Hashkiveinu

This article is about the prayer during Maariv. For Leonard Bernstein composition, see Hashkiveinu (composition).

In Judaism, Hashkiveinu is the second blessing following the Shema during Maariv. It is a petitionary prayer to be able to lie down in peace at night and to return to life the following day.

Shabbat/Yom Tov version

On weekdays, this prayer ends with the words Shomer Amo Yisrael L'Ad. This is seen as appropriate for weekdays, when men go in and out in their weekday pursuits, and come in need of divine protection.

On Shabbat and Yom Tov, an alternate version of this blessing is recited. The blessing is ended with the words Who spreads the shelter of peace upon us, upon all of his people Israel, and upon Jerusalem. The words And spread over us the shelter of Your peace that are normally recited earlier in the paragraph are repeated prior to the closing. This is a reflection of the peace that comes along with these special days, and that putting Jerusalem above everything else is important.

In the Babylonian rite, they always recited Shomer Amo Yisrael L'Ad even on the Sabbath, and in the Land of Israel they always recited the longer version even on weekdays. The contemporary custom, which has been adopted in virtually all communities, is a compromise.

In the Sephardic and Yemenite rites, the phrases "Shield us from every enemy, plague, sword, famine, and sorrow. Remove the adversary from before and behind us" are omitted on the Sabbath, because the sabbath itself provides protection.

In the Romaniote rite, the blessing was greatly for the Sabbath and was "Lay us down, LORD God, in peace, and raise us up again, our King, to [new] life. Spread over us Your tabernacle of peace, Blessed are You, LORD, who spreads Your tabernacle of peace over us, and over all His people Israel and over Jerusalem." This is similar to various fragments from the Cairo Geniza.

Text

The prayer's text according to Nusach Ashkenaz, in each of the Hebrew script, Hebrew as transliterated into the Roman alphabet, and English:

הַשְׁכִּיבֵנוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וְהַעֲמִידֵנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ לְחַיִּים.

וּפְרוֹשׂ עָלֵינוּ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ
וְתַקְּנֵנוּ בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶיךָ
וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ
וְהָגֵן בַּעֲדֵנוּ. וְהָסֵר מֵעָלֵינוּ אוֹיֵב דֶּבֶר וְחֶרֶב וְרָעָב וְיָגוֹן
וְהָסֵר שָׂטָן מִלְּפָנֵינוּ וּמֵאַחֲרֵינוּ
וּבְצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ תַּסְתִּירֵנוּ
כִּי אֵל שׁוֹמְרֵנוּ וּמִצִּלֵּנוּ אַתָּה כִּי אֵל מֶלֶךְ חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם אַתָּה וּשְׁמֹר צֵאתֵנוּ וּבוֹאֵנוּ לְחַיִּים וּלְשָׁלוֹם מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם.



For weekdays:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ שׁוֹמֵר עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַד


For Sabbath:
וּפְרוֹשׂ עָלֵינוּ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ (הַ)פּוֹרֵשׂ סֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ

וְעַל כָּל עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל יְרוּשָׁלָיִם.
‎

Hashkiveinu ADONAI eloheinu l'shalom, v'ha-amideinu malkeinu l'ḥayim.
Ufros aleinu sukat sh'lomecha,
V'tak'neinu b'eitza tova mil'fanecha,
V'hoshieinu l'ma-an sh'mecha.
V'hagein ba-adeinu, v'haseir mei-aleinu, oyeiv, dever, v'cherev, v'raav, v'yagon;
V'haseir satan mil'faneinu umei-aḥareinu,
Uv'tzeil k'nafecha tastireinu –
Ki Eil shom'reinu umatzileinu ata;
Ki Eil melech chanun v'rachum ata.
Ushmor tzeiteinu uvo-einu – l'ḥayim ul'shalom mei-ata v'ad olam.

For Weekdays:
Baruch ata ADONAI, shomer amo Yis'rael la-ad.

For sabbath:
Ufros aleinu sukat sh'lomecha.
Baruch ata ADONAI, (ha)poreis sukat shalom aleinu,
V'al kol amo Yisrael v'al Y'rushalayim.

Lay us down, LORD God, in peace, and raise us up again, our King, to [new] life.
Spread over us Your tabernacle of peace,
And guide us with Your good counsel.
Save us for Your name's sake.
Shield us from every enemy, plague, sword, famine, and sorrow.
Remove the adversary from before and behind us.
Shelter us in the shadow of Your wings,
Guard our going out and our coming in, and grant us life and peace, now and always.

For Weekdays:
Blessed are You, LORD, who protects His people of Israel forever.

For Sabbath:
Spread over us Your tabernacle of peace,
Blessed are You, LORD, who spreads Your tabernacle of peace over us,
And over all His people Israel and over Jerusalem.

There may be slight differences, depending which nusach (regional liturgical rite) one follows.