Siddur Spinoza

What this is

Siddur Spinoza helps readers move between Hebrew, plain English, philosophical interpretation, and traditional rabbinic framing. The goal is accessibility without flattening complexity.

Hebrew + English Spinoza commentary Specific source citations Reflection prompts

Core prayers (expanded draft)

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Shacharit Musaf Mincha / Maariv Home Rituals Special Occasions Closing

Shacharit (Morning Service)

Built as an expandable sequence: morning blessings, Shema, and Amidah.

“All things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.” Spinoza, Ethics, Part V, Proposition 42 (1677)

Morning foundations

Modeh Ani

Morning gratitude on waking

Hebrew

מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ, מֶלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּם, שֶׁהֶחֱזַרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי בְּחֶמְלָה; רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ.

English (plain)

I thank You, living and enduring Sovereign, for restoring my soul within me with compassion; abundant is Your faithfulness.

Spinoza Lens

Gratitude here is not a request for supernatural intervention. It is the practice of aligning the mind with reality as it is: being alive again this morning is an invitation to live with clarity, responsibility, and joy in the order of nature.

Traditional Lens (Rashi-era orientation)

Traditional commentators frame waking as a daily renewal of trust between person and Creator. The line "abundant is Your faithfulness" is often read as God’s trust in the human being to use the day well.

Reflect

What is one concrete way you can honor life and truth today?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew text follows the standard line with no wording changes. English wording keeps the traditional meaning and uses simple modern phrasing.

Elohai Neshama (opening line)

Soul, purity, and responsibility

Hebrew

אֱלֹהַי, נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי טְהוֹרָה הִיא.

English (plain)

My God, the soul You have given me is pure.

Spinoza Lens

Purity here can be read as potential: the mind can understand clearly when we are not ruled by fear, resentment, or confusion. The task is to protect that clarity.

Traditional Lens

Traditionally this line affirms that life is entrusted to us from God each day. The prayer sets a tone of gratitude and moral accountability.

Reflect

What would it mean to treat your inner life as something entrusted to you?

Call to prayer and pre-Shema blessings

Barchu

Public call to begin shared prayer

Hebrew

בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְיָ הַמְּבֹרָךְ. בָּרוּךְ יְיָ הַמְּבֹרָךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

English (plain)

Bless the Eternal, the One who is blessed. Blessed is the Eternal, the One who is blessed forever and ever.

Spinoza Lens

Barchu is a shared reset. It moves prayer from private mood into a communal frame, where language and ethics are practiced together.

Traditional Lens

Traditionally Barchu marks the formal opening of major sections of communal prayer and establishes a leader-community response rhythm.

Reflect

What helps you move from “my concerns” into shared responsibility?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew uses the standard call-and-response wording. English is a direct, plain translation of that same wording.

Yotzer Or (opening line)

Morning blessing for light and order

Hebrew

יוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבוֹרֵא חֹשֶׁךְ, עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא אֶת הַכֹּל.

English (plain)

Who forms light and creates darkness, makes peace and creates all.

Spinoza Lens

This line can be read as radical unity: all natural opposites exist within one reality, so wisdom begins by understanding causes instead of dividing the world into rival powers.

Traditional Lens

In daily liturgy this blessing thanks God for the ordered cycles of creation and prepares the mind for Shema.

Reflect

Where can you replace reaction with deeper understanding of what caused a situation?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew keeps the standard opening line. English uses “creates all” to mirror “et hakol” directly.

Ahavah Rabbah (opening line)

Love, Torah, and readiness before Shema

Hebrew

אַהֲבָה רַבָּה אֲהַבְתָּנוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, חֶמְלָה גְדוֹלָה וִיתֵרָה חָמַלְתָּ עָלֵינוּ.

English (plain)

With great love You have loved us, Eternal our God; with great and abundant compassion You have had mercy on us.

Spinoza Lens

Read philosophically, “great love” points to a trustworthy order that makes understanding possible; the response is disciplined learning and ethical action.

Traditional Lens

Traditionally this blessing centers divine love expressed through Torah, education, and covenant life before reciting Shema.

