Product Code Database
The Amidah (), also called the (), is an important prayer in Judaism. Religious Jews recite the Amidah during each of the three services prayed on weekdays: Morning (), afternoon (), and evening (; also called ). On Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh (), and Jewish holidays, after the morning Torah reading, a fourth Amidah is recited during ( (). Once annually, a fifth Amidah is recited during the Ne'ila () service of Yom Kippur. Due to the importance of the Amidah, in the Rabbinic literature it is referred to only as " ha-tefila" ().
A precise dating of the Amidah formalization is not possible. However, Rabban Gamaliel is recorded in tractate Berakhot 28b:12 of the Talmud saying, "Each and every day, a person recites the prayer of eighteen blessings" (i.e., the Shemoneh Esreh), suggesting that the Amidah likely had a fixed formula before the end of the Mishnaic period ( CE). Furthermore, in Berakhot 28b:23, the Talmud records the formalization of the contemporary nineteen-blessing Amidah by the tanna Shmuel ha-Katan during the same period. Given that the Amidah includes a petition for the Third Temple of the Temple, the Second Temple of which was destroyed in 70 CE, the Amidah fixing likely occurred between then and the end of the Tannaitic era. Accordingly, in Judaism, to recite the Amidah is a (), or a commandment of Rabbinic period origin. Promising Justice: Derrida with Jewish Jurisprudence A Hirvonen - Law and Critique, 2001 - Springer "...commandments (mitzvot) that come directly from the Torah (de'oraita) and are biblical, are a superior authority to those rabbinic ones which do not come from it (de'rabbanan)."
Although " Shemoneh Esreh" refers to the original number of component blessings in the prayer, the typical weekday Amidah actually consists of nineteen blessings. Among other prayers, the Amidah can be found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book. The prayer is typically recited standing with feet firmly together, preferably while facing Jerusalem. During public worship in Orthodox Judaism, the Amidah is typically first prayed quietly by the congregation and then repeated aloud by the hazzan (cantor); it is not repeated during Ma'ariv. The repetition's original purpose was to give illiterate members of the congregation a chance to participate in the collective prayer by answering "amen". Conservative and Reform Judaism congregations sometimes abbreviate the public recitation of the Amidah according to their customs. When the Amidah is modified for specific prayers or occasions, the first three blessings and the last three remain unchanged, framing the Amidah used in each service. In comparison, the middle thirteen blessings are replaced by blessings (usually just one) specific to the occasion.
According to the Talmud, Rabban Gamaliel II, the first leader of the Sanhedrin after the fall of the Second Temple in 70 CE, undertook to codify uniformly the public service, directing Simeon HaPakoli to edit the blessings (probably in the order they had already acquired) and made it a duty, incumbent on everyone, to recite the prayer three times daily. Still, this does not imply that the blessings were unknown before that date; in other passages, the Amidah is traced to the "first wise men",Sifre, Deut. 343 or to the Great Assembly. In order to reconcile the various assertions of editorship, the Talmud concludes that the prayers had fallen into disuse, and that Gamaliel reinstituted them.
The Talmud indicates that when Gamaliel undertook to codify the Amidah, he directed Samuel ha-Katan to write another paragraph inveighing against informers and heretics, which was inserted as the twelfth prayer in modern sequence, making the number of blessings nineteen.see Grätz, "Gesch." 3d ed., iv. 30 et seq.. Other Talmudic sources indicate, however, that this prayer was part of the original 18;Donin, Rabbi Hayim Halevy, To Pray as a Jew, p. 92, citing Yerushalmi Berakhot 2:4 and Eliezer Levy, Yesodot Hatefilah and that 19 prayers came about when the 15th prayer for the restoration of Jerusalem and of the throne of David (coming of the Messiah) was split into two.Donin, pp. 95–96
On Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and other there is a Mussaf ("Additional") Amidah to replace the additional communal sacrifices of these days. On Yom Kippur, a fifth recitation, Ne'ilah, is added as well.
The first three blessings as a section are known as the shevach ("praise"), and serve to inspire the worshipper and invoke God's mercy. The middle thirteen blessings compose the bakashah ("request"), with six personal requests, six communal requests, and a final request that God accept the prayers. The final three blessings, known as the hoda'ah ("gratitude"), thank God for the opportunity to serve the Lord. The shevach and hoda'ah are standard for every Amidah, with some changes on certain occasions.
