birthday of the world, be our day of rebirth into life and peace, serenity and safety, as the new year begins.
As the new year begins, so is hope reborn with us!
SACRED ASSEMBLY
In the seventh month,
on the first day of the month,
there shall be a sacred assembly,
a cessation from work,
a day of commemoration
proclaimed by the sound
of the Shofar.
Sound the Shofar when the new moon appears,
at the turning of the year,
at the returning of our solemn celebration.
For this is a statute binding on Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
The Ark is opened
THE YEAR
May this year, called five thousand seven hundred and . . ., bring to us and the whole House of Israel life and peace, joy and exaltation, redemption and comfort.
May this new year bring us life and peace, joy and exaltation, redemption and comfort. Amen.
Praise the Eternal, to whom our praise is due!
Praised be the Eternal, to whom our praise is due, now and for ever!
The Ark is closed
Remain standing
CREATION
Praised be the Eternal God, Ruler of the universe, whose word brings on the evening.
With wisdom You open heaven’s gates; with understanding
You make the ages pass and the seasons alternate.
Your will controls the stars as they travel through the sky.
Creator of day and night, You roll light away from darkness and darkness from light; you cause day to pass and bring on the night; the God of all being is Your name. O living and eternal God, rule us always, to the end of time! Blessed is the God, whose word makes evening fall.
REVELATION
Unending is Your love for Your people, the House of Israel:Torah and Mitzvot, laws and precepts have You taught us. Therefore, O 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 day. O may Your love never depart from our hearts! Blessed are You, O God: You love Your people Israel.
Hear; I Israel: the Eternal is our God, the Eternal is One!
Blessed is God’s glorious majesty for ever and ever!
All are seated
You shall love your Eternal 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 symbols 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 am your Eternal God who led you out of Egypt to be your God; I am your Eternal God.
REDEMPTION
All this we hold to be true and sure: You alone are our God; there is none else, and we are Israel Your people.
You are our Sovereign; delivering us from the hand of oppressors, saving us from the fist of tyrants, doing wonders without number, marvels that pass our understanding. You give us our life; with Your help our people has survived all our oppressors.
You did wonders for us in the land of Egypt, miracles and marvels in the land of Pharaoh.
You did wonders for us in the land of Egypt, miracles and marvels in the land of Pharaoh.
You led Your people Israel out, for ever to serve You in freedom.
When Your children witnessed Your power, they extolled You and gave You thanks: freely they acclaimed You Sovereign; and, full of joy, Moses, and Miriam, and all Israel sang this song:
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!”
Now let all come to say: The Eternal has redeemed Israel and all the oppressed. Blessed is the Eternal God.
RISE UP TO LIFE RENEWED
Cause us, O Eternal God, to lie down in peace, and raise us up, O Sovereign, to life renewed. Spread over us the shelter of Your peace; guide us with Your good 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. O God, our Guardian and Helper, our gracious and merciful Ruler, give us refuge in the shadow of Your wings. Guard our coming and our going, that now and always we have life and peace.
Blessed are You, O God, whose shelter of peace is spread over us, over all Israel, and over Jerusalem.
ON SHABBAT
THE COVENANT OF SHABBAT
The people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath in every generation as a covenant for all time.
It is a sign for ever between Me and the people of Israel, for in six days the Eternal One made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day God rested and was refreshed.
Let the glory of God be extolled, and God’s great name be hallowed in the world whose creation God willed. May God rule in our own day, in our own lives, and the life of all Israel, and let us say: Amen.
Let God’s great name be blessed for ever and ever.
Let the name of the Holy One, the Blessed One, be glorified, exalted, and honored, though God is beyond all the praises, songs, and adoration that we can utter, and let us say: Amen.
All rise
WE ARE THEIR FUTURE
You are our God, even as You were the God of Abraham and Sarah, the God of our fathers and mothers, the God of all the ages of Israel.
They are our past as we are their future.
We recall their vision and pray for the strength to keep it alive: Help us, O God and Shield, to keep their faith.
O God, shield of Abraham, Sarah’s Help, in all generations be our Help, our Shield, our God!
Remember us unto life, O Sovereign who delights in life, and inscribe us in the Book of Life, O God of life.
IMMORTAL YEARNINGS, UNDYING HOPES
Love is the thread that binds our lives in a lasting fabric which time shall fray,
Which time shall fray, but only to be rewoven by each generation.
Each generation will lift fallen to their feet and hold them as they learn to walk.
And as they learn to walk, the sickness of our time will be healed by those who drink deep from ancient wells of truth.
From ancient wells of truth they will draw strength to keep faith with those who sleep in the dust.
We praise the Source of life and power, who has implanted within us immortal yearning, undying hopes.
IN PRAISE OF THE HOLY
Now in awe we behold the wonder of being: an awesome pageant of shapes and forms—yet all akin, one family of life!
We pray for wisdom to treasure all creation; we ask for insight to see its glory; we hope for courage to trust its goodness; we yearn for grace to fill the world with gladness; we seek the strength to help redeem it.
A world released from sorrow to joy! The bowed head shall be raised, the bent back made straight. Those who dragged their chains shall dance and sing. O may violence give way to goodness, the land be cleansed of tyrants, and the prophets word redeemed: Peace shall rule the earth!
The Eternal One shall reign for ever; your God, O Zion, from generation to generation. Halleluyah!
Holy is life, awesome its Source. One Mind unites all being; one Law rules all creation. As it is written:
The God of all being is exalted by justice; the holy God is sanctified by righteousness.
Blessed is creation, and blessed the love that sustains it.
THE HOLINESS OF THIS DAY
The House of Israel is called to holiness, to a covenant with the Eternal for all time.
