Afternoon Service for Weekdays

The Standard Prayer Book, tr. by Simeon Singer, [1915], at sacred-texts.com

AFTERNOON SERVICE FOR WEEKDAYS.

Happy are they that dwell in thy house: they will be ever praising thee. (Selah.)

Happy is the people, that is in such a case: happy is the people, whose God is the Lord.

Psalm cxlv. A Psalm of Praise: of David.

I will extol thee, my God, O King; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

p. 110

Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised: and his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall laud thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

On the majestic glory of thy splendor, and on thy marvellous deeds, will I meditate.

And men shall speak of the might of thy awful acts; and I will recount thy greatness.

They shall pour forth the fame of thy great goodness, and shall exult in thy righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and of great lovingkindness.

The Lord is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works.

All thy works shall give thanks unto thee, O Lord; and thy loving ones shall bless thee.

They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power.

To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the majestic glory of his kingdom.

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that are bowed down.

The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their food in due season.

Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest every living thing with favor.

p. 111

The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and loving in all his works.

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him; he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

The Lord guardeth all them that love him; but all the wicked will he destroy.

My mouth shall speak of the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise ye the Lord.

Reader.—Magnified and sanctified be his great name in the world which he hath created according to his will. May he establish his kingdom during your life and during your days, and during the life of all the house of Israel, even speedily and at a near time, and say ye, Amen.

Cong. and Reader.—Let his great name be blessed for ever and to all eternity.

Reader.—Blessed, praised and glorified, exalted, extolled and honored, magnified and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be he; though he be high above all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations, which are uttered in the world; and say ye, Amen.

On Fast Days the Scroll of the Law is taken from the Ark, and the portion of the Law beginning Vy’chal is read.

p. 112

The following prayer (Amidah) to "as in ancient years, p. 123, is to be said standing.

O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, the great, mighty and revered God, the most high God, who bestowest lovingkindnesses, and possessest all things; who rememberest the pious deeds of the patriarchs, and in love wilt bring a redeemer to their children's children for thy name's sake.

During the Ten Days of Penitence say:—

Remember us unto life, O King, who delightest in life, and inscribe us in the book of life, for thine own sake, O living God.

O King, Helper, Savior and Shield. Blessed art thou, O Lord, the Shield of Abraham.

Thou, O Lord, art mighty for ever, thou quickenest the dead, thou art mighty to save.

From the Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly until the First Day of Passover say:—

Thou causest the wind to blow and the rain to fall.

Thou sustainest the living with lovingkindness, quickenest the dead with great mercy,

p. 113

supportest the falling, healest the sick, loosest the bound, and keepest thy faith to them that sleep in the dust. Who is like unto thee, Lord of mighty acts, and who resembleth thee, O King, who killest and quickenest, and causest salvation to spring forth?

During the Ten Days of Penitence say:—

Who is like unto thee, Father of mercy, who in mercy rememberest thy creatures unto life?

Yea, faithful art thou to quicken the dead. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who quickenest the dead. ^*

Thou art holy, and thy name is holy, and holy beings praise thee daily. (Selah.) Blessed art thou, O Lord, the holy God.

During the Ten Days of Penitence conclude the Blessing thus:—

the holy King.

When the Reader repeats the Amidah, the following is said, to "holy God," p. 114.

p. 114

Reader.—Those over against them say, Blessed—

Cong.—Blessed he the glory of the Lord from his place.

Reader.—And in thy Holy Words it is written, saying,

Cong.—The Lord shall reign for ever, thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.

Reader.—Unto all generations we will declare thy greatness, and to all eternity we will proclaim thy holiness, and thy praise, O our God, shall not depart from our mouth for ever, for thou art a great and holy God and King. Blessed art thou, O Lord, the holy God.

During the Ten Days of Penitence conclude the Blessing thus:—

the holy King.

Thou favorest man with knowledge, and teachest mortals understanding. O favor us with knowledge, understanding and discernment from thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord, gracious Giver of knowledge.

Cause us to return, O our Father, unto thy Law; draw us near, O our King, unto thy service, and bring us back in perfect repentance unto thy presence. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who delightest in repentance.

