https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/essentials-essential-prayers-morning-blessings-birkot-hashachar.xml/articles/essentials-essential-prayers-morning-blessings-birkot-hashacharxmlarticleMorning Blessings (Birkot HaShachar)The blessings on first arising — gratitude for the body, the soul, the senses, and the day.The New Jew/index.xmlPrayer & Liturgy/sections/prayer-liturgy.xmlMorning Blessings (Birkot HaShachar)/articles/essentials-essential-prayers-morning-blessings-birkot-hashachar.xml
https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/essentials-essential-prayers-morning-blessings-birkot-hashachar
https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/essentials-essential-prayers-morning-blessings-birkot-hashachar.json
<_xml>https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/essentials-essential-prayers-morning-blessings-birkot-hashachar.xml
essentials-essential-prayers-morning-blessings-birkot-hashacharMorning Blessings (Birkot HaShachar)The blessings on first arising — gratitude for the body, the soul, the senses, and the day.Summary. Birkot HaShachar are the morning blessings recited before Shacharit (the morning service proper). They begin with Modeh Ani (gratitude for the soul’s return on waking) and proceed through a series of berachot — “Blessed are You, Hashem … who opens the eyes of the blind, who clothes the naked, who lifts the fallen…” — that thank God for each ordinary capacity of waking life. They include the Asher Yatzar (after using the restroom) and the Elohai Neshama (on the purity of the returned soul). These prayers ground the day.essentialessentialsmorningbirkot hashachardaily2026-07-06T02:19:03.001Z6123prayer-liturgyPrayer & Liturgyhttps://pub-73c694f3dc3c4d0ea8f98f090d227a0d.r2.dev/article-images/morning-blessings-birkot-hashachar-mubrnj1e-359817d8.pnghttps://pub-73c694f3dc3c4d0ea8f98f090d227a0d.r2.dev/article-images/morning-blessings-birkot-hashachar-crop-mubs61jm-2617c11c-large.pnghttps://pub-73c694f3dc3c4d0ea8f98f090d227a0d.r2.dev/article-images/morning-blessings-birkot-hashachar-crop-mubs61jm-2617c11c-thumb.pngMorning Blessings (Birkot HaShachar)summary
Summary. [Birkot HaShachar](/glossary.xml#letter-B) are the morning blessings recited before [Shacharit](/glossary.xml#letter-S) (the morning service proper). They begin with [Modeh Ani](/glossary.xml#letter-M) (gratitude for the soul’s return on waking) and proceed through a series of [berachot](/glossary.xml#letter-B) — “Blessed are You, [Hashem](/glossary.xml#letter-H) … who opens the eyes of the blind, who clothes the naked, who lifts the fallen…” — that thank God for each ordinary capacity of waking life. They include the [Asher Yatzar](/glossary.xml#letter-A) (after using the restroom) and the [Elohai Neshama](/glossary.xml#letter-E) (on the purity of the returned soul). These prayers ground the day.
Summary. Birkot HaShachar are the morning blessings recited before Shacharit (the morning service proper). They begin with Modeh Ani (gratitude for the soul’s return on waking) and proceed through a series of berachot — “Blessed are You, Hashem … who opens the eyes of the blind, who clothes the naked, who lifts the fallen…” — that thank God for each ordinary capacity of waking life. They include the Asher Yatzar (after using the restroom) and the Elohai Neshama (on the purity of the returned soul). These prayers ground the day.heading
Modeh / Modah Ani
Modeh / Modah Aniparagraph
The first words on a Jew’s lips on waking. Modeh ani lefanecha, Melech chai v’kayam, she-hechezarta bi nishmati b’chemla, rabba emunatecha. (“I give thanks to You, living and enduring King, for You have restored my soul within me with compassion; great is Your faithfulness.”) The prayer does not include the divine name and so may be recited before washing the hands.
The first words on a Jew’s lips on waking. Modeh ani lefanecha, Melech chai v’kayam, she-hechezarta bi nishmati b’chemla, rabba emunatecha. (“I give thanks to You, living and enduring King, for You have restored my soul within me with compassion; great is Your faithfulness.”) The prayer does not include the divine name and so may be recited before washing the hands.heading
Asher Yatzar
Asher Yatzarparagraph
Recited after using the restroom and washing the hands. The blessing thanks God for the wisdom of the human body — “for if any of its openings were wrongly closed or opened, it would be impossible to stand before You.” This unromantic prayer is a striking example of Judaism’s embrace of the physical.
