Ribono HaOlamim — Bakasha LeMotzaei Shabbat — A Prayer for the Close of Shabbat
This ancient prayer, recited at the close of Shabbat as the new week begins, is mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud (Tractate Berakhot). It opens with a plea for a blessed week and unfolds into a soaring litany of gates — gates of light, wisdom, healing, peace, and redemption — that the worshiper asks God to open. It is a prayer of threshold: standing between the holiness of Shabbat and the labors ahead. Whoever you are and wherever you come from, you are welcome to let these words carry your own hopes into the week.
Master of all worlds, Father of mercy and forgiveness,
with good sign and good fortune, begin for us the six days of work
(when a festival falls during the week, say: the days of work)
that are coming toward us in peace,
shielded from all sin and transgression,
cleansed of all iniquity, guilt, and wickedness,
and cleaving to Torah study and good deeds.
Grant us understanding, insight, and wisdom from You,
and let us hear in them joy and gladness;
may no envy of ours rise in any person's heart,
and may no person's envy rise within our hearts.
Our King, our God, merciful Father,
set blessing, ease, and success in all the work of our hands.
And all who counsel good counsel and good thought
toward us and toward Your people, the house of Israel —
strengthen them and bless them, make them great and uphold them; fulfill their counsel.
As it is said: May He give you what your heart desires, and fulfill your every plan;
and it is said: You will decree a word and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your paths.
And all who counsel toward us and toward all Your people, the house of Israel
counsel that is not good and thought that is not good —
frustrate their counsel.
As it is said: Adonai has frustrated the counsel of nations, foiled the plans of peoples;
and it is said: Devise a plan — it will be foiled; speak a word — it will not stand, for God is with us.
Open for us, Adonai our God, Father of mercy, Master of forgiveness,
in this week and in every week —
gates of light,
gates of length of days and years,
gates of patience,
gates of blessing,
gates of understanding,
gates of joy,
gates of greatness,
gates of redemption,
gates of might,
gates of delight,
gates of knowledge,
gates of majesty,
gates of splendor,
gates of success,
gates of relief,
gates of good counsel,
gates of diligence,
gates of song,
gates of merits,
gates of radiance,
gates of the radiance of Torah,
gates of the radiance of wisdom,
gates of the radiance of understanding,
gates of the radiance of knowledge,
gates of gladness,
gates of compassion,
gates of grace and lovingkindness,
gates of good life,
gates of wisdom,
gates of goodness,
gates of purity,
gates of salvation,
gates of uprightness,
gates of atonement,
gates of sustenance,
gates of honor,
gates of learning,
gates of nourishment,
gates of rest,
gates of pardon,
gates of knowledge,
gates of comfort,
gates of cleanliness,
gates of forgiveness,
gates of heavenly assistance,
gates of help,
gates of redemption,
gates of good livelihood,
gates of tzedakah,
gates of jubilation,
gates of holiness,
gates of standing upright,
gates of mercy,
gates of favor,
gates of complete healing,
gates of peace,
gates of joy,
gates of good tidings,
gates of serenity,
gates of Torah,
gates of prayer,
gates of repentance,
gates of deliverance.
As it is written: The salvation of the righteous is from Adonai, their stronghold in time of trouble;
Adonai helped them and delivered them, delivered them from the wicked and saved them, for they took shelter in Him.
And it is said: Adonai has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
And it is said: The voice of your watchmen — they lift their voice, they sing together,
for eye to eye they shall see when Adonai returns to Zion.
And fulfill for us, Adonai our God, what is written:
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the herald,
who announces peace, brings good tidings, announces salvation,
who says to Zion: Your God reigns.
A herald to Zion — behold, here they are,
and to Jerusalem I will send a herald.
Amen, selah.
Ribono HaOlamim, Av HaRachamim veHaSelichot,
besiman tov uvmazal tov, hachel aleinu et sheshet yemei hama'ase
(when a festival falls during the week, say: et yemei hama'ase)
haba'im likratenu leshalom,
chashuchim mikol chet ufesha,
um'nukim mikol avon ve'ashmah vareshaʻ,
um'dubbakim beTalmud Torah uvma'asim tovim.
Vechanenu da'ah vinah vehaskel me'itecha,
veteishmienu bahem sason vesimchah,
velo ta'aleh kin'atenu al lev adam,
velo kin'at adam ta'aleh aleinu al libenu.
Malkenu Eloheinu, Av haRachaman,
sim berachah verevachah vehatzlachah bechol ma'ase yadeinu.
Vechol hayo'etz aleinu ve'al amcha beit Yisrael
etzah tovah umachshavah tovah,
amtzu uvarechu, gadelu vekayemu, kayem atzato.
Kidvar shene'emar: Yiten lecha chilvavecha, vechol atzatecha yimaleh;
vene'emar: Vetigzar omer veyakum lach, ve'al derachecha nagah or.
Vechol hayo'etz aleinu ve'al kol amcha beit Yisrael
etzah she'einah tovah umachshavah she'einah tovah —
tafer atzato.
Kidvar shene'emar: Adonai hefir atzat goyim, heni machshevot ammim;
vene'emar: Utzu etzah vetufar, dabru davar velo yakum, ki immanu El.