Forgive us, O our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, O our King, for we have transgressed;

(On Fast Days Selichoth are inserted here.)

for thou dost pardon and forgive. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who art gracious, and dost abundantly forgive.

p. 115

Look upon our affliction and plead our cause, and redeem us speedily for thy name's sake; for thou art a mighty Redeemer. Blessed art thou, O Lord, the Redeemer of Israel.

On Fast Days the Reader here says "Answer us," etc., p. 51, and concludes thus:—

Blessed art thou, O Lord, who answerest in time of trouble.

Heal us, O Lord, and we shall be healed; save us and we shall be saved; for thou art our praise. Vouchsafe a perfect healing to all our wounds; ^* for thou, almighty King, art a faithful and merciful Physician. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who healest the sick of thy people Israel.

Bless this year unto us, O Lord our God, together with every kind of the produce thereof, for our welfare; give a blessing

During the Winter Season ^** substitute for the last sentence:

Give dew and rain for a blessing upon the face of the earth.

upon the face of the earth. O satisfy us with thy goodness, and bless our year like

p. 116

other good years. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who blessest the years.

Sound the great horn for our freedom; lift up the ensign to gather our exiles, and gather us from the four corners of the earth. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who gatherest the banished ones of thy people Israel.

Restore our judges as at the first, and our counsellors as at the beginning; remove from us grief and suffering; reign thou over us, O Lord, thou alone, in lovingkindness and tender mercy, and justify us in judgment. Blessed art thou, O Lord, the King who lovest righteousness and judgment.

During the Ten Days of Penitence conclude the Blessing thus:—

the King of Judgment.

And for slanderers let there be no hope, and let all wickedness perish as in a moment; let all thine enemies be speedily cut off, and the dominion of arrogance do thou uproot and crush,

p. 117

cast down and humble speedily in our days. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who breakest the enemies and humblest the arrogant.

Towards the righteous and the pious, towards the elders of thy people the house of Israel, towards the remnant of their scribes, towards the proselytes of righteousness, and towards us also may thy tender mercies be stirred, O Lord our God; grant a good reward unto all who faithfully trust in thy name; set our portion with them for ever, so that we may not be put to shame; for we have trusted in thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord, the stay and trust of the righteous.

And to Jerusalem, thy city, return in mercy, and dwell therein as thou hast spoken; rebuild it soon in our days as an everlasting building, and speedily set up therein the throne of David. ^* Blessed art thou, O Lord, who rebuildest Jerusalem.

p. 118

Speedily cause the offspring of David, thy servant, to flourish, and let his horn be exalted by thy salvation, because we wait for thy salvation all the day. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who causest the horn of salvation to flourish.

Hear our voice, O Lord our God; spare us and have mercy upon us, and accept our prayer tin mercy and favor; for thou art a God who hearkenest unto prayers and supplications: from thy presence, O our King, turn us not

p. 119

empty away; ^* for thou hearkenest in mercy to the prayer of thy people Israel. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who hearkenest unto prayer.

Accept, O Lord our God, thy people Israel and their prayer; restore the service to the oracle of thy house; receive in love and favor both the fire-offerings of Israel and their prayer; and may the service of thy people Israel be ever acceptable unto thee.

On New Moon and the Intermediate Days of Passover and Tabernacles the following is added:—

Our God and God of our fathers! May our remembrance rise, come and be accepted before thee, with

p. 120

the remembrance of our fathers, of Messiah the son or David thy servant, of Jerusalem thy holy city, and of all thy people the house of Israel, bringing deliverance and well-being, grace, lovingkindness and mercy, life and peace on this day of

On New Moon say—

the Feast of Tabernacles.

Remember us, O Lord our God, thereon for our wellbeing; be mindful of us for blessing, and save us unto life: by thy promise of salvation and mercy, spare us and be gracious unto us; have mercy upon us and save us; for our eyes are bent upon thee, because thou art a gracious and merciful God and King.

And let our eyes behold thy return in mercy to Zion. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who restorest thy divine presence unto Zion.

