Reading The Torah
The Torah is read on Mondays, Thursdays, Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah, Purim, fast days, and Chol Hamoed. The Torah readings can be found on pages 698 to 847.
The Ark is opened. Stand and remain standing until the Torah is placed on the Bimah. For transliteration, see page 944.
Verses about the Ark and the Torah
Hebrew
וַיְהִי בִּנְסֹעַ הָאָרֹן וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה:
קוּמָה יְיָ וְיָפֻצוּ אֹיְבֶיךָ
וְיָנֻסוּ מְשַׂנְאֶיךָ מִפָּנֶיךָ: כִּי מִצִּיּוֹן
תֵּצֵא תוֹרָה וּדְבַר יְיָ מִירוּשָׁלָיִם:
בָּרוּךְ שֶׁנָּתַן תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל
בִּקְדֻשָּׁתוֹ:
Sephardi
Va-yehi binsoa ha'aron vayomer Moshe:
Kumah Adonai ve-yafutzu oyevecha
ve-yanusu mesanekha mipanecha: Ki mitziyon
tetze Torah u-devar Adonai mi-Yerushalayim:
Baruch shenatan Torah le'amo Yisrael
bikdushato:
English
Whenever the Ark would travel with the Jewish Nation in the desert, Moses would say, “Lord, rise up and show Your strength and power, and Your enemies will be scattered and run away out of fear. Those who hate You will run away from You, God.” The teachings of the Torah will spread forth from Zion. The word of the Lord will spread forth from Jerusalem, which will be the center of Torah learning. Blessed is God, Who, in His holiness, gave the Torah to His nation, the Children of Israel.
May God protect and save the Jewish Nation, which trusts only in Him
Hebrew
בְּרִיךְ שְׁמֵהּ דְמָרֵא עָלְמָא, בְּרִיךְ כִּתְרָךְ
וְאַתְרָךְ, יְהֵא רְעוּתָךְ עִם עַמָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל
לְעָלַם, וּפוּרְקַן יְמִינָךְ אַחֲזֵי לְעַמָּךְ בְּבֵי
מַקְדְּשָׁךְ, וּלְאַמְטוּיֵי לָנָא מִטּוּב נְהוֹרָךְ וּלְקַבֵּל
צְלוֹתָנָא בְרַחֲמִין. יְהֵא רַעֲוָא קֳדָמָךְ דְתוֹרִיךְ
לָן חַיִּין בְּטִיבוּ, וְלֶהֱוֵי אֲנָא פְקִידָא בְּגוֹ צַדִּיקַיָּא,
לְמִרְחַם עָלַי וּלְמִנְטַר יָתִי וְיָת כָּל דִּי לִי, וְדִי
לְעַמָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל. אַנְתְּ הוּא זָן לְכֹלָּא וּמְפַרְנֵס
לְכֹלָּא, אַנְתְּ הוּא שַׁלִּיט עַל כֹּלָּא. אַנְתְּ הוּא
דְשַׁלִּיט עַל מַלְכַיָּא, וּמַלְכוּתָא דִילָךְ הִיא.
Sephardi
Berich shemei de-Mare alma, berich kitrakh
ve-atrakh, yehei reutakh im ammakh Yisrael
le'alam, u-furkan yeminakh ahaze le-amakh be-vei
Makdeshakh, u-le-amtuye lana mi-tuv nehorakh u-le-kabbel
tzelotana ve-rahamin. Yehei ra'ava kodamakh de-torikh
lan hayin be-tivu, ve-leheve ana fekida bego tzaddikaya,
le-mirham alai u-le-mintar yati ve-yat kol di li, ve-di
le-amakh Yisrael. Ant hu zan le-khola umefarnes
le-khola, ant hu shalit al kolla. Ant hu
de-shalit al malkhaya, u-malkhuta dilakh hi.
English
Blessed is the name of God, the Master of the universe. God, Your crown and the place of Your Divine Presence are blessed. May Your good will always be with the Children of Israel, Your people. Show Your people the redemption of Your strong, right hand by rebuilding Your Holy Temple. Give us the goodness of Your spiritual light, and accept our prayers with mercy. God, may it be Your will to lengthen our life with goodness. May I be counted among the righteous people, so that You will have mercy on me and protect me and everything that belongs to me and to the Children of Israel, Your nation. God, it is You Who provides food and support for everything. It is You Who rules over everything. It is You Who rules over kings and the power to rule as king belongs to You.
Hebrew
אֲנָא עַבְדָּא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְסָגִידְנָא
קַמֵּיהּ וּמִקַּמֵּי דִיקַר אוֹרַיְתֵיהּ. בְּכָל עִדָּן וְעִדָּן
לָא עַל אֱנָשׁ רָחִיצְנָא וְלָא עַל בַּר אֱלָהִין
סָמִיכְנָא, אֶלָּא בֵּאלָהָא דִשְׁמַיָּא, דְהוּא אֱלָהָא
קְשׁוֹט, וְאוֹרַיְתֵיהּ קְשׁוֹט, וּנְבִיאוֹהִי קְשׁוֹט,
וּמַסְגֵּא לְמֶעְבַּד טַבְוָן וּקְשׁוֹט.
