Daily Jewish Life, Blessings and Prayers (To Be Continued)

When one wakes up in the morning, one says Modeh(m.)/Modah(f.)Ani. It's a short prayer of gratitude, thanking Hashem for being alive. During sleep one's soul goes to Shamayim and when one wakes up, the soul is restored. Sleep is considered to be "one-sixteeth of death" (Yerushalmi, Berakhot 12). According to the Shulchan Aruch, "One should strengthen himself like a lion to get up in the morning to serve his Creator."

Hebrew: מודה אני לפניך מלך חי וקים שהחזרת בי נשמתי בחמלה, רבה אמונתך.

Transliteration: Modeh/Modah Ani lefanecha melech chai vekayam shehechazarta bi nishmati behemlah raba emunetecha.

English: I thank you, living and eternal King, for giving me back my soul in mercy, Great is your faithfulness.

Next, one should wash hands to say Al-Netilat Yadayim. Procedure (preference is given to the dominant hand and that's why the non-dominant hand washes the dominant hand first): For right handed people: take a cup to fill it up with water with your right hand, then put it in your left hand, and wash right hand three times, then left hand three times. The water must be up to the rist, and say the bracha/blessing for washing hands. For left handed people: the procedure is done in reverse, just switch hands.  (i'm ambidextrous so I find it's fascinating which hand to use). This is a ritual handwashing, which removes impurity and makes one spiritually clean, and it also serves as a reminder of  the ancient Temple service where the Kohanim/the Priests were required to wash their hands before performing the rituals in the Temple.

Hebrew - "ברוך אתה אדוני אלוהינו מלך העולם אשר קידשנו במצוותיו וציונו על נטילת ידיים"

Transliteration: Baruch atah adonahy elohaynu melekh ha'olam asher kideshahnu b'mitsvotav vetsivanu al netilat yadayim.

English: "Blessed are you, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who sanctifies us with his commandments, and commanded us about washing the hands."

The bracha of Al-Netilat Yadayim is also said before eating bread and once this happens, from the moment of saying the bracha until one gets to eat bread, one does not speak in between. (The bracha for eating bread is Ha-Motzi, I'll go over the blessings for food in more detail in a post about blessings).

After one goes to the bathroom, each time one says the Bracha of Asher Yatzar. The special meaning of this blessing lies in the fact that our body is so complex and it reminds us about how important it is for our body to properly function in order for us to carry our daily activities, and by being aware of this, we will hopefuly learn to appreciate and focus on preserving our health.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶת

.הָאָדָם בְּחָכְמָה וּבָרָא בוֹ נְקָבִים נְקָבִים חֲלוּלִים חֲלוּלִים

גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדֶךָ שֶׁאִם יִפָּתֵחַ אֶחָד מֵהֶם

אוֹ יִסָּתֵם אֶחָד מֵהֶם אִי אֶפְשַׁר לְהִתְקַיֵּם וְלַעֲמוֹד לְפָנֶיךָ

.אֲפִילוּ שָׁעָה אֶחָת

.בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה רוֹפֵא כָל בָּשָׂר וּמַפְלִיא לַעֲשֹוֹת

"Blessed are You, L-rd, our G-d, King of the universe, Who formed man with wisdom and created in him many orifices and cavities. It is revealed and known before Your Throne of Glory that were one of them to be ruptured or blocked, it would be impossible to survive and stand before You (even for a short period of time). Blessed are You, L-rd, Healer of all flesh who does wondrous deeds".

In the morning this can be recited along with the Morning Blessings. Immediately after this, one says Elokai Neshama,

Hebrew: 

אלהי נשמה שנתת בי טהורה היא

אתה בראתה אתה יצרתה אתה נפחתה בי 

ואתה משמרה בקרבי ואתה

אתיד לטלה מימני 

ולהחזירה בי לעתיד לבוא

כל זמן שהנשמה בקרבי מודה אני לפניך

יהוה אלהי ואלהי אבותי

ריבון כל המעשים אדון כל הנשמות

ברוך אתה יהוה המחזיר נשמות לפגרים מתים

Transliteration: Elokai neshama shenatata bi tehora hi, Atah bera'ata, Atah yetzarta, Atah nafachta bi ve atah meshamera bekirbi, ve-ata atid litela mimeni ulehackazira bi le-atid la-vo. Kol zeman she'ha-neshamah be-kirbi, modeh/modah ani lefanecha. Adonai Elohai ve-Elohai avotai, ribon kol ha-ma'asim, Adon kol ha-neshamot. Baruch Ata Adonai, ha-mahazir neshamot lepgarim metim.

