The Mishnah, (Maseches Pesachim 117b) refers to the following prayer as בִּרְכַּת הַשִּׁיר, the blessing of song. Some commentaries suggest that it is so named because it forms a lengthy song that concludes with the blessing of יִשְׁתַּבַּח on page 185. On weekdays, when there is not sufficient time to concentrate adequately on our prayers, we merely recite the concluding blessing of יִשְׁתַּבַּח, but on Sabbath and Festivals we recite the prayer in its entirety.
נִשְׁמַת כָּל חַי The soul of every living thing
תְּבָרֵךְ אֶת שִׁמְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ. shall bless Your Name, Adonoy, our God;
וְרֽוּחַ כָּל בָּשָׂר and the spirit of all flesh
תְּפָאֵר וּתְרוֹמֵם shall glorify and exalt
זִכְרְךָ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ תָּמִיד. Your mention, our King, continually.
מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם From world to world,178See note 55 on תפילה למשה, page 145.
אַתָּה אֵל. You are Almighty;
וּמִבַּלְעָדֶֽיךָ and besides You
אֵין לָנוּ מֶֽלֶךְ גּוֹאֵל וּמוֹשִֽׁיעַ. we have no king, redeemer, or deliverer,
פּוֹדֶה וּמַצִּיל וּמְפַרְנֵס [who] liberates, rescues, maintains
וּמְרַחֵם and is compassionate
בְּכָל עֵת צָרָה וְצוּקָה. in all times of trouble and distress.
אֵין לָנוּ מֶֽלֶךְ אֶלָּא אָֽתָּה. We have no king, helper, supporter but You.
אֱלֹהֵי הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְהָאַחֲרוֹנִים. God of the first and last [generations],
אֱלֽוֹהַּ כָּל בְּרִיּוֹת. God of all created things,
אֲדוֹן כָּל תּוֹלָדוֹת. Master of all begotten things,179Etz Yosef assumes that תּוֹלָדוֹת refers to events that occur in time. [See Proverbs 27:1, כִּי לֹא תֵדַע מַה יֻלַּד יוֹם, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.] Thus Hashem is Master of all events. Iyun Tefiloh says that בְּרִיוֹת, created beings, refers to everything Hashem created during the six days of creation, whereas תּוֹלָדוֹת refers to those things that come forth, i.e., were “born” from the original created things. Thus He is Hashem of all created things and Master of all begotten things even though they appear as products of nature.
הַמְּהֻלָּל בְּרֹב הַתִּשְׁבָּחוֹת. Who is extolled with a multitude of praises,
הַמְנַהֵג עוֹלָמוֹ בְּחֶֽסֶד Who conducts His world with kindliness
וּבְרִיּוֹתָיו בְּרַחֲמִים. and His creatures with compassion.
וַיהוָֹה לֹא יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן. Adonoy neither slumbers nor sleeps.
הַמְּעוֹרֵר יְשֵׁנִים. He arouses those who sleep
וְהַמֵּקִיץ נִרְדָּמִים. and awakens those who slumber,
וְהַמֵּשִֽׂיחַ אִלְּמִים. and He gives speech to the mute,
וְהַמַּתִּיר אֲסוּרִים. and releases the imprisoned.
וְהַסּוֹמֵךְ נוֹפְלִים. He supports those who have fallen
וְהַזּוֹקֵף כְּפוּפִים and straightens the bent.
לְךָ לְבַדְּךָ אֲנַֽחְנוּ מוֹדִים. To You alone we give thanks.
אִלּוּ פִֽינוּ מָלֵא שִׁירָה Even if our mouths were filled with song
כַּיָּם. like the sea,180Just like the sea is filled with water.
וּלְשׁוֹנֵֽנוּ רִנָּה and our tongues with exultation
כַּהֲמוֹן גַּלָּיו. like the roaring of its waves,
וְשִׂפְתוֹתֵֽינוּ שֶֽׁבַח and our lips with praise
כְּמֶרְחֲבֵי רָקִֽיעַ. like the breadth of the firmament,
וְעֵינֵֽינוּ מְאִירוֹת and our eyes were radiant
כַּשֶּֽׁמֶשׁ וְכַיָּרֵֽחַ. like the sun and the moon,
וְיָדֵֽינוּ פְרוּשׂוֹת and our hands outspread
כְּנִשְׁרֵי שָׁמָֽיִם. like [the] eagles of the sky,
וְרַגְלֵֽינוּ קַלּוֹת כָּאַיָּלוֹת. and our feet light as the deer—
אֵין אֲנַֽחְנוּ מַסְפִּיקִים we would never sufficiently
לְהוֹדוֹת לְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ thank You, Adonoy, our God
וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ. and God of our fathers,
וּלְבָרֵךְ אֶת שְׁמֶֽךָ and bless Your Name
עַל אַחַת מֵאָֽלֶף for even one thousandth
אֶֽלֶף אַלְפֵי אֲלָפִים of the billions
וְרִבֵּי רְבָבוֹת פְּעָמִים. and trillions
הַטּוֹבוֹת שֶׁעָשִֽׂיתָ of favors which You did
עִם אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ וְעִמָּֽנוּ. for our fathers and for us:
מִמִּצְרַֽיִם גְּאַלְתָּֽנוּ from Mitzrayim You redeemed us,
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ. Adonoy, our God;
וּמִבֵּית עֲבָדִים פְּדִיתָֽנוּ. from the house of bondage, You liberated us;
בְּרָעָב זַנְתָּֽנוּ. in famine You nourished us,
וּבְשָׂבָע כִּלְכַּלְתָּֽנוּ. and in [times of] plenty, You fed us;
מֵחֶֽרֶב הִצַּלְתָּֽנוּ. from the sword You saved us
וּמִדֶּֽבֶר מִלַּטְתָּֽנוּ. and from pestilence You removed us,
וּמֵחֳלָיִם רָעִים וְנֶאֱמָנִים and from severe and lingering sicknesses,
דִּלִּיתָֽנוּ: have You withdrawn us.
