Mincha

Fortunate are those who dwell in Your house;¹This verse referred to the Kohanim and the Levites who served (dwelt) in the Holy Temple (Your House); it is at all times applicable to scholars and devout men who study and pray in houses of worship and study. may they continue to praise You, Selah.²Psalms 84:5. Fortunate is the people whose lot is thus; fortunate is the people for whom Adonoy is their God.³Psalms 144:15. A praise by David! I will exalt You, my God, the King, and bless Your Name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You⁴According to Rav S.R. Hirsch, David here declares, “I will dedicate myself to serve You and to fulfill Your will in loyal obedience,” for in serving God, man causes His Name to be blessed. and extol Your Name forever and ever. Adonoy is great and highly extolled, and His greatness is unfathomable. One generation to another will praise Your works, and Your mighty acts they will declare. The splendor of Your glorious majesty, and the words⁵Not simply נפלאתיך—a report of Your wonders—but דברי נפלאתיך the “words”—the lessons that Your wonders teach.—S.R. Hirsch of Your wonders I will speak. Of Your awesome might, they⁶People in general will speak of God’s wondrous might in punishing the wicked (Sodom, Egypt, etc.) while David will proclaim that God’s greatness is measured more by His kindliness than by His awesomeness.—Siach Yitzchok will speak, and Your greatness I will recount. Mention of Your bountifulness they will express, and in Your righteousness joyfully exult. Adonoy is gracious and merciful,⁷He is gracious in bestowing reward and merciful in punishment.—Siach Yitzchok slow to anger and great in kindliness. Adonoy is good to all, His mercy encompasses all His works. All Your works will thank You, Adonoy, and Your pious ones will bless You.⁸Your works, which are the cause of your being thanked by sensitive people; similarly, cause your pious ones to bless You.—based on S.R. Hirsch. Of the honor of Your kingship, they will speak, and Your might they will declare. To reveal to men His mighty acts, and the glorious splendor of His kingship. Your kingship is the kingship for all times, and Your dominion is in every generation. Adonoy supports all the fallen, and straightens all the bent. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food at its proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living being. Adonoy is just in all His ways and benevolent in all His deeds.⁹The penalties for transgressions are just, but God is gracious in the actual punishment inflicted on the sinner.—Siddur HaGra Adonoy is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.¹⁰He is near to all who call upon Him, but His nearness can be perceived only by those who call upon Him in truth, who truly mean to have God enter into their lives.—S.R. Hirsch The will of those who fear Him, He fulfills; He hears their cry and delivers them.¹¹While God hears all who cry unto Him in truth. He answers those who fear Him, who subject their desires to His will.—Siach Yitzchok Adonoy watches over all those who love Him, and will destroy all the wicked. Praise of Adonoy, my mouth will declare and all flesh will bless His holy Name forever and ever. And we will bless God from now forever. Praise God.¹²Psalms 115:18. You should pause between עולם and הללויה. Similarly, in all the Psalms, the word הללויה is not connected to the preceding verse.

The Half-Kaddish is recited by the Chazzan

Exalted and sanctified¹These opening words refer to the fulfillment of God’s prophecy, through Ezekiel (38:23) “And I will thus exalt Myself and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of the many nations, and they will know that I am Adonoy.”—Levush, Siddur HaGra. One should be very careful to emphasize the letter gimel (ג) when saying the word “Yisgadal (יִתְגַּדַּל),” in order that it not be heard as “Yiskadal (יִתְקַּדַל),” from the word קְדָל which means neck.—Mishnah Berurah 56:2 be His great Name

in the world which He created according to His will and may He rule His kingdom.²May His sovereignty be revealed. In your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire House of Israel, speedily and in the near future³We pray that the redemption will come speedily and that the process of the redemption itself will not be prolonged.—Siddur HaGra— and say Amein.

May His great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified, and exalted and uplifted, honored and elevated and extolled⁵The ten expressions of praise in the Kaddish refer to the ten utterances by which God created the world. (See Maseches Avos 5:1.) be the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He;

above (Ten Days of Penitence: far above) all the blessings and hymns,⁶May God be praised and exalted far beyond all the blessings, hymns and praises that are uttered.—Mishnah Berurah in the name of the Vilna Gaon 56:14. praises and consolations⁷Consolations are uttered because God is in mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temple and the exile of His people. which we utter in the world—and say Amein.

Fundamentals of Kuzari, (Metsudah Publications, 1979) pages 269, 271, 273.
When reciting Shemoneh Esrei, you must adhere to these rules:
1. Before beginning the prayer, take three steps backwards and then return to your former position. Upon completing the prayer, take three steps backwards and return.
2. Keep your feet together.
3. Concentrate on the meaning of the words you are uttering. Remove all distracting thoughts and worries from your mind.
4. You may not interrupt Shemoneh Esrei by talking, not even by answering Amein. If you should hear Kedushah, Kaddish, or Barechu while saying the Shemoneh Esrei, you should remain silent and listen to the Chazzan’s words.
5. At the beginning and end of the first blessing, at the beginning and end of the blessing that begins: “We are thankful to You,” (page 133) and ends with “The Beneficent is Your Name,” (page 140) we half-kneel and bow in the following manner: At the word “Blessed,” bend your knees; at the word “You,” bend forward until the vertebrae of your spinal cord are loosened; at “Adonoy,” return to your upright position in keeping with the verse, “Adonoy straightens the bent” (Psalms 146:8).
6. Each individual recites Shemoneh Esrei in silence. Only the prayer leader, the Chazzan, ever recites it aloud, and then only after the entire congregation, himself included, has recited it silently.

When I proclaim Adonoy’s Name attribute greatness to our God.

My Master,¹When God’s name is spelled Alef-Daled-Nun-Yud it means “my Master”, i.e., it is a personal declaration of the person uttering it. When it is spelled Yud-Hey-Vov-Hey, it indicates God as the Creator of all.—Avudraham open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.²Psalms 51:17.

