Text
וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי. וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם. וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה. וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ, כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת. סַבְרִי מָרָנָן: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְרָצָה בָנוּ, וְשַׁבַּת קָדְשׁוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן הִנְחִילָנוּ, זִכָּרוֹן לְמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. כִּי הוּא יוֹם תְּחִלָּה לְמִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ, זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאוֹתָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים, וְשַׁבַּת קָדְשְׁךָ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, מְקַדֵּשׁ הַשַּׁבָּת.
Transliteration
Va-jehi erev va-jehi voker jom ha-šiši. Va-jechulu ha-šamajim ve-ha-arec ve-chol cva’am. Va-jechal Elohim ba-jom ha-švi’i mlachto ašer asa, va-jišbot ba-jom ha-švi’i mi-kol mlachto ašer asa. Va-jevarech Elohim et jom ha-švi’i va-jekadeš oto, ki vo šavat mi-kol mlachto ašer bara Elohim la-asot. Savri maranan: Baruch ata Adonaj, Elohejnu melech ha-olam, bore pri ha-gafen. Baruch ata Adonaj, Elohejnu melech ha-olam, ašer kidšanu be-micvotav ve-raca vanu, ve-šabat kodšo be-ahava u-v-racon hinchilanu, zikaron le-ma’ase verešit. Ki hu jom tchila le-mikra’ej kodeš, zecher li-jci’at micrajim. Ki vanu vacharta ve-otanu kidašta mi-kol ha-amim, ve-šabat kodšecha be-ahava u-v-racon hinchaltanu. Baruch ata Adonaj, mekadeš ha-šabat.
Translation
And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their host. On the seventh day God completed the work He had been doing, and on the seventh day He ceased from all the work He had been doing. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, for on it He ceased from all His work that God had created to make. By your leave, friends: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and taken delight in us, and has given us His holy Shabbat as a heritage in love and favor, a remembrance of the work of creation. It is the first of the holy convocations, a memorial of the going out from Egypt. For You have chosen us and sanctified us from among all peoples, and You have given us Your holy Shabbat as a heritage in love and favor. Blessed are You, Lord, who sanctifies Shabbat.
The Hebrew liturgical text is in the public domain; the translation is original.
Notes and differences between rites
The opening verses are Genesis 1:31 (end) and Genesis 2:1–3. Many say them standing, as “testimony” to creation, and then sit down (customs vary).1
The sages derive the obligation of kiddush from the commandment “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy”; the Talmud attributes the institution of the blessing over wine to the Men of the Great Assembly.2,3,4
Sephardi and Mizrahi rites have minor differences in wording (e.g. the response “le-chayim” to savri maranan, variations in the conclusion of the blessing of the day).
Sources
Primary sources
- 1Genesis, 1:31–2:3 text ↗
- 2Exodus, 20:8 text ↗
- 3Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim, 106a text ↗
- 4Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot, 33a text ↗
- 5Siddur
- 6Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim, 271 text ↗








