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.
Weekday Afternoon Prayer
For the sake of the unification of the Holy One, Blessed be He, & His Divine Presence – with awe & love & love & awe – to unify of the Name of [letter] Yud, Hei with Vav Hei with a Complete Unity in the name of all Yisrael. Behold we come to pray the Afternoon Service, that was instituted by Yitzhak / Isaac our Patriarch, peace be upon him, with all of the Mitzvot / commandments included in it, to repair its source in a high place, to give serenity to the One Who Formed us and to do the will of our Creator. May the goodwill of our Adonai, our God, be upon us. [Oh, God] establish our handiwork for us. And our handiwork establish (two times) (Tehillim / Psalm 84)
To the conductor: [set] on the Gitit (musical instrument from city of Gat) by the sons of Korah – a psalm: How beloved are your dwelling places (The Holy Temple / Beit Hamikdash) Adonai of Hosts. My soul yearns & is consumed [with love] for Your courtyards, oh Adonai, my heart & my flesh sing to [You, oh] Living God. Even the bird found a house & a sparrow has its nest – that it places its fledglings (chicks) – upon Your altars – Adonai of hosts – my King & my God. Happy are those that dwell in Your house – they will praise You forever more. Happy is the man that finds his strength in You [Adonai] – whose paths [wishing to travel to Beit Hamikdash] are in their hearts. Those that traverse the valley of tears, will make it a spring & also blessings will enwrap those who taught. They will go from strength to strength & will appear before God in Tzion. Adonai, God of hosts, hear my prayer & listen God of Yaakov forever. See our shield (the Temple), God & let us see the face of Your anointed one. For greater is one day in Your courtyard God than a 1000 [days in exile], I have chosen [to stand] at the threshold of the house of God than to live [in comfort] among tents of the wicked. For a sun & shield [are You] Adonai – my God, grace & honor do you give Adonai – You do not withhold good from those that go in simple faith. Adonai of Hosts – Fortunate is the man that trusts in You.
[The Daily Offering (Numbers 28:1-8)] And the Adonai Spoke to Moshe saying: Command the Children of Israel and say to them – My Offering – Bread for the Fire Offering is My pleasing aroma – Be careful to offer it in its [proper] time. And you shall say to them this is the fire-offering that you shall offer to the Adonai – perfect sheep of one year [old], two daily as a Regular Burnt Offering. One sheep you shall do in the morning and the second sheep you shall do in the afternoon. And a tenth of an Ephah (a measure) of fine flour for the gift offering mixed with pressed oil – one-fourth of a hin (a measure). A regular burnt- offering [like] that was done on Mount Sinai as a pleasing aroma – a Fire-Offering to the Adonai. And its libation – is a quarter of a hin (a measure) for one sheep in the Sanctuary – pour a libation of old wine for the Adonai. And the second sheep you shall do in the afternoon like the Meal-Offering of the morning and like its libation do as a fire-offering – a pleasant aroma to the Adonai.
[Incense Offering] You are the Adonai, Our God, that our Forefathers burned before You the incense spices at the time that the Holy Temple stood – like You commanded them through Moshe, Your Prophet, like it is written in your Torah.
And the Adonai said to Moshe – Take for yourself spices- balsam sap / Nataf / & onycha / Sh-h'elet & galbanum / H'elbona, spices & pure frankincense / Levona – each shall be of equal weight. And you shall prepare it (the spices) as incense – a compound, the work of a spice mixer, blended (or salted) pure & holy. And you shall grind from it very well, and you shall take from it, before the [tent of] testimony – in the Tent of Meeting – that I shall meet with you there – holy, holy it shall be for you. And it says – and Aharon shall offer as incense, the incense spices each & every morning when he cleans the lamps he shall offer it. And when Aharon Ascends, he shall offer the incense – a regular incense offering before the Adonai – throughout your generations.