Blessed³The first blessing of Shemoneh Esrei contains eighteen expressions of praise which parallel the Eighteen Benedictions. are You, Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, the Almighty, the Great, the Powerful, the Awesome, most high Almighty, Who bestows beneficent kindness, Who possesses everything, Who remembers the piety of the Patriarchs, and Who brings a redeemer to their children’s children, for the sake of His Name, with love.

(During the Ten Days of Penitence add: Remember us for life King, Who desires life; and inscribe us in the Book of Life, for Your sake, Living God.)⁴We ask God for life so that we can fulfill His purpose in creating us, i.e., to observe and fulfill His commandments.

If you forgot to say this, and became aware of your omission before saying the blessing, you should recite it. If you have already said “Blessed are You Adonoy,” you must continue the prayers without saying “Remember.”

King, Helper, and Deliverer and Shield.⁵God is a helper in all the fortunes of life by giving us the necessary energy and talents to succeed. He delivers us from both moral and physical suffering, and He shields us by keeping tragedy and evil influences from us. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Shield of Abraham.⁶These words complete the first blessing of Shemoneh Esrei called “Avos” (Patriarchs). And here too we bend our knees and bow when saying, “Blessed are You.” The major theme of this section is to praise God as “the Great”, as manifested in the Divine protection and providence He gave to the Patriarchs, of whom Abraham was the first.—Vilna Gaon

You are mighty forever,⁷God’s rule of the world is permanent and perpetual.—Kuzari my Master; You are the Resurrector of the dead⁸This is the emphatic expression of our belief in the immortality of the soul.—Kuzari the Powerful One⁹This passage begins the section of Shemoneh Esrei called “Gevuros” (Might) and its major theme is to praise God as “the Mighty One.” Who alone restores man to life, health, freedom, and well-being.—Vilna Gaon to deliver us.

From the Musaf of the first day of Pesach until the Musaf of Shemini Atzeres one should say:

He causes the dew to descend.

From the Musaf of Shemini Atzeres until the Musaf of the first day of Pesach you should say:

Causer of the wind to blow and of the rain to fall.¹⁰God’s might is as much manifested in causing the rain as it is in reviving the dead. In fact the Talmud (Maseches Taanis 7a) declares in the name of Rabbi Avohu: “The day when rain falls is greater than the day of the resurrection of the dead.” Rabbi Yochanan said, (Ibid, 2a): “There are three ׳keys’ which God retains in His own hands and does not entrust to any emissary: the key to rain, the key to childbirth, and the key to the resurrection of the dead.”

If you neglected to say this, and became aware of your omission before saying the blessing מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים, “the Resurrector of the dead,” you must say it at that time. If you reminded yourself after saying וְנֶאֱמָן אַתָּה “You are faithful,” you must repeat it and then complete the blessing of מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים. If you became aware of your omission after starting the blessing אַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ “You are holy,” even if you only said the word “You,” say the Shemoneh Esrei from the beginning. If during the first thirty days after Shemini Atzeres you are in doubt whether you said it, you must assume that you didnot say it. After thirty days, however, since you have become accustomed to saying it, you may assume that you recited the proper phrase and you need not repeat the Shemoneh Esrei.

Sustainer of the living with kindliness, Resurrector of the dead¹¹The most extraordinary manifestation of God’s might—to our perception—is when He restores the dead to life. Avudraham writes that the three following praises represent various examples of how God restores life to those who arc near death. When a person falls (either physically or morally) he is often near death; thus, when God supports the fallen he restores their lives. When a person is sick, he often faces death, so when God heals the sick He restores their lives. A person who is imprisoned—i.e., confined—is like dead; thus when God releases the imprisoned He restores their lives. with great mercy, Supporter of the fallen, and Healer of the sick, and Releaser of the imprisoned, and Fulfiller of His faithfulness to those who sleep in the dust.¹²Just as God shows His faithfulness to the living, so too will He keep faith with the dead who lie in the dust. Others say that “Those who sleep in the dust” refers to the Patriarchs; God will remember the oath He made to them and keep His promises to them.—Avudraham Who is like You, Master of mighty deeds, and who can be compared to You? King Who causes death and restores life, and causes deliverance to sprout forth.¹³Deliverance will “grow” in stages rather than all at once.

(During the Ten Days of Penitence add: Who is like You merciful Father, Who remembers His creatures for life, in His mercy)

If you forgot to say this, the same law applies as above concerning “Remember us for life.”

And You are faithful¹⁴How remarkable is the Jew’s conviction of God’s faithfulness. When the Chazzan says the blessing of “Resurrector of the dead,” the Jew responds, “Amein” even though he has not seen God restore the dead to life; when the Chazzan says the blessing “Redeemer of Israel,” he responds “Amein”, even though he has not yet been delivered; and when the Chazzan says the blessing “Builder of Jerusalem,” he responds “Amein” even though Jerusalem has not yet been rebuilt.—Midrash Tanchuma to restore the dead to life. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Resurrector of the dead.

(When the Chazzan repeats the Shemoneh Esrei, the Kedushah is said here)

You are holy and Your Name is holy and holy beings praise You every day, forever.

Blessed are You, Adonoy, the Almighty, the Holy One.¹⁹This blessing completes the section of Shemoneh Esrei called Kedushah (Holiness) which emphasizes that God is indeed awesome.

During the Ten Days of Penitence: Blessed are You, Adonoy, the King, the Holy One.

If you mistakenly said, “the Almighty” instead of “the King,” or if you are in doubt—if you realized your error after a lapse of time sufficient to utter a three word greeting (Shalom Aleichem Rebbe), or if you had already started the next blessing, you must say the Shmoneh Esrei from the beginning. If you became aware of your error before that, you should immediately say “the King the Holy One” and continue your prayers.

The Congregation says and the Chazzan repeats:

We will hallow Your Name in the world, as they hallow it in the heavens above, as is written by the hand of Your prophet,¹⁶Isaiah 6:3. And they called one to another, and said:

Congregation says and Chazzan repeats:

‘Holy, holy, holy, is Adonoy of Hosts, the fullness of all the earth is His glory.’”

The Chazzan says:

Those facing them say “Boruch...”

Congregation says and Chazzan repeats:

Blessed is the glory of Adonoy from its place¹⁷Ezekiel 3:12.