We are called to serve the Most High; may we rejoice in this heritage for ever.
May this day add meaning to our lives. Let the Shofar’s sound awaken the voice of conscience, our common worship unit us in love, our memories of bondage impel us to help the oppressed.
On this day of Remembrance we pray for awareness. Let love and compassion grow among us, and goodness be our daily care. This day may we find well being. This day may we discover the eternal strength that abides among us. This day may we be helped to a life that is whole. Amen.
“You transcend our deepest thought and elude the keenest eye, yet all who dwell on earth may find You. Every creature’s form proclaims Your glory, for all that breathes is one creation, children of a single kingdom. Thus was it written of old: “The Sovereign God of Israel is the One whose dominion extends to all creation”.
The realm of law is the domain of freedom. Blessed is the law that sets us free to find gladness and joy. (May this day’s rest renew all who observe it; and let the holiness of Shabbat remain our heritage, that all Israel, hallowing its life, may find rest and peace.) Praised be the Power that makes for freedom, that blessed (the Sabbath,) the House of Israel and the Day of Remembrance.
SILENT PRAYER
THE SPIRIT THAT SINGS WITHIN US
Let our thoughts be gentle, gracious our deeds, and kindness rule our lips and hearts! Blessed is the spirit, a hymn of love within us, that calls us to prayer.
SING OF WONDERS
O world, where miracles spring up to meet us along the way, we hold you close and give thanks for morning light, for evening calm.
Sun and moon, sea and sky, snow and mist, city streets and country lanes: what joy to know you, how excellent to touch you!
To live, and nothing more, would be enough to make us glad. Yet morning, noon, and night, a task awaits us:
The lost and hungry to be found and fed, the sick and sad to be healed and cheered, a peaceful world to be built and kept.
Blessed is the gift of life, blessed the source of life and its tasks!
SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT
Words there are and prayers, but justice there is not, nor yet peace.
The prophet said:
In the end of days God shall judge between the nations; they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Although we must wait for judgment, we may not wait for peace to fall like rain upon us.
The teacher said: Those who have made peace in their house, it is as though they have brought peace to all Israel, indeed, to all the world.
Peace will remain a distant vision until we do the work of peace ourselves. If peace is to be brought into the world, we must bring it first to our families and communities.
Be not content to make peace only in your own household; go forth and work for peace wherever men and women are struggling in its cause.
MEDITATION
Rabbi Eliezer said:
Repent one day before your death. His disciples asked: How can one know which day that will be?
He replied:
Precisely! Repent today, therefore, in case you should die tomorrow. Thus will you spend all your days wisely.
All rise
The Ark is opened
Avinu Malkeinu, hear our voice.
Avinu Malkeinu, we have sinned against You.
Avinu Malkeinu, have compassion on us and on our children.
Avinu Malkeinu, make an end to sickness, war, and famine.
Avinu Malkeinu, make an end to all oppression.
Avinu Malkeinu, inscribe us for blessing in the Book of Life.
Avinu Malkeinu, let the new year be a good year for us.
Avinu Malkeinu, give strength to Your people Israel.
Avinu Malkeinu, be gracious and answer us, for we have little merit. Treat us generously and with kindness, and be our help.
Blessed is the Eternal God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Blessed is the Eternal God, Ruler of the universe, who has chosen us from all the peoples, hallowing us with the Mitzvot. In Your love, Eternal God, You have given us this (Shabbat and this) Day of Remembrance, to hear the sound of the Shofar, to unite in worship, and to recall the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us from all peoples, consecrating us to Your service, and Your word is truth eternal.
Blessed is the Sovereign God, Ruler of all the world, who hallows (the Sabbath,) the House of Israel and the Day of Remembrance.
Blessed is the Eternal God, Ruler of the universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.
Let us adore
the ever living God!
We render praise
unto You,
who spread out the heavens
and established the earth,
whose glory \is revealed in the heavens above,
and whose greatness
is manifest throughout the world.
You are our God;
There is none else.
We therefore bow in awe and thanksgiving before the One who is Sovereign over all, the Holy and Blessed One.
May the time not be distant, O God, when Your name shall be worshipped in all the earth, when unbelief shall disappear and error be no more. Fervently we pray that the day may come when all shall turn to You in love, when corruption and evil shall give way to integrity and goodness, when superstition shall no longer enslave the mind, nor idolatry bind the eye, when all who dwell on earth shall know that You alone are God. O may all, created in Your image, become one in spirit and one in friendship, for ever united in Your service. Then shall Your kingdom be established on earth, and the word of Your prophet fulfilled:
“The Eternal God will reign for ever and ever.”
On that day, O God,
“You shall be One and Your name shall be One.”
The light of life is a finite flame. Like a candle, life is kindled: it burns, it glows, it is radiant with warmth and beauty. But soon it fades; its substance is consumed, and it is no more.
In light we see; in light we are see. The flames dance and our lives are full. But as night follows day, the candle of our life burns down and gutters. There is an end to the flames. We see no more and are no more seen. Yet we do not despair, for we are more than a memory slowly fading into the darkness. With our lives we give life. Something of us can never die: we move in the eternal cycle of darkness and death, of light and life.
Let the glory of God be extolled, let God’s great name be hallowed in the world whose creation God willed. May God’s rule soon prevail, in our own day, our own lives, and in the life of all Israel, and let us say: Amen.
Let God’s great name be blessed for ever and ever.
Let the name of the Holy One, the Blessed One, be glorified, exalted, and honored, though God is beyond all praises, songs, and adorations that we can utter, and let us say: Amen.
For us and for all Israel, may the blessing of peace and the promise of life come true, and let us say: Amen.
May the Source of peace send peace to all who mourn, and comfort to all who are bereaved. Amen.
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