Congregation in an undertone:—

We give thanks unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God and the God of our fathers for ever and ever; thou art the Rock of our lives, the Shield of our salvation through every generation. We will give thanks unto thee and declare thy praise for our lives

p. 121

which are committed unto thy hand, and for our souls which are in thy charge, and for thy miracles, which are daily with us, and for thy wonders and thy benefits, which are wrought at all times, evening, morn and noon. O thou who art all-good, whose mercies fail not; thou, merciful Being, whose lovingkindnesses never cease, we have ever hoped in thee.

On Chanukah and Purim say:—

We thank thee, etc., p. 63

For all these things thy name, O our King, shall be continually blessed and exalted for ever and ever.

During the Ten Days of Penitence say:—

O inscribe all the children of thy covenant for a happy life.

And everything that liveth shall give thanks unto thee for ever, and shall praise thy name in truth, O God, our salvation and our help. Blessed art thou, O Lord, whose name is All-good, and unto whom it is becoming to give thanks.

p. 122

Grant abundant peace unto Israel thy people for ever; for thou art the sovereign Lord of all peace; and may it be good in thy sight to bless thy people Israel at all times and in every hour with thy peace

During the Ten Days of Penitence say:—

In the book of life, blessing, peace and good sustenance may we be remembered and inscribed before thee, we and all thy people the house of Israel, for a happy life and for peace. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who makest peace.

Blessed art thou, O Lord, who blessest thy, people Israel with peace.

O my God! guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking guile; and to such as curse me let my soul be dumb, yea, let my soul be unto all as the dust. Open my heart to thy Law, and let my soul pursue thy commandments. If any design evil against me, speedily make their counsel of none effect, and frustrate their designs. Do it for the sake of thy name, do it for the sake of thy right hand, do it for the sake of thy holiness do it for the sake of thy Law. In order that thy beloved ones may be delivered, O save with thy right hand, and answer me. Let the words of my mouth and

p. 123

the meditation of my heart be acceptable before thee, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. He who maketh peace in his high places, may he make peace for us and for all Israel, and say ye, Amen.

May it be thy will, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, that the temple be speedily rebuilt in our days, and grant our portion in thy Law. And there we will serve thee with awe, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years.

During the Ten Days of Penitence, Friday excepted, say Our Father, Our King, p. 67. Then say the following; but if Tachanun is omitted, the Reader, immediately after the Amidah, says the whole Kaddish p. 125.

And David said unto Gad, I am troubled exceedingly; let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are many; but let me not fall into the hand of man.

O thou who art merciful and gracious, I have sinned before thee. O Lord, full of mercy, have mercy upon me and receive my supplications.

Psalm vi.

O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Be gracious unto me, O Lord; for I am withered away: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are troubled. My soul also is sore troubled: and thou, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: save me for thy lovingkindness’

p. 124

sake. For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks? I am weary with my groaning; every night I make my bed to swim; I melt away my couch with my tears. Mine eye wasteth away because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine adversaries. Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer. All mine enemies shall he ashamed and sore troubled: they shall turn back, they shall be ashamed suddenly.

O Guardian of Israel, guard the remnant of Israel, and suffer not Israel to perish, who say, Hear, O Israel.

O Thou who art propitiated by prayers for mercy, and art conciliated by supplications, be thou propitious and reconciled to an afflicted generation; for there is none that helpeth.

p. 125

Our Father, our King, be gracious unto us and answer us, for we have no good works of our own; deal with us in charity and lovingkindness, and save us.

As for us, we know not what to do; but our eyes. are upon thee. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. Let thy lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have waited for thee. Remember not against us the iniquities of our ancestors: let thy tender mercies speedily come to meet us; for we are brought very low. Be gracious unto us, O Lord, be gracious unto us; for we are sated to the full with contempt. In wrath remember to be merciful. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and pardon our sins, for thy name's sake.

Reader.—Magnified and sanctified be his great name in the world which he hath created according to his will. May he establish his kingdom during your life and during your days, and during the life of all the house of Israel, even speedily and at a near time, and say ye, Amen.

Reader.—Blessed, praised and glorified, exalted, extolled and honored, magnified and lauded be the name of the Holy One. blessed be he:

p. 126

though he be high above all the blessings and hymns praises and consolations, which are uttered in the world; and say ye, Amen.

