Simeon Singer - The Standard Prayer Book

Thou hast been the help of our fathers from of old, a Shield and Saviour to their children after them in every generation: in the heights of the universe is thy habitation, and thy judgments and thy righteousness reach to the furthest ends of the earth. Happy is the man who hearkeneth unto thy commandments, and layeth up thy Law and thy word in his heart. True it is that thou art indeed the Lord of thy people, and a mighty King to plead their cause. True it is that thou art indeed the first and thou art the last, and beside thee we have no King, Redeemer and Saviour. From Egypt thou didst redeem us, O Lord our God, and from the house of bondmen thou didst deliver us; all their first born thou didst slay, but thy first-born thou didst redeem; thou didst divide the Red Sea, and drown the proud; but thou madest the beloved to pass through, while the waters covered their adversaries, not one of whom was left. Wherefore the beloved praised and extolled God, and offered hymns, songs, praises, blessings and thanksgivings to the King and God, who liveth and endureth; who is high and exalted, great and revered; who bringeth low the haughty, and raiseth up the lowly, leadeth forth the prisoners, delivereth the meek, helpeth the poor, and answereth his people when they cry unto him; even praises to the Most High God, blessed is he, and ever to be blessed. Moses and the children of Israel sang a song unto thee with great joy, saying, all of them,

Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the might ones? Who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness revered in praises, doing marvels?

With a new song the redeemed people offered praise unto thy name at the sea shore: they all gave thanks in unison, and proclaimed thy, sovereignty, and said,

The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.

O Rock of Israel, arise to the help of Israel, and deliver, according to thy promise, Judah and Israel. Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who hast redeemed Israel.

The following prayer (Amidah) to "as in ancient years," p. 66 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, 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 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, 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. 56 .

* 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.

Reader .—Those over against them say, Blessed-

Cong .—Blessed be 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.

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. 61, 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.

* 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.

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.

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

O satisfy us with thy goodness, and bless our year like 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, 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.