
''Maariv'' or ''Maʿariv'' (, ), also known as ''Arvit'', or ''Arbit'' (, ), is a
Jewish prayer service held in the
evening
Evening is the period of a day that begins at the end of daylight and overlaps with the beginning of night. It generally indicates the period of time when the sun is close to the horizon and comprises the periods of civil, nautical and astronom ...
or at
night
Night, or nighttime, is the period of darkness when the Sun is below the horizon. Sunlight illuminates one side of the Earth, leaving the other in darkness. The opposite of nighttime is daytime. Earth's rotation causes the appearance of ...
. It consists primarily of the evening ''
Shema'' and ''
Amidah
The ''Amidah'' (, ''Tefilat HaAmidah'', 'The Standing Prayer'), also called the ''Shemoneh Esreh'' ( 'eighteen'), is the central prayer of Jewish liturgy. Observant Jews recite the ''Amidah'' during each of the three services prayed on week ...
''.
The service will often begin with two verses from
Psalms
The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament.
The book is an anthology of B ...
, followed by the communal recitation of ''
Barechu''. The three paragraphs of the ''Shema'' are then said, both preceded and followed by two blessings; sometimes, a fifth blessing is added at the end. The
hazzan
A ''hazzan'' (; , lit. Hazan) or ''chazzan'' (, plural ; ; ) is a Jewish musician or precentor trained in the vocal arts who leads the congregation in songful prayer. In English, this prayer leader is often referred to as a cantor, a term al ...
(cantor) then recites a half-''
Kaddish''. Everyone says the ''Amidah'' quietly, and, unlike at the other services, the hazzan does not repeat it. The hazzan recites the full ''Kaddish'', ''
Aleinu'' is recited, and the mourners' ''Kaddish'' ends the service; some groups recite another Psalm before or after ''Aleinu''. Other components occasionally added include the
counting of the Omer
Counting of the Omer (, Sefirat HaOmer, sometimes abbreviated as Sefira) is a ritual in Judaism. It consists of a verbal counting of each of the 49 days between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot. The period of 49 days is known as the "omer p ...
(between
Passover
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt.
According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...
and
Shavuot
(, from ), or (, in some Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi usage), is a Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday, one of the biblically ordained Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan; in the 21st century, it may ...
) and, in many communities,
Psalm 27
Psalm 27 is the 27th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?". The Book of Psalms is part of the Ketuvim, third section of the Tanakh, Hebrew Bible, ...
(between the first of
Elul
Elul (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard , Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ) is the twelfth month of the civil year and the sixth month of the Jewish religious year, religious year in the Hebrew calendar. It is a m ...
and the end of
Sukkot
Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, is a Torah-commanded Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israelite ...
).
''Maariv'' is generally recited after
sunset
Sunset (or sundown) is the disappearance of the Sun at the end of the Sun path, below the horizon of the Earth (or any other astronomical object in the Solar System) due to its Earth's rotation, rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth, it ...
m and according to some opinions should preferably be delayed until after nightfall. However, it may be recited as early as one and a quarter
seasonal hours before sunset (according to some opinions, before nightfall). This is common only on Friday nights in order to begin
Shabbat
Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews ...
earlier. At the
conclusion of Shabbat and on
holidays
A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
, the service is usually delayed until
nightfall. While ''Maariv'' should be prayed before
midnight
Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours.
...
, it may be recited until
daybreak or even
sunrise
Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon.
Terminology
Although the S ...
.
Etymology
The word ''Maariv'' is the first significant word in the opening blessing of the evening service. It is derived from the
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
word ''erev'', which translates to
evening
Evening is the period of a day that begins at the end of daylight and overlaps with the beginning of night. It generally indicates the period of time when the sun is close to the horizon and comprises the periods of civil, nautical and astronom ...
. ''Maariv'' is a conversion of this word into a verb, which means "bringing on evening." The name comes from the end of the first blessing of the prayer, "Blessed are you, O Lord, who brings on the evenings." ''Arvit'' is the adjective form of this word, roughly translated as "of the evening". It shares the same etymological root as ''
maghrib'', the
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
ic evening prayer.
