Jewish voting ritual

Jewish people from all walks of life use blessings to show intention in their actions.
Consider handing out the following two blessings to students as they go to the polls.
(Find a printable version of these blessings at the end of this document.)

A BLESSING FOR VOTING THE SHEHECHEYANU

(Credit: Rabbi Laura Novak Winer) (Used to mark firsts—whether the first time ever or
within a calendar year—and special occasions.)

,‫ה ֵינ ּו מֶלֶךְ הָעול ָֹם‬

ֹ ‫ב ָּרו ְּך אַתָּה אֲדֹנ ָי אֱל‬ ,‫ה ֵינ ּו מֶלֶךְ הָעול ָֹם‬ ֹ ‫ב ָּרו ְּך אַתָּה אֲדֹנ ָי אֱל‬
‫עֲבודַֹת א ֶז ְרָחוּת הַמ ְ ּדִינָה‬
ּ ַ‫קב‬ֹ ‫שמְצַפ ֶּה מֵאִת ָ ּנ ּו לַעֲסו‬ ‫שֶהֶח ֱיָנ ּו וְקִיְּמָנ ּו וְהִג ִּיעָנ ּו ל ַזְּמןָ ה ַזֶּה‬
ׁ
Transliteration: Transliteration:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam,
shemetzapeh me’itanu l’asok b’avodat shehecheyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higianu laz’man
ezrachut ha’medina. hazeh.

Traditional translation: Traditional translation:

Blessed are You Lord our God, Ruler of the Blessed are You Lord our God, Ruler of the
Universe who expects us to engage as citizens Universe who has given us life, sustained us,
in our country. and allowed us to reach this day.

Humanistic interpretation: Humanistic interpretation:

Blessed are we who engage as citizens, Blessed is every hero, every sage, every
upholding our values of freedom and justice enlightened person, and all the people Israel,
and exercising our power to choose our who have given us life, sustained us, and
leaders. brought us to this day.

We understand that there is no specific mitzvah (obligation) to vote, in the traditional scope of the word,
and thus we’ve adapted the language of all blessings here. We aim purely to elevate the mundane act of
voting to the sacred.
Prayer for the electorate
By David Zvi Kalman, ritualwell.org

May the One who graces ‫החונן לאדם דעת‬

each person with knowledge ‫ומלמד לאנוש בינה‬
and teaches humanity understanding, ‫הוא יברך וישמור‬
bless and protect the voters of this land ‫את מצביעי הארץ הזאת‬
on the upcoming midterm elections, ‫ביום עצמא תוריחב הבא‬
so that they may place in all their gates ‫לתת בכל שעריהם‬
leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds ‫שרי אלפים ושרי מאות‬
leaders of fifties and leaders of tens, ‫שרי חמישים ושרי עשרות‬
people of valor who revere God, ‫אנשי חיל יראי אלהים‬
people of truth who despise corruption. .‫אנשי אמת שנאי בצע‬

The One who sustains nations ‫המעמיד ארצות על הדין‬

on order, on truth, and on peace: ‫ועל האמת ועל השלום‬
may it be Your will ‫יהי רצון שלא יארע‬
that no misfortune occur by their hands, ‫דבר תקלה על ידיהם‬
and may the nation rejoice ‫וישמח העם ברבות צדיקים‬
when the righteous abound. ,‫תצילם מדרך רע‬
Save them from a wicked path, ‫מאיש מדבר תהפכות‬
from those who speak perversely. ‫תביא חכמה בלבם‬
Send wisdom into their heart ‫ודעת לנפשם תנעם‬
and make knowledge pleasant to their soul, ‫שנאמר‬
as it says, “Then you shall understand ‫אז תבין צדק ומשפט‬
virtue and justice; equality and every good path.” ‫ומישרים כל מעגל טוב‬
And may it be Your will. ‫וכן יהי רצון‬
And let us say: Amen. ‫ונאמר אמן‬
Meditation on voting
By Rabbi Lev Meirowitz Nelson, with input from Rabbi Jill Jacobs and Itamar Haritan,
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

May it be Your will,

at this season of our election,
to guide us towards peace.

By voting,
we commit to being full members of society,
to accepting our individual responsibility for the good of the whole.

May we place over ourselves officials in all our gates…

who will judge the people with righteousness,
and may we all merit to be counted among those who work faithfully for the public
good.

Open our eyes to see the image of God in all candidates and elected officials,
and may they see the image of God in all citizens of the earth.

Grant us the courage to fulfill the mitzvah of loving our neighbors as ourselves,
and place in our hearts the wisdom to understand those who do not share our views.

As we pray on the High Holidays,

“May we become a united society, fulfilling the divine purpose with a whole heart.”

And as the Psalmist sang,

“May there be shalom within your walls,
peace in your strongholds.
For the sake of my brothers and sisters and friends, I will speak peace to you.”
 Jewish voting ritual
Print, cut and fold these wallet-sized cards to distrbute to students. Instruct them to
bring their card to their polling place, and say the blessings before voting.

