Service for the Conclusion of the Sabbath

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

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SERVICE FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE SABBATH

Psalm cxliv.

A Psalm of David. Blessed be the Lord my rock, who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: my lovingkindness, and my fortress, my stronghold, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I take refuge: who subdueth my people under me. Lord, what is man, that thou regardest him? or the son of man, that thou takest account of him? Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away. Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Flash forth lightning, and scatter them: send out thine arrows, and discomfit them. Stretch forth thine hands from above; rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, out of the hand of strangers; whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a harp of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who rescueth David his servant from the hurtful sword. Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hand of strangers, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.—When our sons shall be as plants grown tall in their youth, and our daughters as corner-stones hewn after the fashion of a palace; when our garners are full, affording all manner of store, and our sheep bring forth by thousands; yea, are multiplied by tens of thousands in our fields; when our oxen are well laden; when there is no breach and no surrender; and no

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lamentation in our streets; happy is the people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is the people, whose God is the Lord.

Psalm lxvii.

For the Chief Musician; on Neginoth. A Psalm, A Song. May God be gracious unto us, and bless us; may he cause his face to shine upon us. (Selah.) That thy way may be known upon the earth, thy salvation among all nations. Let the peoples give thanks unto thee, O God; let all the peoples give thanks unto thee. O let the nations rejoice and exult: for thou wilt judge the peoples with equity, and lead the nations upon the earth. (Selah.) Let the peoples give thanks unto thee, O God; let all the peoples give thanks unto thee. The earth hath yielded her increase: God, even our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

For Evening Service, Amidah and Kaddish to "And say ye Amen," see pp. 128–149. Then say the following:

And let the pleasantness of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Psalm xci.

He that dwelleth in the shelter of the Most High abideth under the shadow of the Almighty. I say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I trust.—For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

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[paragraph continues] He shall cover thee with his pinions, and under his wings shalt thou take refuge: his truth shall be a shield and a buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flieth by day; of the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor of the plague that ravageth at noon day. A thousand may fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; it shall not come nigh unto thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou look on, and see the retribution of the wicked. For thou, O Lord, art my refuge.—Thou hast made the Most High thy dwelling place; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any scourge come nigh thy tent. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee upon their hands, lest thou strike thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder: upon the young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample.—Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he knoweth my name. When he calleth upon me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him and honor him. With length of days will I satisfy him, and will let him see my salvation. Repeat the last verse.

But thou art holy, O thou that dwellest amid the praises of Israel And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.  ^*And they receive sanction the one from the other, and say, Holy in the highest heavens, the place of his divine abode; holy upon earth, the work of his might; holy for ever and to all eternity is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of the radiance

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of his glory. Then a wind lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing (saying), Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place.  ^*Then a wind lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, of those who uttered praises, and said, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from the region of his divine abode. The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.  ^*The kingdom of the Lord endureth for ever and to all eternity. O Lord, the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and direct their heart unto thee. And he, being merciful, forgiveth iniquity and destroyeth not: yea, many a time he turneth his anger away, and doth not stir up all his wrath. For thou, O Lord, art good and forgiving, and abounding in lovingkindness to all them that call upon thee. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy Law is truth. Thou wilt show truth to Jacob and lovingkindness to Abraham, according as thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. Blessed be the Lord day by day; if one burdeneth us, God is our salvation. (Selah). The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. (Selah.) O Lord of hosts, happy is the man who trusteth in thee. Save, Lord: may the King answer us on the day when we call. Blessed is our God, who hath created us for his glory, and hath separated us from them that go astray, and hath given us the Law of truth and planted everlasting life in our midst. May he open our heart unto his Law, and place his love and fear within our hearts, that we

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may do his will and serve him with a perfect heart, that we may not labor in vain, nor bring forth for confusion. May it be thy will, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, that we may keep thy statutes in this world, and be worthy to live to witness and inherit happiness and blessing in the days of the Messiah and in the life of the world to come. To the end that my glory may sing praise unto thee, and not be silent: O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose trust the Lord is. Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in Jah the Lord is an everlasting rock. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee; for thou hast not forsaken them that seek thee, Lord. It pleased the Lord, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the Law and to make it honorable.

Should a Festival occur on any day of the following week, "And let the pleasantness," etc., and "But thou art holy," are not said. If the Fast of the Ninth of Ab commences at the termination of the Sabbath, "And let the pleasantness," etc., is omitted.

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.

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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.

Cong.—Accept our prayer in mercy and in favor.

Reader.—May the prayers and supplications of all Israel be accepted by their Father who is in heaven; and say ye, Amen.

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

Reader.—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.

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

On Chanukah the lights are here kindled by the Reader.

