Service for New Year

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

p. 349

SERVICE FOR NEW YEAR

The lighting of the Festival Lamp as on p. 325.

Afternoon Service as on Fridays. For Evening Service, see pp. 159–166. Should the first evening of the New Year fall on Friday, the Evening Service commences with "A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath Day," p. 156.

The following Amidah is said at the Evening, Morning and Afternoon Services.

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.

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.

Thou sustainest the living with lovingkindness. quickenest the dead with great mercy, supportest the falling, healest the sick, loosest the bound, and keepest thy faith to them that sleep in the dust. Who is like

p. 350

unto thee, Lord of mighty acts, and who resembleth thee, O King, who killest and quickenest, and causest salvation to spring forth?

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.)

Now, therefore, O Lord our God, impose thine awe upon all thy works, and thy dread upon all that thou hast created, that all works may fear thee and all creatures prostrate themselves before thee, that they may all form a single band to do thy will with a perfect heart, even as we know, O Lord our God, that dominion is thine, strength is in thy hand, and might in thy right hand, and that thy name is to be feared above all that thou hast created.

Give then glory, O Lord, unto thy people, praise to them that fear thee, hope to them that seek thee, and free speech to them that wait for thee, joy to thy land, gladness to thy city, a flourishing horn unto David thy servant, and a clear shining light unto the son of Jesse, thine anointed, speedily in our days.

p. 351

Then shall the just also see and be glad, and the upright shall exult, and the pious triumphantly rejoice, while iniquity shall close her mouth, and all wickedness shall be wholly consumed like smoke, when thou makest the dominion of arrogance to pass away from the earth.

And thou, O Lord, shalt reign, thou alone over all thy works on Mount Zion, the dwelling place of thy glory, and in Jerusalem, thy holy city, as it is written in thy Holy Words, The Lord shall reign for ever, thy God, O Zion; unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.

Holy art thou, and dreaded is thy name, and there is no God beside thee, as it is written, And the Lord of hosts is exalted in judgment, and the holy God is sanctified in righteousness. Blessed art thou, O Lord, the holy King.

Thou hast chosen us from all peoples, thou hast loved us and taken pleasure in us, and hast exalted us above all tongues; thou hast sanctified us by thy commandments and brought us near unto thy service, O our King, and called us by thy great and holy name.

On Saturday Night add the following:—

Thou, O Lord our God, hast made known unto us the judgments of thy righteousness; thou hast taught us to perform the statutes of thy will; thou hast given us, O Lord our God, righteous judgments, true laws, good statutes and commandments. Thou hast also caused us to inherit seasons of joy, appointed times

p. 352

of holiness, and feasts of free will gifts, and hast given us as an heritage the holiness of the Sabbath, the glory of the appointed time, and the celebration of the festival. Thou hast made a distinction, O Lord our God, between holy and profane, between light and darkness, between Israel and other nations, between the seventh day and the six working days; thou hast made a distinction between the holiness of the Sabbath and that of the festival, and hast hallowed the seventh day above the six working days; thou hast distinguished and sanctified thy people Israel by thy holiness.

On Sabbath add the words in brackets.

And thou hast given us in love, O Lord our God [this Sabbath Day and] this Day of Memorial, a day of blowing the Shofar, [on Sabbath substitute for the last phrase—a day of remembrance of blowing the Shofar, in love]; an holy convocation as a memorial of the departure from Egypt.

Our God and God of our fathers! May our remembrance rise and come and be accepted before thee, with the remembrance of our fathers, of Messiah the son of 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 Memorial. 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.

p. 353

Our God and God of our fathers, reign thou in thy glory over the whole universe, and be exalted above all the earth in thine honor, and shine forth in the splendor and excellence of thy might upon all the inhabitants of thy world, that whatsoever hath been made may know that thou hast made it, and whatsoever hath been created may understand that thou hast created it, and whatsoever hath breath in its nostrils may say, The Lord God of Israel is King, and his dominion ruleth over all. [Our God and God of our fathers, accept our rest.] Sanctify us by thy commandments, and grant our portion in thy Law; satisfy us with thy goodness,. and gladden us with thy salvation [and in thy love and favor, O Lord our God, let us inherit thy holy Sabbath; and may Israel, who hallow thy name, rest thereon.] O purify our hearts to serve thee in truth, for thou art God in truth and thy word is truth, and endureth for ever. Blessed art thou, O Lord, King over all the earth, who sanctifiest [the Sabbath and] Israel and the Day of Memorial.

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.

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

p. 354

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 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, the have ever hoped in thee.

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

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,

p. 355

[paragraph continues] 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.

At the repetition of the Amidah by the Reader the following is introduced:—

Our God and God of our fathers, bless us with the three-fold blessing of thy Law written by the hand of Moses thy servant, which was spoken by Aaron and his sons, the priests, thy holy people, as it is said, The Lord bless thee and keep thee: the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord turn his face unto thee, and give thee peace.

At the Morning Service say:—

Grant peace, welfare, blessing, grace, lovingkindness and mercy unto us and unto all Israel, thy people. Bless us, O our Father, even all of us together, with the light of thy countenance; for by the light of thy countenance thou hast given us, O Lord our God, the Law of life, lovingkindness and righteousness, blessing, mercy, life and peace; and may it be good in thy sight to bless thy people Israel at all times and in every hour with thy peace.

At the Afternoon and Evening Service Say:—

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 at every hour with thy peace.

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.

O my God! guard my tongue from evil and my lips

p. 356

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 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 Is in ancient years. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the lays of old, and as in ancient years.

The following form of greeting is used on New Year:

May you be inscribed for a happy year.