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Why do different siddurim organize morning prayers so differently, with some going straight from Modeh Ani to Birkat HaTorah while others insert many verses first? The shiur traces these approaches to a fundamental question about whether reciting biblical verses as prayer (rather than study) requires the Torah (תורה) blessing. Both structures aim to fulfill 'Shiviti Hashem (ה׳) l'negdi tamid' - developing awareness of Hashem's presence before formal davening begins.
This shiur provides an in-depth analysis of the opening prayers of the morning service, beginning with Modeh Ani and examining the various approaches to structuring the early morning prayers found in different siddurim. Rabbi Zweig starts by discussing the Shulchan Aruch's directive that one should awaken in the morning "like a lion" to serve Hashem (ה׳), and the Rama's addition of "Shiviti Hashem l'negdi tamid" (I place Hashem before me always). The Mishnah (משנה) Berurah, authored by the Chafetz Chaim, elaborates extensively on this concept, explaining how one should constantly maintain awareness of being in Hashem's presence. The shiur explores the Arizal's teaching about visualizing the four-letter name of Hashem (Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei) and the Chafetz Chaim's discussion of the six constant mitzvos that never leave a person. These include: believing in Hashem's existence and providence, rejecting other gods, acknowledging Hashem's oneness, loving Hashem, having awe of Hashem, and avoiding the pursuit of base desires. Rabbi Zweig traces the origins of Modeh Ani to both the Yerushalmi and Midrash Rabba, revealing that the original formulation differs from our current version. The ancient sources describe three daily acknowledgments: morning (thanking Hashem for bringing us from darkness to light), afternoon (requesting to see the sunset as we saw the sunrise), and evening (asking to be brought from darkness back to light). These three prayers correspond to the three daily prayer services and reflect the spiritual changes that occur throughout the day according to the Ramchal's teachings about divine influence. The shiur examines multiple siddurim to demonstrate two distinct approaches to organizing morning prayers. The first approach, found in the Maharal siddur, Sephardic siddurim, and others, proceeds directly from Modeh Ani to the blessings over Torah (תורה) study (Birkat HaTorah) without interjecting verses from scripture. The second approach, exemplified by standard ArtScroll siddurim, includes numerous biblical verses and prayers before Birkat HaTorah. Rabbi Zweig questions the halachic propriety of reciting scriptural verses before saying the blessings over Torah study, suggesting that perhaps when verses are recited as prayer rather than Torah study, they may be permissible. The underlying purpose of all preliminary prayers, regardless of the specific approach, is to accomplish the mitzvah (מצוה) of Shiviti Hashem l'negdi tamid - developing a constant awareness of being in Hashem's presence before beginning formal prayer.
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim (morning conduct), Mishnah Berurah, Yerushalmi, Midrash Rabba Parashat Vayeitzei
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