The Standard Prayer Book: Additional Service for Sabbaths

For the Additional Service on the Intermediate Sabbath of a Festival see Service for the Festivals.

The following prayer (Amidah) to "as in ancient years," p. 237, is said standing.

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, Saviour 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 Sabbath after the Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly until the First day of Passover say:—

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 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.) Blessed art thou, O Lord, the holy God.

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

Reader.—His glory filleth the universe: his ministering angels ask one another, Where is the place of his glory? Those over against them say, Blessed—

Reader.—From his place may he turn in mercy and be gracious unto a people who, evening and morning, twice every day, proclaim with constancy the unity of his name, saying in love, Hear—

Reader.—One is our God; he is our Father; he is our King; he is our Saviour; and he of his mercy will let us hear a second time, in the presence of all living (his promise), "To be to you for a God."

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.

* Thou didst institute the Sabbath, and didst accept its offerings; thou didst command its special obligations with the order of its drink offerings. They that find delight in it shall inherit glory for everlasting; they that taste it are worthy of life; while such as love its teachings have chosen true greatness. Already from Sinai they were commanded concerning it; and thou hast also commanded us, O Lord our God,

to bring thereon the additional offering of the Sabbath as is meet. May it be thy will, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, to lead us up in joy unto our land, and to plant us within our borders, where we will prepare unto thee the offerings that are obligatory for us, the continual offerings according to their order, and the additional offerings according to their enactment; and the additional offering of this Sabbath day we will prepare and offer up unto thee in love, according to the precept of thy

will, as thou hast prescribed for us in thy Law through the hand of Moses thy servant, by the mouth of thy glory, as it is said:

And on the Sabbath day two he-lambs of the first year, without blemish, and two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering and the drink offering thereof.

They that keep the Sabbath and call it a delight shall rejoice in thy kingdom; the people that hallow the seventh day, even all of them

shall be satiated and delighted with thy goodness, seeing that thou didst find pleasure in the seventh day. and didst hallow it; thou didst call it the desirable of days, in remembrance of the creation.

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; purify our hearts to serve thee in truth; 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. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who hallowest the Sabbath.

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.

We give thanks unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God and the God of our fathers, the God of all flesh, our Creator and the Creator of all things in the beginning. Blessings and thanksgivings be to thy great and holy name, because thou hast kept us in life and hast preserved us: so mayest thou continue to keep us in life and to preserve us. O gather our exiles to thy holy courts to observe thy statutes, to do thy will, and to serve thee with a perfect heart; seeing that we give thanks unto thee. Blessed be the God to whom thanksgivings are due.

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, we have ever hoped in thee.

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

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.

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.

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 tinges and in 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 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 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.

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, praises and consolations, which are uttered in the world; and say ye, Amen.

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.

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

Who is like our God: who is like our Lord? Who is like our King: who is like our Savior?

Blessed be our God: blessed be our Lord. Blessed be our King: blessed be our Savior. Thou art our God: thou art our Lord. Thou art our King: thou art our Savior. Thou art he unto whom our fathers burnt incense of spices.

The compound forming the incense * consisted of balm, onycha, galbanum and frankincense, in quantities weighing seventy manehs each; of myrrh, cassia, spikenard and saffron, each sixteen manehs by weight; of costus twelve, of aromatic bark three, and of cinnamon nine manehs; of lye obtained from a species of leek, nine kabs; of Cyprus wine three seahs and three kabs: though, if Cyprus wine was not procurable, old white wine might be used; of salt of Sodom the fourth part of a kab, and of the herb Maaleh Ashan a minute quantity. R. Nathan says, a minute quantity was also required of the odoriferous herb Cippath, that grew on the banks of the Jordan; if, however, one added honey to the mixture, he rendered the incense unfit for sacred use, while he who, in preparing it, omitted one of its necessary ingredients, was liable to the penalty of death. Rabban Simeon, son of Gamaliel, says, the balm is a resin that exudes from the wood of the balsam tree. The lye obtained from a species of leek was rubbed over the onycha to improve it, while the Cyprus wine was used to steep it in, so that its odor might be more pungent.

On the first day of the week they used to recite (Psalm xxiv.), The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.

On the second day (Psalm xlviii.), Great is the Lord and exceedingly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.

On the third day (Psalm lxxxii.), God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the judges.

On the fourth day (Psalm xciv.), God of vengeance, Lord, God of vengeance, shine forth.

On the fifth day (Psalm lxxxi.), Exult aloud unto God our strength; shout for joy unto the God of Jacob.

On the sixth day (Psalm xciii.), The Lord reigneth; he hath robed him in majesty; the Lord hath robed him, yea, he hath girded himself with strength: the world also is set firm, that it cannot be moved.

On the Sabbath (Psalm xcii.), A psalm, a song for the Sabbath Day. It is the psalm and song also for the hereafter, for the day which will be wholly a Sabbath, and will bring rest in life everlasting.

R. Eleazer said in the name of R. Chanina, The disciples of the sages increase peace throughout the world, as it is said, And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. Read not here banayich, thy children (or disciples), but bonayich, thy builders.—Great peace have they who love thy Law; and there is no stumbling for them. Peace be within thy rampart, prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sake, I would fain speak peace concerning thee. For the sake of the house of the Lord our God I would seek thy good. The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

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 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 glom; 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.

And now, I pray thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.

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.

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

At the time when all things were made by his desire, then was his name proclaimed King.

