Revive me according to Your faithfulness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth. Psalm 119:88 NASB Revive – We’ve been at this for quite a while. Perhaps “revive” is the right term for the halfway point. Halfway through the longest psalm, we should pause and ask ourselves, “Why is the poet spending…
So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. John 8:36 NASB Free – Freedom is an important idea in the modern world, so important that there’s a blessing about it in one version of the Siddur. Here’s the blessing from a Siddur: But here’s the same blessing in the orthodox Siddur Ashkenaz:…
Exalted be the living God* and praised,. He exists—unbounded by time is His existence.* He is One—and there is no unity like His Oneness. Morning Blessings, ArtScroll Siddur, p. 15 Unbounded by time – The line above is from the morning service in the Jewish Prayer Book. The asterisks in the sentence indicate that there…
for God Who protects and rescues us are You; for God, the gracious and compassionate King, are You. Siddur, Maariv for Weekdays, Shema and Its Blessings, p. 291. Protects and Rescues – “Being obedient does not require understanding God’s reasoning.”[1] Yes, that’s so true. Frankly, I don’t understand God at all. I don’t understand how…
and You are faithful to resuscitate the dead. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who resuscitates the dead. Shemoneh Esrei Resuscitate – The footnote to this part of the morning prayer from the Siddur reads: In the case of God’s promise to resuscitate the dead, we must make a special expression of confidence in God. First, because…
Exalted be the Living God and praised, He exists – unbounded by time is His existence. He is One – and there is no unity like His Oneness. Shacharis/Morning Service, Morning Blessings Unbounded by time – You won’t find this verse in the Bible. It’s from the Morning Blessings of the Siddur.[1] This particular prayer…
The Fourth Blessing: God’s Goodness Rather than examine another verse today, I thought it might be helpful to just read the Fourth Blessing found in the Siddur under the category “Grace After Meals.” The blessing deserves plenty of comment, but it is first appropriate to simply listen to its power and reflect on its impact….
The Helper of our forefathers are You alone, forever, Shield and Savior for them and for their children after them in every generation. Shacharis/Weekday Morning Service/ Siddur Every generation – This passage from the morning prayers in the Siddur is a reflection on the visible hand of HaShem in the Exodus. That seminal event demonstrates…
Today I will be traveling to Israel where I will be for 3 weeks, then on to Spain, then Greece and finally home 6 weeks from now. As you can imagine, writing Today’s Word every day while putting in these kind of miles is a bit daunting. So, here is an official “rewind,” a TW…
I gratefully thank You, living and existing King, for returning my soul within me with compassion, abundant is Your faithfulness. Prayer Upon Arising (first prayer of the Siddur) Faithfulness – This prayer is the very first prayer a devout follower of YHWH says when he wakes. It is a rather simple prayer but it has…