Origin
Maariv corresponds to the evening observances in the
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. Accord ...
. Although no
sacrifices were brought at night, any animal parts that were not burned during the day could be offered at night. Since this was not always necessary, the evening prayer was also declared optional. However, the Jews long ago accepted it as an obligation, so it is now considered to be mandatory. However, there remain some vestiges of its original voluntary status; for example, the
Amidah
The ''Amidah'' (, ''Tefilat HaAmidah'', 'The Standing Prayer'), also called the ''Shemoneh Esreh'' ( 'eighteen'), is the central prayer of Jewish liturgy. Observant Jews recite the ''Amidah'' during each of the three services prayed on week ...
is not repeated by the leader, unlike all other prayers (an exception being on the Sabbath, when the leader recites an abbreviated repetition, see below).
Another explanation is that as the third prayer, Maariv corresponds to
Jacob
Jacob, later known as Israel, is a Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions. He first appears in the Torah, where he is described in the Book of Genesis as a son of Isaac and Rebecca. Accordingly, alongside his older fraternal twin brother E ...
, the third
patriarch
The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Roman Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and ...
. Support is brought from , which says that when Jacob left his hometown of
Beersheba
Beersheba ( / ; ), officially Be'er-Sheva, is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the centre of the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in Israel, the eighth-most p ...
to go to
Haran
Haran or Aran ( ''Hārān'') is a man in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. He was a son of Terah, brother of Abraham, and father of son Lot and daughters Milcah and Iscah. He died in Ur of the Chaldees. Through Lot, Haran was the ance ...
, he "met at the place for the sun had set." The
Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
understands this to mean that Jacob prayed at night and instituted Maariv. Some suggest that he first started reciting the prayer after he fled from his homeland, and as a result, the prayer service has become associated with trust in
God
In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
.
Time
Generally, the time when ''Maariv'' can first be recited is when the time for reciting ''
Mincha'' ends. But there are varying opinions on this. ''Maariv'' should not begin before 1¼ hours before
sunset
Sunset (or sundown) is the disappearance of the Sun at the end of the Sun path, below the horizon of the Earth (or any other astronomical object in the Solar System) due to its Earth's rotation, rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth, it ...
. Others delay ''Maariv'' until after sunset or after
dusk
Dusk occurs at the darkest stage of twilight, or at the very end of astronomical twilight after sunset and just before nightfall.''The Random House College Dictionary'', "dusk". At predusk, during early to intermediate stages of twilight, enoug ...
. If ''Maariv'' is recited prior to dusk, individuals repeat the Shema later in the evening.
Back-to-back ''Mincha'' and ''Maariv''
In many congregations, the afternoon and evening prayers are recited back-to-back, to save people having to attend synagogue twice. The
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, ( ''Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman''), also known as the Vilna Gaon ( ''Der Vilner Goen''; ; or Elijah of Vilna, or by his Hebrew acronym Gr"a ("Gaon Rabbenu Eliyahu": "Our great teacher Elijah"; Sialiec, April 23, 172 ...
discouraged this practice, and followers of his set of customs commonly wait until after nightfall to recite ''Ma'ariv'', since the name derives from the word "nightfall".
On Shabbat
On the eve of
Shabbat
Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews ...
, some have the custom to recite the ''Maariv'' prayer earlier than usually, generally during ''Pelag Hamincha'' (1¼ hours before sunset). This is in order to fulfill the precept of adding from the weekday to the holiness of Shabbat. However, this is too early for the recitation of Shema, so Shema should be repeated later under these circumstances.
Prayers included
Introductory prayers
On weekdays, the service begins with two verses from
Psalms
The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament.
The book is an anthology of B ...
: and . In some communities, these verses are proceeded by
Psalm 134
Psalm 134 is the 134th psalm from the Book of Psalms, a part of the Tanakh, Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Behold, bless ye the , all ye servants of the ". Its Latin title is "Ec ...
