(Heb. Shaḥarit; from shaḥar, "dawn"). The most extensive of the three daily prayer services. Traditionally instituted by the patriarch Abraham (on the basis of Genesis 19:27), it replaces the morning sacrifice (tamid) which was brought daily in Temple times. Ideally, the Amidah portion of the service should not be recited before sunrise, the latest time for its recitation being at the conclusion of the first third third of the day (calculated from sunrise to sunset). The Shema, however, must be recited within the first quarter of the day.
The Morning Service invariably consists of (1) the Morning Benedictions (Birkhot ha-Shaḥar), in which God is thanked for allowing the worshiper to arise once again; (2) Pesuké De-Zimra ("passages of song"), including Barukh She-Amar and drawn primarily from Psalms, although the Song of Moses has a prominent place. This section is enlarged considerably on Sabbath and festival mornings; (3) Barekhu, the reader's summons to prayer; (4) the Shema and its benedictions---two before (of which Ahavah Rabbah is the second) and one afterwards (Emet Ve-Yatsiv), leading directly to (5) the Amidah and its repetition by the reader (which includes the Kedushah). On weekdays, the repetition of the Amidah is followed by Taḥanun, confessional and supplicatory prayers (but on days possessing a festive nature, e.g., New Moon, ḥanukkah, or Purim, this section is omitted).
On New Moon, Ḥanukkah, the Pilgrim Festivals (including their intermediate days), and, in many communities, on Israel's Independence Day, the Amidah is followed by Hallel, after which the Reading of the Law takes place. On regular Sabbaths, as well as the High Holidays, only the prescribed Torah portion (no Hallel) is read. This is also the case on non-festive Mondays and Thursdays, when the passage chanted is the first section of the following Sabbath's Torah reading, to which three worshipers only (a priest, a Levite, and an Israelite) are called. The weekday service then concludes (apart from minor variations between the different rites) with Ashré, U-Va le-Tsiyyon (a sequence of mainly biblical verses headed by Isa. 59:20-21), Alénu, and the daily psalm (Sunday, Ps. 24; Monday, Ps. 48; Tuesday, Ps. 82; Wednesday, Ps. 94:1-95:3; Thursday, Ps. 81; Friday Ps. 93). The mourner's Kaddish is recited after the latter two sections. Psalms 92, for the Sabbath, may be read at an earlier point in the Morning Service; and other psalms are recited on various occasions (see PSALMS under
Liturgy).
On Sabbaths and festivals, when the Additional Service (Musaf) is recited following the Morning Service, the congregation may be addressed by the rabbi either before or immediately after the Torah reading.
As with all other services, the ideal is to pray with a Minyan---the traditional quorum of ten adult males above the age of 13. As certain portions of the Morning Service can only be recited when a minyan is present (e.g., the Kaddish, Barekhu, and the reader's repetition of the Amidah together with the Kedushah), Jewish law lays great emphasis on the importance of praying with a minyan, if this is at all possible.
At every Morning Service, except on Tishah Be-Av, the Tallit (prayer shawl) is worn. On all days apart from Sabbaths, the Pilgrim Festivals, High Holidays, and Tishah be-Av, men wear Tefillin (phylacteries) during the morning prayers, removing them before the Additional Service on those days when Musaf is recited. Customs differ with regard to ḥol Ha-Mo'Ed, the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. Most Jews in the Diaspora wear tefillin on these days; Ḥasidism, Sephardim, and Israeli Ashkenazim do not.