Sephardi
Ana avda de-Kudsha Berich Hu, de-sagidna
kameh u-mi-kame di-yekar Oraiteh. Bechol iddan ve-iddan
la al enash rahitzna ve-la al bar elahin
samikhna, ela be-Elaha di-shemaya, de-hu Elaha
keshot, ve-Oraiteh keshot, u-neviohi keshot,
u-masge le-meavad tavvan u-keshot.
English
I am the servant of the Holy One, blessed be He. I bow before Him, and I bow before His glorious Torah. I do not, at any time, put my trust in people, and I do not place my trust in an angel. Rather, I put my trust in the God of heaven, Who is the true God, Whose Torah is true, Whose prophets are true, and Who performs many acts of goodness and truth.
For transliteration, see page 945.
Hebrew
בֵּהּ אֲנָא רָחִיץ, וְלִשְׁמֵהּ קַדִּישָׁא יַקִּירָא
אֲנָא אֵמַר תּוּשְׁבְּחָן. יְהֵא רַעֲוָא קֳדָמָךְ דְתִפְתַּח
לִבָּאִי בְּאוֹרַיְתָא, וְתַשְׁלִים מִשְׁאֲלִין דְלִבָּאִי,
וְלִבָּא דְכָל עַמָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְטָב לְחַיִּין וְלִשְׁלָם:
Sephardi
Beh ana rahitz, ve-lishmeh kadisha yakkira
ana emar tushbehan. Yehei ra'ava kodamakh de-tiftah
libbai be-Oraita, ve-tashlim mishalin de-libbai,
ve-libba dechol ammakh Yisrael, le-tav le-hayyin ve-lishlam:
English
I put my trust in Him, and I recite praises to His holy and glorious name. God, may it be Your will that You should open my heart to understand the Torah. You should fulfill the wishes of my heart and the hearts of all the Children of Israel, Your nation, for good, for life, and for peace.
The Torah is removed from the Ark and handed to the chazzan.
The chazzan raises the Torah slightly and says:
Hebrew
גַּדְּלוּ לַייָ אִתִּי, וּנְרוֹמְמָה שְׁמוֹ יַחְדָּו:
Sephardi
Gaddelu la-Adonai iti, u-neromemah shemo yachdav:
English
Declare the Lord’s greatness with me. Let us exalt His name together.
As the chazzan carries the Torah to the bimah, the congregation and chazzan say: For transliteration, see page 945.
Praise God, Who rules over everything
Hebrew
לְךָ יְיָ הַגְּדֻלָּה וְהַגְּבוּרָה וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת
וְהַנֵּצַח וְהַהוֹד, כִּי כֹל בַּשָּׁמַיִם
וּבָאָרֶץ. לְךָ יְיָ הַמַּמְלָכָה וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂא
לְכֹל לְרֹאשׁ: רוֹמְמוּ<sup>1</sup> יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ,
וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַהֲדֹם רַגְלָיו, קָדוֹשׁ
הוּא: רוֹמְמוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ
לְהַר קָדְשׁוֹ, כִּי קָדוֹשׁ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ:
Sephardi
Lecha Adonai hagedullah vehagevurah vehatiferet
vehanetzach vehahod, ki chol bashamayim
uva'aretz. Lecha Adonai ha-mamlakhah ve-ha-mitnasse
lechol lerosh: Romemu<sup>1</sup> Adonai Eloheinu,
ve-hishtahavu la-hadom raglav, kadosh
hu: Romemu Adonai Eloheinu ve-hishtahavu
lehar kodsho, ki kadosh Adonai Eloheinu:
English
The following special things belong to You, Lord: greatness, strength, glory, victory, and majesty. All of these came from You, because everything in heaven and on earth is Yours. The ability to rule as a king belongs to You, Lord, and You have given kings the power to rule over their kingdoms. You are raised above all other rulers. Exalt the Lord,<sup>1</sup> our God, and bow down in the direction of the Holy Temple, God’s footstool, because He is holy. Exalt the Lord, our God, and bow down in the direction of His holy mountain, the Temple Mount, because the Lord, our God, is holy.
May God have mercy on us and save us
Hebrew
אָב הָרַחֲמִים הוּא יְרַחֵם עַם
עֲמוּסִים, וְיִזְכֹּר בְּרִית אֵיתָנִים,
וְיַצִּיל נַפְשׁוֹתֵינוּ מִן הַשָּׁעוֹת
הָרָעוֹת, וְיִגְעַר בְּיֵצֶר הָרָע מִן
הַנְּשׂוּאִים, וְיָחוֹן עָלֵינוּ לִפְלֵיטַת
עוֹלָמִים, וִימַלֵּא מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֵינוּ
בְּמִדָּה טוֹבָה יְשׁוּעָה וְרַחֲמִים:
Sephardi
Av harachamim hu y'rachem am
amusim, ve-yizkor berit etanim,
ve-yatzil nafshoteinu min ha-sha'ot
ha-ra'ot, ve-yigar be-yetzer hara min
ha-nesu'im, ve-yahon aleinu li-fletat
olamim, vi-malle mish'aloteinu
be-middah tovah yeshu'ah verachamim:
English
May God, the All-Merciful Father, have mercy on the Jewish Nation, the nation that belongs to Him and is carried by Him. May He remember the Covenant that He made with the Patriarchs, who are called the strong ones. May He save our souls from bad times and banish the evil inclination from within us—the ones who are carried by Him. God, graciously give us everlasting survival, and fulfill our wishes fully, in good measure, with salvation and mercy.