Translation: My God, the soul You placed within me is pure. You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me, and You guard it while it is within me. One day You will take it from me, and restore it to me in the time to come. As long as the soul is within me, I will thank You, HaShem my God and God of my ancestors, Master of all works, Lord of all souls. Blessed are You, HaShem, who restores souls to lifeless bodies.

This prayer is also an expression of gratitude, which is connected to the prayer of Modeh Ani. Through this, we remember that our soul comes from G*d, who is the source of purity. This is related to the fact that:

ז  וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם, עָפָר מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו, נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים; וַיְהִי הָאָדָם, לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה. 7 Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.  (Bereshit/Genesis 2:7 from http://www.mechon-mamre.org/)

After this, guys would put on tzit-tzis, tallis, and tefillin (I'm not a guy so I cannot discuss in detail those laws, except in general terms).

Next, there are the Blessings Over the Torah. One says them in the morning and anyhow, one cannot study Torah without saying these Blessings first. In the Siddur/Jewish prayer book, the Torah blessings are followed by certain passages from the Bible, Mishna and Gemara. This helps emphasize how important studying is.

Birkat HaShachar/Morning Blessings: they help focus on not taking the things that we have for granted. One should say 100 blessings a day.

Pesukei DeZimra/Verses of Praise includes: Baruch Sheamar said while standing, Ashrei, Yishtabach

Shema: Monotheism is elegant and practical. The core principle in Judaism is monotheism, the belief in one G*d, an undivided G*d, just One, because G*d is "the one and only". This is reflected in the Shema prayer:

"Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad. Baruch shem kevod malkuto le-olam va'ed. Listen, Israel: the L-rd is our God, the L-rd is One. Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and all time.


Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. Teach them repeatedly to your children, speaking of them when you sit at home and when you travel on the way, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be an emblem between your eyes. Write them on the doorposts of your house and gates." (Deuteronomy 6) (translation from The Koren Siddur)

One can then daven the Amida for Shacharit.

Minha (in the afternoon): Ashrei, Amida (could include Tachanun also), Aleinu (said while standing)

Ma'ariv (at night, women don't customarily say Ma'ariv)

Bedtime Shema: as the Koren Sacks Siddur indicates, "Just as our first words in the morning should be the words of prayer, so should our last at night"

Some rules to keep in mind:

There are laws on how to make up a missed Amida. If one misses the Amida in the morning, one can daven Amida twice for Mincha. If a girl/woman misses Mincha, there is a question as to whether she can daven Ma'ariv. If she does, she most likely does so keeping in mind she would not be taking the custom of davening Ma'ariv daily, but she does this now to make up for the missed Amida.

Brachos for Food: there is a blessing to say before called Bracha Rishona and a blessing to say after called Bracha Achrona. When one says a blessing over food, one gets permission from Hashem to pertake of the food. Before saying the blessing, the food belongs to Hashem, and eating without saying a blessing it's as if stealing. Each food depending on its ingredients gets a blessing. For food, the blessings follow the format "Baruch Ata Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha-olam...." followed by what is specific to the food, while when doing a mitzvah, the blessing would include "asher kidishanu be-mitzvotav ve-tzivanu..." followed by the specific blessing according to the mitzvah.

Blessing before eating Bread=Hamotzi (bread made of wheat, rye, oats, spelt, barley)

....המוציא לחם מן הארץ.‏Hebrew

Transliteration:  ha‑motzi lehem min ha‑aretz.

Translation: ....who brings forth bread from the earth.

After eating a meal with bread, one says Birkat Hamazon.

Blessing before eating food that is not bread, made of grain products=Mezonot

....בורא מיני מזונות .‏Hebrew

Transliteration: Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha‑olam, bo're minei m'zonot.

Translation: "....Who creates varieties of nourishment."

Blessing for fruits=Ha-Eitz

 בורא פרי העץ........‏Hebrew

Transliteration: .........bo'rei p'ri ha‑eitz

Translation: "........Who creates the fruit of the tree."

Blessing for vegetables that grow from the earth Ha-Adama 

 בורא פרי האדמה.......‏Hebrew

Transliteration: "....bo'rei p'ri ha‑adama.

