Worship Prayer: V’ahavtah

The V’ahavtah prayer describes the ways that we show our love for God.  It draws upon texts from the Torah, using the words of Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (starting with V’ahavtah) and Numbers 15:40-41 (starting with L’maan tizk’ru).  The melody for the prayer is based on the musical system of chanting Torah.

Here is a sound file of Cantor Rosalie Will chanting V’ahavtah.

Here is the text of the V’ahavtah prayer:

You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your might.
Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day.
Impress them upon your children.
Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away,
when you lie down and when you get up.
Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead;
inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Thus you shall remember to observe all My commandments
and to be holy to your God.
I am Adonai, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God:
I am Adonai your God.