Morning Offerings is part of the Korbanot (Offerings) service of the traditional weekday siddur. The full Hebrew text with English translation appears below; open it in the free interactive siddur to follow along.
How goodly are your tents, O Jacob; your dwelling places, O Israel! And I, through Your abundant kindness, come into Your house; I bow toward Your holy sanctuary in awe of You. May my prayer to You, Lord, be at a propitious time; God, in Your abounding kindness, answer me with Your true deliverance.
Lord of the universe, who reigned before anything was created—at the time when by His will all things were made, then was His name proclaimed King. And after all things shall cease to be, the Awesome One will reign alone. He was, He is, and He shall be in glory. He is one, and there is no other to compare to Him, to consort with Him. Without beginning, without end, power and dominion belong to Him. He is my God and my ever-living Redeemer, the strength of my lot in time of distress. He is my banner and my refuge, my portion on the day I call. Into His hand I entrust my spirit when I sleep and when I wake. And with my soul, my body too, the Lord is with me, I shall not fear.
Our God and God of our fathers, remember us favorably before You, and be mindful of us for deliverance and mercy from the primeval, most supernal heavens. Remember in our behalf, Lord our God, the love of the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel Your servants; and the Covenant, the lovingkindness, and the vow which You have sworn to Abraham our father on Mount Moriah; and the akedah, the binding of his son Isaac upon the altar, as it is written in Your Torah:
And it was after these events, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham," and he answered, "Here I am." And He said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you." Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him his two attendants and Isaac his son; he chopped wood for the offering, and set out for the place of which God had told him. On the third day, Abraham looked up and saw the place from afar. Abraham said to his attendants, "You stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; we will prostrate ourselves [before God], and then return to you." Abraham took the wood for the offering and put it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and the two walked on together. Then Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "Father"; and he answered, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt-offering?" Abraham answered, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt-offering, my son," and the two walked on together. They reached the place of which God had told him, and Abraham built an altar there, arranged the wood, bound Isaac his son, and placed him on the altar upon the wood. Then Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slaughter his son. But an angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham! Abraham!" And he answered, "Here I am." And he said, "Do not lay your hand upon the lad, nor do anything to him; for now I know that you are a God-fearing man, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Thereafter, Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt-offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place "The Lord Will See," as it is referred to this day, "On the mount where the Lord shall reveal Himself." An angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By Myself have I sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son: I will greatly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in heaven and as the sand on the seashore; and your descendants shall inherit the gates of their enemies. And all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed My voice." Abraham then returned to his attendants, and they rose and went together to Beer-Sheva; and Abraham lived in Beer-Sheva.
Sovereign of the universe! Just as Abraham our father suppressed his compassion for his only son to do Your will with his whole heart, so may Your compassion suppress Your wrath against us, and may Your mercy prevail over Your attribute of stern justice. Act towards us, Lord our God, with the attributes of kindness and compassion, and deal with us leniently. In Your great goodness, let Your fierce anger turn away from Your people, from Your city, from Your land, and from Your heritage. Fulfill for us, Lord our God, the promise which You have made to us in Your Torah through Moses Your servant in Your glorious Name, as it is said: I will remember My covenant with Jacob; also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. And it is said: Yet even then, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not abhor them nor spurn them so as to destroy them and annul My covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God. And it is said: I will remember in their favor the covenant with their ancestors, whom I took out of the land of Egypt, before the eyes of the nations, to be their God; I am the Lord. And it is said: The Lord your God will return your exiles and have compassion upon you, and will again gather you from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. Even if your dispersed will be at the furthermost parts of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will fetch you. And the Lord your God will bring you into the land which your forefathers inherited and you shall inherit it, and He will do good to you and increase your numbers above your forefathers. And it is said: Lord, be gracious to us, for we put our hope in You; be our strength every morning, our salvation also in time of distress. And it is said: It is a time of trouble for Jacob, but he shall be delivered from it. And it is said: In all their affliction He is afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them, and bore them and carried them forever. And it is said: Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and forgives transgression for the remnant of His heritage? He does not maintain His wrath forever, for He desires [to do] kindness. He will again show us mercy, He will suppress our iniquities; and You will cast all their sins into the depth of the sea. Show faithfulness to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, as You have sworn to our fathers from the days of yore. And it is said: I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them rejoice in My house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be favorably accepted upon My altar, for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.