Recited after using the restroom and washing the hands. The blessing thanks God for the wisdom of the human body — “for if any of its openings were wrongly closed or opened, it would be impossible to stand before You.” This unromantic prayer is a striking example of Judaism’s embrace of the physical.heading
Elohai Neshama
Elohai Neshamaparagraph
“My God, the soul You have given me is pure. You created it, You shaped it, You breathed it into me, and You protect it within me…” The Kabbalists treat the morning return of the soul as a daily small-scale [techiyat hametim](/glossary.xml#letter-T) (resurrection of the dead) — every night a foretaste of death; every morning a foretaste of resurrection.
“My God, the soul You have given me is pure. You created it, You shaped it, You breathed it into me, and You protect it within me…” The Kabbalists treat the morning return of the soul as a daily small-scale techiyat hametim (resurrection of the dead) — every night a foretaste of death; every morning a foretaste of resurrection.heading
Nisim B’Chol Yom — The Daily Wonders
Nisim B’Chol Yom — The Daily Wondersparagraph
A litany of blessings, one for each of the ordinary capacities of waking life: who has given the mind the ability to distinguish day from night; who opens the eyes of the blind; who frees the captive; who lifts up the fallen; who stretches the earth over the waters; who strengthens our steps; who clothes the naked; who gives strength to the weary; who removes sleep from the eyes; who has not made me a slave; who has not made me a gentile. (See the user’s prayer compendium PDF for the full Hebrew and English text.)
A litany of blessings, one for each of the ordinary capacities of waking life: who has given the mind the ability to distinguish day from night; who opens the eyes of the blind; who frees the captive; who lifts up the fallen; who stretches the earth over the waters; who strengthens our steps; who clothes the naked; who gives strength to the weary; who removes sleep from the eyes; who has not made me a slave; who has not made me a gentile. (See the user’s prayer compendium PDF for the full Hebrew and English text.)heading
Order
Orderparagraph
In a normal weekday morning, Birkot HaShachar are followed by [Birkot HaTorah](/glossary.xml#letter-B) (the blessings on [Torah](/glossary.xml#letter-T) study, with a brief Torah passage), [Korbanot](/glossary.xml#letter-K) (the readings about the daily Temple sacrifices), [Pesukei D’Zimra](/glossary.xml#letter-P) (the “verses of song,” a buildup of Psalms culminating in [Ashrei](/glossary.xml#letter-A) and the Song at the Sea), then the [Shema](/glossary.xml#letter-S) with its blessings, then the [Amidah](/glossary.xml#letter-A).
In a normal weekday morning, Birkot HaShachar are followed by Birkot HaTorah (the blessings on Torah study, with a brief Torah passage), Korbanot (the readings about the daily Temple sacrifices), Pesukei D’Zimra (the “verses of song,” a buildup of Psalms culminating in Ashrei and the Song at the Sea), then the Shema with its blessings, then the Amidah.heading
Where Denominations Diverge
Where Denominations Divergeparagraph
[Orthodox](/glossary.xml#letter-O) retains all of Birkot HaShachar in their traditional form. The traditional (largely Ashkenazi) blessing is she-lo asani goy (“who has not made me a gentile”); some siddurim, including many Conservative ones, instead use the older, positively phrased [she-asani Yisrael](/glossary.xml#letter-S) (“who has made me a Jew”). Men recite [she-lo asani isha](/glossary.xml#letter-S) (“who has not made me a woman”); women recite [she-asani kirtzono](/glossary.xml#letter-S) (“who has made me according to His will”). Conservative and [Reform](/glossary.xml#letter-R) have largely revised these gender-specific blessings to a single gender-neutral [she-asani b’tzelem Elohim](/glossary.xml#letter-S) (“who has made me in the image of God”).
