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Shabbat - Morning Service

Torah Service

seder k'ri-at hatorah

סדר קריאת התורה

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Reader

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

The Torah’s Procession

The Torah scroll is taken from the ark and the leader turns to the congregation. The leader recites the following two lines and we then repeat them:

Hebrew

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה אֶחָד.

Israeli

sh'ma Yisra-el, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad.

English

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

Hebrew

אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ, גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנֵנוּ, קָדוֹשׁ שְׁמוֹ.

Israeli

echad Eloheinu, gadol adonenu, kadosh sh'mo.

English

One is our God; our sovereign is great; God’s name is holy.

Leader, facing the ark:

Hebrew

גַּדְּלוּ לַיהוָה אִתִּי, וּנְרוֹמְמָה שְׁמוֹ יַחְדָּו.

Israeli

gadlu ladonai iti, uneromemah sh'mo yachdav.

English

Glorify Adonai with me; together let us acclaim God’s name.

In a circuit around the congregation, the Torah is carried.

Hebrew

לְךָ יְהוָה הַגְּדֻלָּה וְהַגְּבוּרָה וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת וְהַנֵּצַח וְהַהוֹד,
כִּי כֹל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ. לְךָ יְהוָה הַמַּמְלָכָה וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂא
לְכֹל לְרֹאשׁ. רוֹמְמוּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַהֲדֹם רַגְלָיו,
קָדוֹשׁ הוּא. רוֹמְמוּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְהַר קָדְשׁוֹ,
כִּי קָדוֹשׁ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ.

Israeli

lecha Adonai hagdulah vehagvurah vehatiferet vehanetzach vehahod,
ki chol bashamayim uva-aretz. lecha Adonai hamamlachah vehamitnasei
lechol lerosh. romemu Adonai Eloheinu, vehishtachavu lahadom raglav,
kadosh hu. romemu Adonai Eloheinu, vehishtachavu lehar kodsho,
ki kadosh Adonai Eloheinu.

English

To You, Adonai, belong the greatness, the strength, the glory, the triumph, and the splendor—for everything in heaven and on earth is Yours. To You, Adonai, belong the majesty and the sovereignty above all. Extol Adonai, our God; bow down before God, the Holy One. Extol Adonai, our God, and bow down at God’s holy mountain, for holy is Adonai our God.

The Reading of the Torah

On the reading table the Torah is placed.

A PRAYER FOR DISTRESSED JEWISH COMMUNITIES

Hebrew

אָב הָרַחֲמִים, הוּא יְרַחֵם עַם עֲמוּסִים, וְיִזְכֹּר בְּרִית אֵיתָנִים,
וְיַצִּיל נַפְשׁוֹתֵינוּ מִן הַשָּׁעוֹת הָרָעוֹת, וְיִגְעַר בְּיֵצֶר הָרָע מִן
הַנְּשׂוּאִים, וְיָחֹן אוֹתָנוּ לִפְלֵיטַת עוֹלָמִים, וִימַלֵּא
מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֵינוּ בְּמִדָּה טוֹבָה יְשׁוּעָה וְרַחֲמִים.

Israeli

av harachamim, hu yerachem am amusim, veyizkor b'rit eitanim,
veyatzil nafshoteinu min hasha-ot hara-ot, veyigar b'yetzer hara min
hanesu-im, veyachon otanu lifleitat olamim, vimalei
mishaloteinu b'midah tovah yeshu-ah verachamim.

English

May the one who is compassion’s source remember the covenant with our ancestors and show compassion to this people borne by God. May the Divine rescue us in hard times, take away the impulse to commit evil from those who bear it, and grant us lasting relief. May favor, deliverance, and compassion meet our requests.

PRIOR TO THE FIRST ALIYAH

Leader:

Hebrew

וְיַעֲזֹר וְיָגֵן וְיוֹשִׁיעַ לְכָל הַחוֹסִים בּוֹ, וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.
הַכֹּל הָבוּ גֹדֶל לֵאלֹהֵינוּ וּתְנוּ כָבוֹד לַתּוֹרָה.
(כֹּהֵן קְרַב, יַעֲמֹד _____ בֶּן _____ הַכֹּהֵן.)
(בַּת כֹּהֵן קִרְבִי, תַּעֲמֹד _____ בַּת _____ הַכֹּהֵן.)
(יַעֲמֹד _____ בֶּן _____ רִאשׁוֹן.)
(תַּעֲמֹד _____ בַּת _____ רִאשׁוֹנָה.)
בָּרוּךְ שֶׁנָּתַן תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְדֻשָּׁתוֹ.

Israeli

veya-azor veyagen veyoshia lechol hachosim bo, venomar Amen.
hakol havu godel leiloheinu utnu chavod latorah.
(kohen k'rav, ya-amod _____ ben _____ hakohen.)
(bat kohen kirvi, ta-amod _____ bat _____ hakohen.)
(ya-amod _____ ben _____ rishon.)
(ta-amod _____ bat _____ rishonah.)
baruch shenatan Torah le-amo Yisra-el bikdushato.

English

May You aid, shield, and save all who put their trust in You, and let us say: Amen. Let us all declare God’s greatness and honor the Torah as [the first to be called to the Torah] comes forward. Praised is God, who gave Torah in holiness to the people Israel.

Congregation and Leader:

Hebrew

וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם.

Israeli

ve-atem hadvekim badonai Eloheichem, chayim kulechem hayom.

English

You who hold fast to Adonai your God have all been sustained to this day.

Commentary

ACCLAIM גַּדְּלוּ. Psalm 34:4. This verse, asking the congregation to acknowledge Adonai, and the following verses, which form the congregational response, mark the oldest section of the Torah service. Since Judaism avoids any iconic representations of God, the Torah represents the most concrete symbol of God’s presence on earth. When we bow in the direction of the Torah, we are acknowledging God’s presence among us. In this vein, the Torah procession concludes with verses that speak of bowing before God.

YOURS, ADONAI לְךָ יְהוָה. 1 Chronicles 29:11. These verses are presented as part of David’s last speech to the people Israel.

ALIYOT. A person called to the Torah is an oleh/olah la-torah, one who “goes up” to the Torah, since in the Middle Ages the reading table was on a raised platform. It is considered an honor to be called up to the Torah, to publicly recite the blessings over the reading. During the talmudic era, each person called to the Torah would chant the assigned passage directly from the scroll. Today, each person called to the Torah recites the b’rakhot and the Torah is chanted by a designated reader. (To this day, Yemenite Jews called to the Torah read their own aliyah.) The ancient rabbis instituted a practice of calling a kohen for the first aliyah and a levi for the second, in order to mitigate arguments about who deserved the opening honors. Some congregations retain this practice; others call congregants to aliyot without regard to status. It has become customary that each person called to the Torah uses either the corner of the tallit or the Torah binder to touch the scroll at the starting place (indicated by the reader) and then kisses the tallit or binder, reciting the b’rakhah while holding the wooden handles of the Torah rollers. When the reading is completed, this gesture is repeated.

YOU WHO CLING וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים. Deuteronomy 4:4. From Moses’ speech to Israel in the wilderness. In its context here, the verse is an assertion that it is through Torah that the fullness of life can be achieved.