Reflect

What does love look like when it is expressed as steady learning and responsibility?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew follows the standard opening sentence. English keeps classic vocabulary while simplifying sentence flow.

Shema flow

Shema (opening line)

Unity, attention, and commitment

Hebrew

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְיָ אֶחָד.

English (plain)

Hear, Israel: the Eternal is our God, the Eternal is One.

Spinoza Lens

"One" points to indivisible reality, not separate powers competing in the world. To recite Shema this way is to commit to intellectual honesty and ethical living in harmony with that unity.

Traditional Lens

In classical Jewish life, Shema is declaration and discipline: accepting divine unity and binding daily life to that awareness through study, action, and memory.

Reflect

Where do I feel fragmented, and what would "oneness" look like in practice?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew text uses the standard single Shema verse with no wording changes. English wording stays close to common liturgical translation.

Baruch Shem Kevod

The whispered line after Shema

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

English (plain)

Blessed is the name of the glory of His sovereignty forever and ever.

Spinoza Lens

The quiet tone can be a practice of humility: after declaring unity, we lower the volume and internalize commitment.

Traditional Lens

Jewish practice generally recites this line softly after Shema on regular days, preserving a long-standing liturgical custom.

Reflect

How can quiet repetition strengthen your values more than dramatic language?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew keeps the standard liturgical wording. English is intentionally literal, preserving “name,” “glory,” and “forever.”

V'ahavta (full first paragraph)

Whole prayer section: love, teaching, and remembrance

Hebrew

וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ. וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם, עַל לְבָבֶךָ. וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ, וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל יָדֶךָ, וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ. וּכְתַבְתָּם, עַל מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ.

English (plain)

You shall love the Eternal your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Let these words that I command you today rest on your heart. Teach them to your children. Speak of them when you sit at home, when you walk on the way, when you lie down, and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, let them be as frontlets between your eyes, and write them on the doorposts of your house and your gates.

Spinoza Lens

Love of God can be understood as joyful understanding of reality. This line calls for full-person integration: thought, desire, and action aligned with truth.

Traditional Lens

Classical teaching reads this as daily devotion in every state of life, including prosperity and hardship. Love is shown through study, mitzvot, and ethical conduct.

Reflect

What would wholehearted commitment look like in one decision you face today?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew text was expanded from one line to the full first paragraph. English was expanded in parallel to match that full paragraph in straightforward wording.

V'haya Im Shamoa (full second paragraph)

Whole prayer section: attention, consequence, and covenant

Hebrew

וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל מִצְוֺתַי אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם, לְאַהֲבָה אֶת יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וּלְעָבְדוֹ בְּכָל לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁכֶם. וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּוֹ, יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ, וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ. וְנָתַתִּי עֵשֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ, וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ. הִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם פֶּן יִפְתֶּה לְבַבְכֶם, וְסַרְתֶּם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶם. וְחָרָה אַף יְיָ בָּכֶם, וְעָצַר אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְלֹא יִהְיֶה מָטָר, וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת יְבוּלָהּ, וַאֲבַדְתֶּם מְהֵרָה מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר יְיָ נֹתֵן לָכֶם. וְשַׂמְתֶּם אֶת דְּבָרַי אֵלֶּה עַל לְבַבְכֶם וְעַל נַפְשְׁכֶם, וּקְשַׁרְתֶּם אֹתָם לְאוֹת עַל יֶדְכֶם, וְהָיוּ לְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֵיכֶם. וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם, לְדַבֵּר בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ. לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם וִימֵי בְנֵיכֶם עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְיָ לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם לָתֵת לָהֶם, כִּימֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ.

English (plain)

If you truly listen to My commandments that I command you today, to love the Eternal your God and to serve with all your heart and all your soul, then rain will come for your land in its season, early and late, and you will gather grain, wine, and oil. There will be grass for your animals, and you will eat and be satisfied. Be careful lest your heart be misled and you turn to other powers. Then the heavens will close, rain will stop, and the ground will not give produce. Set these words upon your heart and your soul. Bind them as a sign on your hand, and let them be as frontlets between your eyes. Teach them to your children, speak of them at home and on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. Write them on the doorposts of your house and your gates, so that your days and your children's days may be long on the land.

