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Ahabath Olam

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(אִהֲבִת עוֹלָם, eternal love), one of the benedictions which the Jews who were dispersed over the whole Roman empire in the time of our Lord daily recited before the reading of the Shema. It ran thus:

"Thou hast loved us, O Lord our God, with eternal love; thou hast spared us with great and exceeding patience, our Father and our King, for thy great name's sake, and for our fathers' sake, who trusted in thee; to whom thou didst teach the precepts of life, that they might walk after the statutes of thy good pleasure with a perfect heart. So be thou merciful unto as, O our Father, merciful Father, that showeth mercy. Have mercy upon us, we beseech thee, and put understanding into our hearts, that we may understand, be wise, fear, learn, teach, do, and perform all the words of the doctrine of thy law in love. And enlighten our eyes in thy commandments, and cause our hearts to cleave to thy law, and unite them to the love and fear of thy name. We will not be ashamed, nor confounded, nor stumble forever and ever; because we have trusted in thy holy, great, mighty, and terrible name, we will rejoice and be glad in thy salvation, and in thy mercies, O Lord our God: and the multitude of thy mercies shall not forsake us forever. Selah. And now make haste and bring upon us a blessing and peace from the four corners of the earth; break thou the yoke of the Gentiles from off our necks, and bring us upright into our land. For thou art a God that workest salvation, and hast chosen us out of every people and language; and thou, our King, hast caused us to cleave to thy great name in love, to praise thee, and to be united to thee, and to love thy name. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who hast chosen thy people Israel in love." (See SHEMA).