''Baruch Adonai L'Olam'' is a prayer that is recited by some Jewish communities, during ''
Maariv
''Maariv'' or ''Maʿariv'' (, ), also known as ''Arvit'' (, ), is a Jewish prayer service held in the evening or night. It consists primarily of the evening ''Shema'' and '' Amidah''.
The service will often begin with two verses from Psalms ...
'' on weekdays immediately preceding the ''
Amidah''. It contains a tapestry of 18 biblical verses, followed in most customs by a blessing titled ''Yiru Eineinu'' (''may our eyes see'').
The prayer is recited by most
Ashkenazim outside of Israel. It is recited by many Chasidim (although not by
Chabad-Lubavitch). It is not recited by followers of the
Vilna Gaon. In Israel, it is largely unheard of in Ashkenazic circles (both
Nusach Ashkenaz
Nusach Ashkenaz is a style of Jewish liturgy conducted by Ashkenazi Jews. It is primarily a way to order and include prayers, and differs from Nusach Sefard (as used by the Hasidim) and Baladi-rite prayer, and still more from the Sephardic rite ...
and
Nusach Sefard
Nusach Sefard, Nusach Sepharad, or Nusach Sfard is the name for various forms of the Jewish ''siddurim'', designed to reconcile Ashkenazi customs ( he, מנהג "Custom", pl. ''minhagim'') with the kabbalistic customs of Isaac Luria. To this end ...
), although it is recited by some of the minyanim associated with
Machon Moreshes Ashkenaz.
It appears in old printings of Sephardic siddurim (including Venice and Livorno), although it has been largely dropped by Sephardic communities. However, some Moroccan communities (both in Israel and elsewhere) recite the last part of the prayer (starting from Yir'u eineinu) at ''Maariv'' at the conclusion of the Sabbath.
In the Yemenite rite and the Italian rite, it is recited in and out of Israel.
The prayer was composed during post-talmudic times when synagogues could not be built in residential areas, and when ''Maariv'' was held in open fields. Its 18 verses took the place of the 18 blessings of the Amidah. The Amidah would then be recited in full privately by participants when they returned to their homes.
This prayer is not recited today in any community today on
Shabbat and
Yom Tov
Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainstre ...
, although historically there were communities that recited it even on Shabbat.
[See for example Siddur Rav Saadya Gaon.]
References
{{Jewish prayers
Maariv
Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish prayers and blessings