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Hebrew Prayers and Blessings

Click on the name of each prayer to listen to Rabbi Gurvis and Julie Vanek chant or speak an assortment of prayers.

These are the prayers and blessings that our students learn before becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

Kiddush	The full Kiddush ( קִדּוֹּש ) is the blessing said on Friday evening over wine or grape juice. Only the first line is recited at other times when blessing wine or grape juice. The root of Kiddush is ק-ד-ש which means “holy” and the holiness of Shabbat is the main theme of this Friday evening blessing.
Chatzi Kaddish	The Chatzi Kaddish ( חֲצִי קַדִּיֹש ) is literally the “Half Kaddish.” It is not as long as the Mourner’s Kaddish that we recite at the end of the service. The Chatzi Kaddish is used as a divider as we recite it between various parts of the service. At Temple Shalom, we recite it before the Bar’chu. Like the Mourner’s Kaddish, the Chatzi Kaddish is in Aramaic rather than Hebrew. Aramaic was the language spoken by Jews from the time of the Babylonian exile (586 BCE) until about the 5th Century.
Bar'chu	The Bar’chu ( בָּרְכוּ ) begins a new section of the service known as the Sh’ma and its Blessings. The word בָּרְכוּ contains the Hebrew root ב-ר-כ which means “bless” or “praise.” The Bar’chu is considered the call to worship and is the formal beginning of the service.
Yotzer Or	The Yotzer Or ( יוֹצֵר אוֹר ) is the prayer right after the Bar’chu in the morning service. This prayer praises God for creation (י-צ-ר ), especially of light ( אוֹר ) and darkness. The same themes are found in the Ma’ariv Aravim which comes right after the Bar’chu in the evening service.
Ahavah Rabbah	The next prayer in the service is Ahavah Rabbah ( אַהֲבָה רַבָּה ) in the morning and Ahavat Olam in the evening. Like Yotzer Or and Ma’ariv Aravim, these two prayers are different but share common themes. Both prayers speak of God’s love ( אַהֲבָה ) for the Jewish people and that God shows this love by giving us the Torah and rules by which to live. The Hebrew word רַבָּה means “deep” or “great.”
Sh'ma	The Sh’ma ( ֹשְמַע ) isn’t really a prayer but rather a statement. When we say the Sh’ma, we declare our loyalty to one God. The first line of the Sh’ma is taken straight from the Torah, Deuteronomy 6:4. The word ֹשְמַע means “Hear” or “Listen.”
V'ahavta	The V’ahavta ( וְאָהַבְתָּ ) is taken from the verses in Deuteronomy following the Sh’ma. In the Sh’ma we proclaim our belief in one God. In the V’ahavta, we are commanded to love God. The word וְאָהַבְתָּ means “and you shall love.” The Sh’ma and V’ahavta are written on the parchment inside the mezzuzah which the V’ahavta instructs us to put on the doorposts of our houses.
Avot v'Imahot	The Avot v’Imahot ( אָבוֹת וְאִמָּהוֹת ) is the first blessing of the main part of the service known as the Amidah, meaning “standing” because that is what we do at this point in the service. This section is also know as the T’filah, “Prayer,” because it is the heart of the worship service. The words אָבוֹת וְאִמָּהוֹת literally mean “fathers and mothers.” This prayer blesses God and reminds us that God was the God of our ancestors. Reform Jews added the mothers to the traditiional text of this prayer to be inclusive and to remind us that women have an important role to play in Jewish life.
G'vurot	The G’vurot ( גְּבוּרוֹת ) is the second blessing in the Amidah and praises God’s power in the world. גְּבוּרוֹת is the Hebrew word for “strength” or “power.” Reform Jews changed the traditional text of the G’vurot eliminating references to resurrection. The phrase m’chayeh hakol, “who sustains all life,” replaced m’chayeh hametim, “who revives the dead.”
Sim Shalom	Sim Shalom ( שִֹים ֹשָלוֹם ) is the concluding blessing of the Amidah in the morning service. The words שִֹים ֹשָלוֹם mean “grant peace” and they are the opening words of this blessing for peace. In the evening service, Shalom Rav, another blessing expressing our hopes for peace, is recited at the end of the Amidah.
Torah Blessings Blessing Before Blessing After	The honor of reciting the blessings before and after reading the Torah ( תּוֹרָה ) is called an Aliyah ( עֲלִיָּה ). עֲלִיָּה means “going up.” In ancient days, one “went up” to Mount Zion to hear the Torah read at the Temple. Today, we “go up” to the bimah (the raised platform at the front of the sanctuary) to read and bless the Torah.
Haftarah Blessings Blessing Before Blessing After	Haftarah ( הַפְטָרָה ) contains the root פ-ט-ר which means “to conclude.” The Haftarah portion is a selection from Prophets or Writings and serves as the conclusion to the Torah service. Haftarah and Torah portions are connected by similar themes.
Aleinu	The Aleinu ( עָלֵינוּ ) begins the concluding section of the service. The full text of the Aleinu restates themes from previous parts of the service including creation, the giving of Torah and the oneness of God.
Mourner's Kaddish	The Mourner’s Kaddish ( קַדִּיֹש יָתוֹם ) is recited after the Aleinu at the conclusion of the service. Although this version of the Kaddish is recited to remember people who have died, it does not in fact mention death at all. Rather it praises God’s glory and includes blessings for peace. Like the Chatzi Kaddish, the Mourner’s Kaddish is in Aramaic rather than Hebrew. Aramaic was the language spoken by Jews from the time of the Babylonian exile (586 BCE) until about the 5th Century.