עַד הֵֽנָּה Until now
עֲזָרֽוּנוּ רַחֲמֶֽיךָ. Your compassion has helped us
וְלֹא עֲזָבֽוּנוּ חֲסָדֶֽיךָ. and Your kindliness has not forsaken us.
וְאַל תִּטְּשֵֽׁנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ. Do not abandon us, Adonoy, our God,
לָנֶֽצַח: for eternity.
עַל כֵּן Therefore,
אֵבָרִים שֶׁפִּלַּֽגְתָּ בָּֽנוּ. the limbs which You apportioned for us,
וְרֽוּחַ וּנְשָׁמָה and the spirit and soul
שֶׁנָּפַֽחְתָּ בְּאַפֵּֽינוּ. that You have breathed into our nostrils,
וְלָשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר שַֽׂמְתָּ בְּפִֽינוּ. and the tongue You have set in our mouth—
הֵן הֵם יוֹדוּ וִיבָרְכוּ behold, they will thank, bless,
וִישַׁבְּחוּ וִיפָאֲרוּ וִירוֹמְמוּ praise, glorify, exalt
וְיַעֲרִֽיצוּ וְיַקְדִּֽישׁוּ וְיַמְלִֽיכוּ revere, sanctify, and proclaim the sovereignty
אֶת שִׁמְךָ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ. of Your Name, our King.
כִּי כָל פֶּה לְךָ יוֹדֶה. For every mouth will thank You,
וְכָל לָשׁוֹן and every tongue
לְךָ תִשָּׁבַע. will swear allegiance to You,
וְכָל בֶּֽרֶךְ לְךָ תִכְרַע. and every knee will bend to You,
וְכָל קוֹמָה and all that stand up
לְפָנֶֽיךָ תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה. will prostrate themselves before You;
וְכָל לְבָבוֹת יִירָאֽוּךָ all hearts will fear You,
וְכָל קֶֽרֶב וּכְלָיוֹת and all innards and kidneys
יְזַמְּרוּ לִשְׁמֶֽךָ will sing to Your Name
כַּדָּבָר שֶׁכָּתוּב as is written,
כָּל עַצְמוֹתַי תֹּאמַֽרְנָה “All my bones will say:
יְהֹוָה מִי כָמֽוֹךָ. Adonoy! who is like unto You?”
מַצִּיל עָנִי You save the poor man
מֵחָזָק מִמֶּֽנּוּ. from one stronger than he,
וְעָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן and the poor and needy
מִגּוֹזְלוֹ: from one who would rob him.181Tehillim 35:10.
מִי יִדְמֶה לָּךְ Who is like You?
וּמִי יִשְׁוֶה לָּךְ Who is equal to You?
וּמִי יַעֲרָךְ לָךְ. And who can be compared to You?
הָאֵל The Almighty,
הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא. the Great, the Powerful, the Awesome
אֵל עֶלְיוֹן most high Almighty,
קֹנֵה שָׁמַֽיִם וָאָֽרֶץ: Possessor of heaven and earth.
חזן: נְהַלֶּלְךָ וּנְשַׁבֵּחֲךָ We will extol You, we will praise You,
וּנְפָאֶרְךָ we will glorify You,
וּנְבָרֵךְ אֶת שֵׁם קָדְשֶֽׁךָ: and bless Your Holy Name
כָּאָמוּר as it is said,
לְדָוִד “By Dovid:
בָּרְכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת יְהֹוָה. My soul, bless Adonoy!
וְכָל קְרָבַי and all that is within me [bless]
אֶת שֵׁם קָדְשׁוֹ: His Holy Name!”182Tehillim 103:1.
הָאֵל [You are] Almighty
בְּתַעֲצֻמוֹת עֻזֶּֽךָ. in the power of Your might;
הַגָּדוֹל בִּכְבוֹד שְׁמֶֽךָ. Great in the honor of Your Name,
הַגִּבּוֹר לָנֶֽצַח Powerful forever
וְהַנּוֹרָא בְּנוֹרְאוֹתֶֽיךָ. and awesome through Your awesome deeds;
On the second day of Rosh Hashana continue “The King,” on page 475.