The Chazzan says:

And in Your Holy Words it is written:

Congregation says and Chazzan repeats:

Adonoy will reign forever; Your God, Zion, throughout all generations! Praise God.¹⁸Psalms 146:10.

The Chazzan says:

From generation to generation we will declare Your greatness, and to all eternity, we will sanctify Your holiness, and Your praise, our God, will not depart from our mouth forever and ever; because You are the Almighty Who is King; Great, and Holy. Blessed are You, Adonoy, the Almighty, the Holy One.¹⁹This blessing completes the section of Shemoneh Esrei called Kedushah (Holiness) which emphasizes that God is indeed awesome.

You favor man with perception²⁰The blessing “You favor man with perception” begins the group of thirteen petitions which make up the “intermediate” section of Shemoneh Esrei. The first six petitions (blessings 4-9) are for our individual needs and well-being: understanding, repentance, forgiveness of sins, deliverance from trouble, from illness, and from want. Though these six petitions are of a personal nature, they voice the needs of all mankind. Note that the worshipper prays for his spiritual needs—knowledge, repentance, and forgiveness before he prays for his physical wants. and teach mankind understanding. Grant us knowledge, understanding and intellect from You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Grantor of perception.

Cause us to return,²²The goal of wisdom is the realization of man’s true relationship to his Maker. Wisdom should be used for Torah study and Divine service. our Father, to Your Torah and bring us near, our King, to Your service; and bring us back in whole-hearted repentance²³Since the Sages say, “Repent the day before you die” (Maseches Avos 2:10), and every day may be our last, we petition God daily for Divine guidance in repenting. before You Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who desires penitence.²⁴Repentance in Judaism implies regret for past misconduct and firm resolve for correct conduct in the future. God holds out His hand to the erring sinner and leads him back to righteousness, as the Talmud (Maseches Yoma 38b) declares, הבא ליטהר מסיעין אותו. God desires penitence as it is written, “I do not desire the death of the wicked: but (rather) that the wicked return from his way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11).

Pardon²⁵Sin can only be pardoned after repentance. Hence, the order of these two petitions. Even if a person was the worst of sinners, his supplication (after repentance) makes him fit to receive Divine mercy and helps him attain it—R’ Yosef Albo us, our Father, for we have sinned, forgive us, our King, for we have transgressed;²⁶Error, חטא, is the result of carelessness, ignorance, or weakness; sin, פשע, is a deliberate disregard of moral or religious duty. for You forgive and pardon. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Gracious One, Who pardons abundantly.²⁷“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of iniquity, his thoughts. Let him return to Adonoy and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God for He abundantly pardons” (Isaiah 55:7).

Look upon our affliction, and defend our cause: and redeem us speedily²⁸As an outgrowth of our penitence and our forgiveness we pray that we may be deemed worthy of Divine redemption.—Kuzari for the sake of Your Name; because You are a Mighty Redeemer. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Redeemer of Israel.

(On Fast Days, the Chazzan says “Answer us” and concludes, “Blessed are ... Who responds at times of trouble.”)

Heal us,²⁹After the petitions for our spiritual needs, we pray for earthly blessings—for health of body and soul, and for food to maintain our strength.—Kuzari Adonoy, and we will be healed, deliver us and we will be delivered; for You are our praise. Grant a complete healing to all our affliction

If you wish to pray for the recovery of a sick person, you may do so here.

May it be Your will, Adonoy, our God, and the God of our fathers, that You send, quickly, a complete recovery from the heavens, healing for the soul, and healing for the body, for the ailing (name) son/daughter of (mother’s name) among the ailing of Israel.

because You are the Almighty, King, Who is a faithful and merciful Healer. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Healer of the sick of His people Israel.

Bless for us, Adonoy our God, this year and all the varieties of its produce for good; and bestow

From the first say of Pesach until the evening service [Maariv] on December 4, or, on a civil leap year, December 5, we say the following line.

blessing

From the evening service [Maariv] on December 4, or, on a civil leap year, December 5, until the First day of Pesach, we say the following line.

dew and rain for a blessing*

upon the face of the earth; satisfy us from Your bounty³⁰According to the Gaon of Vilna, the petition here reads מטובה, “Satisfy us from its bounty”, referring to the bounty of Eretz Yisroel. and bless our year, like the good years. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Blesser of the years.

* If you forgot to say this and became aware of your omission before concluding the blessing, you may say it at that time and conclude the blessing. If you became aware of your omission after saying the blessing, continue the prayers, and before concluding the 16th blessing שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִילָּה, “Who heeds prayer,” say: וְתֵן טַל וּמָטָר לִבְרָכָה כִּי אַתָּה וגו’ “bestow dew and rain for blessing, for you heed etc.”. If you reminded yourself after concluding the blessing שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִילָּה, but before you started רְצֵה, “be pleased,” you may say: “bestow dew and rain,” וְתֵן טַל וּמָטָר and then continue with רְצֵה . If you remembered after that you must go back and say the 9th blessing, בָּרֵךְ עָלֵינוּ, and continue from there. But if you became aware of your omission after concluding the entire Shemoneh Esrei [and taking three steps backwards] you must repeat the entire Shemoneh Esrei.

Sound the great shofar for our liberty,³¹The following six benedictions, beginning with this one, are prayers for the restoration of the spiritual-national life of the Jewish People. This tenth benediction is an impassioned prayer for the fulfillment of the prophecy, “And it will come to pass on that day, the great Shofar will be sounded; and those who were lost in the land of Assyria shall come and those who were dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they will worship Adonoy on the Holy Mountain at Jerusalem (Isaiah 27:13).—Avudraham and raise a banner to gather our exiles, and gather us together from the four corners of the earth. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Gatherer of the dispersed of His people Israel.

