Prayers

PRAYER: ISRAELITE SAMARITAN PRAYERS AND POEMS

Prayers Translated from the Hebrew and Aramaic by Benyamim Tsedaka

Contents

Prayer 1

Praise to the Almighty

(Recite on the Sabbath and every day)
The Eloowwem of Abraahm (Abraham) we bless You.

For You are the First and blessed of the world.

The Eloowwem of Yesaaq (Isaac) we praise.

Israel, among all nations, praises You.

The Eloowwem of Yaaqob (Jacob) we will glorify You.

For You control the Heavens and Your goodness on Earth.

The Eloowwem of Yusef (Joseph) we will surrender to You.

The Angels praised You and mankind revered You.

The Eloowwem of Mooshe (Moses) we are grateful and bow to You.

And so we beseech:

I have spoken today to Shehmaa.

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Prayer 2

Devotional Prayer

An unknown writer composed this prayer at the beginning of the second millennium CE. (Recite it on the morning of the first and third Sabbath of the month. If there are five Sabbaths in the month recite this prayer on the first and fourth Sabbath).

The Holy, The Worthy, You showed us holiness and revealed Your choices

You ordained Shabbat for rest, and a Book of Life for wisdom, worth and praise.

And You have built for us an altar where we can bow before You

That we may know You are our Creator, Eloowwem and Master.

You, the Merciful, help us with Your mercy.

You, the Merciful, absolve us with Your kindness.

Come to us and and let our forsaken peoples return to us

And gather all our brothers among the Israelites

And return them to the land of our Forefathers.

And open our hearts so that we may love You

With all our heart, our soul and our might.

By You and Your Name and Your Honour, Shehmaa our Eloowwem

And the covenant of Abraahm and Yessaq and Yaaqob the obedient, our Forefathers

And Yoosef, and our master Mooshe the Prophet

And Aarron and Elaazar, and Itamar and Phinahs, our priests

And the other servants in the fellowship of the Ark of Your Name and honour.

Bestow Your peace on them all, Shehmaa our Eloowwem.

Forgive our sins and transgressions and comfort us.

Forgive us and forgive our fathers.

We give thanks for the sake of Your loyal Priest and Prophet.

Soften Your anger with us and grant us mercy and goodwill

And goodness and tranquility for all time

Our Eloowwem the Compassionate and Gracious.

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Prayer 3

Devotional Prayer

An unknown writer composed this prayer at the beginning of the second millennium CE. (Recite it on the morning of the second and fourth Sabbath in the month. If there are five Sabbaths in the month, recite this prayer on the second, third and fifth Sabbaths).
The Holy, The Worthy, You showed us holiness and revealed Your choices

You ordained Shabbat for rest, and a Book of Life for wisdom, worth and praise

And You have built for us an altar where we can bow before You

That we may know You are our Creator, Eloowwem and Master.

Merciful One, support us with Your mercy

Merciful One, bestow Your blessing on Your houses and over all our labours

Merciful One, remove every oppression and anger and obstacle from us

Merciful One, vanquish all who would overpower us

Merciful One, contain our fears

Merciful One, heal our infirmities

Merciful One, let our children multiply

Merciful One, rebuild our holy sites

Merciful One, show mercy to our dead

Merciful One, make this Shabbat and every Shabbat doubly blessed for us

Give justice and mercy to us and to our fathers

With Your full kindness

For the sake of Mooshe your Prophet

Soften Your anger, as You are wont to do

Act with goodwill and compassion at all times

Our Eloowwem the Compassionate and Gracious.

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Prayer 4

(Recite immediately after prayer 2 or 3)
In devotion, truth and love we all say:

Praise to You our Eloowwem, The Living One

You have rescued our Forefathers with Your great might

And You have called them to Your Name

And consecrated them to be Your people and servants

And You revealed to them Your laws and brought to them Your handwritten book.

Forget not Your promises to Abraahm, Yessaq and Yaaqob, Your servants.

The Living One, accept us, though our power cannot compare with Your power

And no one among us can describe Your greatness and Your might.

Your Book is wisdom, composed of Your light.

The Mighty, who created all the world with Your might

There is nothing but Your greatness and everything done by Your might

And You, Yourself Everlasting and governing all Your deeds

And You Eloowwem, who in wisdom knows the visible and the invisible.

