How to Observe the Morning Prayer in Orthodox Judiasm

Prayer is one of the most important parts of practicing Judaism. In Jewish philosophy, the purpose of prayer is not for man to change God but for man to change himself, thereby establishing a new relationship with God. As a male Orthodox Jew, you are required to pray to God three times a day, including once per morning, afternoon, and evening. These prayers recall the daily sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem and are guided by rules that govern your attire, when and for how long you pray, and the prayer itself. The morning prayer is called "Shacharis," from "shachar," or "morning light." [1]

Steps

  1. Dressing appropriately is an important sign of respect for God and the church when praying. This generally includes nice but modest clothing like dress pants and a long-sleeve shirt or coat, with shoes rather than sandals. Male Jews should also wear a head covering, either a dress hat or a kippa .
    • For the Shacharis, you will also need to wear a tallit, or prayer shawl, and a set of tefillin or phylacteries, which are small leather boxes containing scrolls with verses from the Torah that are tied to your head and arms for the morning prayer. [1]
  2.  Certain prayer objects are a necessity for the morning prayers. These objects can be purchased at your local Judaica store. These include the tefillin and tallit that you will need to wear for the prayer, as well as the siddur, or prayer book, that contains the prayers you will need to recite.
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  3. The Shacharis is the morning prayer and can only be undertaken in the morning. Traditionally, you may begin the Shacharis when there is enough light for you to recognize a friend six feet away - so, shortly after dawn. The prayer must be completed before midday, after which point the afternoon prayer is more appropriate. [2]
  4. Most prayers take place in a Beis Haknesses (House of Gathering). In general, the minimum amount of men that you should pray together with is a quorum (10 men). However, there are situations where you can pray by yourself. These include travel, sickness, and time availability. Note that the prayer ritual changes slightly when you pray alone.
  5. This is a pre-prayer ritual intended to wash off the spiritual impurity which has accumulated on your hands while you were asleep. To do this, start by pouring water from a cup on your right hand. The water must cover all of your hand all the way to your wrist. You may need rotate your wrist in order to make sure that your entire hand is washed. Do the same thing for your left hand, then repeat the process until you have washed each hand three or four times apiece, depending on your custom.
  6. Start by unfolding the tallis. The part of the Tallis that has a section of collar is the top end of the garment. Pull this section over your head so that it covers your face. Say the proper blessing as found in the Siddur. Then wrap the Tallis around your shoulders, with the majority of the garment hanging down your back, over your clothes. Wrap the Tallis over your shoulders and around your neck for the amount of time that it takes to walk approximately 6–8 feet (1.8–2.4 m). This should be around four seconds. While the Tallis is wrapped around your head, it is an appropriate time to ask God for things that you need.
    • This step only applies to you if you are married, or if your family has the custom to wear a Tallis. If you do are not wearing a Tallis, proceed to the next step.
  7. This is one part of the 2-part set of tefillin. To put this on, unwrap the long leather strap from around the case. Some like to organize the strap into sections, so it is more manageable. Open the case and take out the tefillin. Lengthen the strap by the knot so that you can fit the tefillin around your arm. If you're right-handed, it will go on your left arm; if you're left-handed, it will go on your right. After rolling up your sleeve, slide the tefillin up your arm. Place it on your bicep muscle, facing slightly upwards and inwards, so that when your arm is bent, it points towards your heart. Once situated correctly, wrap the strap once more around your upper arm. After that, wrap the strap seven times around your forearm, ending above the wrist. [3]
    • Say the blessing for the Tefillin Shel Yad before tightening the strap. This blessing can be found in the Siddur.
  8. Just like for the Tefillin Shel Yad, unwrap the leather straps from around the casing. Put the Tefillin on top of your head, with the ‘box’ sitting in front and the knot on the back of your head. The box should be situated between your eyes and just above your forehead so that no part of it is below your hairline, and the knot should be centered in the back of your head. Most people use a mirror to make sure that the box is centered. At this point, say the blessing for the Tefillin Shel Yad which is found in the Siddur. [3]
    • Make sure that the straps coming out of the knot fall in front of your body. One should be on the left side, and the other should be on the right.
  9. Customs very in almost every respect, and you should consult your Rabbi on what is the right way to wear the hand portion of the Shel Yad. In general, start by wrapping the strap toward the insides of your hand. Continue wrapping the strap on your middle finger, once on your middle knuckle and twice around your bottom knuckle. Continue wrapping the strap around your fourth finger, and slip it over to the outside of your hand. Then wrap the strap into the inside of your hand, and around one more time to for a Hebrew letter ‘Shin.'
    • Once you are wearing your Tefillin, talking outside of praying is strictly prohibited unless necessary, or if you are going to speak words of learning.
  10. Now that you are wearing your Tallis and Tefillin, it is time to start praying to God. There are 4 parts of the morning prayers. All the prayers are written in Lashon Hakodesh (The Language of Holiness), or Biblical Hebrew. If you do not know how to read Biblical Hebrew, it is suggested that you buy a Siddur with a translation to a language with which you are familiar. The four parts are:
    • Birchas Hashachar or Morning Blessings, which include praise for the Torah as well as Biblical and Rabbinic readings.
    • Pesukei D'Zimra, or the Passages of Praise, which consist of various blessings, psalms, and verses. [4]
    • Amidah, or Shemoneh Esrei, which is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy and consists of a series of 19 blessings. [5]
    • Ashrei (Psalm 145) and Uva Letzion, or the concluding prayers, before which you should not leave the synagogue.
  11. Take off the tefillin in the opposite order from how you put it on. First, unwrap the strap off your hand. Then take the tefillin Shel Rosh off your head, bowing your head as you do so to show respect. Carefully put the Tefillin Shel Rosh into the case. Wrap the straps around the box and put the Tefillin back in the container, then unwrap the rest of the Tefillin Shel Yad from your forearm and slide it off of your arm. Carefully put the Tefillin back in its casing, and wrap the strap around the casing. After you finish wrapping, place the tefillin back into the container along with the Tefillin Shel Rosh.
    • Take off your tallis. Then fold it the best that you can. There is no set way to fold a tallis, but make sure to treat it with respect, as it is a holy object. Make sure to carefully pack your siddur also.
  12. Now that you have finished praying to God, you are ready to start your day!
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    When do I say them?
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    The morning prayers are said from 5:00 a.m.-7:00 a.m., depending on the day, and they should be completed by midday.
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      Tips

      • There are different versions of a Siddur. You should consult your Rabbi for which Siddur is correct for you. And as for a Tallis, the need is dependent on your family custom, or if you are married. In general, men who are unmarried do not wear a Tallis.
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      References

      1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_prayer
      2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shacharit
      3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tefillin
      4. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesukei_dezimra
      5. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amidah

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