Restore our judges³²We pray for the restoration of God’s reign of justice, as the prophet said, “And I will restore your judges as in former times, and your advisors as the beginning; afterward you (Jerusalem) will be called the city of righteousness, faithful city” (Isaiah 1:26). This will be manifested with the restoration of the Sanhedrin and their system of halachic justice. as before and our counselors as at first. Remove sorrow and sighing from us,³³Few evils are the source of deeper grief and suffering than the absence of justice. With the restoration of justice, our sorrow and sighing will change to joy and gladness.—Avudraham and reign over us You, Adonoy, alone with kindness and compassion; and make us righteous with justice,

Blessed are You, Adonoy, King, Lover of righteousness and justice.

During the Ten Days of Penitence: Blessed are You, Adonoy, the King of Justice.

If you mistakenly said, “King, Lover of righteousness and justice,” instead of “the King of Justice” and became aware of your mistake within the time it takes to utter the three word greeting (Sholom Aleichem Rebbe), you should immediately say “the King of Justice.” If you remembered after that interval, you may continue the Shemoneh Esrei since the word “King” was mentioned in the regular blessing.

Let there be no hope for informers ³⁴This petition was added to the original Eighteen Benedictions. It was ordained by Rabban Gamliel and his Bais Din in Yavneh, according to the text of Shmuel HaKattan, its author (Maseches Berachos 28:b). It is directed against the early Christians who informed against Jews to the Roman authorities after the destruction of the Second Temple, causing them to be put to an excruciatingly painful death. and may all wickedness³⁵Not the “wicked,” but “wickedness.” This particular prayer is based on the Talmudic interpretation of the verse, “Let sins be terminated on earth and the wicked will be no more” (Psalms 104:36). instantly perish; may all the enemies of Your people³⁶The internal enemies of the Jews, against whom this prayer was originally directed, disappeared within a short time. be swiftly cut off, and may You quickly uproot, crush, rout and subdue the insolent, speedily in our days. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Crusher of enemies. and Subduer of the insolent.

May Your mercy be aroused, Adonoy our God, upon the righteous,³⁷The prayer for the righteous follows the prayer against the wicked, following the same sequence of the Psalmist’s verse, “And all the pride of the wicked, I shall cut down; exalted will be the pride of the righteous” (75:11).—Talmud, Maseches Megillah 17b upon the pious, upon the elders of Your people, Israel, upon the remnant of their scholars, upon the true proselytes and upon us. Grant bountiful reward to all who trust in Your Name in truth;³⁸As King David said, “Those knowing Your Name will trust in You” (Psalms 9:11). These men who perceive God’s ways with undistorted clarity are of the highest caliber. They see God’s hand guiding the world and they know with certainty that He directs all.—Avudraham, Malbim and place our lot among them, and may we never be put to shame,³⁹The worshiper begs to be saved from the inner catastrophe of feeling that his trust in God has been in vain.—Pesher Dovor for we have put our trust in You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Support and Trust of the righteous.

And return in mercy to Jerusalem,⁴⁰The “pride of the righteous will be exalted” in the restored city of Jerusalem. Hence in this blessing we plead for the reconstruction of Jerusalem, as it is stated, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may they who love You have peace” (Psalms 122:6)—Maseches Megillah 17b Your city, and dwell therein as You have spoken; and rebuild it soon, in our days, as an everlasting structure, and may You speedily establish the throne of David therein.

During Mincha services on the Ninth of Av, the following petition is added here:

Adonoy, our God, console the mourners of Zion¹“Zion” is the spiritual sanctuary, while “Jerusalem” is the Jewish commonwealth which was to flourish around Zion.—S.R. Hirsch and the mourners of Jerusalem and the city that is in mourning and in ruins, despised and desolate. Mourning because she is bereft of her children, ruined of her dwellings, despised in contrast to her former glory, desolate without inhabitants, she sits alone with her head covered like a barren woman who never gave birth. Legions²The Roman forces were called “legions.” have devoured her, idolaters have deprived her of her inheritance; they have put Your people Israel to the sword and have wantonly murdered the pious ones of the Most High. Therefore, Zion weeps bitterly, and Jerusalem raises her voice, “My heart, my heart [grieves] for their slain, my innards, my innards, [ache] for their slain. For you, Adonoy, set her afire, and with fire You will ultimately rebuild her, as it is said, “I will be to her, says Adonoy, a wall of fire around [her], and I shall be for glory in her midst.”³Zecharyah 2:9. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Consoler of Zion and Builder of Jerusalem.

Blessed are You, Adonoy, Builder of Jerusalem.

Speedily cause the sprout of David,⁴¹The prayer for the Messiah, descendant of David, follows the prayer for Jerusalem, following the sequence of Hosea’s prophecy (3:5), “Afterward, the Children of Israel will return to Jerusalem and seek Adonoy their God, and David their King “—Masechcas Megillah 18a Your servant, to flourish and exalt his power with Your deliverance. We hope all day for Your deliverance. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who causes the power of salvation to sprout.

Hear our voice, Adonoy, our God;⁴²The last of the intermediate benedictions petitions God to answer all our preceding prayers. spare us and have compassion on us, and accept our prayers compassionately and willingly, for You are Almighty Who hears prayers and supplications; and do not turn us away empty-handed from Your Presence, our King,⁴³At this point, the worshiper may add any private petition, and ask God’s help for himself, for his household, or for his community. for You hear the prayers of Your people, Israel, with compassion. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who hears prayers.

On Fast days during Mincha, the following petition is added here:

Answer us, Adonoy, answer us on the day of our fasting, for we are in great trouble. Do not regard our wickedness, do not conceal Your countenance from us, and do not be unmindful of our supplication. Please be near to our cry, let Your loving kindness console us. Even before we call unto You, answer us, as it is said: “And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer;⁸Isaiah 65:24. while they are yet speaking, I will hear. For You, Adonoy, are the One Who answers in time of trouble, Who redeems and rescues in all times of trouble and distress.

for You hear the prayers of Your people, Israel, with compassion. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who hears prayers.