And there is no Eloowwem but You

Praise to You the Only One, You are the Ruler of all rulers

And we shall not learn, except from Your revered wisdom

All belongs to You, and we surrender to You and in Your light we labour

Great One: from You we ask forgiveness for our sins

Good One: we are grateful to You and bow down to You

The Mighty

The Victorious

The Holy

The Ruler

(Include the following on the Sabbath of The Ten Days of Forgiveness)

The Great One

The Heroic One

The Awesome One

The Wonderful

The Helper

The Rescuer

The Immanent

The One Who Hears All Requests

(Recite the following epilogue every Sabbath)

My Master, we praise You and serve You all our days and will say to You always

Bless You

Blessed will be our Eloowwem forever

Blessed will be His Name forever

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A. The Opening Words of Each Prayer

The Devotion of the Soul

The worshipper whispers this prayer, facing east (in India, Russia and Ukraine, face southwest). The worshiper bows down, forehead touching the ground between the hands. The hands should lie flat on the ground.
My Lord, I ask that You, with Your Mercy

Will take from us and forgive us our sins

In honour of the Righteous, our Prophet and our Forefathers

For You are our Eloowwem

And the Eloowwem of our Forefathers.

Ehyyee Eshar Ehyyee (I Will Be What I Will Be).

My Lord, we will not bow down but to You

And we will not believe but in You

And in Your prophet Moses

And in Your Holy Book

And in Your site of worship, Aargaarizem (Mount Gerizim), the House of El.

(Now the worshipper stands and says out loud)

The Mountain of rest and inheritance and dwelling

(Remain standing and whisper)

And on the Day of Vengeance and Recompense

I will be what I will be, Shehmaa our Eloowwem

Shehmaa is One

He is the only One

How great is His goodness and kindness.

I am standing before You at Your gate of mercy

Shehmaa my Eloowwem and Eloowwem of my Forefathers

To praise You and the essence of Your greatness

Weak, with my inferior power

I know today and say unto my heart

That You are Shehmaa Eloowwem

Up in heaven and on earth below, there is no One but You.

Therefore I am standing between Your Hands

And turning my face towards the chosen place

Hargerizim the House of El Looza

The Mountain of Your inheritance and dwelling

The temple You have made your home, Shehmaa

That Your hand established.

Shehmaa will reign and the world is witness

For Shehmaa is greater than all the gods.

Righteous and upright is He

Hence this prayer that gives life

And rises unseen before the Wise Invisible.

Where is the El who helps His worshippers but You?

(Then the worshipper raises his voice and says)

Declare:

There is no Eloowwem but The One

Shehmaa our Eloowwem Shehmaa is One

There is no Eloowwem but The One

Our Eloowwem Shehmaa

The compassionate and gracious El

With countenance of limitless patience

Abounding in loving kindness and truth

Eloowwem will be praised.

There is no Eloowwem but The One.

(The worshipper bows his head to the ground, between his hands. The hands should lie flat on the ground. Then the worshipper sits on the ground and relaxes)

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B. You May Read this Prayer at the End of Each Prayer

Remember:

The Almighty will accept your prayers

And will answer your requests

And will hear the sound of your calls

And will bestow happiness on all of you

And He we will grant your favours

And your demands will be His desires,

And He will improve your words and sayings

And He will grant your request soon

In the days when prayers will be accepted

And requests answered

By the Almighty of gods, Greatest of all

Who encompasses the World

Who remembers promises and prayers

That are coming from holy hearts and pure mouths

To the high place touching the sky

Passing between groups of Angels

Standing before the Seat of Conflict.

Prosperity to all of you from there

Mercy and Kindness and Success to you

And to your congregations wherever they may be.

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C. Poem by Abraham ben Marchiv Tsedaka Hassafari, 1852-1928

(All those seated at the table on Friday evening: read this prayer before the Sabbath meal)

Our Eloowwem,

You shared Your charity among those You have created

And with Your permission You gave unto us

From the food and the drink

Your Might, with its favour and holiness and benefit.

They are temporal, the food and the drink

Good for the sanctification of our souls

And for the purity of our hearts and souls.

From the varieties of breads and meats

From the plants and the grains

From the splendid vegetables and the dry food, from the pure refreshing drinks

From the blood of the grapes that adorn the table:

To every person his due

To prevent the loss of our souls.

As You said in your Book:

His praise will neither sleep, nor be withdrawn.

His words: Man does not live by bread alone

But by everything that issues from the Mouth of Shehmaa does Man live.

And now with Your help and Your ability

At Your command

We are gathered and we have laid this table

And we baked and we cooked.

We hope with Your charity we will enjoy the food and the drinks

Because our healing is in Your Hands.

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D. The Blessing on the Food

(Then the eldest one at the dinner table blesses the others)
Shehmaa our Eloowwem

You are blessed and there is no Eloowwem but the One

And praise to Him

And your Sabbaths are blessed by Eloowem.

Be blessed who has said (Genesis 1:31 – 2:3):

And Eloowwem saw all that He had made

And behold, it was very good.

