Returning the Torah

Hachnasat Sefer Torah

הכנסת ספר תורה

Visible layers

As the Torah scroll is placed into the Ark, say:

Num. 10Ps. 132Prov. 4Prov. 3Lam. 5

Hebrew

וּבְנֻחֹה יֹאמַר, שׁוּבָה יהוה רִבְבוֹת אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:
קוּמָה יהוה לִמְנוּחָתֶךָ, אַתָּה וַאֲרוֹן עֻזֶּךָ:
כֹּהֲנֶיךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־צֶדֶק, וַחֲסִידֶיךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ:
בַּעֲבוּר דָּוִד עַבְדֶּךָ אַל־תָּשֵׁב פְּנֵי מְשִׁיחֶךָ:
כִּי לֶקַח טוֹב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם, תּוֹרָתִי אַל־תַּעֲזֹבוּ:
עֵץ־חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ, וְתֹמְכֶיהָ מְאֻשָּׁר:
דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי־נֹעַם וְכָל־נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם:
הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ יהוה אֵלֶיךָ וְנָשׁוּבָה, חַדֵּשׁ יָמֵינוּ כְּקֶדֶם:

Sephardi

Uvenuchoh yomar, shuvah Adonai rivvot alfei Yisrael:
Kumah Adonai limnuchatecha, atah va'aron uzecha:
Kohanecha yilbeshu-tzedek, vachasidecha yeranenu:
Ba'avur David avdecha al-tashev penei meshichecha:
Ki lekach tov natati lachem, Torati al-taazovu:
Etz-chayim hi lamachazikim bah, vetomchehah me'ushar:
Derachehah darkei-no'am vechol-netivotehah shalom:
Hashivenu Adonai elecha venashuvah, chadesh yameinu kekedem:

English

When the Ark came to rest, Moses would say: "Return, O LORD, to the myriad thousands of Israel." Advance, LORD, to Your resting place, You and Your mighty Ark. Your priests are clothed in righteousness, and Your devoted ones sing in joy. For the sake of Your servant David, do not reject Your anointed one. For I give you good instruction; do not forsake My Torah. It is a tree of life to those who grasp it, and those who uphold it are happy. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace. Turn us back, O LORD, to You, and we will return. Renew our days as of old.

The Ark is closed.

On Rosh Ḥodesh and Ḥol HaMo'ed, the Leader says Half Kaddish, page 172. The tefillin are removed. The service then continues with Musaf (for Rosh Ḥodesh on page 788, for Ḥol HaMo'ed on page 856).

On other days, the service continues with "A prayer of David" on the next page.

On Tu BiShevat, in the month of Nisan, Lag BaOmer, from Rosh Ḥodesh Sivan through the day after Shavuot (in Israel through the 12th of Sivan), Tu B'Av, Erev Rosh HaShana, from Yom Kippur through the day after Simḥat Torah (in Israel through Rosh Ḥodesh Marḥeshvan), on the morning of a Brit Mila, either where the brit will take place or where the father, Sandak or mohel are present, if a groom is present (and some say a bride) on the day of his wedding, and during the week of Sheva Berakhot, continue with "House of Jacob" on the next page.

On Erev Pesaḥ, Ḥanukka, the 15th of Adar I, Purim and Shushan Purim, Yom HaAtzma'ut, Yom Yerushalayim, Tisha B'Av, or in a house of mourning, and in Israel on Isru Ḥag, continue with the Daily Psalm on page 190.

Commentary

They parallel the words we say when the scroll is taken out, "Whenever the Ark set out" (page 166), said by the Israelites when they began a new journey. Throughout the centuries, wherever Jews went, they took the Torah with them: it became their "portable homeland." עֵץ־חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ It is a tree of life to those who grasp it: though Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat the fruit of the tree of life (Gen. 3:22), the Torah is our intimation of eternity in the midst of time. Immortality is a matter, not of how long we live, but of how we live.

… create an orderly society. Worshiping God at the Temple may not be divorced from honesty and integrity in everyday life. The latter part of the psalm, "Lift up your heads, O gates," was said by King Solomon when the Ark, containing the tablets of the covenant, was first brought into the Temple (Shabbat 30a). As the Torah scroll is returned to the Ark, we recall that historic scene.

וּבְנֻחֹה יֹאמַר When the Ark came to rest: These words, taken from Numbers 10:36, recall the journeys of the Israelites through the wilderness in the days of Moses.