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Shacharit: Tachanun: How To Say
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
What To Do
- Put on a talit immediately.
- Say the blessing on the talit after you finish the amida.
Where To Say Blessings of Daybreak (Birchot HaShachar)
You may say birchot ha'shachar at home, in the synagogue, or along the way.
Note You should say birchot ha'shachar for yourself and not have the prayer leader fulfill your requirement.
Talit Gadol: Blessing over Public Talit
You may say the blessing on a public talit gadol available at the synagogue, even though it is not your talit.
Reason It is assumed that the talitot at synagogues are there to be used by anyone.
Reason It is assumed that the talitot at synagogues are there to be used by anyone.
Women and Public Consolation after Kabbalat Shabbat
It is not the custom for women to get public consolation (nichum aveilim) on Friday night at synagogue.
Attire: Woman Wearing Talit for Warmth
A woman should not use a talit to keep warm, even
- if there is no other garment in the synagogue and
- if she is listening to a Torah class.
Donation after Aliya
If you receive an aliya to the Torah on Shabbat and Jewish festival mornings, it is customary give a donation to the synagogue, but you are not required to do so by halacha (and you may not give the donation ON Shabbat!).
Note A synagogue may request a donation on Shabbat or Jewish festivals from someone who has received an aliya on Shabbat and may give that person a card to mail in after Shabbat has ended.
Note There is no expectation of giving a donation for aliyot on weekdays or at mincha on Shabbat.
Note There is no expectation of giving a donation for aliyot on weekdays or at mincha on Shabbat.
Directions for Lecha Dodi
When saying Lecha Dodi:
- Face your normal direction for the first stanzas;
- For bo'i v'shalom, ideally, face the entrance to the synagogue (but the common practice is to face away from the aron kodesh).
Introduction to Morning Prayers/Shacharit (Weekday): Order of Prayers
Here is a typical order of waking/morning prayers for weekdays (many people say these blessings at the synagogue instead of at home):
When Things Happen
Before Alot HaShachar (72 minutes before sunrise)
You can put on tzitzit/talit and tefilin without blessings.
Alot HaShachar
You can say:
You can say:
You can say shema l'chatchila--and begin saying the amida exactly at sunrise.
By Third Halachic Hour of the Day
You have until the third halachic hour of the day to say:
You have until the fourth halachic hour of the day to say any of the prayers from barchu until the end of the amida.
Halachic Mid-Day
You have until halachic mid-day, b'di'avad, to say the shacharit amida.
-
Wake
Wake and wash hands (Three-Times Method). -
Bathroom
Take care of any toilet needs, wash your hands (One-Time Method).
Say blessings al netilat yadayim and asher yatzar (until l'fgarim meitim). - Torah Blessings
Say Torah blessings (from la'asok bi'divrei Torah until talmud Torah ki'negged
kulam).
kulam).
-
Talit Katan
Put on talit katan (for men).
Say blessing if not married or if not putting on talit gadol later.Note You may put on the talit katan before washing your hands
- Birchot HaShachar
Say birchot ha'shachar (from natan la'sechvi…until ven brit) before, or at,
synagogue.
synagogue.
- Talit/Tefilin
Put on:
- Talit (for married men or other men with that custom).
- Tefilin (for men).
- L'olam Yihei Adam/Korbanot
Say:
- L'olam yihei adam,
- Short shema,
- Paragraph ending mekadeish et shimcha ba'rabim,
- Readings on sacrifices/korbanot,
- 13 rules.
- Psukei D'Zimra
Say:
- Psalm 30/Mizmor Shir Chanukat habayit.
- Baruch she'amar through yishtabach (includes ashrei).
- Bar'chu/Shema/Amida
Say bar'chu through end of amida (including shema, with two blessings before and
one after), tachanun (when appropriate) and ashrei through to alenu.
one after), tachanun (when appropriate) and ashrei through to alenu.
- Psalms/Alenu
Say alenu and psalm for the day.
Terms To Know- Neitz, HaNeitz—Sunrise
- Alot HaShachar—72 minutes before sunrise
- MiSheyakir-- 36 minutes before sunrise in New York in winter and 40 minutes in summer. Nearer to the equator, the maximum time is shorter.
Note Even though mi'sheyakir means when there is enough light to identify your friend, it also means when you can differentiate between blue and white threads in the tzitzit, since the mitzva of tzitzit is only during the daytime.
When Things Happen
Before Alot HaShachar (72 minutes before sunrise)
You can put on tzitzit/talit and tefilin without blessings.