A man should forever be God-fearing in the innermost recesses of his heart, acknowledge the truth, and speak the truth in his heart. Let him rise early and say:
Master of all worlds! It is not because of our own righteousness that we present our supplications before You, but because of Your abounding mercies. What are we? What is our life? What is our kindness? What is our righteousness? What is our strength? What is our might? What can we say to You, Lord our God and God of our fathers? Are not all the mighty men as nothing before You, the men of renown as though they had never been, the wise as if without knowledge, and the men of understanding as if devoid of intelligence? For most of their deeds are naught, and the days of their lives are vanity before You. The pre-eminence of man over beast is naught, for all is vanity—except the pure soul which is destined to give an accounting before the Throne of Your Glory. All the nations are as nothing before You, as it is written: The nations are as a drop from a bucket; considered no more than dust upon the scales! Behold, the isles are like the flying dust.
But we are Your nation, the people of Your Covenant: the children of Abraham Your beloved, to whom You swore on Mount Moriah; the descendants of Isaac, his only son who was bound upon the altar; the community of Jacob, Your firstborn, whose name You called Israel and Yeshurun because of Your love for him and Your delight in him.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to thank, praise, and glorify You, to bless, to sanctify, and to offer praise and thanksgiving to Your Name. Fortunate are we! How good is our portion, how pleasant our lot, and how beautiful our heritage! Fortunate are we who, early in the morning and in the evening, twice each day, declare:
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, יְיָ אֶחָד:
Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.
Recite in an undertone.
בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:
Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom for ever and ever.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today, shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.
You were [the same] before the world was created; You are [the same] since the world has been created. You are the same in this world; You are the same in the World to Come. Sanctify Your Name in Your world upon the people who hallow Your Name. Through Your salvation, our King, raise and exalt our strength, and deliver us speedily for the sake of Your Name. Blessed is He who sanctifies His Name among the multitudes.
You are the Lord God in heaven and on earth, and in the most lofty heavens of heavens. Truly, You are the first and You are the last, and besides You there is no God. Gather the dispersed who long for You from the four corners of the earth. Let all mankind recognize and know that You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all therein. Who among all the works of Your hands, celestial or terrestrial, can say to You, "What are You doing? What are You making?" Our living and eternal Father in heaven, deal graciously and kindly with us for the sake of Your great, mighty, and awe-inspiring Name which is conferred upon us. Fulfill for us, Lord our God, the promise which You have made to us through Zephaniah Your prophet, as it is written: At that time I will bring you back, and at that time I will gather you; for I will make you renowned and glorified among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before your eyes, said the Lord.
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Command Aaron and his sons, saying: This is the law of the burnt-offering: The burnt-offering shall remain on the firewood on the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. The Kohen shall put on his linen raiment, and put linen breeches upon his body; he shall remove the ashes which the fire has made by consuming the burnt-offering on the altar, and place them beside the altar. Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and carry the ashes to a clean place outside the camp. The fire on the altar shall be kept burning, it must not go out; and the Kohen shall burn wood on it every morning, and arrange the burnt-offering upon it, and burn the fat of the peace-offerings on it. Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not go out.
May it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, to have mercy on us and forgive all our sins, atone for us all our iniquities, and forgive and pardon all our transgressions. May the Bet Hamikdash be rebuilt speedily in our days, that we may offer before You the daily burnt-offering to atone for us, as You have prescribed for us in Your Torah, through Moses Your servant in Your glorious Name, as it is said:
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Command the children of Israel and say to them: My offering, My food-offering consumed by fire, a pleasing odor to Me, you shall be careful to offer Me at its appointed time. And you shall say to them: This is the fire-offering which you shall offer to the Lord—two yearling male lambs without blemish, every day, as a daily burnt-offering. You shall offer one lamb in the morning, and the other lamb toward evening; and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of oil of crushed olives as a meal-offering. This is a daily burnt-offering, as it was made at Mount Sinai, for a pleasing odor, a fire-offering to the Lord. And its wine-offering shall be a fourth of a hin for the one lamb; in the Sanctuary you shall pour out a wine-offering of strong wine to the Lord. And you shall offer the other lamb toward evening, with the same meal-offering and the same wine-offering as in the morning, to be a fire-offering of pleasing odor to the Lord.