Our Rabbis Taught, The compound of the Incense, how was it done? Three-hundred & Sixty-eight Maneh (a measure) was in it – 365 [maneh] – like the count of the days of the solar year. One Maneh daily – half in the morning and half in the evening and the three extra maneh – where those of which the Chief Kohen entered [the holy of holies] and took from them a full palm-full on the Yom Kippur – he would return them to the grinder on the eve of Yom Kippur, in order to accomplish the mitzvah – in the finest of finest [way] and 11 spices were in it – and these are they:
1) Balsam, 2) onycha, 3) & galbanum 4) frankincense – the weight of 70 maneh each. 5) myrrh, 6) cassia & 7) spikenard & 8) saffron – [each] a weight of 16, 16 maneh. 9) costus – 12 maneh 10) aromatic bark – three [maneh] 11) cinnamon – 9 (maneh) [Added also were] Lye of Carsina – 9 Kavs (a measure), Wine of Cypres – 3 Seahs and 3 kavs- and if one did not find wine of Cypres – he brings old wine. Salt of Sodom – a quarter [of a kav.] An ascension of smoke – a small amount. Rabbi Nathan, the Babylonian, says – even the resin of the Jordan – a bit. If he put in it honey it is invalid and if he omitted one from all of its spices, he is liable for death [penalty].
Rabban Shimeon Son of Gamliel says : The Tzorit is sap, that flows from the Balsam tree. The Lye of Karsina, what does it come [to do]? – in order to rub the onycha in order for it to be beautiful. The wine of Cyprus, why is it brought? in order to soak in it the Onycha, in order for it to be sharp. But is not urine – better [to make it sharp] – rather we do not bring in urine into the Sanctuary out of respect.
We learned in [a Baraita] Rabbi Nathan Says – When he chops – he says “Hadek Heitev, Hetitev Hadek / Chop Well, Well Chop” because the voice is good for spices. The incense compound divided in half is Kosher. For a third or a-quarter we did not hear [the law]. Rabbi Yehuda said “This is the general rule – if it is in the same proportion – it is Kosher for half, & if it lacks one from all of the spices – he is liable for the death penalty.
Bar Kapara taught once every sixty or seventy years there were remains [of the spices] of half. And Bar Kapparah also taught , if one was to add a Kartov [a measure] of honey a person would not be able to stand because of the fragrance. And why do we not mix in it honey? Because the Torah says “For any leaven or any honey, do not offer incense from it – as a fire offering. Adonai of hosts, is with us. He is our refuge for us the God of Yaakov / Jacob forever. Adonai of hosts, happy is the man that has faith in You. Adonai save, the King will answer us on the day we call. And pleasant to the Adonai is the offering of Yehudah / Judah and Yerusalayim / Jerusalem – like the days of old.
Happy are those that dwell in Your house, they will yet praise You forever. Happy is the people for whom this is so, happy is the people that the Adonai is their God.
A praise of David, I will exalt You my God, the King, & I will bless Your Name forever & ever. Every day I will bless you, & I will laud Your Name forever & ever. Great is the Adonai & He is greatly lauded, & His Greatness is unfathomable. Generation to generation will praise Your deeds, & Your mighty acts they will relate. The splendorous glory of Your Majesty & Your wondrous acts I shall discuss. And the might of Your awesome acts they will speak & Your greatness, I will relate. A recollection of Your great goodness they will express & Your righteousness they will sing. Gracious & Merciful is the Adonai, Slow-to anger & Great in kindness. The Adonai is good to all & His Mercies are on all His works. All Your works shall thank You, Adonai, & Your pious ones shall bless You. Of the glory of Your Kingdom they will relate, & Your Might they shall speak.To inform human beings of Your Mighty acts & of the glorious Majesty of His Kingdom. Your Kingship is Kingship of all worlds & Your dominion is for all generations.The Adonai supports all those who fall, & He straightens all who are bent over. The eyes of all are [looking] upon You for hope, & You provide them their food in the proper time. * You open Your hand, & You satisfy all the living's wants. Righteous is the Adonai in all His ways, & Pious in all His deeds. The Adonai is close to all who call Him, to all that call upon Him with sincerity. The will of those that fear Him He will do, & their cries He will hear & save them. The Adonai protects all who love Him, & all of the wicked He will destroy. Praise of the Adonai will my mouth speak, & all flesh shall bless His holy Name for ever & ever. And we will bless God from now to eternity. [Let us all] Praise God!