Orthodox retains all of Birkot HaShachar in their traditional form. The traditional (largely Ashkenazi) blessing is she-lo asani goy (“who has not made me a gentile”); some siddurim, including many Conservative ones, instead use the older, positively phrased she-asani Yisrael (“who has made me a Jew”). Men recite she-lo asani isha (“who has not made me a woman”); women recite she-asani kirtzono (“who has made me according to His will”). Conservative and Reform have largely revised these gender-specific blessings to a single gender-neutral she-asani b’tzelem Elohim (“who has made me in the image of God”).heading
Sources
Sourcesparagraph
[Talmud](/glossary.xml#letter-T) Bavli, [Berachot 60b](https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.60b); [Menachot 43b](https://www.sefaria.org/Menachot.43b).
Talmud Bavli, Berachot 60b; Menachot 43b.paragraph
[Rambam](/glossary.xml#letter-R), [Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Tefilah 7](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah,_Prayer_and_the_Priestly_Blessing.7).
Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Tefilah 7.paragraph
[Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 1–8, 46–47](https://www.sefaria.org/Shulchan_Arukh,_Orach_Chayim.1-8).
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 1–8, 46–47.paragraph
[Mishnah Berurah on Orach Chaim 46–47](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Berurah.46-47).
Mishnah Berurah on Orach Chaim 46–47.paragraph
[The First Prayers of the Morning Service](https://exploringjudaism.org/the-first-prayers-in-the-morning-service/) — Rabbinical Assembly.
The First Prayers of the Morning Service — Rabbinical Assembly.paragraph
[The Laws Upon Awakening in the Morning](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/260663/jewish/The-Laws-Upon-Awakening-in-the-Morning.htm) — Chabad.org.
The Laws Upon Awakening in the Morning — Chabad.org.paragraph
[Modeh Ani: What and Why](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/623937/jewish/Modeh-Ani-What-and-Why.htm) — Chabad.org.
Modeh Ani: What and Why — Chabad.org.paragraph
[Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Preparatory Prayers, Morning Blessings](https://www.sefaria.org/Siddur_Ashkenaz,_Weekday,_Shacharit,_Preparatory_Prayers,_Morning_Blessings) — Sefaria.
Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Preparatory Prayers, Morning Blessings — Sefaria.heading
Further Reading
Further Readingparagraph
Reuven Hammer, Or Hadash.
Reuven Hammer, Or Hadash.paragraph
Lawrence Hoffman (ed.), My People’s Prayer Book, vol. 5 (Birkhot Hashachar).
Lawrence Hoffman (ed.), My People’s Prayer Book, vol. 5 (Birkhot Hashachar).heading
V. Essential Judaica
V. Essential Judaicaessentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jewWho is a Jew?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jew.xmlessentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-godWhat Does Judaism Teach About God?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god.xmlessentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlifeDo Jews Believe in an Afterlife?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlife.xmlessentials-essential-questions-why-do-jews-not-believe-in-jesusWhy Do Jews Not Believe in Jesus?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-why-do-jews-not-believe-in-jesus.xmlgoing-deeper-deeper-prayers-birkat-hamazon-the-grace-after-mealsBirkat Hamazon: The Grace After Mealsdeeper/articles/going-deeper-deeper-prayers-birkat-hamazon-the-grace-after-meals.xmlAmidahעֲמִידָהLiterally 'standing' — the central prayer of every Jewish service, recited standing and traditionally facing Jerusalem. It is also called the Shemoneh Esrei ('Eighteen'), after the original count of its weekday blessings.essentials-essential-prayers-the-amidah-shemoneh-esreiAsher Yatzarאֲשֶׁר יָצַרThe blessing recited after using the restroom, thanking God for the intricate, functioning human body. It is part of the morning blessings and is repeated throughout the day.essentials-essential-prayers-morning-blessings-birkot-hashacharAshreiאַשְׁרֵיA beloved prayer built on Psalm 145, recited twice each morning and again in the afternoon service. Its name is its first word: 'Happy are those who dwell in Your house.'Birkot HaShacharבִּרְכוֹת הַשַּׁחַרThe morning blessings — the string of short blessings on waking that give thanks for sight, clothing, strength, and the ordinary miracles of a new day.essentials-essential-prayers-morning-blessings-birkot-hashacharBirkot HaTorahבִּרְכוֹת הַתּוֹרָהThe blessings over Torah study, recited each morning before any learning — thanking God who 'commanded us to occupy ourselves with words of