Print pages
pp. 594-595
The Three Festivals—Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot

Priestly Blessing


Visible layers
While the Kohanim sing the wordless tune before saying (but not while they say) וְיָשֵׂם, the congregants say:
Hebrew
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אֲנִי שֶׁלְּךָ, וְחֲלוֹמוֹתַי
שֶׁלְּךָ,<sup>1</sup> חֲלוֹם חָלַמְתִּי וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ
מַה הוּא. יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהַי
וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כָּל חֲלוֹמוֹתַי עָלַי
וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְטוֹבָה, בֵּין חֲלוֹמוֹת
שֶׁחָלַמְתִּי עַל אֲחֵרִים, וּבֵין שֶׁחָלַמְתִּי
עַל עַצְמִי, וּבֵין שֶׁחָלְמוּ אֲחֵרִים עָלַי.
אִם טוֹבִים הֵם, חַזְּקֵם וְאַמְּצֵם, וְיִתְקַיְּמוּ
בִּי וּבָהֶם, כַּחֲלוֹמוֹתָיו שֶׁל יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק:
Sephardi
Ribono shel olam, ani shelcha, vachalomotai
shelcha,<sup>1</sup> chalom chalamti ve'eini yodea
mah hu. Yehi ratzon milfanekha Adonai Elohai
veilohei avotai, sheyihyu kol chalomotai alai
ve'al kol Yisrael, letovah, bein chalomot
shechalamti al acherim, uvein shechalamti
al atzmi, uvein shechalmu acherim alai.
Im tovim hem, chazkem ve'amtzem, veyitkayemu
bi uvahem, kachalomotav shel Yosef hatzaddik:
English
<b>God, Master of the universe—I am Yours, and my dreams are Yours.</b><sup>1</sup> <b>I have dreamed a dream, and I do not know what it means. May it be Your will, Lord, my God and the God of my fathers, that all my dreams</b> that I have about myself and about any other Jewish people <b>should be for the good—whether dreams I dreamed about others, whether I dreamed about myself, or whether others dreamed about me. If they are good dreams, strengthen them, reinforce them, and may they be fulfilled in me and in them</b>—the other people involved—<b>just as the dreams of Joseph the righteous were fulfilled.</b>
While the Kohanim sing the wordless tune before saying (but not while they say) לְךָ, the congregants say:
Hebrew
וְאִם צְרִיכִים רְפוּאָה, רְפָאֵם,
כְּחִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה מֵחָלְיוֹ, וּכְמִרְיָם
הַנְּבִיאָה מִצָּרַעְתָּהּ, וּכְנַעֲמָן מִצָּרַעְתּוֹ,
וּכְמֵי מָרָה עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, וּכְמֵי
יְרִיחוֹ עַל יְדֵי אֱלִישָׁע:
Sephardi
Ve'im tzerichim refu'ah, refa'em,
k'Chizkiyahu melech Yehudah meicholyav, uch'Miryam
hanevi'ah mitzara'atah, uch'Na'aman mitzara'ato,
uch'mei Marah al yedei Moshe Rabbeinu, uch'mei
Yericho al yedei Elisha:
English
<b>But if they are bad dreams and need to be fixed and cured, cure them as You did Hezekiah the king of Judah from his sickness; cure them as You did Miriam the prophetess from her leprosy, and as You did Naaman from his leprosy. Fix them as You sweetened the bitter waters of Marah through the hands of Moses, and as You cured the poisoned waters of Jericho through the prayers of Elisha.</b>
While the Kohanim sing the wordless tune before saying (but not while they say) שָׁלוֹם, the congregants say:
Hebrew
וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהָפַכְתָּ אֶת קִלְלַת בִּלְעָם
הָרָשָׁע מִקְּלָלָה לִבְרָכָה, כֵּן תַּהֲפֹךְ כָּל
חֲלוֹמוֹתַי עָלַי וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְטוֹבָה,
Sephardi
Uch'shem shehafachta et kilat Bil'am
harasha miklalah livrachah, ken tahafoch kol
chalomotai alai ve'al kol Yisrael letovah,
English
<b>Just as You changed the curse of the wicked Bilaam from a curse to a blessing, so should You change all my bad dreams about myself and about all Jewish people for the good,</b>
As the Kohanim say the word שָׁלוֹם, the congregants say:
Hebrew
וְתִשְׁמְרֵנִי וְתִחַנֵּנִי וְתִרְצֵנִי:
Sephardi
Vetishmereini vetichaneni vetirtzeini:
English
<b>and may You guard me, be gracious to me, and favor me.</b>
After the Kohanim say שָׁלוֹם, the congregants answer אָמֵן. The congregants then say the following:
Hebrew
אַדִּיר בַּמָּרוֹם, שׁוֹכֵן בִּגְבוּרָה, אַתָּה
שָׁלוֹם וְשִׁמְךָ שָׁלוֹם, יְהִי
רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ שֶׁתָּשִׂים עָלֵינוּ וְעַל
כָּל עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, חַיִּים וּבְרָכָה
לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת שָׁלוֹם:
Sephardi
Adir bamarom, shochein bigvurah, Atah
shalom veshimcha shalom, yehi
ratzon milfanekha shetasim aleinu ve'al
kol amecha Beit Yisrael, chayim uverakhah
l'mishmeret shalom:
English
<b>Powerful God in heaven high above, Who dwells with might—You are peace and Your name is "Peace." May it be Your will that You should place upon us and upon the entire House of Israel, Your nation, life and blessing for long-lasting peace.</b>
The Kohanim say the following, while the chazzan continues his repetition with שִׂים שָׁלוֹם, page 561. The Kohanim make sure to conclude together with the chazzan so that the congregation can answer אָמֵן to their blessing as well.

