Birkot hashachar or Birkot haShachar ( he, ברכות השחר, , morning blessings' or 'blessings fthe dawn) are a series of blessings that are recited at the beginning of Jewish morning services. The blessings represent thanks to God for a renewal of the day. The order of the blessings is not defined by

halakha ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...

and may vary in each siddur, but is generally based on the order of activities customary upon arising.

The blessings

Al netilat yadayim

This blessing represents the cleanliness of one's hands following ritual defilement.

Asher yatzar

This is a blessing regarding the workings of one's body. It is also recited each time following one's urination or

defecation Defecation (or defaecation) follows digestion, and is a necessary process by which organisms eliminate a solid, semisolid, or liquid waste material known as feces from the digestive tract via the anus. The act has a variety of names ranging f ...

Elohai neshama

This paragraph represents thanks to God for the return of one's

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

. When one sleeps, the soul departs the body. This state is referred to as a "semi-death." Upon awakening, the body is reunited with the soul.

Blessings of Torah study

The Birkot hashachar includes some blessings pertaining to Torah study. It is forbidden for one to study any Torah prior to reciting these blessings. One of the blessings is identical to the one that is recited by a person called for an

aliyah Aliyah (, ; he, עֲלִיָּה ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel, which is in the modern era chiefly represented by the Israel, State of Israel ...

. Since one is required to fulfill a

mitzvah In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (; he, מִצְוָה, ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment commanded by God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discus ...

immediately after reciting a blessing on that mitzvah without interruption, some verses from the

oral The word oral may refer to: Relating to the mouth * Relating to the mouth, the first portion of the alimentary canal that primarily receives food and liquid **Oral administration of medicines ** Oral examination (also known as an oral exam or oral ...

and written Torah are recited immediately following this blessing. In the Eastern Ashkenazic rite, verses including Numbers 6:24-26 (known as the Priestly Blessing), the Mishnah Peah 1:1, and Talmud

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical storie ...

127a are recited; in the Western Ashkenazic rite, the "korbanot" section is recited immediately.

Blessings of Praise

This is a series of blessings of praise. Although the TalmudBerakhot 60b prescribes their recitation alongside the actions that they are associated with, the common practice is to recite them all as a series of blessings.

References

{{Jewish prayers Shacharit Siddur of Orthodox Judaism Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish prayers and blessings