Spinoza Lens

This line can be read as moral causality: patterns of living produce social and emotional outcomes. Listening means disciplined attention to what is actually true.

Traditional Lens

In traditional liturgy this paragraph emphasizes covenant responsibility, linking devotion, mitzvot, and communal wellbeing across generations.

Reflect

Where do your daily habits clearly shape long-term outcomes in your life?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew text was expanded from the opening line to the full second paragraph. English was expanded to cover the full paragraph in plain modern wording.

Vayomer (full third paragraph)

Whole prayer section: memory, identity, and embodied reminders

Hebrew

וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר. דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם וְעָשׂוּ לָהֶם צִיצִת עַל כַּנְפֵי בִגְדֵיהֶם לְדֹרֹתָם, וְנָתְנוּ עַל צִיצִת הַכָּנָף פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת. וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִת, וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֺת יְיָ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם, וְלֹא תָתוּרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם. לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֺתָי, וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים לֵאלֹהֵיכֶם. אֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים. אֲנִי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.

English (plain)

The Eternal said to Moses: Speak to the people of Israel and tell them to make fringes on the corners of their garments in every generation, and place a blue thread on each fringe. You shall look at it and remember all the commandments of the Eternal and do them, so you do not stray after your heart and your eyes. Remember and perform all My commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the Eternal your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Eternal your God.

Spinoza Lens

External reminders can train inner freedom. Practices in time and space help keep values active instead of abstract.

Traditional Lens

This paragraph introduces tzitzit and the command to remember. Traditional teaching treats memory as practical: seeing, recalling, and acting with intention.

Reflect

What visible reminder could help you return to your values each day?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew text was expanded from the opening line to the full third paragraph. English was expanded to mirror the complete paragraph in plain wording.

Amidah and peace

Amidah (selected core blessings)

Whole prayer section sample: opening praise + holiness

Hebrew

אֲדֹנָי, שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח; וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶךָ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם, אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק, וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב. הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל, הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא, אֵל עֶלְיוֹן. אַתָּה גִּבּוֹר לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָי, מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים אַתָּה, רַב לְהוֹשִׁיעַ. אַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ, וְשִׁמְךָ קָדוֹשׁ, וּקְדוֹשִׁים בְּכָל יוֹם יְהַלְלוּךָ סֶּלָה.

English (plain)

Eternal One, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. Blessed are You, Eternal our God and God of our ancestors, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, great, mighty, and awesome God Most High. You are mighty forever, giving life and bringing salvation. You are holy, and Your name is holy, and holy ones praise You every day.

Spinoza Lens

The opening blessings can be read as a practice of orientation: first steady speech, then memory, then moral seriousness. Instead of asking for intervention, a Spinozist reading emphasizes training mind and character toward truth and responsibility.

Traditional Lens

In traditional liturgy, these opening blessings establish covenant memory (Avot), divine might (Gevurot), and holiness (Kedushat Hashem) before moving into requests. They set reverence, continuity, and structure for the full Amidah.

Reflect

What values do you want to consciously anchor before asking for anything else?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew text was expanded from one opening line to selected opening blessings. English was expanded in parallel and kept close to traditional meaning.

Oseh Shalom

Closing prayer for peace

Hebrew

עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו, הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.

English (plain)

May the One who makes peace in the heavens make peace for us and for all Israel; and let us say: Amen.

Spinoza Lens

Peace is not passive. It is the social outcome of justice, understanding, and shared responsibility. This ending turns inner clarity outward toward community.

Traditional Lens

Traditionally recited at moments of conclusion, this line extends prayer beyond the individual and asks for communal wholeness in everyday life.

Reflect

What is one relationship where you can take a concrete step toward peace?

Musaf (Additional Service)

First Musaf selections are in place, with room to add more.

“Peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue...” Spinoza, Political Treatise, Chapter 5 (1677)

Musaf Kedushah (opening line)

Sanctification in communal voice

Hebrew

כֶּתֶר יִתְּנוּ לְךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מַלְאָכִים הֲמוֹן מַעְלָה.

