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Why do siddurim and Shulchan Oruch OC start with the morning? Since the day starts with night, they should start with Maariv as does the mishnah.

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usually sidurim starts with mode ani, and not shaharit, but the question is still valid – Avraham Nov 2 '11 at 10:55
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I'm not sure if this helps or hurts your case, but a number of machzorim I have seen over the years begin with mincha. – WAF Nov 6 '11 at 3:52
I noticed that in my siddur, Shabbat Maariv davening is listed before Shabbat Shacharit. – avi Nov 6 '11 at 9:36
(Shu"t Tzapichas Bidvash addresses this question) – b a Aug 3 '12 at 5:34
@ba Well found - thank you!! – Avrohom Yitzchok Aug 3 '12 at 10:22

3 Answers

up vote 7 down vote accepted

We say every morning "Neshalma parim sefatenu". Since we cannot offer Korbanot , we got the Tfila instead. So the Tfila follows the order of the Korbanot. For the Korbanot the day starts after sunrise.

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up vote 9 down vote

Shulchan Aruch covers the order of the day, from when you wake up until when you go to sleep. Therefore it starts with the morning, when you wake up. (no source, just my own thought)

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The more so, since when you wake up in the morning you're a new person, with your soul having been returned to you (for which we say Modeh Ani and Elokai Neshamah). – Alex Oct 31 '11 at 14:18
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the questions still stands, why is this considered the order of the day, since the day actually starts at night, the actual order is arvit first – Avraham Nov 2 '11 at 10:57
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I think it answers the question. The Shulchan Aruch is not concerned with halachic order, but in a "set table" of practices for a Jew to serve G-d. It would make sense to start the instructions from when a person awakens and continue until he turns in at night. – YDK Nov 2 '11 at 15:31
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Indeed, siddurs that contain Tikkun Chatzos start with that, even though it is said at night, specifically because it is the first thing one says on waking. – yoel Nov 6 '11 at 3:38
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@yoel: not all of them do. The siddur of R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi places tikkun chatzos after kerias shema she'al hamittah, and in his notes on that siddur, Dayan Raskin cites a talk by R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, that this is because the latter is really the beginning of and basis for the avodah of tikkun chatzos. – Alex Nov 6 '11 at 16:09
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up vote 1 down vote

Avraham initiated Shacharis, Yitzchok initiated Mincha, Yaakov initiated Maariv. The order of the Siddurim is in the order they were initiated. In addition Shacharis is considered the main Tefila of the day. Also practically Mincha / Maariv are often said immediately one after the other.

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A source for the idea that shachrit is the main tefillah of the day can be found in Derech Hashem 4:6:16. I won't quote it here since it's rather esoteric. – Chanoch Oct 30 '11 at 23:14
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The word "composed" is wrong here. The tefilot were composed by the Anshei Kneset, as well as many other factors that created the siddur as we have it today. You should stick with "initiated" – avi Nov 6 '11 at 14:26

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