My God, keep my tongue and my lips from speaking deceit, and to them that curse me let my soul be silent, and like dust to all. Open my heart in Your Torah, and after in Thy commandments let me my pursue. As for those that think evil of against me speedily thwart their counsel and destroy their plots. Do this for Thy name's sake, do this for Thy right hand's sake, do this for the sake of Thy holiness, do this for the sake of Thy Torah. That Thy beloved ones may rejoice, let Thy right hand bring on help salvation and answer me...
At this point, some say a biblical verse related to their name(s). For example, someone named Leah might say , since both Leah and this verse begin with the letter Lamed and end with Hay. This practice is first recorded in the 16th century, and was popularized by the Isaiah Horowitz.
Then (which was the final line of Mar son of Ravina's supplication) is recited.Talmud Berachot 17a
Three steps back are followed by a follow-up prayer:
Mainstream Ashkenazi Orthodox Judaism also adds the following prayer to the conclusion of every Amidah:
May it be your will, O my God and God of my fathers, that the Third Temple be rebuilt speedily in our days, and give us our portion in your Torah, and there we will worship you with reverence as in ancient days and former years. And may the Mincha korbanot of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasing to God, as in ancient days and former years.
Many Sephardi prayer books correspondingly add:
May it be your will, O my God and God of my fathers, that You Shall speedily rebuild the Third Temple in our days, and give us our portion in your Torah, so that we may fulfill your statutes and do Your Will and serve you with all our heart.
Many also customarily add individual personal prayers as part of the quiet recitation of the Amidah. Rabbi Shimon discourages praying by rote: "But rather make your prayer a request for mercy and compassion before the Omnipresent."Pirkei Avot 2:17 Some authorities encourage the worshipper to say something new in his prayer every time.
Halakhah requires that the first blessing of the Amidah be said with full intention and attention; if said by rote alone, it must be repeated with intention. Moses Isserles (16th century) wrote that this is no longer necessary because "nowadays ... even in the repetition it is likely he will not have intention". Orach Chayim 101:1 The second to last blessing of Hoda'ah also prioritizes kavanah.
When the Amidah is said by oneself in the presence of others, many Jews who wear a tallit (prayer shawl) will drape the tallit over their head, allowing their field of vision to be focused only on the siddur and personal prayer.
The Talmud says that one who is riding an animal or sitting in a boat (or, by modern extension, flying in an airplane) may recite the Amidah while seated, as the precarity of standing would disturb one's focus. Halakha traditionally allows individuals with illnesses or disabilities that prevent them from standing during prayer to pray while seated or, if needed, lying on their side. Shulchan Aruch § Orach Chayim 94:6, 9
The Talmud records the following baraita on this topic:
While many Jews calculate the direction to Jerusalem in terms of a simple straight line on the map (rhumb line), some authorities of Halakha rule that one should instead follow a great circle route to Jerusalem, which is more direct. "Why Do We Face East When Praying? Or Do We?" Davening direction. In practice, many synagogues do not face exactly towards Israel or Jerusalem. Sources disagree on whether or not it is necessary to calculate the direction precisely, and in any case, one should not face Jerusalem if it means turning one's back on the Torah ark. "Praying Towards Jerusalem"
Both Nusach Ashkenaz and Sephardi/Edot HaMizrach siddurim mention the practice of taking three steps back upon finishing the final meditation after the Amidah.
One takes three steps back upon finishing the final meditation after the Amidah, and then says, while bowing left, right, and forward, "He who makes peace in the heavens, may He make peace for us and all Israel, and let us say, Amen." Many have the custom to remain standing in place until immediately before the chazzan reaches the Kedusha, and then take three steps forward. The Talmud understands this as a reminder of the practice in the Temple in Jerusalem when those offering the daily sacrifices would walk backward from the altar after finishing. It also compares the practice to a student respectfully backing away from their teacher.Babylonian Talmud Yoma 53b
During certain parts of the Amidah said on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, including the Yom Kippur Avodah, Ashkenazi Jews traditionally go down to the floor upon their knees and make their upper body bowed over like an arch, similar to the Muslims practice of sujud. There are some variations in Ashkenazi customs as to how long one remains in this position. Some members of the Dor Daim movement also bow in this manner in their daily Amidah prayers.They understand the Mishneh Torah and the Talmudic statements concerning bowing in the Amidah to mean that one must always prostrate, lying flat on the ground, throughout the year during the four bows of the Amidah.
