Morning Blessings

birchot hashachar

ברכות השחר

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Israeli: ' marks a reduced vowel that Israeli speech drops (b'rachah); when the vowel is pronounced it is written e (lefanecha). - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

Hebrew

לְפִיכָךְ אֲנַחְנוּ חַיָּבִים לְהוֹדוֹת לָךְ וּלְשַׁבֵּחַ וּלְפָאֵר
וּלְבָרֵךְ וּלְקַדֵּשׁ וְלָתֵת שֶׁבַח וְהוֹדָיָה לִשְׁמֶךָ.
אַשְׁרֵינוּ, מַה טּוֹב חֶלְקֵנוּ,
וּמַה נָּעִים גּוֹרָלֵנוּ,
וּמַה יָּפָה יְרֻשָּׁתֵנוּ.
אַשְׁרֵינוּ, שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ מַשְׁכִּימִים וּמַעֲרִיבִים,
עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר, וְאוֹמְרִים פַּעֲמַיִם בְּכָל־יוֹם:

Israeli

lefichach anachnu chayavim lehodot lach uleshabeach ulefa-er
ulevarech ulekadesh velatet shevach vehodayah lishmecha.
ashreinu, mah tov chelkenu,
umah na-im goralenu,
umah yafah yerushatenu.
ashreinu, she-anachnu mashkimim uma-arivim,
erev vavoker, ve-omerim pa-amayim b'chol-yom:

English

Hence it is our duty to offer You thanks and to glorify You, to bless, hallow, and offer praise to Your name. How fortunate we are: how fine is our portion, how pleasant our lot, how lovely our inheritance! How fortunate are we that twice in each day, morning and evening, as we rise and as we close our day, we say:

Hebrew

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יהוה אֶחָד.

Israeli

sh'ma Yisra-el Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.

English

Hearken, O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is one.

Spoken softly:

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

Israeli

baruch shem k'vod malchuto le-olam va-ed.

English

Blessed be the name of the one whose glorious sovereignty endures forever and ever.

Hebrew

אַתָּה הוּא עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם,
אַתָּה הוּא מִשֶּׁנִּבְרָא הָעוֹלָם,
אַתָּה הוּא בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה,
וְאַתָּה הוּא לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
אַתָּה הוּא יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ,
וּבִשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם הָעֶלְיוֹנִים.
אֱמֶת,
אַתָּה הוּא רִאשׁוֹן
וְאַתָּה הוּא אַחֲרוֹן,
וּמִבַּלְעָדֶיךָ אֵין אֱלֹהִים.
קַדֵּשׁ אֶת־שִׁמְךָ עַל מַקְדִּישֵׁי שְׁמֶךָ,
וְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת־שִׁמְךָ בְּעוֹלָמֶךָ,
וּבִישׁוּעָתְךָ תָּרִים וְתַגְבִּיהַּ קַרְנֵנוּ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה, מְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת־שִׁמְךָ בָּרַבִּים.

Israeli

atah hu ad shelo nivra ha-olam,
atah hu mishenivra ha-olam,
atah hu ba-olam hazeh,
ve-atah hu la-olam haba.
atah hu Adonai Eloheinu bashamayim uva-aretz,
uvishmei hashamayim ha-elyonim.
emet,
atah hu rishon
ve-atah hu acharon,
umibaladecha ein Elohim.
kadesh et-shimcha al makdishei sh'mecha,
vekadesh et-shimcha be-olamecha,
uvishu-atcha tarim vetagbiah karnenu.
baruch atah Adonai, mekadesh et-shimcha barabim.

English

Before the world was created You already were, and since creation You remain; in this world You abide, and in the world that is coming You shall be. You are Adonai our God, throughout the heavens and upon the earth, even unto the highest heavens. In truth You are first and You are last, and beside You no other exists. Reveal Your holiness through those who hallow Your name, and make Your name holy in this world; as Your deliverance comes, lift our heads in pride. Barukh atah Adonai, who makes Your name holy through community.

Commentary

HEAR, O ISRAEL שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל. Although the full Sh’ma will be recited later in the service, its first line was inserted here to fulfill the obligation of reciting the Sh’ma “when you rise up”; it was recited at home. Similarly in the evening, though the Sh’ma is recited as part of the evening service, the first paragraph is said again before retiring, in order to fulfill the scriptural obligation of reciting it “when you lie down” (Deuteronomy 6:7).

YOU WERE אַתָּה הוּא. This emphatic phrase (literally, “You are the one who...”) appears a total of seven times in this passage. Given that the number seven has mystical significance, this sevenfold refrain may have served as a meditational exercise.

BEFORE THE WORLD WAS CREATED עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. A credal statement to the effect that God is beyond time also follows the Sh’ma recited later in the morning service (see page 157). Both are perhaps intended as an interpretation of the meaning of God’s uniqueness affirmed in the Sh’ma: the God who is one is eternal.

TRULY, YOU ARE FIRST אֱמֶת, אַתָּה הוּא רִאשׁוֹן. These words are adapted from Isaiah 44:6, where God proclaims: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me.”

The Song of “You” Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev used to sing a song, part of which is as follows: Where I wander —You! Where I ponder —You! Only You, You again, always You! You! You! You! When I am gladdened —You! When I am saddened —You! Only You, You again, always You! You! You! You! Sky is You! Earth is You! You above! You below! In every trend, at every end, Only You, You again, always You! You! You! You! (translated by Olga Marx) …