(1.) ברכות השחר “Blessings of the Morning,” forming the first part of
the Morning Service. It contains benedictions, reflections, and prayers
suggested by the change from night to day, from sleep to wakefulness,
from rest to activity.
(2.) Psalms.—Our Service contains various groups of psalms: chief among
them the mizmorim or pesuke dezimrah (“songs” or “verses of song”), and
shir shel yom (“song of the day”), in the Morning Service. The former
include Ps. cxlv. to cl., some other psalms, and the song of Moses
(Exod. xv.). The latter correspond to the songs of the Levites in the
Temple, and consist of Ps. xxiv. (for Sunday), xlviii. (for Monday),
lxxxii. (for Tuesday), xciv. (for Wednesday), lxxxi. (for Thursday),
xciii. (for Friday), and xcii. (for Saturday).—The repetition of Ps.
cxlv. three times a day, twice during Shacharith and once during
Minchah, is an old minhag (Babyl. Talm., Berachoth, p. 4b).
(3.) Supplications (תחנונים) added in the Morning and the Afternoon
Services after the tefillah.
(4.) Readings from the Bible and Post-Biblical Sacred Literature, such
as Num. vi. 22 sqq. (priests’ blessing); Gen. xxii. (binding of Isaac);
Exod. xvi. (manna); Mishnah, Peah i. 1, and Babyl. T., Shabbath 127a,
in the earlier part of the Morning Service; and words of comfort
(beginning ובא לציון) from the Prophets after the “Supplications.”
Originally an exposition of the Written and the Oral Law followed the
“Supplications,” and concluded with Messianic prophecies, recited in
Hebrew and in the Chaldee Version.
(5.) Biblical and Post-Biblical passages referring to the Sacrificial
Service, in the Morning and the Afternoon Services.
In addition to the above Services, read either in the Synagogue or
privately at home, there is a special prayer read by us before retiring
to rest. The chief element in it is the first section of shema; hence
the name קריאת שמע שעל המטה “Reading of shema before going to bed.”
Some psalms and supplications are generally added.