Prayer for Dew

Tefilat Tal

תפילת טל

Visible layers

Hebrew

טַל יַעֲסִיס צוּף הָרִים
טַעַם בְּמָאוֹדֶיךָ מִבְחָרִים
חֲנוּנֶיךָ חַלֵּץ מִמַּסְגֵּרִים
זִמְרָה נַנְעִים וְקוֹל נָרִים
בַּטָּל.

Sephardi

Tal ya'asis tzuf harim
Ta'am bema'odecha mivcharim
Chanunecha chaletz mimasgerim
Zimrah nan'im vekol narim
Batal.

English

Dew – Let it sweeten the mountain streams; let the chosen ones taste Your magnanimity. Free Your beloved ones from captivity, then sweetly we will raise our voices and sing – With dew.

Hebrew

טַל וְשֹׂבַע מַלֵּא אֲסָמֵינוּ
הֲכָעֵת תְּחַדֵּשׁ יָמֵינוּ
דּוֹד, כְּעֶרְכָּךְ הַעֲמֵד שְׁמֵנוּ
גַּן רָוֶה שִׂימֵנוּ
בַּטָּל.

Sephardi

Tal vesova malei asameinu
Hacha'et techadesh yameinu
Dod, ke'erkecha ha'amed shmeinu
Gan raveh simeinu
Batal.

English

Dew – May it fill our granaries to overflowing. Would that now You might renew our days. Beloved! Let our name endure as Yours. Make us like a well-watered garden – With dew.

Hebrew

טַל בּוֹ תְּבָרֵךְ מָזוֹן
בְּמִשְׁמַנֵּינוּ אַל יְהִי רָזוֹן
אֻמָּה אֲשֶׁר הִסַּעְתָּ כַּצֹּאן
אָנָּא תַּפֵּק לָהּ רָצוֹן
בַּטָּל.

Sephardi

Tal bo tevarech mazon
Bemishmaneinu al yehi razon
Umah asher hisata katzon
Ana tapek lah ratzon
Batal.

English

Dew – With it bless our food; in our fertile lands may there be no scarcity. The nation You once led like a flock, on her please, we pray, bestow Your favor – With dew.

Leader:

Hebrew

שָׁאַתָּה הוּא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ
מַשִּׁיב הָרוּחַ וּמוֹרִיד הַטָּל

Sephardi

Sha'atah hu Adonai Eloheinu
Mashiv haruach umorid hatal

English

For You, LORD our God, make the wind blow and the dew fall.

Congregation then Leader, responsively:

Hebrew

לִבְרָכָה וְלֹא לִקְלָלָה קהל: אָמֵן
לְחַיִּים וְלֹא לַמָּוֶת קהל: אָמֵן
לְשֹׂבַע וְלֹא לְרָזוֹן קהל: אָמֵן

Sephardi

Livrachah velo liklalah Kahal: Amen
Lechayim velo lamavet Kahal: Amen
Lesova velo lerazon Kahal: Amen

English

For blessing, and not for curse. Cong: Amen. For life, and not for death. Cong: Amen. For plenty, and not for scarcity. Cong: Amen.

The Ark is closed. The Leader continues the Repetition with “He sustains the living” on page 856.

Commentary

לִבְרָכָה וְלֹא לִקְלָלָה For blessing, and not for curse: In this rousing three-line climax (paralleled in the Prayer for Rain), Leader and congregation join in fervent prayer that the forces of nature, under the care of the Maker of nature, should bring blessing to the land and its people.

… of a vine, a metaphor for Israel (see Psalm 80:16 and commentaries thereto). By comparing Israel to a plant, the poet can extend the metaphor of dew to the fortunes of the nation. כְּעֶרְכָּךְ הַעֲמֵד שְׁמֵנוּ Let our name endure as Yours: just as God is eternal, so may be the people who carry His name (“Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD,” Deut. 28:10). בְּמִשְׁמַנֵּינוּ In our fertile lands: literally, “In our fat places may there be no leanness.”