And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed

And all the host of them.

And on the sixth day Eloowwem completed the work that He had done.

And He rested on the seventh day from all the work that He had done.

And Eloowwem blessed the seventh day and sanctified it

Because on it He rested from all the work of creation

That He had done.

Be blessed who has said (Exodus 31:16-17)

And the Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath

To observe the Sabbath throughout their generations

As a perpetual covenant.

It is a sign between Me and the Children of Israel forever.

For in six days Shehmaa made the heavens and the earth

But on the seventh day He ceased from labour

And was refreshed.

Be blessed who has said (Deuteronomy 8:3, 10):

That man does not live by bread alone

But by every word that issues from the Mouth of Shehmaa man lives.

And when you have eaten and are satisfied

You will bless Shehmaa your Eloowwem for the good land that He has given you.

Shehmaa our Eloowwem, You are blessed

And there is no Eloowwem but the One

And the praise is to Him

And your Sabbaths are blessed by Eloowwem.

(Then the reader holds his glass of wine and says: “Happiness all your days for one hundred years”, then the diners eat)

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E. Poem by Abraham ben Marchiv Tsedaka Hassafari (1852-1928)

(Read this prayer after reading the last portion of the Book)
Our Eloowwem, who hears all our laments

On this holy day magnify our happiness

And increase our number.

O He who performs all miracles.

Grant us prosperity, as we keep your statutes

And your commandments and your laws.

Show us our path that we may live our life with honesty

And spread upon it what is good in Your eyes.

Forgive all our mistakes and sins

Rescue us from oppression

And guide us to days of goodwill and acceptance.

Save us from every difficulty

And put not our households and homes beyond Your charity.

Make us perform good deeds

And show us how to keep the Torah and its statutes.

Purify our conscience

Hear from us every lament

And release us from difficulty.

Do not allow our enemies to humiliate us

And remove anger from our minds

And disconcert the collaborators.

Sweeten our tongues and lighten our countenance

And make the days of good will

And the coming of the Taheb closer

And quench our thirst.

Confound those who abuse, upset and weary us.

Let us drink from the holy juice

And raise our heads on this day

Guide us in the way that our forefathers walked

And scatter our enemies, who cling to false prophets.

Show us the way to keep your Torah

The Torah of our Master

Your emissary who dwelt in Your House

Invoked by Your Might.

Let us learn the Ten Principles of reading

And let us know their significance

And give us from them richness.

Open our eyes so that we may know the Invisible

And let our souls be linked with it.

Illuminate our hearts with pure light

And help us to continue on the path with no end

The depth of its holiness unfathomed

And remove fear from our souls.

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F. The Eldest Reader of the Sabbath Portion Reads This Prayer

Thanks to him (Moses) who received it in obedience

Whose name is joined with His Name.

(At the end of each reading portion, after reading the additional passage, all the readers say the following together)
Moses has commanded us to observe Torah

The inheritance of the assembly of Yaaqob.

Eloowwem Who gave it will be Blessed.

Be Blessed our Eloowem for ever

And be Blessed His Name for ever.

Ehyyee Eshaar Ehyee (I Will Be What I Will Be).

Please Aadaanee, pardon our iniquities and our sins.

Atone our crimes and our guilt

And redeem us from our sins

And from the evils of other nations

And enable us to keep this Holy Sabbath Day

And the Holy Festivals and the Holy Torah

And Aargaareezem the House of El

All the days of our life.

And calm us from the trouble we are in

My Lord, calm us from the trouble we are in

And love us in Your mercy

And heal us with the power of Your Grace

Thanks to Moses Your Loyal One and Your Servant

Thanks to Moses Your Loyal One and Your Servant.

Turn away Your fierce wrath

And relent from harming Your People

Remember Abraham, Yessac and Yaaqob

Your servants to whom You swore by Your own self.

(Then the first reader says)

You have done well, O petitioners and readers

Continue saying Amen.

You will be blessed Shema Our Eloowem

There is no Eloowwem but The One

And the praise be to Him

And may your Sabbaths be blessed by Eloowem.

And Our Eloowwem will make this Sabbath Day

And each Sabbath Day double-blessed upon you

And may your Sabbaths be blessed by Eloowwem.

And Eloowwem will save you

And will heal your illness

And will remember the covenant of salt

Thanks to those who dwelt in the cave of Macphelaa

Abraham and Yessac and Yaaqob.

And thanks to Yoosef and our Master Moses

Who received the Torah from Eloowwem

Please say Amen.

(Then the petitioners remain in their seats, and receive tea and cakes)

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Benyamim Tsedaka

Photography: Ori Orhof