Verses Of Praise

p'sukei d'zimrah

פְּסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָה

Chabad: ' is a reduced vowel — every vocal shva, always pronounced. - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

Half Kaddish is recited by the chazzan. See page 953 for transliteration.

Hebrew

יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא. (אָמֵן)
בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ,
וְיַצְמַח פּוּרְקָנֵהּ וִיקָרֵב מְשִׁיחֵהּ. (אָמֵן)
בְּחַיֵּיכוֹן וּבְיוֹמֵיכוֹן וּבְחַיֵּי דְכָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל,
בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: (אָמֵן, יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ
רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא יִתְבָּרַךְ)
יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי
עָלְמַיָּא. יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח, וְיִתְפָּאַר, וְיִתְרוֹמַם,
וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא, וְיִתְהַדָּר, וְיִתְעַלֶּה, וְיִתְהַלָּל, שְׁמֵהּ
דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. (אָמֵן)
לְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא וְשִׁירָתָא, תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא
וְנֶחֱמָתָא, דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: (אָמֵן)

Chabad

yisgadal v'yiskadash sh'meih rabo. (Omein)
b'olmo di v'ro chiruseih v'yamlich malchuseih,
v'yatzmach pur'koneih vikoreiv m'shicheih. (Omein)
b'chayeichoyn uv'yoymeichoyn uv'chayei d'chol beis Yisro-eil,
ba-agolo uvizman koriv v'imru Omein: (Omein, y'hei sh'meih
rabo m'vorach l'olam ul'-olmei olmayo yisborach)
y'hei sh'meih rabo m'vorach l'olam ul'-olmei
olmayo. yisborach, v'yishtabach, v'yispo-ar, v'yisroymam,
v'yisnasei, v'yishador, v'yisaleh, v'yishalol, sh'meih
d'kudsho b'rich hu. (Omein)
l'eilo min kol birchoso v'shiroso, tushb'choso
v'nechemoso, da-amiron b'olmo, v'imru Omein: (Omein)

See page 943 for transliteration. Congregation and chazzan bow while the chazzan recites aloud:

All should bless God

Hebrew

בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְהֹוָה הַמְבֹרָךְ:

Chabad

bor'chu es Adonoy ham'voyroch:

Congregation and chazzan recite what follows, bowing at בָּרוּךְ and rising upright at יְהֹוָה:

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה הַמְבֹרָךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:

Chabad

boruch Adonoy ham'voyroch l'oylom vo-ed:

בִּרְכוֹת קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע

THE BLESSINGS OF SHEMA

You may sit down.¹

God creates light as well as darkness

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ
הָעוֹלָם, יוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבוֹרֵא
חֹשֶׁךְ,² עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא
אֶת הַכֹּל:

Chabad

boruch atoh Adonoy, Eloyheinu melech
ho-oylom, yoytzeir oyr uvoyrei
choyshech, oyseh sholoym uvoyrei
es hakoyl:

On Shabbat, proceed with הַכֹּל יוֹדוּךָ on the following page.

When a festival falls on a weekday, recite the following:

God alone continually creates all things in this world

Heaven's creations proclaim God's holiness and glory

Hebrew

הַמֵּאִיר לָאָרֶץ וְלַדָּרִים עָלֶיהָ
בְּרַחֲמִים, וּבְטוּבוֹ מְחַדֵּשׁ
בְּכָל יוֹם תָּמִיד מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. מָה
רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יְהֹוָה, כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ,
מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ קִנְיָנֶךָ: הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמְרוֹמָם
לְבַדּוֹ מֵאָז, הַמְשֻׁבָּח, וְהַמְפֹאָר,
וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂא מִימוֹת עוֹלָם. אֱלֹהֵי עוֹלָם,
בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים³ רַחֵם עָלֵינוּ, אֲדוֹן
עֻזֵּנוּ, צוּר מִשְׂגַּבֵּנוּ, מָגֵן יִשְׁעֵנוּ, מִשְׂגָּב
בַּעֲדֵנוּ. אֵל בָּרוּךְ, גְּדוֹל דֵּעָה, הֵכִין
וּפָעַל זָהֳרֵי חַמָּה, טוֹב יָצַר כָּבוֹד
לִשְׁמוֹ, מְאוֹרוֹת נָתַן סְבִיבוֹת עֻזּוֹ, פִּנּוֹת
צְבָאָיו קְדוֹשִׁים, רוֹמְמֵי שַׁדַּי, תָּמִיד
מְסַפְּרִים כְּבוֹד אֵל וּקְדֻשָּׁתוֹ. תִּתְבָּרַךְ
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל הָאָרֶץ
מִתָּחַת, עַל כָּל שֶׁבַח מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ,⁴
וְעַל מְאוֹרֵי אוֹר שֶׁיָּצַרְתָּ, יְפָאֲרוּךָ סֶּלָה:

Chabad

hamei-ir lo-oretz v'ladorim oleho
b'rachamim, uv'tuvoy m'chadeish
b'chol yoym tomid ma-aseih v'reishis. moh
rabu ma-asecho Adonoy, kulom b'chochmoh osiso,
mol'-oh ho-oretz kinyonecho: hamelech ham'roymom
l'vadoy mei-oz, ham'shuboch, v'ham'foy-or,
v'hamisnasei mimoys oylom. Eloyhei oylom,
b'rachamecho horabim racheim oleinu, adoyn
uzeinu, tzur misgabeinu, mogein yisheinu, misgov
ba-adeinu. Eil boruch, g'doyl dei-oh, heichin
ufo-al zohorei chamoh, toyv yotzar kovoyd
lishmoy, m'oyroys nosan s'vivoys uzoy, pinoys
tz'vo-ov k'doyshim, roym'mei Shaddoy, tomid
m'sap'rim k'voyd Eil uk'dushosoy. tisborach
Adonoy Eloyheinu bashomayim mima-al v'al ho-oretz
mitochas, al kol shevach ma-aseih yodecho,
v'al m'oyrei oyr sheyotzarto, y'fo-arucho seloh:

Proceed with תִּתְבָּרַךְ on page 367.

Commentary

1 The blessings of the Shema correspond to the spiritual world of Briyah (Creation), which is called God's "throne" upon which He sits. Therefore we sit while reciting the blessings of the Shema.

2 The words וּבוֹרֵא חֹשֶׁךְ teach us that God creates darkness; it is not only the absence of light. Because darkness is an entity unto itself, we can and must transform it into light.

3 A person cannot know the true extent of the negative effects that his sins have on his soul, and he therefore cannot know how much mercy he needs to restore his soul. For this reason we ask God, "With Your great mercy, have mercy on us." Let us receive the level of mercy that You see fit, and disregard whatever we think we need.

4 An alternative, literal translation: "May [You] be blessed above all the praises of the work of Your hands." The praises that we give God are based on the "work of His hands"—our limited and earthly perception of Him. Here we express our desire to bless God "above" and beyond our earthly praises—to bless His infinite essence and praise His true greatness.