You are the Lord our God and God of our fathers before whom our ancestors burned the offering of incense when the Bet Hamikdash stood, as You have commanded them through Moses Your prophet, as it is written in Your Torah:
The Lord said to Moses: Take fragrant spices, stacte, onycha, and galbanum, fragrant spices, and pure frankincense; there shall be an equal weight of each. And you shall make it into incense, a compound expertly blended, well-mingled, pure and holy. You shall grind some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Ark in the Tabernacle, where I will meet with you; most holy shall it be to you. And it is written: Aaron shall burn upon the altar the incense of fragrant spices; every morning when he cleans the lamps [of the menorah], he shall burn it. And toward evening, when Aaron lights the menorah, he shall burn it; this is a continual incense-offering before the Lord throughout your generations.
The Rabbis have taught: How was the incense prepared? It weighed 368 manim: 365 corresponding to the number of days in the solar year, one maneh for each day—half a maneh to be offered in the morning and half toward evening; and the other three manim from which the Kohen Gadol took two handfuls [into the Holy of Holies] on Yom Kippur. These [three manim] were put back into the mortar on the day before Yom Kippur and ground again very thoroughly so as to make the incense extremely fine. The incense contained the following eleven kinds of spices: 1) balm, 2) onycha, 3) galbanum, 4) frankincense—each one weighing seventy maneh; 5) myrrh, 6) cassia, 7) spikenard, 8) saffron—each weighing sixteen maneh; 9) costus, twelve maneh; 10) aromatic bark, three [maneh]; 11) cinnamon, nine [maneh]. [Also used in the preparation of the incense were:] lye of Carshina, nine kabin; Cyprus wine, three se'in and three kabin. If Cyprus wine was not available, strong white wine might be used instead; salt of Sodom, a fourth of a kab; and a minute quantity of a smoke-raising herb. Rabbi Nathan the Babylonian says: A minute quantity of Jordan amber was also added. If, however, honey were added, the incense became unfit; while if one left out any one of the ingredients, he was liable to the penalty of death.
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: The balm is no other than a resin which exudes from the balsam trees. The lye of Carshina was used for rubbing on the onycha to refine its appearance. The Cyprus wine was used in which to steep the onycha to make its odor more pungent. Though the water of Raglayim might have served that purpose well, it would be disrespectful to bring it into the Bet Hamikdash.
It has been taught, Rabbi Nathan says: While the Kohen was grinding the incense, the overseer would say, "Grind it thin, grind it thin," because the [rhythmic] sound is good for the compounding of the spices. If only half the yearly required quantity of incense was prepared, it was fit for use; but we have not heard if it was permissible to prepare only a third or a fourth of it. Rabbi Yehudah said: The general rule is that if the incense was compounded in its correct proportions, it was fit for use even if only half the annually required quantity was prepared; if, however, one left out any one of its ingredients, he was liable to the penalty of death.
It has been taught, Bar Kappara says: Once in sixty or seventy years, half of the required yearly quantity of incense came from the accumulated surpluses [from the three maneh from which the High Priest took two handfuls on Yom Kippur]. Bar Kappara also taught: Had a minute quantity of honey been mixed into the incense, no one could have resisted the scent. Why then was no honey mixed with it? Because the Torah said: You shall present no leaven nor honey as an offering by fire to the Lord.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold forever. Lord of hosts, happy is the man who trusts in You. Lord, deliver us; may the King answer us on the day we call. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of old and as in bygone years.