Be pleased,⁴⁴The three concluding benedictions are known as the benedictions of thanksgiving. They consist of prayers for the re-establishment of God’s service at Jerusalem; thanksgiving for God’s daily wonders in our behalf; and a prayer for peace and prosperity. Adonoy, our God, with Your people, Israel, and their prayer;⁴⁵In the previous blessings the first person was used: “Heal us,” “Have mercy on us,” whereas here the third person is used: “Their prayer,” “Accept their prayer.” In order to achieve a level in which we will be a source of pleasure to God, we must possess greater merit than what we as individuals can claim. We therefore ask God to take pleasure in the entire people of Israel among whom there are pious and righteous individuals who possess great merit, and we ask Him to accept “their prayer” with love and satisfaction.—Siach Yitzchok and restore the service to the Holy of Holies in Your abode, and the fire-offerings⁴⁶The prayer “Be pleased” in a different form was recited by the Kohanim (priests) every day following the morning fire-offering.—Maseches Berachos 11b of Israel; and accept their prayer, lovingly and willingly. And may You always find pleasure with the service of Your people, Israel.

On regular weekdays continue, “And may our eyes”. On Rosh Chodesh and on Chol HaMoed, the following prayer is added:

Our God and God of our fathers, may there ascend, come, and reach, appear, be desired, and heard, counted and recalled our remembrance and reckoning; the remembrance of our fathers; the remembrance of the Messiah the son of David, Your servant; the remembrance of Jerusalem, city of Your Sanctuary and the remembrance of Your entire people, the House of Israel, before You for survival, for well-being, for favor, kindliness, compassion, for life and peace on this day of the: Rosh Chodesh/Festival of Matzos/Festival of Sukkos. Remember us Adonoy, our God, on this day for well-being; be mindful of us on this day for blessing, and deliver us for life. In accord with the promise of deliverance and compassion, spare us and favor us, have compassion on us and deliver us; for our eyes are directed to You, because You are the Almighty Who is King, Gracious, and Merciful.

If you forgot to say this at Shacharis, (the Morning Service) or at Mincha (the Afternoon Service), but realized your omission before saying מוֹדִים, “We are thankful,” you should say it at that time and continue with מוֹדִים. If you became aware of your omission after saying “מוֹדִים” “We are thankful,” but before concluding the Shemoneh Esrei [and taking three steps backwards], start again from רְצֵה, “Be pleased.” If you had completed the Shemoneh Esrei and then remembered, you must repeat the entire Shemoneh Esrei from the beginning. If you are in doubt, follow the same procedure as above. If you had already said the Musaf prayer and recalled your omission, it is the opinion of some authorities, that the Shemoneh Esrei of Shacharis be repeated as a נְדָבָה, a free-will-offering of prayer, rather than an obligatory prayer.

And may our eyes behold⁴⁷We pray for the privilege of witnessing the visible revelation of the Divine Presence as it appeared to the prophets, to the pious, and to all who were delivered from Egypt.—Kuzari Your merciful return to Zion. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who returns His Divine Presence to Zion.

At the words, We are thankful, bend forward; at Adonoy return to an upright position.

We are thankful to You⁴⁸Here you should bow in gratitude, as if standing before the Divine Presence, and say, “We are thankful to You.” The Jews always bowed when they perceived the Divine Presence..—Kuzari that You Adonoy are our God and the God of our fathers forever; Rock of our lives, You are the Shield of our deliverance in every generation. We will give thanks to You and recount Your praise, for our lives which are committed into Your hand, and for our souls which are entrusted to You,⁴⁹Here we thank God for returning our souls each morning, after having “entrusted” them to Him all night.—Eitz Yosef and for Your miracles of every day with us, and for Your wonders and benefactions at all times— evening, morning and noon.⁵⁰This phrase concludes the earlier declaration, “We will give thanks to You and recount Your praise ... evening, morning, and noon .”—Iyun Tefillalh (You are) The Beneficent One— for Your compassion is never withheld; And (You are) the Merciful One— for Your kindliness never ceases; we have always placed our hope in You.

(When the Chazzan repeats the Shemoneh Esrei and says, “Who returns His Divine Presence to Zion”, the congregation responds by saying “Amein” and then the following prayer.⁵¹This prayer was ordained by Rav and his colleagues. It is an abstract of several prayers recited by various Rabbis [=Rabanan], and for this reason it is called Modim D’Rabanan.)

We are thankful to You, that You Adonoy are our God, and God of our fathers, God of all flesh, Our Creator, Creator of the Beginning. Blessings and thanksgivings to Your great and holy Name for keeping us alive, and sustaining us; so may You always keep us alive and sustain us, and gather our exiles to the Courtyards of Your Sanctuary to observe Your statutes, and to do Your will, and to serve You wholeheartedly, for we are thankful to You. Blessed is the Almighty to Whom all thanks are due.

(On Chanukah and Purim the following prayer is added. If you omitted it, you need not repeat the Shemoneh Esrei. If, however, you became aware of your omission before concluding the blessing, you should say it at that time, and conclude by saying, “וְעַל כֻּלָּם, and for all the foregoing.”)

[We thank You] for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds, for the deliverances and for the wars that You performed for our fathers in those days at this season.

On Chanukah: In the days of Matisyahu, son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean and his sons, when the evil Greek kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah⁵²This refers to rationally conceived laws. S.R. Hirsch comments: The Greeks knew that the key to the Jewish religion is the Torah. If Torah were forgotten, the decline of ritual observance would be inevitable and rapid. Thus, they concentrated first on causing Torah to be forgotten, knowing that the deterioration of religious observance would swiftly follow. and to turn them away from the statutes of Your will— You, in Your abundant mercy, stood by them in their time of distress, You defended their cause, You judged their grievances, You avenged them. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, many into the hands of the few, defiled people into the hands of the undefiled, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and insolent [sinners] into the hands of diligent students of Your Torah. And You made Yourself a great and sanctified name in Your world. And for Your people, Israel, You performed a great deliverance and redemption unto this very day. Afterwards, Your sons entered the Holy of Holies of Your Abode, cleaned Your Temple, purified Your Sanctuary, and kindled lights in the Courtyards of Your Sanctuary, and designated these eight days of Chanukah to thank and praise Your great Name.