Torah.'Elohai Neshamahאֱלֹהַי נְשָׁמָהThe morning blessing 'My God, the soul You placed within me is pure' — daily thanks for the soul's return on waking. It is part of Birkot HaShachar.essentials-essential-prayers-morning-blessings-birkot-hashacharHashemהַשֵּׁםLiterally "the Name" — the everyday reverent way Jews refer to God outside of prayer, avoiding casual use of the divine names.Modeh Aniמוֹדֶה אֲנִי'I give thanks' — the short prayer said immediately upon waking, thanking God for restoring the soul for a new day.essentials-essential-prayers-morning-blessings-birkot-hashacharOrthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism holds Halacha as fully binding and the Shulchan Aruch as its canonical code; it spans Haredi and Hasidic communities as well as Modern Orthodoxy, and is the starting point from which this Field Guide is written, even as it engages seriously with other denominations.how-to-use-this-field-guidePesukei D'Zimraפְּסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָא'Verses of song' — the psalms and biblical passages of praise that open the morning service, warming the heart before the core prayers.Rambamרמב״םRabbi Moshe ben Maimon (1138–1204), known by the acronym Rambam and in the Latin West as Maimonides, was the towering rationalist codifier and philosopher of medieval Judaism — author of the legal code Mishneh Torah and the philosophical Guide for the Perplexed. His formulation of God's unity and incorporeality remains foundational to Jewish theology across denominations.essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-godReform JudaismReform Judaism treats Halacha as a source of values and meaning rather than binding law, emphasizing individual autonomy, ethical monotheism, and tikkun olam; it was the first movement to fully recognize patrilineal descent and ordain women as rabbis.how-to-use-this-field-guideShacharitשַׁחֲרִיתThe morning prayer service — the longest of the three daily services, built around the Shema and the Amidah.going-deeper-deeper-prayers-the-three-daily-servicesShemaשְׁמַעThe central declaration of Jewish faith — 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is One' — recited with its Torah paragraphs every morning and evening.essentials-essential-prayers-the-shemaTalmudתלמודThe vast rabbinic work — the Mishnah together with the Gemara's discussion of it — that develops the Oral Torah into Jewish law and thought. It is the central text of Jewish study after the Bible itself.essentials-essential-facts-the-talmud-in-one-articleTorahתּוֹרָהThe Five Books of Moses — the scroll at the center of Jewish life — and, more broadly, the whole of Jewish teaching. 'Learning Torah' can mean anything from Chumash to Talmud.berachahבְּרָכָהA blessing — the short formula beginning 'Baruch Atah Adonai' ('Blessed are You, Lord') with which Jews mark food, mitzvot, and moments of wonder (plural: berachot).korbanotקָרְבָּנוֹתThe sacrificial offerings of the ancient Temple; passages describing them remain in the traditional liturgy, and the daily prayers stand in their place.she'asani Yisraelשֶׁעָשַׂנִי יִשְׂרָאֵל'Who made me a Jew' — a positive reformulation of the morning identity blessings, found in some traditional sources and adopted in several modern siddurim.she'asani b'tzelem Elohimשֶׁעָשַׂנִי בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים'Who made me in the image of God' — a morning-blessing formulation used in liberal siddurim in place of the traditional identity blessings.she'asani kirtzonoשֶׁעָשַׂנִי כִּרְצוֹנוֹ'Who made me according to His will' — the traditional morning blessing said by women.shelo asani ishahשֶׁלֹּא עָשַׂנִי אִשָּׁה'Who did not make me a woman' — the traditional morning blessing said by men, much discussed and variously retained, reinterpreted, or replaced across the movements.techiyat hametimתחיית המתיםThe resurrection of the dead — the classical Jewish doctrine that the dead will live again in the Messianic future, affirmed daily in the Amidah and counted by Rambam among his Thirteen Principles.essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlifeparentPrayer & Liturgy/sections/prayer-liturgy.xmlrelatedWho is a Jew?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jew.xmlrelatedWhat Does Judaism Teach About God?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god.xmlrelatedDo Jews Believe in an Afterlife?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlife.xmlrelatedWhy Do Jews Not Believe in Jesus?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-why-do-jews-not-believe-in-jesus.xmlrelatedBirkat Hamazon: The Grace After Meals/articles/going-deeper-deeper-prayers-birkat-hamazon-the-grace-after-meals.xml