English (plain)

A crown they give You, Eternal our God, the multitudes of angels above.

Spinoza Lens

The imagery points to shared orientation, not hierarchy anxiety. A community can be unified around truth-seeking, justice, and disciplined joy.

Traditional Lens

In many rites, Musaf Kedushah emphasizes heavenly and earthly sanctification together, with the congregation joining angelic praise.

Reflect

What does “holiness” mean when expressed as collective responsibility?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew uses the standard opening line. English keeps the same meaning in plain words.

U'vnei Yerushalayim (Musaf ending line)

Restoration and communal future

Hebrew

וּבְנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ.

English (plain)

Rebuild Jerusalem, the holy city, speedily in our days.

Spinoza Lens

Rebuilding can be read as social repair: stronger institutions, public trust, education, and justice in shared civic life.

Traditional Lens

This line is classically connected to hope for restoration of Jerusalem and the communal-spiritual center of Jewish life.

Reflect

What is one way to help “rebuild” your community this month?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew uses the standard liturgical line. English is a direct plain-language rendering.

Mincha and Maariv

First prayer selections for afternoon and evening services.

“I have striven ... not to hate them, but to understand them.” Spinoza, Political Treatise, Chapter 1, Section 4 (1677)

Ashrei (opening verse)

Grounding the afternoon service in praise

Hebrew

אַשְׁרֵי יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶךָ, עוֹד יְהַלְלוּךָ סֶּלָה.

English (plain)

Happy are those who dwell in Your house; they will forever praise You.

Spinoza Lens

“Dwelling” can be read as mental steadiness: building habits that keep attention on what is true and life-giving.

Traditional Lens

Ashrei (from Psalm 145 and related verses) is central in daily prayer and often frames Mincha with trust and praise.

Reflect

What daily habit helps you “dwell” in steadiness rather than panic?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew uses the standard verse. English keeps the meaning with simple wording.

Hashkiveinu (opening line)

Evening trust and protection

Hebrew

הַשְׁכִּיבֵנוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְשָׁלוֹם, וְהַעֲמִידֵנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ לְחַיִּים.

English (plain)

Lay us down in peace, Eternal our God, and raise us up, our Sovereign, to life.

Spinoza Lens

Evening prayer can become emotional hygiene: releasing fear, restoring clarity, and preparing the mind for renewal.

Traditional Lens

Hashkiveinu is a classic Maariv blessing asking for peace, protection, and a secure transition from day to night.

Reflect

What one worry can you consciously release before sleep tonight?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew uses the standard opening line. English stays close to standard meaning in plain wording.

Home Rituals and Everyday Blessings

Core blessings used across Shabbat, holidays, and daily meals.

“The free man thinks of nothing less than of death...” Spinoza, Ethics, Part IV, Proposition 67 (1677)

Shabbat Kiddush (opening lines)

Sanctifying time over wine

Hebrew

וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ, וְכָל צְבָאָם. וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן.

English (plain)

The heavens and the earth were completed, and all their array. God completed on the seventh day the work that had been done. Blessed are You, Eternal, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Spinoza Lens

Kiddush can frame time as intentional rather than automatic. Stopping to bless wine marks a chosen rhythm: attention, gratitude, and communal dignity.

Traditional Lens

Kiddush over wine is central to welcoming Shabbat and festivals, linking creation, covenant memory, and sacred rest.

Reflect

What weekly ritual could help you turn time into something more intentional?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew includes selected standard opening lines from Friday night Kiddush. English follows those lines in plain wording.

Borei Pri Hagafen

Blessing over wine or grape juice

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן.

English (plain)

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Spinoza Lens

A short blessing can function as a cognitive reset: gratitude before consumption, and awareness that joy is strongest when shared wisely.

Traditional Lens

This berakhah is the standard blessing for wine and grape juice in meals, Kiddush, and many ceremonial moments.

Reflect

What changes when you pause for gratitude before celebration?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew uses the standard blessing text. English is a direct plain-language rendering.

HaMotzi

Blessing over bread

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ.

English (plain)

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Spinoza Lens

Bread blessing can train causal awareness: food depends on land, labor, weather, community, and mutual obligation.