May God bless the Jewish Nation and the Land of Israel

Hebrew
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, עָשִׂינוּ מַה שֶּׁגָּזַרְתָּ
עָלֵינוּ, עֲשֵׂה אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ כְּמוֹ
שֶׁהִבְטַחְתָּנוּ. הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ מִן
הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמְּךָ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאֵת
הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה לָּנוּ, כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ
לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ, אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ:
Sephardi
Ribono shel olam, asinu mah shegazarta
aleinu, aseh Atah imanu kemo
shehivtachtanu. Hashkifah mim'on kodshecha min
hashamayim, uvarech et amecha et Yisrael, v'et
ha'adamah asher natatah lanu, ka'asher nishbata
la'avoteinu, eretz zavat chalav ud'vash:
English
<b>God, Master of the universe—we have carried out that which You have decreed on us</b>—to bless the Jewish Nation. We ask You <b>to deal with us as You have promised us,</b> that you will agree with our blessings. <b>Look down from Your holy place in heaven and bless Your nation, the Children of Israel, and the land that You have given us,</b> the Land of Israel; <b>as You promised to our fathers—a land flowing with milk and honey.</b>

PRAYER FOR DEW

REPETITION OF THE MUSAF AMIDAH FOR THE FIRST DAY OF PESACH

The Ark is opened.
Hebrew
אֲדֹנָי, שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶךָ:
Sephardi
Adonai, sefatai tiftach ufi yagid tehilatecha:
English
<b>Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will tell Your praise.</b>
Bend knees at בָּרוּךְ; bow at אַתָּה; straighten up at יְיָ.
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי
אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם,
אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק, וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב,
הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא, אֵל
עֶלְיוֹן, גּוֹמֵל חֲסָדִים טוֹבִים,
קוֹנֵה הַכֹּל, וְזוֹכֵר חַסְדֵי אָבוֹת,
וּמֵבִיא גוֹאֵל לִבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶם, לְמַעַן
שְׁמוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה: מֶלֶךְ עוֹזֵר
וּמוֹשִׁיעַ וּמָגֵן.
Sephardi
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu veilohei
avoteinu, Elohei Avraham,
Elohei Yitzchak, veilohei Ya'akov,
ha-el hagadol hagibor vehanora, El
elyon, gomel chasadim tovim,
koneh hakol, vezocher chasdei avot,
umevi go'el livnei vneihem, lema'an
shemo be'ahavah: Melech ozer
umoshi'a umagen.
English
<b>Blessed are You, Lord, our God and the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. The great, strong, and awesome God, the God Who is high and</b> rules over everything, <b>the God Who does good acts of kindness, Who creates everything, Who remembers the kindness</b> and good things the Patriarchs did, <b>and Who brings a redeemer</b> to redeem <b>their descendants</b> from exile. Even if we do not deserve it, God will lovingly redeem us <b>for the sake of His name</b>—so that everyone will recognize that He is a good and kind God. You are a <b>King Who helps</b> people do well, <b>Who saves them</b> when they need salvation, <b>and Who is a shield</b> that protects them from trouble.