Search results for: ""Shacharit""

When To Pause or Join Minyan: Regular Shacharit
Shema
When the minyan reaches the shema in shacharit:
  • If you are between bar'chu and end of amida, simply:
    • Cover your eyes like everyone else, but don't say the shema line.
  • If you are anywhere else:
    • Pause and, with everyone else, say the first two lines of the shema (Shema, Yisrael… and Baruch shem…), and then
    • Resume where you were.
Reason You may not interrupt your prayer between bar'chu and end of amida.

Amida
Situation  You are saying your amida in a minyan and it is close to the end of the fourth hour of the day.
What To Do  Do not pause, even if the leader says kaddish or kedusha, if doing so will delay you past the fourth hour.
What To Skip To Catch Up in Shacharit
If you arrive late for a shacharit minyan, or if you are lagging behind the leader, you may skip all of psukei d'zimra to catch up--except for:
  • Baruch she'amar,
  • Ashrei, and
  • Yishtabach.
You may also not skip any parts from yishtabach to the amida.
Note After you have said the amida, you do not need to return to say the rest of psukei d'zimra.
Note This should not be done routinely. It is better to pray alone or to say the amida along with the leader during the reader's repetition of the amida in order to allow yourself time to say the psukei d'zimra.
When To Pause or Join Minyan: Shabbat/Jewish Festival Shacharit
If the leader gets to kedusha on Shabbat or Jewish festival morning and you are saying the amida, you must:
  • Pause until the leader has finished the blessing after kedusha (ha'el—or ha'melech—ha'kadosh), and then
  • Resume your amida.
During birkat cohanim, you must:
  • Pause in your amida until the end of birkat cohanim.
EXCEPTION Do not pause, even if the leader says kaddish or kedusha, if doing so will delay you past the fourth hour.
Amen before Shema
Some say the pre-shema blessing in shacharit or ma'ariv with the leader. Best is to finish the blessing before the leader does and then reply amen when he finishes saying the blessing. 
 
Starting Shema before Prayer Leader Says
If you are late to shacharit or ma'ariv minyan and start the shema before the prayer leader has finished saying “emet” at the end of the shema, do not say El melech ne'eman.
 
Talit Gadol: Blessing between Bar'chu and Amida
Situation You began shacharit on your way to synagogue and are between bar'chu and the amida when you arrive. You have not yet put on a talit.
What To Do
  • Put on a talit immediately.
  • Say the blessing on the talit after you finish the amida.
Saying HaMelech BiChvodo with Prayer Leader
As with the blessing ga'al yisrael in shacharit, the prayer leader should say out loud the blessing preceding the ma'ariv amida: ha'melech bi'chvodo. If you:
  • Are up to where he is in the prayers, you may say the last blessing with him.
  • Pray slowly and will not be able to join the minyan for saying the amida, you should start earlier than the minyan and catch up at ha'melech bi'chvodo.
 
Eating Only after Fulfilling Shabbat Kiddush Requirements
Once you have said the amida of Shabbat shacharit, you may not eat any food until you have said (or heard) kiddush and finished kiddush requirements by either:
  • Drinking at least 4 fl. oz. (119 ml) of wine/grape juice, or
  • Eating at least 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) of mezonot or bread.
 
Charity To Enhance Prayers
It is an enhancement of our prayers to give charity at shacharit and mincha (except on Shabbat and Jewish festivals).
Eating before Making Shabbat Kiddush
You may eat non-mezonot and non-bread food before praying Shabbat shacharit and without making kiddush, in order to avoid hunger or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Talit Gadol: Married Men
Once a man has been married, he must wear a talit when saying shacharit and musaf, even if he becomes widowed or divorced.
Introduction to Avinu Malkeinu to Psalms
It was not traditional for women or girls to say any of shacharit after the amida, other than saying alenu.
When To Say Avinu Malkeinu
Say avinu malkeinu, even if you are praying by yourself, after amida of shacharit and mincha on:
  • Public fast days, and
  • Between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.
Eating Only after Jewish Festival Kiddush
As on Shabbat, once you have said the amida of Jewish festival shacharit, you may not eat any food until you have said (or heard) kiddush and finished kiddush requirements by either drinking 4 fl. oz. (119 ml) of wine/grape juice or eating at least 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) of mezonot or bread.
Eating before Shabbat Midday
Don't fast on Shabbat (except Yom Kippur!) past halachic midday:     
  • If you will not finish shacharit before halachic midday, you should eat or drink earlier in the day, even before you begin shacharit—water can be sufficient for this purpose.
  • If you will finish shacharit but not musaf by halachic midday:
  • Finish shacharit,
  • Make kiddush,
  • Eat some mezonot, and then
  • Return to say musaf.