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The Amidah This prayer is called "Amidah" because it is recited in silent devotion while standing. It is known also as the "Shemoneh Esrei" and in Talmudic literature it is called "Tefila." Shemoneh Esrei (18) refers to the 18 benedictions which originally comprised this section of the service. The older name of Tefila means prayer. In the Talmudic tractate Berachot in which many of the rules for prayer are set down, we find that there is to be no interruption between the blessing of Geulah, the last blessing following the Sh'ma, and Tefila. Although we are forbidden to talk during any part of the service beginning with the Sh'ma section, interruption at this point was considered with greater severity. Therefore some of us do not include the prayers in the Maariv which are found between the Hashkivenu and the silent devotion. In order to examine concretely the Amidah, let us turn to the Shemoneh Esrei used during the daily service. This is the fullest text of the prayer and it is from this particular form that the name Shemoneh Esrei is derived. However, if anyone will take the trouble to count the benedictions, he will find 19 instead of the original 18. There was a time when the Jewish people suffered severely from those who would be traitors, informers, and slanderers. It was therefore found expedient to discourage these people by including the paragraph "As for slanderers, may their hopes come to naught and may all wickedness perish. May all thine enemies be destroyed..." Prior to that, however, the Amidah consisted of 18 benedictions. On the other hand, we will find a much shorter service used on Friday night, a different one on Saturday for Shacharit and still another for the Musaf. The Amidah used on holidays is also distinctive. All of these are commonly known as the Shemoneh Esrei. The constants are the first three and the last three blessings, which always remain the same. The first blessing begins with the Baruch and ends at "Magen Avraham" (shield of Abraham). The second ends with "Mechayeh Hametim" (who calls the dead to life everlasting). The third ends with "Hakel Hakadosh" (the holy God). The last three begin with "R'tzeh" (Be gracious). The first of the last three ends with "Hamachazir Sh'chinato L'Tzion" (who restorest Thy divine presence unto Zion). The next one ends "U'lcha Na'eh L'hodot" (unto whom thanks are due), and finally the last is "Hamevarech et Amo Yisrael Va'Shalom" (Who blesses his people Israel with peace). The variations are introduced between the parentheses of the first and last three blessings, depending on the occasion. Thus, during the weekday, we acknowledge God as the source of all knowledge; we pray for return to Torah and to service; beg for forgiveness; plead for redemption; ask for help and sustenance, for the ingathering of our people, the return of Israel's glory, the downfall of their traitors, for God's favor, for righteousness, for the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple as well as the Davidic dynasty, and finally that our prayers be heard. These are the 13 benedictions in the weekday service. The first three identify God as the God of our ancestors, as the source of life, and finally as the Holy One to whom we render daily praise. The last three contain the prayers for the restoration of the service and the Temple, the acknowledgment of our dependence upon the Divine and finally the prayers for peace. However, on the Sabbath and the holidays, the 13 benedictions in the middle are omitted and other prayers are included dealing with the particular occasion. Thus, on the Sabbath, we deal with the Sabbath as an institution and the special sacrifices that are offered on that day. On the other hand, on the holidays, the Amidah concentrates upon the significance of the festivals, makes mention of the particular festival and deals with the sacrifices that were offered in the Temple on those days. During the High Holy Days, the Confessional is also included. It seems that the Amidah was an occasion for personal worship when the individual would formulate original prayers and, consequently we find all kinds of variations. During the summer, we pray for dew and in the winter for rain in order that the land of Israel may produce its crops. In the larger prayer books, we even find private prayers for recovery of the sick, for personal income in order to be able to sustain oneself and many other personal requests. This is an occasion when the individual in silent devotion may recite his wants to God whereas otherwise, the prayers are of a more general nature. This prayer is said silently in order not to embarrass the petitioner upon his admission of sins or upon his petition for the fulfillment of his wants. The Shemoneh Esrei of the morning and afternoon is repeated by the Cantor in order that those who do not know how to read the Hebrew should be included in the prayer by responding Amen after each of the blessings. The Shemoneh Esrei of Maariv is not repeated because services in the evening are not as obligatory as the other two. During the repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei by the Cantor, the congregation responds with the Kedusha, which means sanctification. It is really an elaboration of the paragraph in the Shemoneh Esrei "Atta Kadosh" (Thou art holy) at which point the Kedusha is recited. There seem to have been several versions of the Kedusha so that one is assigned to Shacharit, the other to Musaf. For the daily prayer and Mincha, an abbreviated version is used. The various blessings comprising the 18 benedictions were a long time in the making. However, the men of the Great Assembly (3rd-4th century B.C.E) are credited with their formulation and arrangement. The exact authorship is unknown. At the conclusion of the Shemoneh Esrei, it is customary to take three steps backwards, a form of taking leave of the Divine presence. Even as with the Sh'ma, the Shemoneh Esrei is one of the most important sections of our liturgical ritual. It requires complete concentration, for each man and woman is engaged in an intimate conversation with their creator. |
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