Jewish services are the communal prayer recitations which form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book. Jewish men are required to pray three times daily and four times daily on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays (five times on Yom Kippur). While prayer alone is valid, praying with a minyan (quorum of ten adult males) is considered ideal. Many synagogues (particularly Reform and Conservative, and large Orthodox ones ...

Including:

• Jewish services - The prayers and their origins
• Jewish services - Backgrounds
• Jewish services - Text and language
• Jewish services - Quorum
• Jewish services - Concentration
• Jewish services - Weekday prayer services
• Jewish services - Shacharit: morning prayers
• Jewish services - Mincha: afternoon prayers
• Jewish services - Ma'ariv or Arvit: evening prayers
• Jewish services - Shabbat services
• Jewish services - Friday night services
• Jewish services - Saturday morning: Shacharit
• Jewish services - Saturday morning additional service: Musaf
• Jewish services - Saturday afternoon: Mincha
• Jewish services - Saturday evening: Maariv
• Jewish services - Services on Passover Shavuot and Sukkot
• Jewish services - Related customs
• Jewish services - Guide on etiquette for visitors

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Tisha B'Av - The destructions. The fast commemorates two of the saddest events in Jewish history -- the destruction of the First Temple (originially built by King Solomon), and the destruction of the Second Temple. Those two events occurred about 556 years apart, but both in the same month, Av, and, as tradition has it, both on the ninth day. In connection with the fall of Jerusalem three other fast-days were established at the same time as the Ninth Day of Av: these were the Tenth of Tevet, when the siege ...

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Tisha B'Av, Tisha B'Av - Background, Tisha B'Av - The destructions, Tisha B'Av - The desert, Tisha B'Av - The five calamities, Tisha B'Av - Later calamities on 9 Av, Tisha B'Av - Observances, Tisha B'Av - Restrictions, Tisha B'Av - Services, Tisha B'Av - History of the observance, Tisha B'Av - Abolition in Modern Israel?, Tisha B'Av - Other traditions

Read more here: » Tisha B'Av: Encyclopedia II - Tisha B'Av - Background

Jewish services - Friday night services. Shabbat services begin on Friday evening with the weekday Mincha (see above), followed in some communities by the Song of Songs, and then in most communities by the Kabbalat Shabbat, the mystical prelude to Shabbat services composed by 17th century Kabbalists. This Hebrew term literally means "Receiving the Sabbath". It is, except for amongst many Italkim and Western Sephardim, composed of six psalms, 95 to 99, and 29, representing the six week-days. Next com ...

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Jewish services, Jewish services - The prayers and their origins, Jewish services - Backgrounds, Jewish services - Text and language, Jewish services - Quorum, Jewish services - Concentration, Jewish services - Weekday prayer services, Jewish services - Shacharit: morning prayers, Jewish services - Mincha: afternoon prayers, Jewish services - Ma'ariv or Arvit: evening prayers, Jewish services - Shabbat services, Jewish services - Friday night services, Jewish services - Saturday morning: Shacharit, Jewish services - Saturday morning additional service: Musaf, Jewish services - Saturday afternoon: Mincha, Jewish services - Saturday evening: Maariv, Jewish services - Services on Passover Shavuot and Sukkot, Jewish services - Related customs, Jewish services - Guide on etiquette for visitors

Read more here: » Jewish services: Encyclopedia II - Jewish services - Shabbat services

The services for the three festivals of Pesach ("Passover"), Shavuot ("Feast of Weeks" or "Pentecost"), and Sukkot ("Feast of Tabenacles") are alike, except for interpolated references and readings for each individual festival. The preliminaries and conclusions of the prayers are the same as on Sabbath. The Amidah on these festivals only contains seven benedictions, with Attah Bechartanu as the main one. Hallel (communal recitation of Psalms 113-118) follows. The Musaf service includes Mi-Pene Hata'enu, with reference to the sp ...

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Jewish services, Jewish services - The prayers and their origins, Jewish services - Backgrounds, Jewish services - Text and language, Jewish services - Quorum, Jewish services - Concentration, Jewish services - Weekday prayer services, Jewish services - Shacharit: morning prayers, Jewish services - Mincha: afternoon prayers, Jewish services - Ma'ariv or Arvit: evening prayers, Jewish services - Shabbat services, Jewish services - Friday night services, Jewish services - Saturday morning: Shacharit, Jewish services - Saturday morning additional service: Musaf, Jewish services - Saturday afternoon: Mincha, Jewish services - Saturday evening: Maariv, Jewish services - Services on Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot, Jewish services - Related customs, Jewish services - Guide on etiquette for visitors

Read more here: » Jewish services: Encyclopedia II - Jewish services - Services on Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot

In the long period which is reflected in Talmudic literature the observance of the Ninth Day of Av assumed a character of constantly growing sadness and asceticism. By the end of the second century or at the beginning of the third, the celebration of the day had lost much of its gloom. Judah ha-Nasi was in favor of abolishing it altogether or, according to another version, of lessening its severity when the feast has been postponed ...