On Purim: In the days of Mordechai and Esther in Shushan the Capital [of Persia], when the evil Haman rose up against them, he sought to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their wealth⁵³The usual procedure of those times was that all the wealth of executed people reverted to the monarch. In contrast to the norm, Haman decreed that Jewish possessions would be free for all to enjoy. He did this to provide added incentive to the populace who might have hesitated to kill Jews if they had nothing to gain.— And You, in Your abundant mercy, annulled his counsel, frustrated his intention, and brought his evil plan upon his own head, and they hanged him and his sons upon the gallows. And You made a miracle and a wonder for them, and we are thankful to Your great name forever.

And for all the foregoing may Your Name, our King, constantly be blessed and extolled, forever and ever.

During the Ten Days of Penitence, add: Inscribe for a good life all the children of Your covenant.

If you forget to say this, you need not go back and repeat it. If you became aware of the omission before concluding the blessing, you can say it at that time.

And all the living shall thank You forever and praise Your Name with sincerity — the Almighty, Who is our deliverance and our help forever. Blessed are You, Adonoy; Your Name is The Beneficent and You it is fitting to praise.

Birkas Kohanim is said by the Chazzan on public fast-days:

To be said by the Chazzan

Our God, and God of our fathers, bless us with the threefold blessing of the Torah, written by the hand of Moses, Your servant, pronounced from the mouth of Aaron and his sons, the kohanim, Your holy people; as it is said: Adonoy bless you and guard you. Adonoy shine His countenance upon you and be gracious unto you. Adonoy turn His countenance toward you and grant you peace.⁵⁵Rashi paraphrases this blessing with the words יכבש כעסו, “May He withhold His anger.”

Bestow abundant peace upon Israel, Your people, forever. For You are King, the Master of all peace. And may it be good in Your sight to bless us and to bless Your people Israel, at all times and at every moment with Your peace.

Grant peace,⁵⁶Since the Birkat Kohanim concludes with a blessing for peace, this concluding blessing is a restatement of the last benediction in the form of a congregational prayer.—Pesher Dovor goodness, and blessing, favor, kindness and compassion upon us and upon all Israel, Your people. Bless us, our Father, all of us as one with the light of Your countenance. For by the light of Your countenance You gave us Adonoy our God, a Torah of life and the love of kindliness,⁵⁷One of the most important mitzvos of the “Torah of Life” is the mitzvah of doing kindness. But it is incomplete unless there is a love of kindliness in the heart which precedes the act of kindliness.—Pesher Dovor righteousness, blessing, compassion, life and peace. And may it be good in Your sight to bless Your people, Israel, at all times and at every moment with Your peace.

During the Ten Days of Penitence continue here: May we be remembered and inscribed before You in the book of life, blessing, peace and abundant maintenance; we and all Your people, the House of Israel, for a good life and peace.

If you forget to say this you need not go back and repeat it.

Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who blesses His people Israel with peace.

May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be acceptable before You, Adonoy, my Rock and my Redeemer.

My God, guard my tongue from evil⁵⁸This prayer was the personal meditation of Mar the son of Ravina, which he recited after he completed his prayers (Maseches Berachos 17a), and it is therefore expressed in the singular. The Jew prays that his mouth, his tongue, and his lips, which have just served as the instruments for his communion with God, will not forfeit any of their moral purity in his dealings with his fellow men—Yaavetz and my lips from speaking deceitfully. May my soul be unresponsive to those who curse me; and let my soul be like dust to all. Open my heart to Your Torah and let my soul pursue Your commandments.⁵⁹May I have an open, receptive and understanding mind and spirit in the study of Torah. When it comes to mitzvos, let my soul know no indifference, indolence, or passivity. Let me demonstrate zealous and vigorous endeavor in all things pertaining to Your mitzvos.—Etz Yosef; S.R. Hirsch And all who plan evil against me, quickly annul their counsel and frustrate their intention. Act for the sake of Your right hand. Act for the sake of Your holiness. Act for the sake of Your Torah. In order that Your loved ones be released, deliver [with] Your right hand and answer me. May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be acceptable before You Adonoy, my Rock and my Redeemer.

He Who makes peace in His high heavens may He make peace upon us and upon all Israel and say Amein.

May it be Your will, Adonoy, our God, and the God of our Fathers that the Holy Temple be rebuilt speedily in our days, and grant us our share in Your Torah. And there we will serve You reverently as in the days of old, and in earlier years. And let Adonoy be pleased with the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem as in the days of old and in earlier years.

On days when Tachanun is omitted the chazzan continues with Half Kaddish. When Tachanun is omitted on these days, it is also omitted at the preceding Mincha (afternoon service). Tachanun is also omitted in the presence of a bridegroom, and in the house of a mourner during the week of mourning.

During the Ten Days of Penitence, Avinu Malkeinu is recited here during Shacharis—the morning service, and Mincha—the afternoon service. It is also said by some congregations on public Fast Days. The number of petitions in this prayer varies with custom, but in our rite, Avinu Malkeinu consists of 44 petitions. Since many of them are similar to the petitions of Shemoneh Esrei, Avinu Malkeinu is never recited on Shabbos, when the petitions of Shemoneh Esrei are also omitted. This unique and moving prayer is recorded as having been recited by Rabbi Akiva. The Talmud (Maseches Taanis 25b) relates that Rabbi Eliezer once stepped down before the Ark and recited the 24 benedictions for fast days and his prayers were not answered. Rabbi Akiva stepped down after him and exclaimed, “Our Father, our King, we have no king except You. Our Father, our King, for Your sake have mercy on us,” and rain fell.

Our Father, our King!¹The Jewish People are referred to in Scripture as God’s slaves (Leviticus 25:42), and as His children (Deuteronomy 14:1). Thus we say to Him, “If we are Your children, we beseech You as our Father; if we are Your slaves, we implore You as our Master and King Contrary to the view that God, the Father, is so full of love for His children, that He permits the wanton breaking of His commandments to go unpunished, Judaism knows that God the King, must be feared and His laws must be obeyed. There are times when a father is unable to do what he would like for his children because of physical or financial limitations. On the other hand, a king has the power to do anything for his subjects if he should so desire. We cry out to God—You are our Father and You desire to help us—You are our King and You have the power to help us! we have sinned before You.

