| Heart-Fire Healing | Repair of the Soul Tikkun HaNefesh תיקון הנפש |
| Spiritual Guidance & Shema-nik Healing | Listening for the Sacred Shomei-a BaRuach שומע ברוח
(Listening with the soul / Hearing in the wind) |
[The Sabbath is] between Me and the children of Israel/ those who Persist-with-God - a sign hidden-within/ the-universe/ forever;
For six days I-Am made the Heavens and the Earth and on the seventh day, took-Shabbat/ ceased and rested/ re-ensouled. (Ex 31:17)
Prayer (tefilah) is an opportunity for us to come together in sacred community, a chance to enter a shared experience of sanctity and unity. Particularly for Shabbat (literally ‘ceasing’ or ‘resting’) we are challenged to leave behind our to-do lists – for one day, stop doing and enter being. In this state, we can encounter the world as a divine miracle, and after Shabbat, re-engage in repairing the world with a renewed vision and vigor.
In hope of assisting this practice, I offer this interlinear siddur (prayer book). It follows the traditional progression through the prayers of the service so that we can participate in the transformative sequence. For each prayer, the original Hebrew text is primary, as a visual immersion, for those who read Hebrew or not. Under each word is a transliteration to assist pronunciation for non-Hebrew readers. An English translation for each word (or short phrase) allows following the Hebrew while holding specific meaning in mind. Occasional inserted notes indicate traditional ritual movements that can enhance the embodied experience.
The Hebrew wording is generally traditional, with a few modifications as adopted by many modern liberal Jewish congregations. The translations are my own, in an attempt to accurately indicate the terminology while offering a rendering of ancient symbolism in a currently meaningful way. Often, a prayer is followed by a more interpretive version (perhaps more familiar) for a broadened understanding. When available, the secondary version is lyrical and can be sung to the usual Hebrew melody. An appendix explains my approach to translating some of the vocabulary and symbolism.
Prayerbook for Friday evening:
Kabbalat Shabbat - Welcoming the Sabbath
Maariv - Friday Evening
Shabbat Service
compiled and adapted by Reb Rachmiel Langer
If you find this siddur useful please send a contribution to support this work.
Contribute what you can;
the suggested donation is $18 plus $1 for each participant using it in your Shabbat service.
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or to: Heart-Fire Healing, PO Box 74, Littleton, MA 01460
I also encourage you to respond with feedback, especially about your experiences using the siddur.
Click here to download the Friday Evening Siddur