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Tisha B'Av, Tisha B'Av - Background, Tisha B'Av - The destructions, Tisha B'Av - The desert, Tisha B'Av - The five calamities, Tisha B'Av - Later calamities on 9 Av, Tisha B'Av - Observances, Tisha B'Av - Restrictions, Tisha B'Av - Services, Tisha B'Av - History of the observance, Tisha B'Av - Abolition in Modern Israel?, Tisha B'Av - Other traditions

Read more here: » Tisha B'Av: Encyclopedia II - Tisha B'Av - History of the observance

In the 20th century, with the re-establishment of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel, many religious Zionists opined that the commemoration of Tisha B'Av would have to be modified, and possibly overturned. A notable body of responsa on this subject were developed among religious Zionists, notably rabbis within Modern Orthodoxy and the Conservative movement. Orthodox Judaism, while on the whole supporting the establishment of the State, has not seen it as a reason to abandon mourning over the destruction of the Temples and the other calamities, at least until the arr ...

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Tisha B'Av, Tisha B'Av - Background, Tisha B'Av - The destructions, Tisha B'Av - The desert, Tisha B'Av - The five calamities, Tisha B'Av - Later calamities on 9 Av, Tisha B'Av - Observances, Tisha B'Av - Restrictions, Tisha B'Av - Services, Tisha B'Av - History of the observance, Tisha B'Av - Abolition in Modern Israel?, Tisha B'Av - Other traditions

Read more here: » Tisha B'Av: Encyclopedia II - Tisha B'Av - Abolition in Modern Israel?

Jewish services - Backgrounds. There are three prayer services each day on weekdays. A fourth additional prayer service (called mussaf, "additional"), is added on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) and on major holidays by Orthodox and Conservative congregations. A fifth prayer (ne'ilah), is only recited on Yom Kippur. According to the Talmud (tractate Taanit 2a), prayer is a Biblical command: "You shall serve God with your whole heart (Deuteronomy 11:13) - What service is perf ...

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Jewish services, Jewish services - The prayers and their origins, Jewish services - Backgrounds, Jewish services - Text and language, Jewish services - Quorum, Jewish services - Concentration, Jewish services - Weekday prayer services, Jewish services - Shacharit: morning prayers, Jewish services - Mincha: afternoon prayers, Jewish services - Ma'ariv or Arvit: evening prayers, Jewish services - Shabbat services, Jewish services - Friday night services, Jewish services - Saturday morning: Shacharit, Jewish services - Saturday morning additional service: Musaf, Jewish services - Saturday afternoon: Mincha, Jewish services - Saturday evening: Maariv, Jewish services - Services on Passover Shavuot and Sukkot, Jewish services - Related customs, Jewish services - Guide on etiquette for visitors

Read more here: » Jewish services: Encyclopedia II - Jewish services - The prayers and their origins

Tisha B'Av - Restrictions. Tisha B'Av is observed with a full day fast (a day without eating or drinking) that lasts 25 hours, beginning with sunset and ending with nightfall the subsequent day. In addition, washing and anointing (which could extend to certain cosmetic skin creams) are prohibited, and men and women observe the stringencies of niddah separation. Furthermore, as on Yom Kippur, no leather shoes are worn. During the first part of the day, people sit on the floor or on low chairs as duri ...

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Tisha B'Av, Tisha B'Av - Background, Tisha B'Av - The destructions, Tisha B'Av - The desert, Tisha B'Av - The five calamities, Tisha B'Av - Later calamities on 9 Av, Tisha B'Av - Observances, Tisha B'Av - Restrictions, Tisha B'Av - Services, Tisha B'Av - History of the observance, Tisha B'Av - Abolition in Modern Israel?, Tisha B'Av - Other traditions

Read more here: » Tisha B'Av: Encyclopedia II - Tisha B'Av - Observances

Many Jews sway their body back and forth during prayer. This practice (referred to as shokeling in Yiddish) is not mandatory, and in fact the kabbalist Isaac Luria felt that it should not be done. In contrast, the German Medieval authority Maharil (Rabbi Jacob Molin) linked the practice to a statement in the Talmud that the Mishnaic sage Rabbi Akiva would sway so forcefully that he ended up at the other side of the room when praying (Talmud tractate Berachot). Money for tzedakah (charity) is given during the weekday ...

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Jewish services, Jewish services - The prayers and their origins, Jewish services - Backgrounds, Jewish services - Text and language, Jewish services - Quorum, Jewish services - Concentration, Jewish services - Weekday prayer services, Jewish services - Shacharit: morning prayers, Jewish services - Mincha: afternoon prayers, Jewish services - Ma'ariv or Arvit: evening prayers, Jewish services - Shabbat services, Jewish services - Friday night services, Jewish services - Saturday morning: Shacharit, Jewish services - Saturday morning additional service: Musaf, Jewish services - Saturday afternoon: Mincha, Jewish services - Saturday evening: Maariv, Jewish services - Services on Passover Shavuot and Sukkot, Jewish services - Related customs, Jewish services - Guide on etiquette for visitors

Read more here: » Jewish services: Encyclopedia II - Jewish services - Related customs

Jewish services - Backgrounds. There are three prayer services each day on weekdays. A fourth additional prayer service (called mussaf, "additional"), is added on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) and on major holidays. A fifth prayer (ne'ilah), is only recited on Yom Kippur. According to the Talmud (tractate Taanit 2a), prayer is a Biblical command: "Your shall serve God with your whole heart (Deuteronomy 11:13) - What service is performed with the heart? This is prayer". The prayers are t ...

