5/1/2025 - THURSDAY EVENING
Topics for today: .
1) Yishtabach - the final prayer of P'Sukei D'Zimrah - the Closing Blessing.
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/yishtabach-what-lies-in-prayers-wake/
2) Maftir - Maftir is the last Torah reading. Before the haftarah is read, the reader of the haftarah is called up to the Torah for a final Aliyah. The last few lines of the weekly reading are reread, and on holidays and special occasions, the maftir is a reading from an additional scroll...section that connects to the theme of the day.
5/2/2025 - FRIDAY EVENING - SHABBAT BEGINS
Topic for today:
1) Which prayers for we stand for?
I am sure I am gonne come back to this since there will be additions/minhag opinions :
- Amidah: literally the Standing Prayer...the Centerpiece ... however some of the repetition is done sitting (after Kedusha).
- Tefillin + Tallit Blessings...but that maybe because its easier to put them on while standing?
- B'Chol Yom: reform no, but conservative yes.
- Baruch She-Amar + Yishtabach
- Bar'chu
- first two Shema blessings + Shema - reform yes, conservative no.
- when Torah is being carried from and to bimah...actual chanting of the Torah, Maftir and Haftarah - no
- Hallel
- Aleinu
- Mourning Kaddish + other Kaddishes: depends :)
- Lecha Dodi
- Priestly Benediction
5/3/2025 - SATURDAY EVENING - WORKING WEEK BEGINS.
Topic for today:
1) The Hodu - I will do one exception...I will learn something before I actually practice it...and the reason is because while I was looking for a way to add more thanksgiving to my P'Sukei D'Zimrah it took me a little bit to understand what HODU is in terms of the actual verses.
1 Chronicles 16: 8-36
8-22 Psalm 105: 1-15
23-33 Psalm 96
34-36 Psalm 106:1, 47-48
5/4/2025 - SUNDAY EVENING
Topic for today:
1) Tachanun - "Confessing your sins every day, twice a day, for the rest of your life."
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/tachanun-engaging-the-mind-body-connection/
5/5/2025 - MONDAY EVENING
Topic for today:
1) Prayer Times: so this is just the beginning of this topic but this is not even a month in and it's getting busy...and I started to ask myself what is the actual flex in terms of the timing of the prayers.
What I knew before diving into this:
Beginning of Berakhot [first tractate of the first order...it just sounds cool to say it) at the very beginning talks about Shema timing...and pretty much first Shema (evening) should be said before midnight (more of a fence as one can recite through the later night). The second Shema should be around when "man exchanges first words with his wife" or so if I remember right. So pretty much in the morning.
Tefillin - only when its light out...or "if one can recognize a face with the level of light" - a fence originally since nothing in the Torah about nightly prohibition BUT since it's prohibited to fall asleep with the Tefillin on, it became a law.
Couple of resources to dive in deeper:
https://www.exploringjudaism.org/every-day/prayer/understanding-prayer/the-times-of-day-for-prayer
Zmanim App...I installed one today on my phone. More on this later....I need to understand all the vocabulary.
5/6/2025 - TUESDAY EVENING
Topic for today:
1) Tefillin: today I was wondering how long one needs to wear a Tefillin to fulfill the mitvah. And it so appears that there is no set time. Some people wear it for an hour or longer and some wear it for a few minutes. I found a note [not a law but maybe a minhag in some communities] about wearing Tefillin for at least the time it takes to recite the Shema...I like it and I think I am gonne go with that for the time being.
5/7/2025 - WEDNESDAY EVENING
Topic for today:
1) Havinenu - shorter version of the Amidah for occasions when don't allow for proper time nor concentration. I wanted to understand because this past week has been extremely hectic with family visiting and both time and concentration were in short supply.
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/havinenu-a-shortened-version-of-the-amidah/
5/8/2025 - THURSDAY EVENING
Topic for today:
1) The Short Prayer - it is recited [instead of even the Havinenu] in extreme circumstances / in danger e.g. soldier on the frontline:
"The needs of Thy people are many and they are unable to express their wants.
May it be Thy Will, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, to give each and every one his daily sustenance and to every one whatever he lacks."
5/9/2025 - FRIDAY EVENING - SHABBAT BEGINS.
Topic for today:
Good time to start understand Zmanim a little more thus here we go:
1) Alot Hashachar:
"The time when some of the light of the sun begins to be noticeable on the eastern horizon.
