A Confession of Faith in One G-d

A person should forever fear G-d privately, and acknowledge the truth, and speak the truth in his or her heart, and rise early and say:

Master of all Worlds!

We do not prostrate and offer supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but for Your great mercies. What are we? What is our life? What is our kindness? What is our piety? What is our strength? What is our power? What shall we say before You, L-rd our G-d?

Are not all the mighty as nothing before you? And people of renown as though they had never been? And the wise as though they have no knowledge? And those of understanding as though they can't think?

Because most of their deeds are nothing, and the days of their lives are vapor before You. And the preeminence of a human over an animal is nothing, for all is vapor.

Except for the soul which is destined to give a reckoning before the Throne of Your Glory.

Therefore it is our duty to thank you and to praise you and to glorify you. And to bless, and sanctify, and to give praise and thanks to Your Name.

We are fortunate. How good is our portion and how pleasant is our fate and how beautiful is our heritage.

We are happy that we wake up and settle in for the night, evening and morning, and say twice each day:

You are He who is the same before the world was created. You are He who is the same since the world was created. You are He who is the same in this world. And you are He who is the same in the World to Come.

You are He, the L-rd G-d, in heaven and on earth and in the highest heaven of heavens.

Truly, You are He who is first and You are last. And besides You there is no god.

Let all people recognize and know that You are the only G-d over all kingdoms of the world. You made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them. And who is there among the work of Your hands, whether in the upper realms or the lower, who will say to You, "What will You do? And what will You make?"

Our living and eternal Father in heaven! Deal generously and kindly with us for the sake of Your great, powerful, and awe-inspiring name!

Notes:

* midrash - an ancient commentary on the Bible. In this case it comes from the school of the Sage Eliyahu.

* Hear, O Israel - This declaration was first recited around the Patriarch Israel's (Jacob's) death bed by his twelve sons. (This is not explicit in the Written Torah.) We see that all his twelve sons remained faithful to G-d and became the progenitors of the Jewish people. In his last year of life, Moses first taught the Israelites to recite this when waking in the morning and when preparing to retire at night (Deuteronomy 6:7). This declaration is one of the centerpieces of Jewish prayer.

* the L-rd our G-d - The great Torah Sage, Rashi, (Rabbi Solomon Itzchaki, 1040-1105) presents a prophetic idea that could be translated as: "Hear, O Israel. The L-rd who is G-d now [over the Jewish people], will be One [over the whole world]." "The L-rd our G- d" is not treated as a sentence. There is no word 'is' in this declaration. In most cases in Hebrew, the word 'is' is implied, not stated. Hence such flexibility in interpretation. From Rashi:

"The L-rd our G-d: The L-rd who is our G-d now but not the G-d of the nations [of the world], He is destined to be the One G-d ... as is written, 'On that day, the L-rd will be One and His name one' (Zechariah 14:9)." (Rashi's comment on Deuteronomy 6:4; translated from Hebrew)

See what Rabbi Avigdor presents (What's Bothering Rashi? A Guide to In-depth Analysis of His Torah Commentary. Volume 5 on Deuteronomy/Devarim. Jerusalem and New York: Feldheim Publishers, 2002) examining Rashi's focus in this verse.

* You are He who is ... - This phrase seems awkward, going from second person singular – 'thou' in Old English – to the third person. This literal translation is deliberate on my part. We all have a personal, intimate relation with G-d – not that we always feel it. However this is no more than a glimmer of His awe inspiring self. He Himself, as only He knows, is the same before the world was created as after, and so on.
The students of Kabbala call "You are" an immanent revelation of G-dliness, whereas "He who is" they call a transcendent revelation of G-dliness. Kabbala is the innermost, esoteric dimension of Torah understanding.

* I've selected the version of this devotion that conforms to the kabbalistic rite. Also, I've translated it into ordinary English. Compare this with other formal, even archaic, translations; specifically that from Rabbi Nissen Mangel (Siddur Tehillat Hashem Nusach Ha-Ari Zal: According to the Text of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. Emended Hebrew Edition with an English Translation. Brooklyn, New York: Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, 1978) and that from Dr. Joseph H. Hertz, the late Chief Rabbi of the British Empire (The Authorised Daily Prayer Book. Revised Edition. New York: Bloch Publishing Company, 1955.) Instead of translating this devotion himself, Rabbi Hertz presents a rhyming rendition from Israel Zangwill (1864-1926). I consulted another prayer book with a formal and archaic English translation by Dr. A. Th. Philips (Daily Prayers with English Translation. Revised Edition. New York: Hebrew Publishing Company, no date). Also a prayer book translated by David de Sola Pool (The Traditional Prayer Book for Sabbath and Festivals.Under the direction of the Rabbinical Council of America. New York: Behrman House, 1960) which is in formal and archaic English.

A Confession of Faith in the One G-d, Creator of Heaven and Earth

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