Our Father our King! we have no King except You.²Despite our physical banishment and spiritual estrangement—the result of our sins—we still have none other than God to guide our lives and to shape our destiny.

Our Father, our King! deal with us [kindly] for the sake of Your Name.³See Ezekiel 36.

During the Ten Days of Penitence, say: Our Father, our King! renew for us a good year.

On public fast-days, say: Our Father, our King! bless us with a good year.

Our Father, our King! annul all harsh decrees concerning us.

Our Father, our King! annul the designs of those who hate us.

Our Father, our King! thwart the plans of our enemies.

Our Father, Our King! rid us of every oppressor and adversary.

Our Father, Our King! seal the mouths of our adversaries and accusers.

Our Father, Our King! remove pestilence, sword, famine, captivity, destruction, [the burden of] iniquity and religious persecution from the members of Your covenant.

Our Father, Our King! withhold the plague from Your inheritance.

Our Father, Our King! forgive and pardon all our iniquities.

Our Father, Our King! blot out and remove our transgressions and sins from before Your eyes.

Our Father, Our King! erase in Your abundant mercy all records of our liabilities.⁴Having just asked that our sins be forgiven and that our transgressions be removed from before His eyes, what are we asking for now? Our earlier pleas were for forgiveness of those sins we committed ourselves. But there are sins for which we are held accountable even though we do not commit them ourselves. One possibility is, having watched while others sin, when we may have been able to prevent it. (Chazal say כל ישראל ערבין זה לזה. A guarantor is one who countersigns a debt note, undertaking to pay if the borrower defaults. Thus we ask God to erase all our notes of obligation whether as borrower or guarantor. In all instances, He is the Extender of credit.) Thus we beseech God to erase the records of our guilt in those instances.—Siach Yitzchok

Our Father, Our King! bring us back in wholehearted⁵Many repent out of their fear of God. Others repent out of their love for Him. We beseech God to bring us back in “wholehearted” repentance motivated by love, the most perfect form of penitence.—Etz Yosef repentance before You.

Our Father, Our King! send complete⁶We beseech God to heal both the spiritually ill as well as the physically ill. We ask, therefore, for a “complete” healing for the sick among us.—Etz Yosef healing to the sick among Your people.

Our Father, Our King! tear up the evil [parts] of our sentence.

Our Father, Our King! remember us favorably before You.

The following five prayers are said during the Ten Days of Penitence.

Our Father, Our King! inscribe us in the Book of the Good Life.

Our Father, Our King! inscribe us in the Book of Redemption and Deliverance.

Our Father, Our King! inscribe us in the Book of Maintenance and Sustenance.

Our Father, Our King! inscribe us in the Book of Merits.

Our Father, Our King! inscribe us in the Book of Pardon and Forgiveness.

The following five prayers are said on public fast-days.

Our Father, Our King! remember us for a good life.

Our Father, Our King! remember us for redemption and deliverance.

Our Father, Our King! remember us for maintenance and sustenance.

Our Father, Our King! remember us for merit.

Our Father, Our King! remember us for pardon and forgiveness.

Our Father, Our King! cause deliverance to spring forth for us soon.

Our Father, Our King! raise up the might of Your people Israel.

Our Father, Our King! raise up the might of Your anointed.

Our Father, Our King! fill our hands with Your blessings.

Our Father, Our King! fill our storehouses with abundance.

Our Father, Our King! hear our voice, spare us and have compassion upon us.

Our Father, Our King! accept our prayer with compassion and favor.

Our Father, Our King! open the gates of heaven to our prayer.

Our Father, Our King! remember, that we are dust.

Our Father, Our King! Please do not turn us away empty-handed from You.

Our Father, Our King! let this hour be an hour of compassion and a time of favor before You.

Our Father, Our King! have compassion upon us, and upon our children and infants.

Our Father, Our King! do it for the sake of those who were slain for Your holy Name.

Our Father, Our King! do it for the sake of those who were slaughtered for [proclaiming] Your Unity.

Our Father, Our King! do it for the sake of those who went through fire and water for the sanctification of Your Name.

Our Father, Our King! avenge before our eyes the spilled blood of Your servants.

Our Father, Our King! do it for Your sake if not for ours.

Our Father, Our King! do it for Your sake and deliver us.

Our Father, Our King! do it for the sake of Your great mercy.

Our Father, Our King! do it for the sake of Your great, mighty, and awesome Name which is proclaimed upon us.

Our Father, Our King! favor us and answer us for we have no accomplishments; deal with us charitably and kindly with us and deliver us.

David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hands of Adonoy, for His compassion is great; and let me not fall into the hands of men.”

Merciful and Gracious One, I have sinned before You; Adonoy, full of mercy, have compassion upon me and accept my supplications: Adonoy, do not punish me in anger, do not chastise me in fury. Have mercy on me, Adonoy, for I languish; heal me, Adonoy, for my bones shake with terror. My whole being is stricken with terror, while You, Adonoy —O, how long! Adonoy, turn! Rescue me! Deliver me as befits Your faithfulness. For there is no praise of You among the dead; in Sheol, who can acclaim You? I am weary with groaning; every night I drench my bed, I melt my couch in tears. My eyes are wasted by vexation, worn out because of all my foes. Away from me, all you evildoers, for Adonoy heeds the sound of my weeping. Adonoy heeds my plea, Adonoy accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be frustrated and stricken with terror; they will turn back in an instant, frustrated.

Guardian of Israel, guard the remnant of Israel, and let not Israel perish, who say, “Hear Israel.”

Guardian of the unique nation, guard the remnant of the unique people, and let not the unique nation perish, who proclaim the Oneness of Your Name, [saying:] Adonoy is our God, Adonoy is One.

Guardian of the holy nation, guard the remnant of the holy people and let not the holy nation perish who repeat the threefold sanctification to the Holy One.

You Who are appeased by pleas for mercy, and conciliated by supplications, be appeased and conciliated to an afflicted generation, for there is none else to help. Our Father, our King! be gracious to us and answer us for we have no [good] deeds, deal with us charitably and kindly and deliver us.

