The siddur, in your nusach

Morning

From opening your eyes to putting on tefillin.

• Modeh Ani

  מודה אני

  The first words of the day. They are said lying in bed, the moment the eyes open, before washing.

• The morning blessings

  ברכות השחר

  Washing the hands, asher yatzar and then the run of blessings for everything that comes back to us each morning. The blessings over the Torah close them.

• Tzitzit and tallit

  ציצית וטלית

  Said on putting on tzitzit and on wrapping yourself in the tallit.

• Tefillin

  תפילין

  Said while laying tefillin, on the arm and then on the head.

The day’s prayers

Shacharit, Mincha and Arvit, in full.

• Shacharit

  שחרית

  The weekday morning service, start to finish: the offerings, Pesukei DeZimra, the Shema with its blessings, the Amidah, Tachanun and the closing prayers.

• Mincha

  מנחה

  The afternoon service, the shortest of the three: Ashrei, the Amidah, Tachanun and Aleinu.

• Arvit

  ערבית

  The evening service: the Shema with its blessings, the Amidah and Aleinu.

• Kaddish

  קדיש

  The forms of the Kaddish: half, mourner’s, full and the one said after learning.

  Ashkenaz text only

  The editions we quote from print no separate text for this in nusach Sefard or Edot HaMizrach.

Before sleep

The last words of the day.

• The bedtime Shema

  קריאת שמע על המיטה

  Read in bed at the end of the day. It opens by forgiving whoever wronged us; the blessing HaMapil and the Shema follow.

Around the table

Before eating, and after it.

• Before eating

  ברכות לפני האוכל

  Which blessing goes with what is on the plate: hamotzi, mezonot, hagefen, ha’etz, ha’adamah and shehakol.

• Birkat HaMazon

  ברכת המזון

  Said after a meal with bread.

• After eating

  ברכות אחרונות

  Me’ein shalosh after grain, wine and fruit of the seven species; borei nefashot for everything else.

Blessings through the day

On mitzvot, and on what you see, hear and smell.

• Blessings on mitzvot

  ברכות המצוות

  Fixing a mezuzah, separating challah, immersing new vessels and the other mitzvot that take a blessing as they are done.

• Shehecheyanu

  שהחיינו

  For something new and for a time that comes round again: a season’s first fruit, a new garment, a festival coming in.

• On what you see, hear and smell

  ברכות הראייה, השמיעה והריח

  A rainbow, lightning and thunder, the sea, trees in blossom and the scents that have a blessing of their own.

On the road, in need

Setting out, coming through safely and praying for healing.

• Tefillat HaDerech

  תפילת הדרך

  Said on setting out, once the town is behind you.

• HaGomel

  ברכת הגומל

  Said in the presence of a minyan, after coming safely through an illness, a journey or a danger.

• Before taking medicine

  לפני נטילת תרופה

  A short prayer said before taking medicine or going in for treatment.

  Edot HaMizrach text only

  The editions we quote from print no separate text for this in nusach Ashkenaz or Sefard.

Shabbat, in and out

Candles, Kiddush and Havdalah.

• Lighting the candles

  הדלקת נרות

  The blessing over the Shabbat candles, and what is said after it.

• Friday night Kiddush

  קידוש ליל שבת

  Said over wine at the table, once Shabbat has come in.

• Havdalah

  הבדלה

  At the close of Shabbat, over wine, spices and the candle.

When Shabbat begins and ends, its greetings and what closes in Israel

The editions

Every prayer is quoted from these editions, via Sefaria.

For questions of practice, ask a rabbi.