Communal fasts (other than Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av) begin at this time. According to Torah law, dawn marks the beginning of the day, and all mitzvahs associated with daytime hours—such as hearing the shofar, shaking the lulav, the recitation of the Shema, or the daytime hearing of the Megillah—can now be done. For various reasons, however, the Sages instituted that the observance of these mitzvahs should be delayed until hanetz hachamah, or, in some cases, until misheyakir."
2) Misheyakir:
"The time when there is enough light so that one can recognize a casual acquaintance from the distance of four cubits. Ideally, this is the earliest time to to say Shema, put on Tallit or Tefillin, and make a blessing on tzitzit."
3) Hanetz Hachamah:
"The moment when the top edge of the sun’s disk comes into view at sea level.
This is ideally the earliest time to say the morning Amidah. When there is a need to pray the Amidah earlier, a rabbinic authority should be consulted. It is also the earliest time for other daytime mitzvahs, such as Shofar and Lulav."
5/10/2025 - SATURDAY EVENING - Working Week Begins.
Topics for today:
1) Aleinu - so I added Aleinu last week after I learned that it does not require a minyan.
2) We continue with Zmanim:
A) Latest Shema:
Three shaot zmaniot into the day. Latest time of the day to fulfill the biblical requirement to recite the morning Shema. Bedi’eved (if one missed this time), one should still recite Shema with its blessings until chatzot.
B) Latest Amidah:
Four shaot zmaniot into the day—ideally the latest time for Shacharit, the morning prayer. However, if this time was missed, Shacharit may be recited until chatzot. (This is also the last time to eat chametz on Erev Pesach).
C) Chatzot - Midday:
The halfway point between sunrise and sunset, this is the latest time to say Shacharit. Half-day fasts end at this time.
3) Some Zmanim show GRA and MA times. It's all about how the day is calculated.
MA - day starts with the dawn.
GRA - day starts with the sunrise.
5/11/2025 - SUNDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1) More Zmanim:
Minchah Gedolah:
Half an hour after chatzot, this is the earliest time one may recite Minchah, the afternoon prayer.
Minchah Ketanah:
Two and a half proportional hours before the end of the day, this zman has certain ramifications with regard to beginning a meal (especially on Erev Shabbos and Yom Tov). According to some, this begins the ideal time for praying Minchah. In addition, some consider this zman to be relevant to some of the laws of Family Purity.
Plag Haminchah:
One and a quarter proportional hours before the end of the day, plag haminchah is the earliest time one may light Shabbat candles (and Chanukah candles on Erev Shabbat of Chanukah). When in need, one may pray Ma’ariv as early as plag haminchah (though the Shema must be repeated after tzeit). In addition, if one wishes to begin Shabbat early, one may begin it as early as plag haminchah.
5/12/2025 - MONDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1) More Zmanim:
Shkiah - Sunset:
The moment when the top edge of the sun’s disk disappears from view at sea level. All mitzvahs associated with daytime should be completed by this time. It is also the appropriate time to finish Minchah. If one didn’t pray Minchah before shekiah, one may still do so afterwards.
Tzeit Hakochavim - Nightfall:
The point when 3 medium stars are observable in the night time sky with the naked eye. This time is the beginning of night for all mitzvahs, including the Torahobligation of reading the evening Shema, counting the Omer, the end of fast days (except for Yom Kippur) and matters relating to the laws of Family Purity. It is the preferred time to begin praying Maariv.
Night De'Rabbenu Tam - another way (minority opinion) of sunset calculation.
Chatzot layla - midnight (important for
Shaa zmanim - proportional hour
Note about Shabbos:
we light candles 18 minutes prior to sunset and Shabbos ends 42 minutes after sunset.
5/13/2025 - TUEDAY EVENING.
Topics for today:
1) Tzaraat:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/tzaraat-a-biblical-affliction/
2) Lag-Baomer:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/lag-baomer/
5/14/2025 WEDNESDAY EVENING
Topic for today:
1) Aleinu Note:
...so Aleinu is one of the final devotions at the end of the prayer line...it carries a lot strength and that focus on "there is no other." The more I read the English version the more I am starting to think that the regular tune we use for it does not show the full strength of Aleinu. So while I was looking for different versions of Aleinu, I came across the following:
https://soundcloud.com/mishkan-chicago/ein-od
5/15/2025 THURSDAY EVENING
Topic for today:
1) ...and we introduce Rambam:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/maimonides-rambam/
5/16/2025 FRIDAY EVENING - SHABBAT STARTS.
Topics for today:
1) Kabbalat Shabbat:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/kabbalat-shabbat/
2) Lecha Dodi:
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