Omer Learning 2019: Day 1 | Siddur Q & A: What were services like before…

Today is 1 day of the Omer

Instructions for counting the omer are found on our Omer Overview Page. You can find the specific blessing for today at chabad.org.

We’re dedicating new Siddurim on the first day of Shavuot. In honor of this wonderful occasion, we’re using the counting of the Omer to learn about the siddur.

Enjoy today’s siddur related question and answer, which was provided by Ari B..

What were services like before the siddur?

Traditionally, the daily prayers are divided into three, one for every time of day. This is because during the time of the temple, the services corresponded to the daily sacrifices. The prayers were split up into Shacharit (the morning service), Minhah (the afternoon service), and Maariv (the evening service).

From the time when the Jews had a temple and through the Middle Ages, the services stayed pretty much the same until the siddur was created. They were mostly created around the Sh’ma and the Amidah. After the siddur was created, the services got a lot longer. New prayers and blessings were added, and the Amidah went from 18 blessings to 19 blessings.

Learn More

You can learn more at:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amidah
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shaharit-minhah-and-maariv/

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