Simeon Singer - The Standard Prayer Book

And to Jerusalem, thy city, return in mercy, and dwell therein as thou hast spoken; rebuild it soon in our days as an everlasting building, and speedily set up therein the throne of David. *Blessed art thou, O Lord, who rebuildest Jerusalem.

* On the Fast of the Ninth of Ab the following is added at the Afternoon Service:—

Comfort, O Lord our God, the mourners of Zion, and the mourners of Jerusalem, and the city that p. 60 is in mourning, laid waste, despised and desolate; in mourning for that she is childless, laid waste as to her dwellings, despised in the downfall of her glory, and desolate through the loss of her inhabitants: she sitteth with her head covered like a barren woman who hath not borne. Legions have devoured her; worshippers of strange gods have possessed her: they have put thy people Israel to the sword, and in wilfulness have slain the loving ones of the Most High. Therefore let Zion weep bitterly, and Jerusalem give forth her voice. O my heart, my heart! how it grieveth for the slain! My bowels, my bowels! how they yearn for the slain! For thou, O Lord, didst consume her with fire; and with fire thou wilt in future restore her, as it is said, As for me, I will be unto her, saith the Lord, a wall of fire round about, and I will be a glory in the midst of her. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who comfortest Zion and rebuildest Jerusalem.

"Speedily," etc.

Speedily cause the offspring of David, thy servant, to flourish, and let his horn be exalted by thy salvation, because we wait for thy salvation all the day. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who causest the horn of salvation to flourish.

Hear our voice, O Lord our God; spare us and have mercy upon us, and accept our prayer in mercy and favor; for thou art a God who hearkenest unto prayers and supplications: from thy presence, O our King, turn us not empty away; *for thou hearkenest in mercy to the prayer of thy people Israel. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who hearkenest unto prayer.

* On Fast Days the Congregation here say the following:—

Answer us, O Lord, answer us on this day of the fast of our humiliation, for we are in great trouble. Turn not to our wickedness; conceal not thy face from us, and hide not thyself from our supplication. Be near, we entreat thee, unto our cry; let thy lovingkindness be a comfort to us; even before we call unto thee answer us, according as it is said, And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear; for thou, O Lord, art he who answereth in time of trouble, who delivereth and rescueth in all times of trouble and distress; for thou hearkenest, etc.

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.

On New Moon and the Intermediate Days of Passover and Tabernacles the following is added:—

Our God and God of our fathers! May our remembrance rise, 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

On Passover—

the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

On New Moon say—

the New Moon.

On Tabernacles—

the Feast of Tabernacles.

Remember us, O Lord our God, thereon for our well-being; 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.

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 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

Congregation in an undertone

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.

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.

On Chanukah and Purim the following is added:—

We thank thee also for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds and saving acts, wrought by thee, as well as for the wars which thou didst wage for our fathers in days of old, at this season.

On Chanukah .

In the days of the Hasmonean, Mattathias son of Johanan, the High Priest, and his sons, when the iniquitous power of Greece rose up against thy people Israel to make them forgetful of thy Law, and to force them to transgress the statutes of thy will, then didst thou in thine abundant mercy rise up for them in the time of their trouble; thou didst plead their cause, thou didst judge their suit, thou didst avenge their wrong; thou deliveredst the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the arrogant into the hands of them that occupied themselves with thy Law: for thyself thou didst make a great and holy name in thy world, and for thy people Israel thou didst work a great deliverance and redemption as at this day. And thereupon thy children came into the oracle of thy house, cleansed thy temple, purified thy sanctuary, kindled lights in thy holy courts, and appointed these eight days of Chanukah in order to give thanks and praises unto thy great name.

On Purim .

In the days of Mordecai and Esther, in Shushan the capital, when the wicked Haman rose up against them, and sought to destroy, to slay and make to perish all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, on one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,—then didst thou in thine abundant mercy bring his counsel to nought, didst frustrate his design, and return his recompense upon his own head; and they hanged him and his sons upon the gallows.

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

During the Ten Days of Penitence say:—

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, 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.