Out of Bed and Straight to Prayer: Asher YatzarĪfter washing, a blessing is traditionally made, followed by a recitation of verses praising God’s name. Listen to Modeh Ani (Courtesy of Mechon Hadar) I am thankful before You, living and enduring King, for you have mercifully restored my soul within me. ![]() For these reasons and others, many Jews wash their hands promptly after getting out of bed, pouring water from a cup over their hands either two or three times in succession. Indeed, because people are unaware of their actions during sleep, it is possible that they touched something during the night that would make their hands ritually unclean. For this reason, God’s proper name (“Adonai”) is not used, since the rabbis deemed it improper to speak God’s name before ritually washing the hands. This prayer is generally said when one first awakes, while still in bed. The prayer thanks God for returning the soul to the body, enabling the individual to live another day. The prayer speaks of sleeping as a minor type of death in which the soul leaves the body to spend the night with God. ![]() ![]() Traditionally, Jews begin each day with Modeh Ani, a short, two-line prayer which opens by referring to God as the eternal and living king. The morning service, Shachrit, formally begins with the Pesukei D’zimrah (verses of praise) section, but before that there are several preliminary prayers and blessings to thank God for providing us with our daily needs and for performing everyday miracles. Jewish law mandates that one pray three times a day, in the morning, afternoon, and at night. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help Donate
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