, a few assorted verses, and a half Kaddish.
Shema
The first main part of the service is focused on the ''
Shema Yisrael''.
When a
minyan
In Judaism, a ''minyan'' ( ''mīnyān'' , Literal translation, lit. (noun) ''count, number''; pl. ''mīnyānīm'' ) is the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain Mitzvah, religious obligations. In more traditional streams of Judaism ...
is present, ''
Barechu'', the formal public call to prayer, is recited. Then come two blessings, one praising God for creating the cycle of day and night, and one thanking God for the
Torah
The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...
.
The three passages of the ''Shema'' are then recited.
Two more blessings are recited. The first praises God for
taking the Jews out of Egypt, and the second prays for protection during the night.
A fifth blessing,
''Baruch Adonai L'Olam'', is then recited by
Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...
m outside of Israel (except for some
chassidic communities such as
Chabad-Lubavitch, and followers of the
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, ( ''Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman''), also known as the Vilna Gaon ( ''Der Vilner Goen''; ; or Elijah of Vilna, or by his Hebrew acronym Gr"a ("Gaon Rabbenu Eliyahu": "Our great teacher Elijah"; Sialiec, April 23, 172 ...
). This blessing is made mostly from a tapestry of biblical verses. However, the blessing is omitted on Shabbat and holidays, and by some at the conclusion of those days and on
Chol HaMoed. It has been largely dropped by Sephardic communities, but appears in old printings of Sephardic siddurim (including Venice and Livorno). However, some Moroccan communities (both in Israel and elsewhere) recite the last part of the blessing (starting from Yir'u eineinu) at Maariv at the conclusion of the Sabbath.
In Israel, ''Baruch Adonai L'Olam'' is not recited by Ashkenazim (both Nusach Ashkenaz and Nusach Sefard), although it is recited by some congregations associated with
Machon Moreshes Ashkenaz. It is recited by Baladi
Yemenite Jews
Yemenite Jews, also known as Yemeni Jews or Teimanim (from ; ), are a Jewish diaspora group who live, or once lived, in Yemen, and their descendants maintaining their customs. After several waves of antisemitism, persecution, the vast majority ...
in and out of Israel (albeit combined with the last blessing), and by
Italian rite Jews in and out of Israel. It is also recited in an abbreviated form at the conclusion of the Sabbath by some Moroccan Jews.
On Shabbat and holidays, some congregations recite relevant verses at this point, after the last Shema blessing.
On Festivals, some Ashkenazic communities recite
piyyutim called
Ma'arivim during the blessings of Shema. The most well-known of these piyyutim is
Lel Shimurim Oto El Hatzah, recited on the first night of Passover. In the past, this was also done by Italian and
Romaniote Jews
The Romaniote Jews or the Romaniotes (, ''Rhōmaniôtes''; ) are a Greek language, Greek-speaking Jewish ethnic divisions, ethnic Jewish community. They are one of the oldest Jewish communities in existence and the oldest Jewish community in Eu ...
.
Amidah
This is followed by the ''Shemoneh Esreh'' (''
Amidah
The ''Amidah'' (, ''Tefilat HaAmidah'', 'The Standing Prayer'), also called the ''Shemoneh Esreh'' ( 'eighteen'), is the central prayer of Jewish liturgy. Observant Jews recite the ''Amidah'' during each of the three services prayed on week ...
'').
Half Kaddish is recited just before the ''Amidah'', in order to separate between the required ''Shema'' and the (originally) optional ''Amidah''. The ''Amidah'' is followed by the full
Kaddish (sometime with additions recited beforehand, see below).
Unlike in other prayers, the ''Amidah'' is not repeated aloud by the ''chazzan'' in Maariv.
Concluding prayers
Sephardim (and, in Israel, most who follow
Nusach Sefard) then say
Psalm 121 (or another topical
Psalm
The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament.
The book is an anthology of H ...
), say the Mourner's Kaddish and repeat ''Barechu'', before concluding with the Aleinu.
Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...
m, in the
diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...