Our God and God of our Ancestors! Be pleased with our rest; sanctify us with Your commandments, give us a share in Your Torah, satiate us with Your bounty, and gladden us in Your salvation. Cleanse our hearts to serve You in truth: let us inherit, O Lord our God, in love and favor, Your holy Sabbath, and may Israel, who loves Your name, rest thereon. Praised are You, O Lord, who sanctifies the Sabbath.
On Sabbath eve, after the congregation has read the Amidah quietly, the reader repeats aloud the Me'ein Sheva', or summary of the seven blessings.Berachot 29, 57b; Pesachim 104a Although this is a repetition intended to be recited by the leader aloud, the common Ashkenazic practice (except for those who follow the Vilna Gaon) is that the congregation recites the middle part aloud, and then the leader repeats it:Rama OC 268:8 and MB there.
Shield of the fathers by His word, who revives the dead by His command, the holy God to whom none is like; who causes His people to rest on His holy Sabbath-day, for in them He took delight to cause them to rest. Before Him we shall worship in reverence and fear. We shall render thanks to His name on every day constantly in the manner of the blessings. God of praises, Lord of peace, who sanctifies the Sabbath and blesses the seventh day, and causes the people who are filled with Sabbath delight to rest, as a memorial of the work in the beginning of Creation. Siddur Ashkenaz: Shabbat Maariv Me'ein Sheva
You have chosen us from all the nations, You have loved us and was pleased with us; You lifted us above all tongues, and sanctified us with Your commandments, and brought us, O our King, to Your service, and pronounced over us Your great and holy name.A paragraph naming the festival and its special character follow.
If the Sabbath coincides with a festival, the festival blessing is recited, but with special additions relating to Shabbat.
The Mussaf Amidah begins with the same first three and concludes with the same last three blessings as the regular Amidah. In place of the 13 intermediate blessings of the daily service, a single blessing is added, relating to the holiday. (The Mussaf Amidah on Rosh Hashanah is unique in that apart from the first and last 3 blessings, it contains 3 central blessings making a total of 9.) Peninei Halakhah: 09. The Musaf Amida and Ve-te’erav
Historically (and currently in Orthodox services), the middle blessing focuses on the special Mussaf korban that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, and contains a plea for the building of a Third Temple and the restoration of sacrificial worship. In modern times, some non-Orthodox movements have modified the text of Mussaf, or else omit it entirely.
Rain is not mentioned in spring and summer, when rain does not fall in Israel. Nevertheless, given the importance of moisture during the dry summer of Israel, many versions of the liturgy insert the phrase "", "He causes the dew to fall", during every Amidah of the dry half of the year, even though the Talmud explicitly says that there is no obligation to do so.TB Taanit 3a.
On Shemini Atzeret and Passover, special extended prayers for rain or dew (known as Tefillat Geshem and Tefillat Tal respectively) are recited to introduce the change to the Amidah. In the Ashkenazic tradition, both prayers are recited by the Reader during the repetition of the Mussaf Amidah; however, many Nusach Ashkenaz communities in Israel have adopted the Sephardic custom to recite it before the Mussaf Amidah. In the normative contemporary Sephardic tradition, which prohibits such additions, places them before the Mussaf Amidah; the exception is that Spanish and Portuguese communities follow the older custom to recite it during the repetition. The change is made on these holidays because they are days of great joy, and because they are days of heavy attendance at public prayers. Therefore, the seasonal change in the language of the prayers is immediately and widely disseminated.
Requesting rain is done in the ninth blessing of the weekday Amidah. In Ashkenazi custom, this is done by insertion of the words "may You grant dew and rain" in this blessing. In Sephardi and rituals, the blessing is changed more dramatically. During the dry season, the blessing has this form:
In the rainy season, the text is changed to read:
Moreover, the signatures of two blessings are changed to reflect the days' heightened recognition of God's sovereignty. In the third blessing, the signature "Blessed are You, O Lord, the Holy God" is replaced with "Blessed are You, O Lord, the Holy King". On weekdays, the signature of the eleventh blessing is changed from "Blessed are You, O Lord, King who loves justice and judgement" to "Blessed are You, O Lord, the King of judgement". In many Ashkenazic communities, it is also customary to conclude the last Blessing "Blessed are You, O Lord, who makes peace" instead of "Blessed are You, O Lord, who blesses His people with peace".