Alot HaShachar
You can say:
- Birchot ha'shachar.
- Shema and amida, b'di'avad.
You can say:
- Blessings over tefilin and tzitzit/talit.
- Shema and amida as necessary.
You can say shema l'chatchila--and begin saying the amida exactly at sunrise.
By Third Halachic Hour of the Day
You have until the third halachic hour of the day to say:
- The blessing mekadeish et shimcha ba'rabim if you want to include the word Adonai.
- Morning shema.
You have until the fourth halachic hour of the day to say any of the prayers from barchu until the end of the amida.
Halachic Mid-Day
You have until halachic mid-day, b'di'avad, to say the shacharit amida.
Introduction to Prayers
Prayer brings us closer to God. When we ask for things from God, even though God already knows what we want and need, we get merit (zechut) for the prayer.
Particularly in synagogue, a holy place, we must be always cognizant of God's presence and take special care to show respect to God in His house. This awareness is even more important than memorizing the halachot of prayer: those who speak in synagogue are showing disrespect to God as well as disturbing others and preventing them from praying with concentration (kavana).
The three daily prayer services--shacharit, mincha, and ma'ariv--are related to the three forefathers who instituted them. They partly take the place of—and are modeled after--the Temple sacrifices.
If you find you have made an error in saying a blessing or prayer, you may correct your error without having to repeat any previous parts if you do so within 2.5 seconds.
Particularly in synagogue, a holy place, we must be always cognizant of God's presence and take special care to show respect to God in His house. This awareness is even more important than memorizing the halachot of prayer: those who speak in synagogue are showing disrespect to God as well as disturbing others and preventing them from praying with concentration (kavana).
The three daily prayer services--shacharit, mincha, and ma'ariv--are related to the three forefathers who instituted them. They partly take the place of—and are modeled after--the Temple sacrifices.
If you find you have made an error in saying a blessing or prayer, you may correct your error without having to repeat any previous parts if you do so within 2.5 seconds.
Note Prayers (tefilot) are said at set times; blessings (brachot) are said whenever the correct situation occurs for them. Even though prayers contain blessings within them, blessings and prayers are in separate sections in this website.
Birkat Cohanim: Seeing Each Other
A cohen/priest does not need to see the congregants and they do not need to see him during birkat cohanim. Birkat cohanim is effective even if you are outside the synagogue when you hear it. But if you are at the front of the synagogue such that you would be behind the cohanim when they turn to face the congregation and say the blessing, you should move far enough so the cohanim will be facing you during the blessing.
Attire: Man's Head Covering Indoors
It is customary for men to wear a head covering always, even indoors. This is a custom, not a halacha. When praying or saying blessings or studying Torah or when in a synagogue or bet midrash, men must wear a head covering.
How To Divide Charity Donation
A good split of the total amount to give to charity is:
- 1/3 for Jewish education,
- 1/3 for poor people, and
- 1/3 for humanitarian purposes such as a hospital, mikva, synagogue, or Jewish outreach/kiruv.
Set Place (Makom Kavu'a): Enhancement of Prayers
It is an enhancement of your prayers to set aside a regular place for praying (makom kavu'a), but it is not required.
Note If you have a regular seat/makom kavu'a in synagogue and you find someone sitting in your seat, it is not proper to ask that person to move if it will upset that person.
Note Your makom kavu'a extends to 4 amot/6'7” away from the actual seat and so you could sit in a nearby seat and still be within your makom kavu'a. However, even if there are no other seats available near your normal seat, it is still not proper to upset a person by asking him or her to move from your seat.
Note Your makom kavu'a extends to 4 amot/6'7” away from the actual seat and so you could sit in a nearby seat and still be within your makom kavu'a. However, even if there are no other seats available near your normal seat, it is still not proper to upset a person by asking him or her to move from your seat.
Who May Make Havdala
Any Jew, male (13 years old or more) or female (12 years old or more), may say havdala for himself or herself and for anyone else.
Note The husband may say havdala for his wife and children even if he fulfilled his personal havdala requirement at the synagogue.
Note There is a difference of opinion as to whether women are required to say the blessing on fire, but the common practice is for women to say it. If a woman says havdala for a man, he must still say borei me'orei ha'eish for himself.
Note There is a difference of opinion as to whether women are required to say the blessing on fire, but the common practice is for women to say it. If a woman says havdala for a man, he must still say borei me'orei ha'eish for himself.