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Shabbat - Morning Service

Torah Service

seder k'ri-at hatorah

סדר קריאת התורה

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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

בִּרְכוֹת הַתּוֹרָה

Blessings Spoken by Those Summoned to Ascend to the Torah

Before the Torah is read, the one honored with an aliyah speaks as follows:

Hebrew

בָּרְכוּ אֶת־יְהוָה הַמְבֹרָךְ:

Israeli

barechu et-adonai hamevorach:

English

Extol Adonai, toward whom every praise is turned.

The congregation makes reply:

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ יְהוָה הַמְבֹרָךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:

Israeli

baruch Adonai hamevorach le-olam va-ed:

English

Extol Adonai, toward whom every praise is turned forever and ever.

The one so honored restates the preceding reply, then proceeds:

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ מִכָּל־הָעַמִּים וְנָתַן לָנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה, נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה.

Israeli

baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam,
asher bachar banu mikol-ha-amim venatan lanu et-torato.
baruch atah Adonai, noten hatorah.

English

Barukh atah Adonai, our God, ruler of time and space, who has selected us from among all peoples, granting us the Torah. Barukh atah Adonai, who bestows the Torah.

After the Torah is read, the one so honored speaks the following:

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָנוּ תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת, וְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם נָטַע בְּתוֹכֵנוּ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה, נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה.

Israeli

baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam,
asher Natan lanu Torat emet, vechayei olam nata b'tochenu.
baruch atah Adonai, noten hatorah.

English

Barukh atah Adonai, our God, ruler of time and space, who has granted us a teaching of truth, implanting everlasting life among us. Barukh atah Adonai, who bestows the Torah.

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ לָעוֹלֶה לַתּוֹרָה

Mi Sheberakh: Blessing upon Those Summoned to the Torah

For a single person:

Hebrew

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, וְאִמּוֹתֵינוּ
שָׂרָה רִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאָה, הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת ________
שֶׁעָלָה/שֶׁעָלְתָה הַיּוֹם לִכְבוֹד הַמָּקוֹם וְלִכְבוֹד הַתּוֹרָה,
וְלִכְבוֹד הַשַּׁבָּת. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמֹר אוֹתוֹ/אוֹתָהּ
וְאֶת־כָּל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ/מִשְׁפַּחְתָּהּ, וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה
בְּכָל־מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו/יָדֶיהָ, עִם כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶחָיו
וְאַחְיוֹתָיו/אַחֶיהָ וְאַחְיוֹתֶיהָ, וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.

Israeli

mi sheberach avoteinu Avraham Yitzchak veya-akov, ve-imoteinu
Sarah Rivkah Rachel vele-ah, hu yevarech et ________
she-alah or she-aletah hayom lichvod hamakom velichvod hatorah,
velichvod hashabat. hakadosh baruch hu yishmor oto or otah
ve-et-kol-mishpachto or mishpachtah, veyishlach b'rachah vehatzlachah
b'chol-ma-aseh yadav or yadeha, im kol-yisra-el echav
ve-achyotav or acheha ve-achyoteha, venomar Amen.

English

May the One who blessed Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, our ancestors, bless _______, who has/have this day ascended to honor God and the Torah and Shabbat. May the blessed Holy One shield him/her/them and his/her/their whole family, send blessing and success upon every work of his/her/their hands, along with all his/her/their fellow Jews, and let us say: Amen.

For a company of people:

Hebrew

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, וְאִמּוֹתֵינוּ
שָׂרָה רִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאָה, הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת כָּל־אֵלֶּה שֶׁעָלוּ
הַיּוֹם לִכְבוֹד הַמָּקוֹם וְלִכְבוֹד הַתּוֹרָה, וְלִכְבוֹד הַשַּׁבָּת.
הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמֹר אוֹתָם וְאֶת־כָּל־מִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיהֶם,
וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל־מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם, עִם
כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲחֵיהֶם וְאַחְיוֹתֵיהֶם, וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.

Israeli

mi sheberach avoteinu Avraham Yitzchak veya-akov, ve-imoteinu
Sarah Rivkah Rachel vele-ah, hu yevarech et kol-eleh she-alu
hayom lichvod hamakom velichvod hatorah, velichvod hashabat.
hakadosh baruch hu yishmor otam ve-et-kol-mishpechoteihem,
veyishlach b'rachah vehatzlachah b'chol-ma-aseh yedeihem, im
kol-yisra-el acheihem ve-achyoteihem, venomar Amen.

See pages 439–445 for further Mi Sheberakh prayers for special occasions.

Commentary

THE READING. In the Land of Israel in the 1st millennium, the Torah was read on a cycle of three-and-a-half years and divided into more than 150 portions. In Babylonia, the Torah was divided into larger portions, called parashiyot, which are read in sequence on Shabbat mornings throughout a single year. (The number of these portions was eventually fixed at 54.) Because some years are leap years and in some years festivals fall on Shabbat, certain parashiyot may be read together, so that the weekly readings remain coordinated with the calendar. Today, we follow the Babylonian custom, though some congregations read one-third of each parashah each week, thus completing a full Torah reading in three years. The trope, the musical notation with which the Torah is chanted, is the oldest form of musical notation still in use; it dates at least to the end of the 1st millennium. Trope serve as syntactical signposts and provide interpretive meaning to the text.

WHO HAS CHOSEN US בָּחַר בָּנוּ. At the moment of approaching the Torah, one may feel especially chosen and may also experience the moment as being directly commanded.

HAS GIVEN US . . . WHO GIVES THE TORAH נָתַן לָנוּ . . . נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה. The Hebrew moves from the past tense to the present. The meaning of the words of Torah not only derive from the past, but each reading may offer a new revelation.

From Sephardic Practice Before reciting the Torah blessings, the honoree(s) turn(s) to the congregation with a word of blessing (in accord with the language of greeting found in Ruth 2:4), and the congregation then responds in recognition: Honoree(s): יְהוָה עִמָּכֶם. May God be with you. Adonai imakhem. Congregation: יְבָרֶכְךָ/יְבָרְכֵךְ/יְבָרֶכְכֶם יְהוָה. May God bless you. Y’varekh-kha/y’var’kheikh/y’var’kheim Adonai.

Shabbat: Resting-Place on Our Journey Each Shabbat is its own revelation, but each leads us further on the road to eternity. Each Shabbat is a resting place, an oasis on the journey that is the life of Torah. Each Shabbat’s Torah reading looks forward to yet another week—another revelation.

Studying Torah Once a young man who wanted to become a Ḥasid arrived at the court of Isaac Meir, the rebbe of Gur. The rabbi asked him if he had learned Torah. The young man didn’t know what to answer. He had studied Torah but didn’t want to appear too bold and answer “Yes,” as if he knew all of Torah; nor could he say “No,” for he would then be lying. So he responded, “I know a little.” The rabbi replied, “Can anyone know more than a little?”