, neither say Psalm 121 nor repeat Barechu, but conclude with ''Aleinu'' followed by the
Mourner's Kaddish (in Israel, most Ashkenazim do repeat Barechu after mourner's Kaddish).
From the beginning of
Elul
Elul (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard , Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ) is the twelfth month of the civil year and the sixth month of the Jewish religious year, religious year in the Hebrew calendar. It is a m ...
through
Hoshanah Rabbah (and outside of Israel, on
Shemini Atzeret as well), most
Nusach Ashkenaz communities recite
Psalm 27
Psalm 27 is the 27th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?". The Book of Psalms is part of the Ketuvim, third section of the Tanakh, Hebrew Bible, ...
, which contains many allusions to the
Days of Awe and
Sukkot
Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, is a Torah-commanded Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israelite ...
. This is again followed by the mourner's Kaddish. In a house of mourning, many communities conclude the service with
Psalm 16 or
Psalm 49. In the Western Ashkenazic rite (as well as some German and Hungarian communities following the Eastern Ashkenazic rite), Psalms
24,
8 and
28 are recited when maariv is recited after nightfall; these can be followed by a Mourners Kaddish if needed (since these communities usually only allow one mourner to recite each Kaddish).
Additions
Friday night
In most communities, the verses normally recited before
barekhu are omitted, and the service begins with barekhu.
In most communities (except
Chabad, those who follow the
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, ( ''Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman''), also known as the Vilna Gaon ( ''Der Vilner Goen''; ; or Elijah of Vilna, or by his Hebrew acronym Gr"a ("Gaon Rabbenu Eliyahu": "Our great teacher Elijah"; Sialiec, April 23, 172 ...
, and some
Baladi Yemenites), the verses Exodus 31:16-17 are recited proceeding half kaddish before the Amidah.
At the beginning of
Shabbat
Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews ...
on Friday night, the
Amidah
The ''Amidah'' (, ''Tefilat HaAmidah'', 'The Standing Prayer'), also called the ''Shemoneh Esreh'' ( 'eighteen'), is the central prayer of Jewish liturgy. Observant Jews recite the ''Amidah'' during each of the three services prayed on week ...
is immediately followed by the recitation of which discusses God's "resting" on
the seventh day of
creation. Although these verses were already said during the Amidah (and will be recited yet again during
Kiddush at home) they are repeated. This is because when Shabbat coincides with a
holiday
A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
, the Amidah does not include the passage.
The three verses are followed by the
Seven-Faceted Blessing. This is a single blessing designed to summarize the seven blessings of the Amidah, for those who came late. While originally this was said only by the leader, it is now customary in most Ashkenazic communities (except for those who follow the practices of the
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, ( ''Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman''), also known as the Vilna Gaon ( ''Der Vilner Goen''; ; or Elijah of Vilna, or by his Hebrew acronym Gr"a ("Gaon Rabbenu Eliyahu": "Our great teacher Elijah"; Sialiec, April 23, 172 ...
) for the congregation to recite the middle part before the leader does so or together with the leader. In the most communities of the Eastern Ashkenazic rite as well as many Sephardic communities, this blessing is omitted on the first night of
Passover
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt.
According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...
, because that is considered a "time of protection"; in the Western Ashkenazic rite as well as some other communities, it is recited as normal.
[See ]Jonah Frankel
Jonah Frankel, () also spelled Yonah Frankel, (1928–2012) was an author, Hebrew literature professor and Israel Prize laureate.
Biography
Jonah Frankel was born in Munich in 1928 and emigrated to Israel in 1937 to escape the Nazis. In high sch ...
, Passover Machzor, page 9 of the introduction.
In communities that did not recite ba-meh madlikin before maariv, it is recited after the full Kaddish. Many communities also recite
kiddush at this point.
After Shabbat
During the ''Maariv'' service
following Shabbat, several additions are made.
At the beginning of the service, many communities recite (usually sing)
Psalm 144 and
Psalm 67.