As for us, we know not what to do; but our eyes are upon You.³⁴II Chronicles 20:12. With this sentence. King Yehoshafat, concluded his prayer for Divine aid in his struggle against the hostile nations that were united against him. His prayer was answered. Each Jew in every generation must realize that he too has only one refuge for all time to come—God—to Whom we turn our eyes with trusting hope—S.R. Hirsch Remember Your mercies, Adonoy, and kindnesses for they are from the beginning of the world.³⁵Psalms 25:26. Adonoy! may Your kindness be upon us, as we have waited for You.³⁶Psalms 33:22. Remember not the sins of our ancestors;³⁷Others translate, “Remember not our [own] former iniquities.” let Your mercy come swiftly toward us,³⁸Psalms 79:8. for we have been brought very low. Be gracious to us, Adonoy, be gracious to us for we are saturated with humiliation.³⁹Psalms 123:3. [Even] in anger remember to have compassion.⁴⁰Habakkuk 3:2. For He knows of what we are made; He is mindful that we are but dust.⁴¹Psalms 103:14. Help us, God of our deliverance, for the sake of the glory of Your Name; save us and atone our sins,⁴²May we repent so that our sins will be atoned. for the sake of Your Name.⁴³Psalms 79:9.

Exalted and sanctified¹These opening words refer to the fulfillment of God’s prophecy, through Ezekiel (38:23) “And I will thus exalt Myself and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of the many nations, and they will know that I am Adonoy.”—Levush, Siddur HaGra. One should be very careful to emphasize the letter gimel (ג) when saying the word “Yisgadal (יִתְגַּדַּל),” in order that it not be heard as “Yiskadal (יִתְקַּדַל),” from the word קְדָל which means neck.—Mishnah Berurah 56:2 be His great Name

in the world which He created according to His will and may He rule His kingdom.²May His sovereignty be revealed. In your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire House of Israel, speedily and in the near future³We pray that the redemption will come speedily and that the process of the redemption itself will not be prolonged.—Siddur HaGra— and say Amein.

May His great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified, and exalted and uplifted, honored and elevated and extolled⁵The ten expressions of praise in the Kaddish refer to the ten utterances by which God created the world. (See Maseches Avos 5:1.) be the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He;

above (Ten Days of Penitence: far above) all the blessings and hymns,⁶May God be praised and exalted far beyond all the blessings, hymns and praises that are uttered.—Mishnah Berurah in the name of the Vilna Gaon 56:14. praises and consolations⁷Consolations are uttered because God is in mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temple and the exile of His people. which we utter in the world—and say Amein.

May there be acceptance of the prayers and supplications of the entire House of Israel before their Father in heaven. And say, Amein.

May there be abundant peace from heaven and life for us and for all Israel, —and say Amein.

He Who makes peace (Ten Days of Penitence: the peace) in His high heavens may He, make peace for us and for all Israel, and say, Amen.

It is our obligation to praise the Master of all, to ascribe greatness to the Creator of the [world in the] beginning: that He has not made us like the nations of the lands, and has not positioned us like the families of the earth; that He has not assigned our portion like theirs, nor our lot like that of all their multitudes. For they prostrate themselves to vanity and nothingness, and pray to a god that cannot deliver. But we bow, prostrate ourselves, and offer thanks before the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One blessed is He, Who spreads the heavens, and establishes the earth, and the seat of His glory is in heaven above, and the abode of His invincible might is in the loftiest heights. He is our God, there is nothing else. Our King is true, all else is insignificant, as it is written in His Torah: And You shall know this day and take into Your heart that Adonoy is God in the heavens above and upon the earth below; there is nothing else.¹Deuteronomy 4:39.

We therefore put our hope in You, Adonoy our God, to soon behold the glory of Your might in banishing idolatry from the earth, and the false gods will be utterly exterminated to perfect the world as the kingdom of Shadai.²See page 00, note 00. And all mankind will invoke Your Name, to turn back to You, all the wicked of the earth. They will realize and know, all the inhabitants of the world, that to You, every knee must bend, every tongue must swear [allegiance to You]. Before You, Adonoy, our God, they will bow and prostrate themselves, and to the glory of Your Name give honor. And they will all accept [upon themselves] the yoke of Your kingdom, and You will reign over them, soon, forever and ever. For the kingdom is Yours, and to all eternity You will reign in glory, as it is written in Your Torah: Adonoy will reign forever and ever.³Exodus 15:18. And it is said: And Adonoy will be King over the whole earth; on that day Adonoy will be One and His Name One.⁴Zecharyah 14:9.

Exalted and sanctified¹These opening words refer to the fulfillment of God’s prophecy, through Ezekiel (38:23) “And I will thus exalt Myself and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of the many nations, and they will know that I am Adonoy.”—Levush, Siddur HaGra. One should be very careful to emphasize the letter gimel (ג) when saying the word “Yisgadal (יִתְגַּדַּל),” in order that it not be heard as “Yiskadal (יִתְקַּדַל),” from the word קְדָל which means neck.—Mishnah Berurah 56:2 be His great Name

in the world which He created according to His will and may He rule His kingdom.²May His sovereignty be revealed. In your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire House of Israel, speedily and in the near future³We pray that the redemption will come speedily and that the process of the redemption itself will not be prolonged.—Siddur HaGra— and say Amein.

May His great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity.⁴This phrase, the heart of the Kaddish, is found almost verbatim in Daniel 2:20.

Blessed and praised, glorified, and exalted and uplifted, honored and elevated and extolled⁵The ten expressions of praise in the Kaddish refer to the ten utterances by which God created the world. (See Maseches Avos 5:1.) be the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He;

above (Ten Days of Penitence: far above) all the blessings and hymns,⁶May God be praised and exalted far beyond all the blessings, hymns and praises that are uttered.—Mishnah Berurah in the name of the Vilna Gaon 56:14. praises and consolations⁷Consolations are uttered because God is in mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temple and the exile of His people. which we utter in the world—and say Amein.

May there be abundant peace from heaven and a good life for us and for all Israel, —and say Amein.

He Who makes peace (Ten Days of Penitence: the peace) in His high heavens may He, in His mercy, make peace for us and for all Israel, —and say Amein.