Ufetach lanu Adonai Eloheinu, Av haRachamim, Adon haselichot,
bazeh hashavua uvchol shavua —
sha'arei orah,
sha'arei orech yamim veshanim,
sha'arei arichut apayim,
sha'arei berachah,
sha'arei vinah,
sha'arei gilah,
sha'arei gedulah,
sha'arei ge'ulah,
sha'arei gevurah,
sha'arei ditzah,
sha'arei da'ah,
sha'arei hod,
sha'arei hadar,
sha'arei hatzlachah,
sha'arei harochah,
sha'arei va'ad tov,
sha'arei zrizut,
sha'arei zimrah,
sha'arei zechuyot,
sha'arei ziv,
sha'arei zohar Torah,
sha'arei zohar chochmah,
sha'arei zohar vinah,
sha'arei zohar da'at,
sha'arei chedvah,
sha'arei chemlah,
sha'arei chen vachesed,
sha'arei chayyim tovim,
sha'arei chochmah,
sha'arei tovah,
sha'arei tohar,
sha'arei yeshu'ah,
sha'arei yosher,
sha'arei kaparah,
sha'arei kalkalah,
sha'arei kavod,
sha'arei limmud,
sha'arei mazon,
sha'arei menuchot,
sha'arei mechilot,
sha'arei mada,
sha'arei nechamah,
sha'arei nekiyut,
sha'arei selichah,
sha'arei si'ata dishmaya,
sha'arei ezrah,
sha'arei pedut,
sha'arei parnasah tovah,
sha'arei tzedakah,
sha'arei tzahalah,
sha'arei kedushah,
sha'arei komemiyut,
sha'arei rachamim,
sha'arei ratzon,
sha'arei refu'ah shelemah,
sha'arei shalom,
sha'arei simchah,
sha'arei shemu'ot tovot,
sha'arei shelvah,
sha'arei Torah,
sha'arei tefillah,
sha'arei teshuvah,
sha'arei teshu'ah.
Kedichtiv: Viteshu'at tzaddikim me'Adonai, ma'uzam be'et tzarah;
vaya'azrem Adonai vayefaltem, yefaltem mereshaʻim veyoshi'em ki chasu vo.
Vene'emar: Chasaf Adonai et zero'a kodsho le'einei kol haggoyim,
vera'u kol afsei aretz et yeshu'at Eloheinu.
Vene'emar: Kol tzofayich nas'u kol, yachdav yeranenu,
ki ayin be'ayin yir'u beshov Adonai Tziyon.
Vekayem lanu Adonai Eloheinu mikra shekatuv:
Mah na'avu al heharim raglei mevasser,
mashmi'a shalom mevasser tov mashmi'a yeshu'ah,
omer leTziyon: Malach Elohayich.
Rishon leTziyon hineh hinnam,
uliYerushalayim mevasser etten.
Amen selah.
Common Questions
It is recited on Motzaei Shabbat — Saturday night, after Shabbat has ended. The transition from Shabbat to the working week is marked in Jewish tradition by the Havdalah ceremony, and this prayer accompanies that moment of stepping forward into a new week. Its roots in the Jerusalem Talmud suggest it is among the oldest surviving liturgical prayers.
The prayer includes an extended alphabetical-style litany of 'sha'arei' — gates — covering almost every dimension of human flourishing: light, longevity, blessing, wisdom, joy, forgiveness, livelihood, healing, peace, and more. This literary form, known as a 'reshima' or list-prayer, is a classic feature of ancient Jewish liturgy. The sheer abundance of the list is itself a theological statement: every good thing a person could need, God has the power to open.
'Motzaei Shabbat' means literally 'the going-out of Shabbat' — the time when Shabbat departs, marked by nightfall on Saturday. In Jewish tradition, Shabbat is treated almost as a royal guest or a queen, and Motzaei Shabbat carries a distinct mood: bittersweet, hopeful, and forward-looking. This prayer perfectly captures that mood, blessing the week ahead while still standing in the warmth of the day just passed.
This petition reflects a deep ethical and spiritual concern in Jewish tradition: envy is considered a corrosive force that damages both the one who harbors it and the one against whom it is directed. By asking for protection from both giving and receiving envy, the prayer frames the ideal week not only in terms of material success but in terms of right relationship — a community where others' good fortune is not a threat and one's own success does not become a burden to others.
Yes, absolutely. This prayer is rooted in Jewish liturgical tradition and makes reference to 'Your people, the house of Israel,' which is a specific and authentic expression of that tradition — it has not been altered here. A non-Jewish reader is warmly invited to pray alongside those words, understanding them as part of the tradition being honored. Many people of other faiths find that praying within another tradition's authentic voice, rather than a diluted version of it, is a more genuine and moving experience.
The prayer closes with a chain of biblical verses. The first is from Psalms 37:39–40, describing God rescuing the righteous in times of trouble. The second is from Isaiah 52:10, describing God baring His holy arm before all the nations so that all the ends of the earth see His salvation. The third is from Isaiah 52:8, the watchmen's cry of joy at God's return to Zion. The prayer then cites Isaiah 52:7, the famous 'How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the herald,' and closes with Isaiah 41:27, a promise of a herald for Jerusalem. Together they form a crescendo of messianic hope.