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Jewish services, Jewish services - The prayers and their origins, Jewish services - Backgrounds, Jewish services - Text and language, Jewish services - Quorum, Jewish services - Concentration, Jewish services - Weekday prayer services, Jewish services - Shacharit: morning prayers, Jewish services - Mincha: afternoon prayers, Jewish services - Ma'ariv or Arvit: evening prayers, Jewish services - Shabbat services, Jewish services - Friday night services, Jewish services - Saturday morning: Shacharit, Jewish services - Saturday morning additional service: Musaf, Jewish services - Saturday afternoon: Mincha, Jewish services - Saturday evening: Maariv, Jewish services - Services on Passover Shavuot and Sukkot, Jewish services - Related customs, Jewish services - Guide on etiquette for visitors

Read more here: » Jewish services: Encyclopedia II - Jewish services - The prayers and their origins

Jewish services - Shacharit: morning prayers. Various prayers are said upon arising; tzitzit (small garment with fringes) are donned at this time. The tallit (large prayer shawl) is donned before or during the actual prayer service, as are the tefillin (phylacteries); both are accompanied by blessings. The service starts with the "morning blessings" (birkot ha-shachar), including blessings for the Torah (considered the most important ones). In Orthodox services this is followed by a series of readin ...

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Jewish services, Jewish services - The prayers and their origins, Jewish services - Backgrounds, Jewish services - Text and language, Jewish services - Quorum, Jewish services - Concentration, Jewish services - Weekday prayer services, Jewish services - Shacharit: morning prayers, Jewish services - Mincha: afternoon prayers, Jewish services - Ma'ariv or Arvit: evening prayers, Jewish services - Shabbat services, Jewish services - Friday night services, Jewish services - Saturday morning: Shacharit, Jewish services - Saturday morning additional service: Musaf, Jewish services - Saturday afternoon: Mincha, Jewish services - Saturday evening: Maariv, Jewish services - Services on Passover Shavuot and Sukkot, Jewish services - Related customs, Jewish services - Guide on etiquette for visitors

Read more here: » Jewish services: Encyclopedia II - Jewish services - Weekday prayer services

The services for the three festivals of Pesach ("Passover"), Shavuot ("Feast of Weeks" or "Pentecost"), and Sukkot ("Feast of Tabenacles") are alike, except for interpolated references and readings for each individual festival. The preliminaries and conclusions of the prayers are the same as on Sabbath. The Amidah on these festivals only contains seven benedictions, with Attah Bechartanu as the main one. Hallel (communal recitation of Psalms 113-118) follows. The Musaf service includes Mi-Pene Hata'enu, with reference to the sp ...

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Jewish services, Jewish services - The prayers and their origins, Jewish services - Backgrounds, Jewish services - Text and language, Jewish services - Quorum, Jewish services - Concentration, Jewish services - Weekday prayer services, Jewish services - Shacharit: morning prayers, Jewish services - Mincha: afternoon prayers, Jewish services - Ma'ariv or Arvit: evening prayers, Jewish services - Shabbat services, Jewish services - Friday night services, Jewish services - Saturday morning: Shacharit, Jewish services - Saturday morning additional service: Musaf, Jewish services - Saturday afternoon: Mincha, Jewish services - Saturday evening: Maariv, Jewish services - Services on Passover Shavuot and Sukkot, Jewish services - Related customs, Jewish services - Guide on etiquette for visitors

Read more here: » Jewish services: Encyclopedia II - Jewish services - Services on Passover Shavuot and Sukkot

In most synagogues or temples, it is considered a sign of respect for all male attendees to wear a head covering, usually a dress hat or yarmulke (kipa); the latter are usually provided near the front door. The yarmulkes may be provided by the families of the celebrants of special occasions; however, this is not always the case. Orthodox and Conservative (also called Masorti) synagogues encourage all male attendees to cover their heads out of respect for God. Many Reform (or Progressive) temples do not require pe ...

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Jewish services, Jewish services - The prayers and their origins, Jewish services - Backgrounds, Jewish services - Text and language, Jewish services - Quorum, Jewish services - Concentration, Jewish services - Weekday prayer services, Jewish services - Shacharit: morning prayers, Jewish services - Mincha: afternoon prayers, Jewish services - Ma'ariv or Arvit: evening prayers, Jewish services - Shabbat services, Jewish services - Friday night services, Jewish services - Saturday morning: Shacharit, Jewish services - Saturday morning additional service: Musaf, Jewish services - Saturday afternoon: Mincha, Jewish services - Saturday evening: Maariv, Jewish services - Services on Passover Shavuot and Sukkot, Jewish services - Related customs, Jewish services - Guide on etiquette for visitors

Read more here: » Jewish services: Encyclopedia II - Jewish services - Guide on etiquette for visitors