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.
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.