Abbaye recounted the order of the daily priestly functions on the authority of tradition, and in accordance with the view of Abba Shaul: The large pile of wood was arranged on the altar before the second pile [from which fire was taken for the incense-offering]; the second pile for the incense-offering was arranged before the placing of the two logs of wood on the large pile; the placing of the two logs of wood came before the removing of the ashes from the inner altar; the removing of the ashes from the inner altar preceded the cleaning of the five lamps [of the menorah]; the cleaning of the five lamps [of the menorah] preceded the sprinkling of the blood of the daily burnt-offering; the sprinkling of the blood of the daily burnt-offering preceded the cleaning of the remaining two lamps [of the menorah]; the cleaning of the two lamps [of the menorah] preceded the incense-offering; the incense-offering preceded the burning of the parts of the daily burnt-offering; the burning of the parts of the daily burnt-offering preceded the meal-offering; the meal-offering preceded the offering of pancakes; the offering of pancakes preceded the wine-offering; the wine-offering came before the musaf (additional) offerings [of Shabbat and the festivals]; the musaf-offerings preceded the placing of the two censers with frankincense; the frankincense censers preceded the daily afternoon burnt-offering, as it is written, "And [the Kohen] shall arrange the burnt-offering on the altar, and burn on it the fat of the peace-offerings"—with this all the offerings were completed.
While reciting this prayer, look at—or visualize—the Divine Names formed by the acronyms of the words, but do not say them.
We implore You, by the great power of Your right hand, release the captive. Accept the prayer of Your people; strengthen us, purify us, Awesome One. Mighty One, we beseech You, guard as the apple of the eye those who seek Your Oneness. Bless them, cleanse them; bestow upon them forever Your merciful righteousness. Powerful, Holy One, in Your abounding goodness, guide Your congregation. Only and Exalted One, turn to Your people who are mindful of Your holiness. Accept our supplication and hear our cry, You who knows secret thoughts. Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.
Master of the worlds, You have commanded us to offer the daily sacrifice at its appointed time and to burn the incense-offering at its proper time, with the Kohanim officiating, the Levi'im chanting, and the Israelites attending the service. Now, through our sins the Bet Hamikdash is destroyed, the daily sacrifice and the incense-offering are discontinued, and we have neither Kohen officiating, nor Levi chanting, nor Israelite attending the service. Therefore, may it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, that the prayer of our lips be regarded and accepted by You as if we had offered the daily sacrifice at its appointed time, attended its service, and burned the incense-offering at its proper time, as it is said: We will render the prayer of our lips in place of the sacrifice of bullocks. And it is said: This is the law of the burnt-offering, the meal-offering, the sin-offering, the guilt-offering, the consecration-offering, and the sacrifice of the peace-offering.
1. Where were the places of sacrifice in the Bet Hamikdash? The most holy offerings were slaughtered on the north side of the altar. The bullock and the he-goat of Yom Kippur were slaughtered on the north side of the altar; their blood was received on the north side in a service vessel, and was to be sprinkled between the staves of the Ark, toward the curtain of the Holy of Holies, and upon the golden altar. The omission of any one of these sprinklings invalidated the sacrifice. [The Kohen] poured out the rest of the blood at the western base of the outer altar; if, however, he failed to do so, it did not invalidate the sacrifice.
2. The bullocks and the he-goats which were to be burned were slaughtered on the north side of the altar. Their blood was received there in a service vessel, and was to be sprinkled toward the curtain of the Holy of Holies and upon the golden altar. The omission of one of these sprinklings rendered the sacrifice invalid. [The Kohen] poured out the rest of the blood at the western base of the outer altar; if, however, he failed to do so, it did not invalidate the sacrifice. All these offerings were burnt at the place where the ashes were deposited.
3. The sin-offerings of the community and of the individual—these are the communal sin-offerings: the he-goats offered on Rosh Chodesh and on the festivals—were slaughtered on the north side of the altar, their blood was received there in a service vessel, and of this blood four sprinklings were to be made, one upon each of the four corners of the altar. How was this done? [The Kohen] went up the ramp, turned to the ledge bordering the altar, and walked to the southeastern, northeastern, northwestern and southwestern corners. He poured out the rest of the blood at the southern base of the altar. These offerings, prepared in any manner, were eaten within the courtyard of the Sanctuary only by the male Kohanim, on the same day and evening until midnight.
4. The burnt-offering—a sacrifice of the most holy order—was slaughtered on the north side of the altar, its blood was received there in a service vessel, and of its blood two sprinklings were to be made [at opposite corners of the altar] so as to constitute four. This offering was to be flayed, dismembered and totally consumed by fire.
