Services - Prayers

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PRAYERS

These are some of the major prayers recited in synagogue.

Birkhot Hashachar
Morning Blessings

The blessings that form the beginning of the morning service (Shacharit) celebrate the renewal of life in a new day. They include passages from the Torah and Rabbinic literature to enable one to meet the minimal obligation for daily study. Some congregations add a psalm for the particular day of the week, based on an ancient practice begun by the Levites.

Pesukei De-Zimra
Passages of Song

Pesukei De-Zimra is said in the morning. Its purpose is to prepare worshippers spiritually for the key sections of the service that follow -- the K'riat Sh'ma and the Amidah. The heart of this section is Psalms 145 to 150. Since these are the final chapters in the Book of Psalms, they symbolically enable worshippers to "complete the Praise of the Lord" each day.

K'riat Sh'ma
The Reading of the Sh'ma

This section of the service has been part of the liturgy since at least the second century. It is recited only in the morning and evening services. The Sh'ma begins with a declaration of God's unity from Deuteronomy (6:4): Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Other passages from Deuteronomy (11:13-21) and Numbers (15:37-41) follow, calling for love of God and fulfillment of His commandments, including the use of the tallit, tefillin and mezuzah. Two blessings precede the K'riat Sh'ma. While they differ in the morning and evening services, in both cases, the first praises God for Creation, and the second for Revelation.

Amidah
Silent Prayer

The Amidah is recited while standing (as its Hebrew name indicates) and while facing the direction of Jerusalem. It follows K'riat Sh'ma in the morning and evening services. In the afternoon service, which has no K'riat Sh'ma, it follows Ashrei (Psalm 145) and a variation of the Kaddish. It is known as the Silent Prayer because worshippers chant it in an undertone. Afterwards, it is repeated aloud by the leader of the service. The Amidah consists of nineteen blessings. The first three celebrate God's presence in history and nature and praise His holiness. The final three ask that our prayers be accepted, express gratitude for life, and ask for peace. The blessings in the middle vary depending on the occasion. It is appropriate to add personal prayers during the recitation of these middle blessings. The Amidah has been part of the liturgy since at least the first century.

Aleinu

This prayer has been included near the end of every service since the fourteenth century. It expresses the hope for universal recognition of God's sovereignty by a united humanity.

Kaddish

It is thought that kaddish was originally a brief Aramaic prayer recited at the close of lessons in ancient synagogues or houses of study. The earliest kaddish consisted of a few words of hope from the teacher or preacher: Hallowed and enhanced may He be throughout the world of His own creation. May He cause His sovereignty soon to be accepted, during our life and the life of all Israel. And let us say: Amen. This was followed by a response: Amen. May He be praised throughout all time. By the seventh century, the kaddish had a fixed place in the service. Today, there are several variations, including the Mourner's kaddish, which is recited for the first eleven months after the burial of a close relative and on anniversaries of the death. The kaddish, in any form, is an act of praising God in public, and is only recited when a minyan (group of ten men) is present.