A paragraph called ''"Ata Chonantanu"'' is inserted into the fourth blessing of the Amidah. The recitation of this paragraph officially ends Shabbat. One who forgets to recite this paragraph may also end Shabbat through
Havdalah or by saying the words "Blessed is He Who differentiates between the holy and the secular."
Two sections of prayers, ''"
Vayehi Noam"'' (the last verse from
Psalm 90, followed by the full
Psalm 91) and ''V'Ata Kadosh'' (all but the first two verses of
Uva Letzion), are added to the service. These prayers are recited out of mercy for the wicked. The wicked are given a reprieve from
Gehinnom during Shabbat, and the reprieve continues until all evening prayers following Shabbat are concluded. In
Nusach Ashkenaz and
Nusach Sefard, these verses are only recited if there are a full six days of work in the upcoming week; if there is a major festival falling in the middle of the week, they are omitted. If the first day of Passover falls the following Sabbath, customs very as to whether the Eve of Passover, generally considered a minor holiday, is enough to exempt the recitation of these verses.
Nusach Ashkenaz and
Italian Nusach also add ''"
Veyiten Lecha"'' (whereas
Nusach Sefard and most
Sfardim
Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...
say this at home after Havdala). These are verses of blessing, that we pray should be fulfilled over the course of the week. These verses are recited even when 'Vayehi Noam' is omitted, but they are omitted when Tisha Bav falls at the conclusion of the Sabbath.
In some communities,
Havdalah is also recited at this point.
Counting of the Omer
During the seven weeks from the second night of
Passover
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt.
According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...
until (but not including)
Shavuot
(, from ), or (, in some Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi usage), is a Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday, one of the biblically ordained Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan; in the 21st century, it may ...
, the day is counted. This is usually done during ''Maariv'', just before
Aleinu (in communities that recite Veyiten Lecha before Aleinu at the conclusion of the Sabbath, most communities count the Omer before Veyiten Lecha). Others postpone the counting until the end of the service. If it is not yet nightfall, many congregations leave the counting to the individual.
Other additions
In general, relatively few prayers are added onto ''Maariv''. On Festivals, some communities recite
piyyutim called Maarivim during the blessings of Shema; in many communities, these piyyutim are omitted when the Festival falls on the Sabbath. On
Simchat Torah, the
Torah is read during ''Maariv'' in many communities. On
Purim
Purim (; , ) is a Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jews, Jewish people from Genocide, annihilation at the hands of an official of the Achaemenid Empire named Haman, as it is recounted in the Book of Esther (u ...
, the
Book of Esther
The Book of Esther (; ; ), also known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as "the Scroll" ("the wikt:מגילה, Megillah"), is a book in the third section (, "Writings") of the Hebrew Bible. It is one of the Five Megillot, Five Scrolls () in the Hebr ...
is read, followed by ''V'Ata Kadosh'', and on
Tish'a Ba'av the
Book of Lamentations
The Book of Lamentations (, , from its incipit meaning "how") is a collection of poetic laments for the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. In the Hebrew Bible, it appears in the Ketuvim ("Writings") as one of the Five Megillot ("Five Scroll ...
and some ''
kinnot'' are recited, also followed by ''V'Ata Kadosh''. On
Yom Kippur, an extended order of
Selichot is recited; in Ashkenazic communities, this is followed by
Avinu Malkeinu (except on the Sabbath). On both
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah (, , ) is the New Year in Judaism. The Hebrew Bible, biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , ). It is the first of the High Holy Days (, , 'Days of Awe"), as specified by Leviticus 23:23–25, that occur in the late summe ...
and Yom Kippur, many congregations recite
Psalm 24.
See also
*
Shacharit
''Shacharit'' ( ''šaḥăriṯ''), or ''Shacharis'' in Ashkenazi Hebrew, is the morning '' tefillah'' (prayer) of Judaism, one of the three daily prayers.
Different traditions identify different primary components of ''Shacharit''. E ...
*
Brakha
*
Mincha
*
Mussaf
*
Ne'ila
*
Maghrib prayer
*
Maariv (newspaper)
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
{{Jewish prayers