Morning Prayer

t'filat shacharit

תְּפִלַּת שַׁחֲרִית

Chabad: ' is a reduced vowel — every vocal shva, always pronounced. - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

Hebrew

גְּבוּרָתֵנוּ. מַה נֹּאמַר לְפָנֶיךָ
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ,
הֲלֹא כָּל הַגִּבּוֹרִים כְּאַיִן
לְפָנֶיךָ, וְאַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם כְּלֹא
הָיוּ, וַחֲכָמִים כִּבְלִי מַדָּע,
וּנְבוֹנִים כִּבְלִי הַשְׂכֵּל, כִּי רֹב
מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם תֹּהוּ, וִימֵי חַיֵּיהֶם
הֶבֶל לְפָנֶיךָ, וּמוֹתַר הָאָדָם מִן
הַבְּהֵמָה¹ אָיִן,² כִּי הַכֹּל הָבֶל:
לְבַד הַנְּשָׁמָה הַטְּהוֹרָה שֶׁהִיא
עֲתִידָה לָתֵן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן לְפָנֵי
כִּסֵּא כְבוֹדֶךָ, וְכָל הַגּוֹיִם כְּאַיִן
נֶגְדֶּךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הֵן גּוֹיִם כְּמַר
מִדְּלִי וּכְשַׁחַק מֹאזְנַיִם
נֶחְשָׁבוּ, הֵן אִיִּים כַּדַּק יִטּוֹל:

Chabad

g'vuroseinu. mah noymar l'fonecho
Adonoy Eloyheinu veiloyhei avoyseinu,
haloy kol hagiboyrim k'ayin
l'fonecho, v'anshei Hasheim k'loy
hoyu, vachachomim kivli mado,
un'voynim kivli haskeil, ki royv
ma-aseihem toyhu, vimei chayeihem
hevel l'fonecho, umoysar ho-odom min
hab'heimoh oyin, ki hakoyl hovel:
l'vad han'shomoh hat'hoyroh shehi
asidoh losein din v'cheshboyn l'fonei
kisei ch'voydecho, v'chol hagoyyim k'ayin
negdecho, shene-emar: hein goyyim k'mar
mid'li uch'shachak moyznayim
nechshovu, hein iyim kadak yitoyl:

We are God's chosen nation

Hebrew

אֲבָל אֲנַחְנוּ עַמְּךָ בְּנֵי בְרִיתֶךָ,
בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם אֹהַבְךָ,
שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּעְתָּ לּוֹ בְּהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה;
זֶרַע יִצְחָק יְחִידוֹ, שֶׁנֶּעֱקַד
עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ; עֲדַת יַעֲקֹב
בִּנְךָ בְּכוֹרֶךָ, שֶׁמֵּאַהֲבָתְךָ
שֶׁאָהַבְתָּ אוֹתוֹ, וּמִשִּׂמְחָתְךָ
שֶׁשָּׂמַחְתָּ בּוֹ, קָרָאתָ אֶת
שְׁמוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל וִישֻׁרוּן:

Chabad

avol anachnu am'cho b'nei v'risecho,
b'nei Avrohom oyhavcho,
shenishbato loy b'har hamoyriyoh;
zera Yitzchok y'chidoy, shene-ekad
al gabei hamizbeiach; adas Ya-akoyv
bincho b'choyrecho, shemei-ahavos'cho
she-ohavto oysoy, umisimchos'cho
shesomachto boy, koroso es
sh'moy Yisro-eil vishurun:

We are fortunate to be God's nation and must praise Him

Hebrew

לְפִיכָךְ אֲנַחְנוּ חַיָּבִים לְהוֹדוֹת
לְךָ, וּלְשַׁבֵּחֲךָ וּלְפָאֶרְךָ
וּלְבָרֵךְ וּלְקַדֵּשׁ וְלָתֵת שֶׁבַח
וְהוֹדָיָה לְשִׁמְךָ: אַשְׁרֵינוּ, מַה
טּוֹב חֶלְקֵנוּ, וּמַה נָּעִים גּוֹרָלֵנוּ,
וּמָה יָפָה יְרֻשָּׁתֵנוּ; אַשְׁרֵינוּ,
שֶׁאָנוּ מַשְׁכִּימִים וּמַעֲרִיבִים
עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְאוֹמְרִים פַּעֲמַיִם
בְּכָל יוֹם:

Chabad

l'fichoch anachnu chayovim l'hoydoys
l'cho, ul'shabeichacho ul'fo-ercho
ul'voreich ul'kadeish v'loseis shevach
v'hoydoyoh l'shimcho: ashreinu, mah
toyv chelkeinu, umah no-im goyroleinu,
umoh yofoh y'rushoseinu; ashreinu,
she-onu mashkimim uma-arivim
erev vovoyker v'oym'rim pa-amayim
b'chol yoym:

For transliteration of these words, see page 943.

We declare God's Oneness

Hebrew

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהֹוָה | אֶחָד:

Chabad

sh'ma Yisro-eil, Adonoy Eloyheinu, Adonoy echod:

Say the following line quietly.

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:

Chabad

boruch sheim k'voyd malchusoy l'oylom vo-ed:

Love God

Hebrew

וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ,³
בְּכָל | לְבָבְךָ, וּבְכָל
נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ: וְהָיוּ
הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי

Chabad

v'ohavto eis Adonoy Eloyhecho,
b'chol l'vov'cho, uv'chol
nafsh'cho, uv'chol m'oydecho: v'hoyu
had'vorim ho-eileh asher onoychi

Commentary

1 An alternative translation: "The improvement of man comes from the animal." The key to self-improvement lies in the way we deal with our animal instinct. If we make a conscious effort to subdue it, we will reach a higher level of Divine service.

2 When we declare that "man" has no advantage over animals, we are referring only to the physical body of man. The soul that we have and the spiritual connection that we have with God, indeed gives us an advantage over animals. For this reason we add in the following paragraph, "However, we are Your nation, the children of Abraham"—to teach us that it is by doing what God wants, in the tradition of our forefathers, that we strengthen our connection to God and elevate ourselves to a level higher than animals.

3 This can be interpreted as both a command and a promise: we are commanded to love God on a basic level, and we are promised that we will love Him on a deeper, more profound level. When we achieve a feeling of basic love for God by contemplating His Oneness and greatness, He responds by arousing this deeper love within us.