Aleinu - The Closing Prayer

Read this prayer below, or listen to this youtube audio. Courtesy of: Beit Hallel Congregation in Roswell, GA.

Since the 12th or 13th century, it has become customary to end every service with the powerful prayer called 'Aleinu' (meaning: 'it is our duty'). It is both a declaration of faith and a forward-looking plea to God—for the day when all humanity will recognize the One true God, as foretold by the prophets of Israel, especially Zechariah, from whose book the final verse is taken.

This audio presents the first and last parts of the Aleinu prayer, with the omitted passage in parentheses.

Transliteration of Aleinu:

Aleinu l’shabe’ach la’Adon hakol,
lateit gedulah l’yotzer beresheet,
she’lo asanu k’goyei ha’aratzot,
v’lo samanu k’mishpechot ha’adamah,
she’lo sam chelkeinu kahem,
v’goraleinu kechol hamonam.

Va’anachnu korim, u’mishtachavim,
u’modim lifnei Melech malchei ham’lachim,
haKadosh, Baruch Hu,
sheHu noteh shamayim v’yoseid aretz,
u’moshav yekaro bashamayim mima’al,
u’shechinat uzo b’govhei meromim.

Hu Eloheinu, ein od.
Emet Malkeinu, efes zulato.
Kakatuv b’torato:
“V’yadata hayom va’hasheivota el levavecha,
ki Adonai hu HaElohim
bashamayim mima’al v’al ha’aretz mitachat—ein od.”

(Al kein n’kaveh lecha, Adonai Eloheinu,
lir’ot meheirah b’tiferet uzecha,
l’ha’avir gilulim min ha’aretz,
v’ha’elilim karot yikareitun,
l’taken olam b’malchut Shaddai.

V’chol b’nei basar yikre’u vishmecha,
l’hafnot eilecha kol rishei aretz.
Yakir’u v’yed’u kol yoshvei tevel,
ki lecha tichra kol berech,
tishava kol lashon.

L’fanecha, Adonai Eloheinu,
yichre’u v’yipolu,
ul’chvod shimcha yakar yiteinu.
V’yakab’lu chulam et ol malchutecha,
v’timloch aleihem meherah l’olam va’ed.
Ki hamalchut shelcha hee,
u’le’olmei ad timloch b’chavod,
kakatuv b’toratecha:
“Adonai yimloch l’olam va’ed.”)

V’ne’emar:
“V’hayah Adonai l’Melech al kol ha’aretz—
bayom hahu yihyeh Adonai echad u’shemo echad.”

Aleinu Prayer in Hebrew:

עָלֵֽינוּ לְשַׁבֵּֽחַ לַאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל
לָתֵת גְּדֻלָּה לְיוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית
שֶׁלֺּא עָשָֽׂנוּ כְּגוֹיֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת
וְלֺא שָׂמָֽנוּ כְּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאֲדָמָה
שֶׁלֺּא שָׂם חֶלְקֵֽנוּ כָּהֶם
וְגוֹרָלֵֽנוּ כְּכָל הֲמוֹנָם

וַאֲנַֽחְנוּ כּוֹרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים
וּמוֹדִים לִפְנֵי מֶֽלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים
הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֶה שָׁמַֽיִם וְיוֹסֵד אָֽרֶץ
וּמוֹשַׁב יְקָרוֹ בַּשָּׁמַֽיִם מִמַּֽעַל
וּשְׁכִינַת עֻזּוֹ בְּגָבְהֵי מְרוֹמִים

הוּא אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ, אֵין עוֹד
אֱמֶת מַלְכֵּֽנוּ, אֶֽפֶס זוּלָתוֹ
כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתוֹ
וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶֽךָ
כִּי ה' הוּא הָאֱלֺהִים
בַּשָּׁמַֽיִם מִמַּֽעַל וְעַל הָאָֽרֶץ מִתָּֽחַת, אֵין עוֹד

עַל כֵּן נְקַוֶּה לְּךָ ה' אֱלהֵינוּ)
לִרְאוֹת מְהֵרָה בְּתִפְאֶרֶת עֻזֶּךָ
לְהַעֲבִיר גִּלּוּלִים מִן הָאָרֶץ
וְהָאֱלִילִים כָּרוֹת יִכָּרֵתוּן
לְתַקֵּן עוֹלָם בְּמַלְכוּת שַׁדַּי

וְכָל בְּנֵי בָשָׂר יִקְרְאוּ בִשְׁמֶךָ
לְהַפְנוֹת אֵלֶיךָ כָּל רִשְׁעֵי אָרֶץ
יַכִּירוּ וְיֵדְעוּ כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל
כִּי לְךָ תִּכְרַע כָּל בֶּרֶךְ
תִּשָּׁבַע כָּל לָשׁון

לְפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלהֵינוּ
יִכְרְעוּ וְיִפּלוּ
וְלִכְבוֹד שִׁמְךָ יְקָר יִתֵּנוּ
וִיקַבְּלוּ כֻלָּם אֶת עֹל מַלְכוּתֶךָ
וְתִמְלךְ עֲלֵיהֶם מְהֵרָה לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד
כִּי הַמַּלְכוּת שֶׁלְּךָ הִיא
וּלְעוֹלְמֵי עַד תִּמְלךְ בְּכָבוֹד
כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ
(ה' יִמְלךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד

וְנֶאֱמַר
וְהָיָה ה' לְמֶלֶךְ עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ
בַּיּום הַהוּא יִהְיֶה ה' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד

Translation of Aleinu ('It is our Duty'):

It is our duty to praise the Master of all,
to ascribe greatness to the Creator of the beginning,
who has not made us like the nations of the lands,
and has not placed us like the families of the earth;
who has not assigned our portion as theirs,
nor our lot like all their multitudes.

But we bow, and kneel, and give thanks
before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed is He,
who stretches out the heavens and establishes the earth,
whose glorious throne is in the heavens above
and whose powerful Presence dwells in the highest heights.

He is our God, there is none else.
True is our King, there is nothing besides Him,
as it is written in His Torah:
“And you shall know this day and take it to heart
that the Lord is God in the heavens above
and on the earth below—there is none else.”

(Therefore, we place our hope in You, Lord our God,
to soon see the glory of Your strength,
to remove idols from the earth,
and utterly cut off all false gods—
to perfect the world under the reign of the Almighty.

Then all flesh will call upon Your name,
to turn all the earth’s wicked toward You.
All the inhabitants of the world will recognize and know
that every knee shall bow to You,
and every tongue shall swear.

Before You, Lord our God, they will bow and fall,
and to the honor of Your glorious name they will give praise.
They will all accept the yoke of Your kingship,
and You will reign over them soon and forever and ever.
For the kingship is Yours,
and You will reign in glory forever and ever,
as it is written in Your Torah:
“The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”)

And it is said:
“The Lord will be King over all the earth.
On that day, the Lord shall be One and His name One.”