In all customs, the chazzan adds Aneinu as additional blessing in his repetition right after the blessing of Geulah, known by its first word Aneinu ("Answer us") in both Shacharit and Mincha. The blessing concludes with the signature "Blessed are You, O Lord, Who responds some in time of trouble." In addition, according to the original custom, Selichot are recited in the middle of the blessing for forgiveness during the Chazzan's repetition.
At mincha, Ashkenazic communities that say the "Shalom Rav" version of the Shalom blessing at Minchah and Maariv say the "Sim Shalom" at this Minchah. The chazzan also says the priestly blessing before Shalom as he would at Shacharit, unlike the usual weekday Minchah when the priestly blessing is not said at Mincha; in many communities where the Kohanim recite Birkat Kohanim daily, this is recited now as well, particularly if Mincha is recited later in the day.
On Tisha B'Av at Minchah, Ashkenazim add a prayer that begins Nachem ("Console...") to the conclusion of the blessing Binyan Yerushalayim, elaborating on the mournful state of the Temple in Jerusalem. The concluding signature of the blessing is also extended to say "Blessed are You, O Lord, Who consoles Zion and builds Jerusalem." In other traditions, it is said in all the Amidot of Tisha B'av, or not included at all.
Following the Zionist declaration of the State of Israel, some Orthodox Judaism authorities proposed changes to the special Nachem "Console..." prayer commemorating the destruction of Jerusalem added to the Amidah on Tisha B'Av in light of these events.
Conservative and Reform Judaism have altered the text to varying degrees to bring it into alignment with their view of modern needs and sensibilities. Conservative Judaism retains the traditional number and time periods during which the Amidah must be said, while omitting explicit supplications for restoration of the korban described and commanded in the Torah. Reconstructionist and Reform Judaism, consistent with their views that the rhythm of the ancient sacrifices should no longer drive modern Jewish prayer, often omit some of the Amidah prayers, such as the Mussaf, omit temporal requirements and references to the Temple and its sacrifices.
Reform Judaism has changed the first blessing, traditionally invoking the phrase "God of our Fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob", one of the Biblical names of God. New editions of the Reform siddur explicitly say avoteinu v'imoteinu "our fathers and our mothers", and Reform and some Conservative congregations amend the second invocation to "God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob; God of Sarah, God of Rebekah, God of Leah, and God of Rachel". The new reform prayer book, Mishkan T'filah, reverses Leah's and Rachel's names. Some feminist Jews have added the names of Bilhah and Zilpah, since they were mothers to four tribes of Israel.
Liberal branches of Judaism make some additional changes to the opening blessing. the phrase umeivi go'eil ("and brings a redeemer") is changed in Reform Judaism to umeivi ge'ulah ("who brings redemption"), replacing the personal messiah with a Messianic Age. The phrase m'chayei hameitim ("who causes the dead to come to life") is replaced in the Reform and Reconstructionist siddurim with m'chayei hakol ("who gives life to all") and m'chayei kol chai ("who gives life to all life"), respectively. This represents a turn away from the traditional article of faith that God will resurrect the dead.
Prayer 17 ( Avodah) asks God to restore the Temple services, build a Third Temple, and restore Korban worship. The concluding meditation ends with an additional prayer for the restoration of Temple worship. Both prayers have been modified within the siddur of Conservative Judaism so that, though they still ask for the restoration of the Temple, they remove the explicit plea for the resumption of sacrifices. (Some Conservative congregations remove the concluding quiet prayer for the Temple entirely.) The Reform Judaism siddur also modifies this prayer by eliminating all reference to the Temple service and replacing the request for the restoration of the Temple with: "God who is near to all who call upon you, turn to your servants and be gracious to us; pour your spirit upon us."
Many Reform congregations will often conclude with either Sim Shalom or Shalom Rav. Once either of those prayers are chanted or sung, many congregations proceed to a variation on the Mi Shebeirach (typically the version popularized by Debbie Friedman), the traditional prayer for healing, followed by silent prayer, and then a resumption of the service.
Conservative Judaism is divided on the role of the Mussaf Amidah. More traditional Conservative congregations recite a prayer similar to the Mussaf prayer in Orthodox services except that they refer to Temple sacrifices only in the past tense and do not include a prayer for the restoration of the sacrifices. More liberal Conservative congregations omit references to the Temple sacrifices entirely. Reconstructionist and Reform congregations generally do not do the Mussaf Amidah at all; if they do, they omit all references to Temple worship.
|
|