And after all things shall have had an end, he alone, the dreaded one, shall reign;

Who was, who is, and who will be in glory. And he is One, and there is no second to compare to him, to consort with him:

And he is my God—my Redeemer liveth—and a rock in my travail in time of distress;

And he is my banner and my refuge, the portion of my cup on the day when I call.

In some Congregations the following is said before "Blessed be he who spake," p. 19.

Of old thou didst rest on the seventh day; thou didst therefore bless the Sabbath.

For every work of thine praise is prepared for thee; thy loving ones bless thee at all times.

Blessed be the Lord, the Maker of them all, the living God and everlasting King.

For from of old there hath rested upon thy servants the abundance of thy mercies and thy loving kindnesses.

Above all gods, when thou didst execute great judgment: upon the Egyptians and upon their gods.

When thou didst cleave the Red Sea, thy people saw thy great hand, and they feared.

Thou didst guide thy people, so that thou mightest make unto thyself a name of glory to manifest thy greatness.

Thou knewest their wanderings in the wilderness, in a land of drought, where none passed through.

Thou gavest to thy people the corn of heaven, flesh abundant as the dust, and water from the rock.

Thou didst drive out many nations, and they took possession of their land and of the labor of the peoples;

That they might observe thy statutes and laws, the words of the Lord, which are pure words.

And they delighted themselves with fat pastures, and with rivers of oil from the flinty rock.

When they rested, they built thy holy city, and adorned the house of thy sanctuary.

Then thou saidst, Here will I dwell for length of days: I will surely bless her provision.

There they shall sacrifice sacrifices of righteousness; thy priests also shall be clothed with righteousness.

The house of Levi also shall chant pleasant songs; they shall shout for joy and sing unto thee.

The house of Israel and they that fear the Lord shall give glory and thanks unto thy name, O Lord.

Thou hast dealt out exceeding kindness to the earliest ages; deal thus kindly also with the latest.

To multiply us and deal kindly with us; and we will for ever give thanks unto thee for thy goodness.

And make the horn of David to flourish therein, and dwell in the midst thereof for ever, O Lord.

There we will offer sacrifices of righteousness, and there may our oblation be pleasant as in former days.

bless thy people with the light of thy countenance; for they desire to do thy will.

And in thy good will fulfil our desire; look, we beseech thee, we are thy people, all of us.

Thou hast chosen us to be unto thee a treasured people: let thy blessing be upon thy people for ever.

Of thy blessing let thy people be blessed, for every one whom thou blessest is blessed.

As for me, while I have my being, I will praise my Creator, and I will bless him all the days of my appointed time.

Let the name of the Lord be blessed for ever, from everlasting even to everlasting.

As it is written: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his. And it is said: Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting: and let them bless thy glorious name, that is exalted above all blessing and praise. And it is said: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen: praise ye the Lord. And it is said, And David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the congregation: and David said, blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, from everlasting to everlasting.

Footnotes

227:* When the Reader repeats the Amidah, the following is added to "holy God," p. 229.

Reader.—We will reverence and sanctify thee according to the mystic utterance of the holy Seraphim, who hallow thy name in the sanctuary, as it is written by the hand of thy prophet, And they called one unto the other and said,

Thou didst form thy world from of old; thou hadst finished thy work on the seventh day; thou hast loved us and taken pleasure in us, hast exalted us above all tongues, hast sanctified us by thy commandments, hast brought us near, O our King unto thy service, and called us by thy great and holy name. Thou, O Lord our God, also gavest us in love Sabbaths for rest and New Moons for atonement. But because we sinned against thee, both we and our fathers, our city hath been laid waste, our sanctuary is desolate, our splendor hath gone into exile, and the glory hath been removed from the p. 230 house of our life, so that we are not able to perform our obligations in thy chosen house, in that great and holy house which was called by thy name, because of the hand that hath been stretched out against thy sanctuary. May it be thy will, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, to lead us up in joy unto our land, and to plant us within our borders, where we will prepare unto thee the offerings that are obligatory for us, the continual offerings according to their order, and the additional offerings according to their enactment; and the additional offerings of this Sabbath day and of this New Moon we will prepare and offer up unto thee in love, according to the precept of thy will, as thou hast p. 231 prescribed for us in thy Law through the hand of Moses thy servant, by the mouth of thy glory, as it is said: And on the Sabbath day two he-lambs of the first year without blemish, and two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering and the drink offering thereof.

And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord; two young bullocks and one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year without blemish. And their meal offering and their drink offerings as hath been ordained, three tenth parts of an ephah for each bullock, and two tenth parts for the ram, and one tenth part for each lamb, with wine according to the drink offering thereof, and a he-goat wherewith to make atonement, and the two continual offerings according to their enactment. p. 232

They that keep the Sabbath and call it a delight shall rejoice in thy kingdom; the people that hallow the seventh day, even all of them shall be satiated and delighted with thy goodness, seeing that thou didst find pleasure in the seventh day, and didst hallow it; thon didst call it the desirable of days, in remembrance of the creation.

Our God and God of our fathers, accept our rest, and on this Sabbath day renew this New Moon unto us for good and for blessing, for joy and for gladness, for salvation and comfort, for sustenance and maintenance, for life and peace, for pardon of sin and forgiveness of iniquity (during Leap Year:—p. 233 and for atonement of transgression); for thou hast chosen thy people Israel from among all nations, and hast made thy holy Sabbath known unto them, and hast appointed unto them statutes for the beginnings of the months. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who sanctifiest the Sabbath, Israel and the beginnings of the months.

ADDITIONAL SERVICE FOR SABBATHS.

Footnotes