Morning Blessings

birchot hashachar

ברכות השחר

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Israeli: ' marks a reduced vowel that Israeli speech drops (b'rachah); when the vowel is pronounced it is written e (lefanecha). - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

Personal Prayers at Rising

Hebrew

מוֹדֶה/מוֹדָה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ, מֶלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּם,
שֶׁהֶחֱזַרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי בְּחֶמְלָה,
רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ.

Israeli

modeh or modah ani lefanecha, melech chai vekayam,
shehechezarta bi nishmati b'chemlah,
rabah emunatecha.

English

Living and everlasting sovereign, I offer You thanks for Your kindness in returning my soul. How abundant is Your faithfulness.

Some offer the prayers below upon arising; others offer them upon reaching the synagogue:

THE HUMAN SOUL

Hebrew

אֱלֹהַי, נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי טְהוֹרָה הִיא.
אַתָּה בְרָאתָהּ, אַתָּה יְצַרְתָּהּ, אַתָּה נְפַחְתָּהּ בִּי,
וְאַתָּה מְשַׁמְּרָהּ בְּקִרְבִּי, וְאַתָּה עָתִיד לִטְּלָהּ מִמֶּנִּי,
וּלְהַחֲזִירָהּ בִּי לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא.
כָּל־זְמַן שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה בְקִרְבִּי, מוֹדֶה/מוֹדָה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ,
יהוה אֱלֹהַי וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי [וְאִמּוֹתַי],
רִבּוֹן כָּל־הַמַּעֲשִׂים, אֲדוֹן כָּל־הַנְּשָׁמוֹת.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה, הַמַּחֲזִיר נְשָׁמוֹת לִפְגָרִים מֵתִים.

Israeli

Elohai, neshamah shenatata bi tehorah hi.
atah v'ratah, atah yetzartah, atah nefachtah bi,
ve-atah meshamerah b'kirbi, ve-atah atid litlah mimeni,
ulehachazirah bi le-atid lavo.
kol-z'man shehaneshamah v'kirbi, modeh or modah ani lefanecha,
Adonai Elohai veilohei avotai [ve-imotai],
ribon kol-hama-asim, adon kol-haneshamot.
baruch atah Adonai, hamachazir neshamot lifgarim metim.

English

My God, pure is the soul You have given me. You brought it into being, You shaped it, You breathed it within me; You guard it while it dwells in me. Hereafter You will take it from me, and afterward return it to me in the world to come. While this soul remains within me, I give You thanks, Adonai my God, God of my ancestors, sovereign of all creation, lord of all souls. Barukh atah Adonai, who returns the soul unto the lifeless form.

WASHING THE HANDS

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם.

Israeli

baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam,
asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav vetzivanu al netilat yadayim.

English

Barukh atah Adonai, our God, ruler of time and space, who has granted us a way toward holiness by keeping mitzvot and has commanded us to wash our hands.

THE HUMAN BODY

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶת־הָאָדָם בְּחָכְמָה
וּבָרָא בוֹ נְקָבִים נְקָבִים חֲלוּלִים חֲלוּלִים.
גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדֶךָ
שֶׁאִם יִפָּתֵחַ אֶחָד מֵהֶם אוֹ יִסָּתֵם אֶחָד מֵהֶם,
אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְקַיֵּם וְלַעֲמוֹד לְפָנֶיךָ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה, רוֹפֵא כָל־בָּשָׂר וּמַפְלִיא לַעֲשׂוֹת.

Israeli

baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam,
asher yatzar et-ha-adam b'chochmah
uvara vo nekavim nekavim chalulim chalulim.
galui veyadua lifnei chisei ch'vodecha
she-im yipateach echad mehem o yisatem echad mehem,
i efshar lehitkayem vela-amod lefanecha.
baruch atah Adonai, rofei chol-basar umafli la-asot.

English

Barukh atah Adonai, our God, sovereign over time and space, who fashioned the human body in wisdom, forming in it numerous openings and channels. Known and revealed before You: were even one channel to burst, or one opening to seal shut, remaining in life and standing in Your presence would then be impossible. Barukh atah Adonai, who heals all flesh, creating wonders.

Commentary

MODEH ANI (“I thank You”) is an Ashkenazic prayer composed in the late Middle Ages specifically to be recited upon opening one’s eyes in the morning. Since it was to be said before getting out of bed and washing one’s hands, it does not include the name of God. Eliezer Schweid, a contemporary Jewish philosopher, notes that this and other prayers in this section are phrased in the first-person singular, although most blessings are phrased in the first-person plural. At this initial moment of prayer we have not yet entered a community, but our prayers express our own personal feelings of waking to a new day.

SOUL נְשָׁמָה. Jewish mystics view the soul as an actual “part of God above”; that which God blows into Adam is the presence of God’s own self. Nothing humans can do will eradicate this Divine Presence from the deepest recesses of each person’s heart. (Arthur Green) …

WHO RESTORES THE SOUL TO THE LIFELESS FORM הַמַּחֲזִיר נְשָׁמוֹת לִפְגָרִים מֵתִים. According to the rabbis, sleep is a taste of death; thus, when we arise in the morning we recognize the gift of a new day. Eliezer Schweid remarks: “How does God appear to a person in this hour? As the source of all existent and eternal life, flowing now into all creation. . . .” The last b’rakhah recited before going to sleep is “who lights up the entire world with Your glory.” Waking in the morning, the b’rakhah is fulfilled.

WHO CRAFTED THE HUMAN BODY WITH WISDOM אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶת־הָאָדָם בְּחָכְמָה. This b’rakhah is to be recited after taking care of one’s bodily functions (Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 60b). Upon waking in the morning, we are conscious, first of all, of the proper functioning of our bodies.

My Soul On the day that I searched for God—for I could not see the Divine—I turned to my heart and my mind and found Your throne within, a witness to You in me. —YEHUDAH HALEVI …

A Prayer to Be in God’s Presence יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁתִּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָתְךָ עָלֵינוּ וּבְזֶה הַיּוֹם תְּעַנְּגֵנוּ בְּאוֹר פָּנֶיךָ. Spread Your wings over us that we may delight in Your Presence this day.

Intentions for the New Day Master of all worlds, may it be Your will that the light of Your face be reflected in mine. May my mouth speak only what is true, may my eyes see the good in all that I meet, and may my ears be attentive to the troubles of those who address me. May I breathe the awe of You, so that I lovingly face all I meet. May the words I utter be acceptable to You, my rescuer and protector. —based on a prayer of NAHMAN OF BRATZLAV …