Traditional Lens

HaMotzi marks the start of bread-based meals and anchors Jewish practice of gratitude for sustenance.

Reflect

Who and what made this meal possible that you usually overlook?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew uses the standard blessing text. English keeps the same meaning in plain wording.

Birkat HaMazon (first blessing)

Gratitude after eating bread

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַזָּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ בְּטוּבוֹ.

English (plain)

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, who nourishes the whole world in goodness.

Spinoza Lens

Post-meal blessing encourages causal awareness: nourishment is not “automatic,” but the outcome of systems, people, and nature working together.

Traditional Lens

Birkat HaMazon is the central Jewish practice of thanking God after a bread meal, grounded in Torah and expanded by rabbinic tradition.

Reflect

What changes when gratitude comes after enjoyment, not only before it?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew uses the opening line of the first blessing (“HaZan”). English follows that line directly with minimal interpretation.

Nerot Shabbat

Blessing for Shabbat candles

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֺתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת.

English (plain)

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has made us holy through commandments and commanded us to kindle the Shabbat light.

Spinoza Lens

Lighting candles can be framed as an intentional transition: from speed to presence, from scattered attention to relational time.

Traditional Lens

Candle lighting welcomes Shabbat into the home and marks the beginning of sacred time through a concrete, repeatable act.

Reflect

What ritual helps you make a real boundary between ordinary time and sacred time?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew follows the standard candle-lighting blessing wording. English keeps the same sentence structure and meaning.

HaMavdil

Havdalah line for transitions

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל.

English (plain)

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, who separates between holy and ordinary.

Spinoza Lens

Distinction is a spiritual skill. HaMavdil invites us to choose healthy boundaries and bring intention into transitions, not just beginnings.

Traditional Lens

This Havdalah blessing closes Shabbat and teaches that sacred rhythms are preserved through clear separations in time.

Reflect

Where in your week do you need a cleaner boundary so your values stay intact?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew uses the concise standard Havdalah line. English mirrors “holy and ordinary” to keep the contrast explicit.

Special Occasions (Starter Track)

This section seeds future Mahzor and Haggadah expansion.

“Human blessedness is not the reward of virtue, but virtue itself...” Spinoza, Ethics, Part V, Proposition 42 Scholium (1677)

Shehecheyanu

Blessing for reaching a new season or moment

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.

English (plain)

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this time.

Spinoza Lens

Shehecheyanu celebrates duration and presence. It invites a rational joy rooted in being alive now, not in fantasy about control.

Traditional Lens

This blessing is recited at festivals, first-time mitzvah moments, and meaningful new experiences to mark gratitude for arrival in time.

Reflect

What milestone in your life deserves a conscious blessing right now?

Spinoza edit notes

Hebrew uses the standard blessing text. English is a direct and plain rendering.

Closing vision

Mi Chamocha

Wonder, liberation, and trust

Hebrew

מִי כָמֹכָה בָּאֵלִם יְיָ, מִי כָּמֹכָה נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ, נוֹרָא תְהִלֹּת, עֹשֵׂה פֶלֶא.

English (plain)

Who is like You among the mighty, Eternal One? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praise, doing wonders?

Spinoza Lens

The poetry points to awe before reality itself. Wonder is not anti-rational; it is the emotional force that can drive deeper understanding and ethical courage.

Traditional Lens

This verse comes from the Song at the Sea, linking prayer to collective memory of liberation and to trust in divine care through history.

Reflect

Where in your life do you need more wonder and less cynicism right now?

Aleinu (opening lines)

Purpose, humility, and shared duty

Hebrew

עָלֵינוּ לְשַׁבֵּחַ לַאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל, לָתֵת גְּדֻלָּה לְיוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית.

English (plain)

It is our duty to praise the Master of all, to ascribe greatness to the Creator of the beginning.

Spinoza Lens

Duty here can be read as living in truth: aligning our values and actions with the larger order of reality, not just private preference or impulse.

Traditional Lens

Aleinu closes services by shifting from personal prayer to universal purpose. Worship is tied to responsibility for justice and moral witness in the world.

Reflect

What is one responsibility you can carry with more seriousness this week?