It is our duty to praise the Lord of all things, to ascribe greatness to him who formed the world in the beginning, since he hath not made us like the nations of other lands, and hath not placed us like other families of the earth, since he hath not assigned unto us a portion as unto them, nor a lot as unto all their multitude. For we bend the knee and offer worship and thanks before the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be he, who stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, the seat of whose glory is in the heavens above, and the abode of whose might is in the loftiest heights. He is our God; there is none else: in truth he is our King; there is none besides him; as it is written in his Law, And thou shalt know this day, and lay it to thine heart,

p. 127

that the Lord he is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

We therefore hope in thee, O Lord our God, that we may speedily behold the glory of thy might, when thou wilt remove the abominations from the earth, and the idols will be utterly cut off, when the world will be perfected under the kingdom of the Almighty, and all the children of flesh will call upon thy name, when thou wilt turn unto thyself all the wicked of the earth. Let all the inhabitants of the world perceive and know that unto thee every knee must bow, every tongue must swear. Before thee, O Lord our God, let them bow and fall; and unto thy glorious name let them give honor; let them all accept the yoke of thy kingdom, and do thou reign over them speedily, and for ever and ever. For the kingdom is thine, and to all eternity thou wilt reign in glory; as it is written in thy Law, The Lord shall reign for ever and ever. And it is said, And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall the Lord be One, and his name One.

The following Kaddish is said by a Mourner.

Mourner.—Magnified and sanctified be his great name in the world which he hath created according to his will. May he establish his kingdom during your life and during your days, and during the life of all the house of Israel, even speedily and at a near time, and say ye, Amen.

Cong. and Mourner.—Let his great name be blessed for ever and to all eternity.

p. 128

Mourner.—Blessed, praised and glorified, exalted, extolled and honored, magnified and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be he; though he be high above all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations, which are uttered in the world; and say ye, Amen.

Cong.—Let the name of the Lord be blessed from this time forth and for evermore.

Mourner.—May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life for us and for all Israel; and say ye, Amen.

Cong.—My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Mourner.—He who maketh peace in his high places, may he make peace for us and for all Israel; and say ye, Amen.

Footnotes

113:* Reader.—We will sanctify thy name in the world even as they sanctify it in "the highest heavens, as it is written by the hand of thy prophet:

And they called one unto the other and said,

Cong.—Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

115:* The following Prayer for a Sick Person may be introduced here:—

May it be thy will, O Lord our God, and God of our fathers, speedily to send a perfect healing from heaven, a healing of soul and body unto the sick . . . among the other sick of Israel.

115:** From the Fourth of December until the First Day of Passover.

117:* On the Fast of the Ninth of Ab the following is added:—

Comfort, O Lord our God, the mourners of Zion, and the mourners of Jerusalem, and the city p. 118 that is in mourning, laid waste, despised and desolate; in mourning for that she is childless, laid waste as to her dwellings, despised in the downfall of her glory, and desolate through the loss of her inhabitants: she sitteth with her head covered like a barren woman who hath not borne. Legions have devoured her; worshippers of strange gods have possessed her: they have put thy people Israel to the sword, and in wilfulness have slain the loving ones of the Most High. Therefore let Zion weep bitterly, and Jerusalem give forth her voice. O my heart, my heart! how it grieveth for the slain! My bowels, my bowels! how they yearn for the slain! For thou, O Lord, didst consume her with fire; and with fire thou wilt in future restore her, as it is said, As for me, I will be unto her, saith the Lord, a wall of fire round about, and I will be a glory in the midst of her. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who comfortest Zion and rebuildest Jerusalem.

"Speedily," etc.

119:* On Fast Days the Congregation here say the following:—

Answer us, O Lord, answer us on this day of the fast of our humiliation, for we are in great trouble. Turn not to our wickedness; conceal not thy face from us, and hide not thyself from our supplication. Be near, we entreat thee, unto our cry; let thy lovingkindness be a comfort to us; even before we call unto thee answer us, according as it is said, And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; while they ‚are yet speaking, I will hear; for thou, O Lord, art he who answereth in time of trouble, who delivereth and rescueth in all times of trouble and distress;