Draft:Birkat Avot

Birkat-Avot (Hebrew: בִּרְכַּתֿ־אָבֿוֹתֿ‎)is the first of nineteen blessings in the Amidah, the central prayer of most Jewish services. It is the first of the three blessings of praise at the beginning of the prayer, the other two being Birkat-Gvurot (blessing of the powers) and Birkat-Qdushat-haShem (blessing of the sanctification of the Name). The blessing deals with the praise of God's titles and as His status as protector of the ancestors. The name of the blessing comes from its opening with a list of the three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Text

The text of this blessing, as found in Nusach Ashkenaz, is as follows. Variations are discussed below.

#	English translation	Transliteration	Hebrew
1	Blessèd are You, haShem, our God and God of our ancestors:	Baruch ata Adonai, elohéinu veilohei-avoṫeinu:	בָּרוּךְֿ אַתָּהֿ ה׳, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי־אֲבֿוֹתֵֽֿינוּ‎
2	God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob.	elohei-Avraham, elohei-Yitzħaq, veilohei-Ya'aqov.	אֱלֹהֵי־אַבְֿרָהָם, אֱלֹהֵי־יִצְחָק, אֱלֹהֵי־יַעֲקֹבֿ‎
3	Great, awesome, transcendent God, God on high,	ha·Eil hagadol hagibor v'hanora, Eil 'elyon,	הָאֵל הַגָּדֿוֹל, הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא, אֵל עֶלְיוֹן‎
4	who repays with benevolence and goodness, who created all, who remembers the goodness of our fathers,	gomel ħasadim ṭovim, v'qoné hakol, v'zocheir ħasdei-avoṫ,	גּוֹמֵל חֲסַדִים טוֹבִֿים, וְקֹנֶהֿ הַכֹּל, וְזוֹכֵר חַסְדֵֿי־אָבֿוֹתֿ,‎
5a	who brings forth redemption for the children of their children,	umeivi go·eil livnei-v'neihem	וּמֵבִֿיא גֿוֹאֵל לִבְֿנֵי־בְֿנֵיהֶם‎
5b	for the sake of his Name, with love.	l'ma'an sh'mo b'·ahava.	לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ בְּאַהַבָֿהֿ.‎
6	King, helper, savior, and shield.	Mélech 'ozer umoshía' umagein.	מֶֽלֶךְֿ עוֹזֵר וּמוֹשִֽׁיעַ וּמָגֵן.‎
7	Blessèd are You, haShem, shield of Abraham.	Baruch ata Adonai, magein-Avraham.	בָּרוּךְֿ אַתָּהֿ ה׳, מָגֵֿן־אַבְֿרָהַם.‎

Variations on the text

The above text is consistent with that found in Nusach Ashkenaz. While the blessing is mostly consistent across communities, the text has some variations as follows:

• In Nusach Sefardiyim, Nusach Sefard, and Nusach Provence, the text in line 4 replaces וְקֹנֶה הַכֹּל‎ (v'qoné hakol; "and created all) with קֹנֶה הַכֹּל‎ (qoné hakol; "creator of all").
• In Nusach Yemeni Baladi, line 5b is cut.
• In Nusach Italki, the word "גּוֹאֵל‎" (go·eil; "redeemer") is added in line 6 to make "מֶֽלֶךְֿ גּוֹאֵל עוֹזֵר וּמוֹשִֽׁיעַ וּמָגֵן‎" (mélech go·eil 'ozer umoshía' umagein; "king, redeemer, helper, savior, and shield".
• In Nusach Romanya, used by the Romaniote Jews, the text in line 4 replaces וְקֹנֶהֿ הַכֹּל‎ (v'qoné hakol; "and created all) with וְקֹנֶהֿ אֶתֿ הַכֹּל‎ (v'qoné eṫ-hakol; "creator of all") (with the accusative marker אתֿ‎).
• In Saadia Gaon's siddur, lines 5–6 are replaced with "וּמֵבִֿיא גּוֹאֵל לְזָרְעָם אַחֲרֵיהֶם מֶֽלֶךְֿ מוֹשִֽׁיעַ וּמָגֵֿן‎" (umeivi go·el l'zar'am aħareihem mélech moshía umagein; "and who brings forth redeption for their offspring after them. King, savior, and shield.")
• In Nusach Eretz Yisra'el, used in the Southern Levant by the Palestinian Jews, lines 4–6 are replaced by "קוֹנֵהֿ שָׁמַֽיִם וָאָֽרֶץ, מָגִֿנֵּֽנוּ וּמָגֵֿן אֲבֿוֹתֵֽֿינוּ, מִבְֿטָחֵֽנוּ בְּכׇֿל דּוֹר וָדֿוֹר‎" (qonei shamáyim va·aretz, maginéinu umagein avoṫéinu, mivṭaħéinu b'chol dor vador; "who made the heavens and the Earth, our shield and shield of our ancestors, our anchor from generation to generation").
• In the United States, many Reform and Reconstructionist, and some Conservative synagogues change lines 1, 2, 6, and 7 to include the Matriarchs: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.

Insert for High Holidays

During the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh haShana and Yom Kippur, an insert, varying by community and found below, is added between lines 5 and 6. According to the majority of the Rishonim, someone who forgets to add the insert should continue praying as usual.

Nusach	Hebrew	Transliteration	English
Ashkenaz, Sefard, Sefardiyim, and Romaniote	זׇכְֿרֵנוּ לְחַיִים, מֶֽלֶךְֿ חָפֵֿץ בַּחַיִים, וְכׇֿתְֿבֵֿנוּ בְֿסֵֽפֶֿר הַחַיִים, לְמַעַנְךָֿ אֱלֹהִים חַיִים.‎	Zochreinu l'ħayim mélech ħafeitz baħayim v'choṫveinu v'séifer haħayim l'ma'ancha Elohim ħayyim.	Remember us for life, king, desire us for life and write us in the Book of Life for your sake, God of Life.
Italki and Yemeni Baladi	זׇכְֿרֵנוּ לְחַיִים, מֶֽלֶךְֿ חָפֵֿץ בַּחַיִים, וְכׇֿתְֿבֵֿנוּ בְֿסֵֽפֶֿר הַחַיִים, לְמַעַנְךָֿ אֵל חַי.‎	Zochreinu l'ħayim mélech ħafeitz baħayim v'choṫveinu v'séifer haħayim l'ma'ancha Eil ħai.	Remember us for life, king, desire us for life and write us in the Book of Life for your sake, God of Life.
Provençal	זׇכְֿרֵנוּ לְחַיִים, מֶֽלֶךְֿ חָפֵֿץ בַּחַיִים, וְכׇֿתְֿבֵֿנוּ בְֿסֵֽפֶֿר הַחַיִים, לְמַעַנְךָֿ אֱלֹהִים חַיִים אֵל חַי.‎	Zochreinu l'ħayim mélech ħafeitz baħayim v'choṫveinu v'séifer haħayim l'ma'ancha Elohim ħayyim Eil ħai.	Remember us for life, king, desire us for life and write us in the Book of Life for your sake, God of Life; God of Life.
Catalan	זׇכְֿרֵנוּ לְחַיִים, מֶֽלֶךְֿ חָפֵֿץ בַּחַיִים, וְכׇֿתְֿבֵֿנוּ בְֿסֵֽפֶֿר הַחַיִים, לְמַעַנְךָֿ אֱלֹהִים חַיִים אֵל חַי וּמָגֵֿן.‎	Zochreinu l'ħayim mélech ħafeitz baħayim v'choṫveinu v'séifer haħayim l'ma'ancha Elohim ħayyim Eil ħai umagein.	Remember us for life, king, desire us for life and write us in the Book of Life for your sake, God of Life; God of Life and shield.