PRAYER
Find your way in the siddur
A prayer book gives us words to bring before Hashem and an order for praying together. Learn its main landmarks before trying to follow every page.
A book for daily life
A siddur is a Jewish prayer book. Its name means “order.” It gathers our prayers and blessings for daily life, with sections for morning, afternoon, and evening. Many editions also include Shabbat and festival prayers, blessings over food, and prayers for other occasions.
Hashem means “the Name,” a way we refer to God. Tefillah means prayer. Our shared words teach us to praise Hashem, bring our needs before him, and give thanks. They help us pray as part of our people, even when we pray alone.
A community’s traditional wording and order of prayer is called its nusach. Your community’s siddur and page announcements help you find your place. The landmarks below appear across these traditions.
Three daily services
- Shacharit Morning
Morning blessings and praise lead into the Shema with its blessings and the Amidah.
- Minchah Afternoon
A shorter service centered on the Amidah.
- Maariv Evening · Also called Arvit
The Shema with its blessings leads into the Amidah.
Shabbat, festivals, and Rosh Chodesh (the beginning of a Hebrew month) also have Musaf, an additional service. Start by finding the section for the day and service you are attending.
Two landmarks to recognize
Shema · Hear
The Shema begins with the Torah’s call, “Hear, Israel.” Its three Torah passages teach God’s oneness, love of God, his commandments, and remembrance of the Exodus. We recite it in the morning and evening, surrounded by blessings. A berakhah is a blessing; berakhot is the plural.
Amidah · Standing
The Amidah is the central prayer said standing, quietly, in each daily service. You may also see the name Shemoneh Esreh, “Eighteen,” its traditional name, although the weekday prayer now has nineteen blessings. On weekdays its blessings move from praise through requests to thanksgiving; on Shabbat and festival days, the weekday requests are replaced by a blessing about the holiness of the day.
In communal Shacharit and Minchah, the prayer leader normally repeats the Amidah aloud after the quiet prayer. Listen for the congregation’s responses. Maariv has no repetition.
Are the Shema and the Amidah two names for the same thing?
No. The Shema is a recitation of Torah passages with surrounding blessings in morning and evening prayer. The Amidah is the standing prayer found in all three daily services.
Follow the morning service
Use these broad stages to orient yourself in weekday Shacharit. Your siddur supplies the full text and directions.
Morning blessings
We thank Hashem for the gifts of waking and daily life. Look for Birkhot Hashachar, “morning blessings.”
Psalms of praise
Pesukei Dezimra, “verses of song,” gathers psalms and other biblical praise to prepare us for prayer.
Shema and its blessings
Blessings about creation and God’s love lead to the Shema. The following blessing recalls redemption from Egypt and leads toward the Amidah.
Amidah
We stand before Hashem in quiet prayer. In a congregation, the leader’s repetition follows.
Prayers after the Amidah
Further supplications and readings lead toward the service’s conclusion. Aleinu, a prayer of praise and hope for God’s kingship, is one familiar landmark near the end.
On Monday and Thursday mornings, the congregation also reads from a Torah scroll after the Amidah, before the concluding portion of the service. Shabbat, festivals, and other special days have their own readings and additions.
You have reached the Shema. Which main stage comes next?
The Amidah. First the blessing after the Shema recalls redemption; then we begin the standing prayer.
You arrive for Minchah. Should you look for the morning Shema section?
Look for the Minchah section. The Amidah is its center; the Shema belongs to morning and evening prayer.
Bring your attention
Knowing the order helps us give our attention to the prayer. Our sages teach:
אין עומדין להתפלל אלא מתוך כובד ראש
We stand to pray only with a serious, reverent frame of mind.
English rendering by Messianic Yeshiva
The Mishnah goes on to describe earlier devoted people who paused before praying to direct their hearts toward God. Before opening a section, take a moment to remember whom you are addressing.
Explore the sources
An English guide to the order of prayer
Rambam, Laws of Prayer, chapter 1: shared prayer and the daily services. Chapter 2: weekday and Shabbat blessings. Laws of the Shema, chapter 1: its passages and blessings. Laws of Prayer, chapter 7: morning blessings and praise. Chapter 9: communal order.