A BLESSING FOR VOTING A BLESSING FOR VOTING

Cut along all
dotted lines

,‫ה ֵינ ּו מֶלֶךְ הָעול ָֹם‬

ֹ ‫ב ָּרו ְּך אַתָּה אֲדֹנ ָי אֱל‬ ,‫ה ֵינ ּו מֶלֶךְ הָעול ָֹם‬
ֹ ‫ב ָּרו ְּך אַתָּה אֲדֹנ ָי אֱל‬
‫עֲבודַֹת א ֶז ְרָחוּת הַמ ְ ּדִינָה‬
ַּ ‫ק ב‬
ֹ ‫שמְצַפֶּה מֵאִת ָ ּנ ּו לַעֲסו‬ ‫עֲבודַֹת א ֶז ְרָחוּת הַמ ְ ּדִינָה‬
ַּ ‫ק ב‬
ֹ ‫שמְצַפ ֶּה מֵאִת ָ ּנ ּו לַעֲסו‬
Transliteration: Transliteration:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shemetzapeh Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shemetzapeh
me’itanu l’asok b’avodat ezrachut ha’medina. me’itanu l’asok b’avodat ezrachut ha’medina.
Traditional translation: Traditional translation:
Blessed are You Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe who expects us Blessed are You Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe who expects us
to engage as citizens in our country. to engage as citizens in our country.
Humanistic interpretation: Humanistic interpretation:
Blessed are we who engage as citizens, upholding our values of Blessed are we who engage as citizens, upholding our values of
freedom and justice and exercising our power to choose our leaders. freedom and justice and exercising our power to choose our leaders.
Fold in half
on solid lines us to this day. us to this day.
the people Israel, who have given us life, sustained us, and brought the people Israel, who have given us life, sustained us, and brought
Blessed is every hero, every sage, every enlightened person, and all Blessed is every hero, every sage, every enlightened person, and all
Humanistic interpretation: Humanistic interpretation:
us life, sustained us, and allowed us to reach this day. us life, sustained us, and allowed us to reach this day.
Blessed are You Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe who has given Blessed are You Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe who has given
Traditional translation: Traditional translation:
v’kiy’manu, v’higianu laz’man hazeh. v’kiy’manu, v’higianu laz’man hazeh.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shehecheyanu,
Transliteration: ׁ Transliteration: ׁ
‫שֶהֶח ֱיָנ ּו וְקִיְּמָנ ּו וְהִג ִּיעָנ ּו ל ַזְּמןָ ה ַזֶּה‬ ‫שֶהֶח ֱיָנ ּו וְקִיְּמָנ ּו וְהִג ִּיעָנ ּו ל ַזְּמןָ ה ַז ֶּה‬
,‫ה ֵינ ּו מֶלֶךְ הָעול ָֹם‬ ֹ ‫ב ָּרו ְּך אַתָּה אֲדֹנ ָי אֱל‬ ,‫ה ֵינ ּו מֶלֶךְ הָעול ָֹם‬ ֹ ‫ב ָּרו ְּך אַתָּה אֲדֹנ ָי אֱל‬
THE SHEHECHEYANU THE SHEHECHEYANU
A BLESSING FOR VOTING A BLESSING FOR VOTING
,‫ה ֵינ ּו מֶלֶךְ הָעול ָֹם‬
ֹ ‫ב ָּרו ְּך אַתָּה אֲדֹנ ָי אֱל‬ ,‫ה ֵינ ּו מֶלֶךְ הָעול ָֹם‬
ֹ ‫ב ָּרו ְּך אַתָּה אֲדֹנ ָי אֱל‬
‫עֲבודַֹת א ֶז ְרָחוּת הַמ ְ ּדִינָה‬
ַּ ‫ק ב‬
ֹ ‫שמְצַפֶּה מֵאִת ָ ּנ ּו לַעֲסו‬ ‫עֲבודַֹת א ֶז ְרָחוּת הַמ ְ ּדִינָה‬
ַּ ‫ק ב‬
ֹ ‫שמְצַפ ֶּה מֵאִת ָ ּנ ּו לַעֲסו‬
Transliteration: Transliteration:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shemetzapeh Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shemetzapeh
me’itanu l’asok b’avodat ezrachut ha’medina. me’itanu l’asok b’avodat ezrachut ha’medina.
Traditional translation: Traditional translation:
Blessed are You Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe who expects us Blessed are You Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe who expects us
to engage as citizens in our country. to engage as citizens in our country.
Humanistic interpretation: Humanistic interpretation:
Blessed are we who engage as citizens, upholding our values of Blessed are we who engage as citizens, upholding our values of
freedom and justice and exercising our power to choose our leaders. freedom and justice and exercising our power to choose our leaders.

us to this day. us to this day.

the people Israel, who have given us life, sustained us, and brought the people Israel, who have given us life, sustained us, and brought
Blessed is every hero, every sage, every enlightened person, and all Blessed is every hero, every sage, every enlightened person, and all
Humanistic interpretation: Humanistic interpretation:
us life, sustained us, and allowed us to reach this day. us life, sustained us, and allowed us to reach this day.
Blessed are You Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe who has given Blessed are You Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe who has given
Traditional translation: Traditional translation:
v’kiy’manu, v’higianu laz’man hazeh. v’kiy’manu, v’higianu laz’man hazeh.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shehecheyanu,
Transliteration: ׁ Transliteration: ׁ
‫שֶהֶח ֱיָנ ּו וְקִיְּמָנ ּו וְהִג ִּיעָנ ּו ל ַזְּמןָ ה ַזֶּה‬ ‫שֶהֶח ֱיָנ ּו וְקִיְּמָנ ּו וְהִג ִּיעָנ ּו ל ַזְּמןָ ה ַז ֶּה‬
,‫ה ֵינ ּו מֶלֶךְ הָעול ָֹם‬ ֹ ‫ב ָּרו ְּך אַתָּה אֲדֹנ ָי אֱל‬ ,‫ה ֵינ ּו מֶלֶךְ הָעול ָֹם‬ ֹ ‫ב ָּרו ְּך אַתָּה אֲדֹנ ָי אֱל‬
THE SHEHECHEYANU THE SHEHECHEYANU