Question:
Hi,
I have a few questions about the order of importance for Shacharit, and how to balance davening while at home with a baby.
I have been davening an abridged version of Shacharit in the morning as my son is 6 months old and I dont always have a ton of time to daven – I would rather know I can get through my tfillah than worry about him waking up from his nap before I’m finished.
At the moment, I’ve been saying Brachot, Baruch Sheamar, Ashrei, Yishtabach, Shma and all the brachot (before and after), Shmona Esrei, Tachanun, Ashrei/Uvah Ltzion, Aleinu and Shir Shel Yom.
I recently learned that Women are not halachically obligated to say all the paragraphs of Shma, nor Uvah L’tzion and Shir Shel Yom, and should rather be saying all of Psukei Dzimra before the other tfillot since Psukei Dzimra holds precedence for Women in the order of Importance.
Is this true? And if so, Is it crucial to follow the order, or is there some flexibility?
I’m quite a slow davener, so Psukei Dzimra would take me much longer to say than the 3 paragraphs of Shma – I also enjoy saying the Shma as I feel a connection to the words, and wouldn’t necessarily want to leave it out of my Davening, but would not have the time to say all of Psukei Dzimra just to be able to say the full Shma.
Also, I sometimes find I am running out of time near the end of the davening when the baby wakes up from his nap and don’t necessarily have the time for all of Ashrei and Uva Ltzion. Is it permissible to say just Ashrei and not Uva Ltzion (in order to say 3 Ashreis a day), or would i need to say the whole thing as they are grouped together?
Lastly, In the case where the baby is up and needs attention before i have finished davening, is it better to stop davening where I am (almost always after concluding Shmona Esrei, so no issue with interrupting between Baruch Sheamar and the end of the Amida) and finish later – after feeding, changing and playing with the baby, which can be as long as 2 hours later- or would it be better to quickly finish up the davening with Aleinu since Women are not fully obligated to say the other parts of the end of davening, and therefore avoid a long hefsek?
Thanks so much
Answer:
Most of what you are doing is correct, however women generally don’t say tachanun, and do not have to say from ashrei u’va l’tzion until the end of davening, (you can if you want to.) What should be said is brachos, some korbanos, (parshas hatomid), pisukei dzimra, shema and boruch sheim, and the last bracha from emes vyatziv until shemona esrei. Therefore since you are short on time, cut out everything after shemona esrei, and instead say some more of pesukei dzimra, such as the five halaluka’s (and if that is too hard then the fifth and third, if that is also too hard then just the fifth).
I am including an article on women and davening, which you might find helpful. Women Davening
Best Wishes