5. The communal peace-offerings and guilt-offerings—these are the guilt-offerings: the guilt-offering for robbery, the guilt-offering for misusing sacred objects, the guilt-offering for violating a betrothed handmaiden, the guilt-offering of a Nazir [who had become ritually unclean], the guilt-offering of a leper [after his purification], and the guilt-offering of a person in doubt whether an act he had committed requires a sin-offering—all these were slaughtered on the north side of the altar, their blood was received there in a service vessel, and of their blood two sprinklings were to be made [at opposite corners of the altar] so as to constitute four. These offerings, prepared for food in any fashion, were eaten within the courtyard of the Sanctuary only by the male Kohanim, on the same day and evening until midnight.
6. The Thanksgiving-offering and the ram offered by a Nazir [at the termination of his vow] were sacrifices of lesser sanctity. They might be slaughtered anywhere in the courtyard of the Bet Hamikdash. Of their blood, two sprinklings were to be made [at opposite corners of the altar] so as to constitute four. These offerings, prepared for food in any fashion, might be eaten anywhere in the city, by anyone, on the same day and evening until midnight. The same rule applied to the parts given to the Kohanim, except that they were to be eaten only by the Kohanim, their wives, their children, and their servants.
7. The peace-offerings were [likewise] sacrifices of lesser sanctity. They might be slaughtered anywhere in the courtyard of the Bet Hamikdash. Of their blood, two sprinklings were to be made [at opposite corners of the altar] so as to constitute four. They might be eaten, prepared for food in any fashion, anywhere in the city, by anyone, during two days and one night. The same rule applied to the parts given to the Kohanim, except that they were to be eaten only by the Kohanim, their wives, their children, and their servants.
8. The offering of firstborn animals, the tithe of cattle, and the Passover-offering were [also] sacrifices of lesser sanctity. They might be slaughtered anywhere in the courtyard of the Bet Hamikdash. Their blood required only one sprinkling, but it had to be done over against the base of the altar. They differed in their consumption: The firstling might be eaten only by the Kohanim, while the tithe might be eaten by any person. [Both the firstling and the tithe] might be prepared for food in any fashion, and eaten anywhere in the city during two days and one night. The Passover-offering, however, was to be eaten on that night only, and not later than midnight. Nor could it be eaten except by those registered for it, nor could it be eaten except when roasted.
Rabbi Yishmael says: The Torah is expounded by means of thirteen rules: 1. A conclusion drawn from a minor premise or more lenient condition to a major or more strict one, and vice versa. 2. An analogy between two laws established on the basis of identical expressions in the Biblical text. 3. A general principle derived from one Biblical text or from two related Biblical texts [is applicable to all similar cases, though not specified in detail]. 4. When a general rule is followed by an explicit particular, [the rule is limited to the specified particular]. 5. When a specification is followed by a general rule, [all that is contained in the general rule applies]. 6. When a general rule is followed by a specification and then again by a general rule, the law is applicable only to such cases which are similar to the specification. 7. When a general rule requires an explicit specification [for the sake of clarity, the general rule is not limited to the specified particular, as in rule 4]. Similarly, when a specification requires a generalization [for the sake of clarity, the generalization does not have the all-embracing effect, as in rule 5]. 8. When a particular case that is included in a general law is singled out to instruct us concerning something new, it is singled out not only to teach concerning its own case, but is to be applied to the whole of the general law. 9. When a particular case that is included in a general law is singled out to add another provision similar to the general law, it is singled out in order to lessen, but not to increase, the severity of that provision. 10. When a particular case that is included in a general law is singled out to add another provision which is unlike the general provision, it is singled out in order, in some aspects to lessen, and in others to add to, the severity of the provision. 11. When a particular case that is included in a general law is singled out with a new stipulation, the provisions of the general law no longer apply to it, unless the Torah expressly states that they do. 12. The meaning of a passage may be deduced from its context or from a subsequent passage. 13. Similarly, when two Biblical passages contradict each other, the meaning can be determined by a third Biblical text which reconciles them.
May it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, that the Bet Hamikdash be speedily rebuilt in our days, and grant us our portion in Your Torah.
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