Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Maariv, Blessings of the Shema, First Blessing after Shema

אמת ואמונה אינה פותחת בברוך דהויא סמוכה לחבירתה דק"ש לא הוי הפסק (טור או"ח רלו) This is the first of the two berachos that follow the Shema.

וֶאֱמוּנָה כָּל־זֹאת וְקַיָּם עָלֵֽינוּ כִּי הוּא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וְאֵין זוּלָתוֹ וַאֲנַֽחְנוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ: הַפּוֹדֵֽנוּ מִיַּד מְלָכִים מַלְכֵּֽנוּ הַגּוֹאֲלֵֽנוּ מִכַּף כָּל־הֶעָרִיצִים: הָאֵל הַנִּפְרָע לָֽנוּ מִצָּרֵֽינוּ וְהַמְשַׁלֵּם גְּמוּל לְכָל אֹיְ֒בֵי נַפְשֵֽׁנוּ: הָעֹשֶׂה גְדוֹלוֹת עַד־אֵין חֵֽקֶר וְנִפְלָאוֹת עַד־אֵין מִסְפָּר: הַשָּׂם נַפְשֵֽׁנוּ בַּחַיִּים וְלֹא־נָתַן לַמּוֹט רַגְלֵֽנוּ הַמַּדְרִיכֵֽנוּ עַל בָּמוֹת אֹיְ֒בֵֽינוּ וַיָּֽרֶם קַרְנֵֽנוּ עַל כָּל־שׂוֹנְ֒אֵֽינוּ: הָעֹֽשֶׂה לָּֽנוּ נִסִּים וּנְקָמָה בְּפַרְעֹה אוֹתוֹת וּמוֹפְ֒תִים בְּאַדְמַת בְּנֵי חָם: הַמַּכֶּה בְעֶבְרָתוֹ כָּל בְּכוֹרֵי מִצְרָֽיִם וַיּוֹצֵא אֶת־עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתּוֹכָם לְחֵרוּת עוֹלָם: הַמַּעֲבִיר בָּנָיו בֵּין גִּזְרֵי יַם סוּף אֶת־רוֹדְ֒פֵיהֶם וְאֶת־שׂוֹנְ֒אֵיהֶם בִּתְהוֹמוֹת טִבַּע: וְרָאוּ בָנָיו גְּבוּרָתוֹ שִׁבְּ֒חוּ וְהוֹדוּ לִשְׁמוֹ: וּמַלְכוּתוֹ בְרָצוֹן קִבְּ֒לוּ עֲלֵיהֶם משֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְךָ עָנוּ שִׁירָה בְּשִׂמְחָה רַבָּה וְאָמְ֒רוּ כֻלָּם: —and faithful is all this,¹All that we have affirmed in the Shema. is true and trustworthy.—Etz Yosef and it is permanently established with us that he is Adonoy, our God, and there is nothing besides Him, and that we, Israel, are His people. [He] Who liberated us from the hand of kings,²He redeemed us from Pharaoh, and saved us from Sichon and Og in the days of Moses and from the thirty-one kings in the days of Joshua.—Etz Yosef [is] our King, Who redeemed us from the grasp of all the tyrants.³“Tyrants” include Amalek and others who wanted to destroy us.—Etz Yosef [He is] the Almighty Who exacts payment [punishment] from our oppressors,⁴The Malbim says that “oppressors” (צרינו) refers to those who actively persecute us whereas “enemies” (אויבינו) refers to those who would rejoice over our misfortune without necessarily contributing to our downfall in an outright manner. and brings retribution on all those who are enemies of our soul. He does great things⁵“Great things” refers to the way God rules according to the laws of nature and “wonders” refers to those things that are classified as miracles.—Siach Yitzchak beyond comprehension, miracles and wonders without number. He sustains our soul in life⁶Not only does God sustain our souls in exile, but He also sustains our physical well-being.—Siach Yitzchak and does not allow our feet to slip. He makes us tread upon the high places of our enemies, and exalts our strength over all who hate us. He performed miracles for us and vengeance upon Pharaoh, signs and wonders in the land of the Hamites. He slew in His wrath, all the firstborn of Egypt, and brought out His people, Israel, from their midst to everlasting⁷The redemption from Egypt is the source for all later redemptions; it is the source from which our final and total salvation will spring. We became free, never again to taste the bitterness of spiritual or physical bondage.—Sfas Emes freedom. He led His children through the divided parts of the Sea of Reeds, their pursuers and their enemies He drowned in its depths. And His children saw His mighty power— they praised and gave thanks to His Name, His sovereignty they willingly accepted; Moses and the children of Israel sang unto You with great joy, and they all said:

מִי כָמֹֽכָה בָּאֵלִם יְהֹוָה מִי כָּמֹֽכָה נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּֽדֶשׁ נוֹרָא תְהִלֹּת עֹֽשֵׂה פֶֽלֶא: מַלְכוּתְךָ רָאוּ בָנֶֽיךָ בּוֹקֵֽעַ יָם לִפְנֵי משֶׁה זֶה אֵלִי עָנוּ וְאָמְ֒רוּ: “Who is like You among the mighty, Adonoy! Who is like You? [You are] adorned in holiness, awesome in praise, performing wonders”⁸Exodus 15:11. Your children beheld Your sovereignty when You divided the sea before Moses. “This is my God,”⁹Exodus 15:2. they exclaimed, and declared,

יְהֹוָה יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד: וְנֶאֱמַר כִּי־פָדָה יְהֹוָה אֶת יַעֲקֹב וּגְאָלוֹ מִיַּד חָזָק מִמֶּֽנּוּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה גָּאַל יִשְׂרָאֵל: “Adonoy will reign forever and ever.”¹⁰Exodus 15:18. And it is said, “For Adonoy has liberated Jacob and redeemed him from a hand, mightier than his.”¹¹Jeremiah 31:10. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who has redeemed Israel.