Reading note: pronounce יהוה as “Adonai” once. Seasonal alternatives apply only in their proper season and are not recited together. Headings and directions are explanatory and are not part of the recited text.
The Shema and Its Blessings
HEAR, O ISRAEL, Ado·nai Is Our G·D, Ado·nai Is ONE
(Silently) Blessed be His Name & glorious sovereignty forever.
And you shall love the Adonai, your God, with all your heart & with all your soul & with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart. And you shall teach them diligently unto your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house & when you walk by the way, when your lie down & when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, & they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house & upon your gates. (Devarim / Deut. 6:4-9)
And it shall be that if you hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you today, to love the Adonai your God & to serve Him with all your heart & all your soul, then I will send rain for your land in its proper time, the autumn rain & the spring rain, that you may gather in your grain, your wine & your oil. And I will give grass in your field for your cattle & you shall eat & be satisfied. Take heed to yourselves lest your heart be deceived, & you turn aside & serve other gods & bow to them. For then the Adonai's wrath will be kindled against you, & He will close up the heavens that there be no rain, & land shall not yield her produce, & you shall perish quickly from off the goodly land which the Adonai gives you. You shall lay My words, these upon your heart & upon your soul, & you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, & they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down & when you rise. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house & upon your gates. So that the Adonai will lengthen your days & the days of your children upon the land which the Adonai promised to give to your fathers, as the days of the heavens above the earth (Devarim / Deuteronomy 11:13-21)
And the Adonai spoke unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel & say to them to make for themselves a fringe on the borders of their garments, throughout their generations. And they shall place upon the fringe of the border, a thread of blue wool. And it shall be to you a fringe that you may look upon, & remember all the commandments of the Adonai & to do them. Then shall you not stray after your heart & your eyes whereafter you are wont to stray. So may you remember & do all My commandments & be holy for your God. I am the Adonai your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Adonai your God. (Bamidbar / Numbers 15:37-41) (Cong. Answers) True. (Repeat & Say) The Adonai, Your God is True.
and [we have] Faith in all this – and it is established for us, for He is the Adonai Our God & there is none other than Him – and we are Yisrael, His people. [He is] The One Who redeems us from the hand of kings, Our King, Who Delivers us from from the hands of all tyrants, the God that avenges for us those that cause us pain, the One that will pay back all that was bestowed upon us to all the enemies of our souls, the One Who keeps our souls alive, and did not allow our feet to stumble, the One Who guides us upon the altars of our enemies. And who raises our countenance [horn] upon all our foes, the God that takes vengeance upon Pharaoh, with signs and wonders – in the land of the people of H'am, the One that Strikes with His wrath all the first-born of Egypt, & He Brings out His people, Yisrael from among them to eternal freedom. Who causes His children to pass between the splittings of the Sea of Reeds, & their pursuers & their foes He drowned in the depths. His children observed His might – & gave praise & lauded Him for His Name's sake – & His Kingship, they willingly, accepted upon themselves. Moshe / Moses & the Children of Yisrael answered with Song & great joy, & they all said “Who is like You among the mighty, Adonai. Who is like You supreme in holiness, [too] awesome [for] praises – Who does wonders. Your Kingship, Adonai, our God Your Children saw by the Sea, united all of them gave thanks and accepted Your Kingship and said “The Adonai will reign, forever more.” And it is said “For the Adonai redeemed Yaakov / Jacob & he saved him from the hand of one stronger than he.” (Jeremiah 31:10) Blessed are You Adonai, who redeems Yisrael.
…Lay us down, our Father, in peace, & raise us up, our King, for a good life & peace. And spread upon us the shelter of Your peace, & fix us, our King, with good advice before You. And deliver us speedily for the sake of Your name. And guard us, [upon saying "and spread upon us" stand and concentrate upon receiving the additional Neshama / soul] and spread upon us and upon Jerusalem your city your shelter of peace. Blessed is the One spreads the shelter of peace upon us and upon His entire people Israel and upon Jerusalem. Amen.