Translation: "....who creates the fruit of the ground."

For other fruits, including when not knowing which blessing to apply specifically, there is a general blessing called  She-Hakol

 שהכל נהיה בדברו......‏Hebrew

Transliteration: .......she‑hakol nih'ye bidvaro.

Translation: " ...through Whose word everything comes into being."

Blessing before drinking wine=Ha-Gafen (Fruit of the Vine)

 ...בורא פרי הגפן......Hebrew 

Transliteration: .....bo're p'ri ha‑gafen

Translation: "....Who creates the fruit of the vine."

After the meal, when not saying Bircat Ha-Mazon, one says either

Al Hamichya: for food made from grains,  wine or juice, fruit specific to Israel such as grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, dates.

or

Borei Nefashot: for meat, fish, dairy products, vegetables, beverages, fruit other than grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives or dates

When consuming for the first time in a season a fruit one (or when putting on a new garment) one says the Bracha She-HeHiyanu:

Hebrew: שהחינו וקימנו והגענו לזמן הזה

Transliteration: .....she‑hehiyanu vekiy-manu vehigianu la‑zman ha‑ze.

Translation: "......Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season."

OTHER BRACHOS

On immersing in the mikva (the ritual bath): 

Transliteration: ....al ha‑tevila.

Translation: "....commanded us concerning immersion."

 

On immersing ustensils in a Mikvah to make them kosher one says:

Transliteration: "al-tevliat keilim"

Translation: "concerning immersion of utensils."

On dwelling in the Sukkah one says:

 לישב בסכה.‏Hebrew

Transliteration: leishev ba sukka.

Translation: ".... to dwell in the sukkah."

Blessing on Lighting Candles--for Shabbat and Yom Tov

For Shabbat Candles (to be lit 18 minutes before sunset on Friday):

Hebrew: להדליק נר של שבת.

Transliteration: l'hadlik ner shel Shabbat.

Translation: " ...to light the Shabbat candles."

Hanukkah Candles

בר להדליק נר של חנוכה.‏Hebrew

Transliteration: ....l'hadlik ner shel hanuka.

Translation: "to kindle the Hanukkah lights.

Candle lighting for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

 להדליק נר של יום טוב.‏Hebrew

Transliteration: l'hadlik ner shel yom tov.

Translation: "....to light the holiday candles.

For Affixing a Mezuzah (which contains the verses of the Shema, there is a special procedure to do so, and various customs. Ashkenazim would put the mezuzah inclined at 45 degrees angle, while Sephardim may affix it vertically. A mezuzah is put on every door on a Jewish home, except the bathroom. It's the custom to kiss the mezuzah before going in and out):

 לקבוע מזוזה.‏...Hebrew

Transliteration: .....likbo'a m'zuza.

Translation: ".....to affix the mezuzah." 

Havdalah Ceremony (at the Conclusion of Shabbat, Shabbat last 25 hours): it is performed on Saturday night, after sunset, with the following blessings:

One says a bracha over the kiddush cup which is filled with wine.

 בורא פרי הגפן.‏....Hebrew

Transliteration: .....bo're p'ri hagafen

Translation: "......Who creates the fruit of the vine

Then the besamim box is passed around to smell the spices which give some comfort to the soul as Shabbat departs, the bracha for the spices being

בורא מיני בשמים.‏...Hebrew

Transliteration:.... bo're minei b'samim. 

Translation: ".....Who creates varieties of spices."

A braided candle is then lit, with the bracha on it being:

בורא מאורי האש.....Hebrew
Transliteration: .... bo-re m-orei ha‑esh 

Translation: Who creates the lights of the fire

One must benefit from this light by looking at its reflection in the fingernails, the final bracha being
 

Transliteration: Baruch Ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha‑olam, ha‑mavdil bein kodesh le-hol, bein or le-hoshekh, bein Yisrael la‑amim, bein yom ha‑shevi-i le-sheshet yemei ha‑ma-a'0e. Barukh ata Adonai, ha‑mavdil bein kodesh lehol

Translation:  Blessed are You, L*rd Our King of the universe, Who distinguishes between the sacred and the secular, between light and dark, between Israel and the nations, between the seventh day and the six days of labor. Blessed are You, L-rd, Who distinguishes between the sacred and the secular.