And God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: let peoples serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be every one that blesseth thee. And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a company of peoples; and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojournings, which God gave unto Abraham. From the God of thy father—

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may he help thee,—and the Almighty—may he bless thee with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that coucheth beneath, blessings of the breasts and the womb. The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: may they be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that is prince among his brethren. And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground, thy corn and thy wine and thine oil, the offspring of thy kine and the young of thy flock, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above all peoples: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness; and he will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee, but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

The angel who hath redeemed me from all evil bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and behold ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. The Lord, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times so many more as you are, and bless you, as he hath promised you.

Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the offspring of thy kine, and the young of thy flock. The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy barns, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of thy land in its season, and to bless

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all the work of thy hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow. For the Lord thy God will bless thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over thee. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, a people saved by the Lora, the shield of thy help, and that is the sword of thy majesty! And thine enemies shall submit themselves unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

I have blotted out, as a cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a mist, thy sins; return unto me, for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath done it; shout, ye nethermost parts of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, and forest, and every tree therein; for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel. Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.

Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded for ever and ever. And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and there is none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid: for Jah the Lord is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the peoples, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is made known in all the earth. Cry aloud and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. And one shall say in that day, Lo, this is our God;

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we have waited for him that he should save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. And abundance of salvation, wisdom and knows. edge shall be the steadfastness of thy times: the fear of the Lord is his treasure. And David prospered in all his ways; and the Lord was with him. He hath rescued my soul in peace so that none might come nigh me, for they were many that were striving with me. And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far be it; as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan that he died not. And the rescued of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness And the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

He createth the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith the Lord, and I will heal him. Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains (and he said), Thine are we, David, and on thy side, O son of Jesse; peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to him that helpeth thee; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them chiefs of the band. And thus ye shall say, All hail, and peace be unto thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

Rabbi Jochanan said, In every passage where thou findest

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the greatness of God mentioned, there thou findest also his humility. This is written in the Law, repeated in the Prophets, and a third time stated in the Writings. ^* It is written in the Law, for the Lord your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great, mighty and revered God, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh a bribe. And it is written afterwards, He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. It is repeated in the Prophets, as it is written, For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, and whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. It is a third time stated in the Writings, Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol ye him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, anti rejoice before him. And it is written afterwards, A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us. And ye that cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day. For the Lord hath comforted Zion: he hath comforted all her waste places, and hath made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody. It pleased the Lord for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the Law and to make it honorable.

Psalm cxxviii.

A Song of Degrees. Happy is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his ways. When thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands, happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, in the recesses of thine house: thy children like olive plants, round about thy

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table. Behold thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. May the Lord bless thee out of Zion: mayest thou see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, mayest thou see thy children's children. Peace be upon Israel.

The Reader says Habdalah, p. 310, omitting the Introductory Verses.

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, 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

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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.

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.

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THE HABDALAH SERVICE

A cup of wine is taken in the right hand, and the following is said:—

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid: for Jah the Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing be upon thy people. (Selah.) The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Selah.) The Jews had light and joy and gladness and honor. So be it with us. I will lift the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe who createst the fruit of the vine.

The spice-box is taken, and the following is said:—

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe who createst divers kinds of spices.

The hands are spread towards the light, and the following is said:—

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who createst the light of the fire.

The cup is again taken in the right hand, and the following is said:—

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who makest a distinction between holy and profane, between light and darkness, between Israel

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and other nations, between the seventh day and the six working days. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who makest a distinction between holy and profane.

May he who maketh a distinction between holy and profane pardon our sins; our offspring and our possessions may he multiply as the sand, and as the stars in the night.

The day hath declined like the palm tree's shade; I call upon God who performeth all things for me; the watchman saith, The morning cometh, though it now be night.

Thy righteousness is like Mount Tabor: O pass thou wholly over my sins; let them be as yesterday which is past, and as a watch in the night.

The season of mine oblations is over: would that rest again were mine! I am weary with my groaning; in my tears I melt away every night.

Hear my voice, lee it not be cast away; open to me the lofty gate, for my head is filled with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.

Be entreated, O dreaded and awful God; while I cry, grant me thy redemption, in the twilight, in the evening of the day, yea, in the blackness of the night.

I call upon thee, Lord, save thou me; make me to know the path of life; from pining sickness snatch thou me, from day to night.

Cleanse the impurity of my deeds, lest my foes should say, Where is the God that made me, who giveth songs in the night?

We are like clay in thy hand; forgive, we beseech thee, our sins both light and grave, and day shall pour forth the word unto day, and night unto night.

May he who maketh a distinction between holy and profane pardon our sins; our offspring and our possessions may he multiply as the sand, and as the stars in the night.

Footnotes

300:* The Chaldee paraphrase of the preceding verse.

301:* The Chaldee paraphrase of the preceding verse.

307:* The third division of the Holy Scriptures, the fist two being the Law and the Prophets.