God is addressed as "Mamia Lanu Yeshu'ah," "causing salvation to sprout forth 'for us'"; while in No. 20b; Sanh. it was invoked against heretics, traitors, and traducers: the "minim" and the "posh'im," or, as Maimonides reads, the Apioresim (see also his commentary on Sanh. lxv. viii. 24); they denounced the Jews to the authorities (hence "minim" and , R. H. 18a; Tos. 165, cxxv. 21. composed the basic text of the Amidah. "Healest the sick," Ex. This omission might indicate that the bulk of the benedictions received something like their present form under the supremacy of the Romans, who did not tolerate the declaration "God is king." ix. Understanding the Shemoneh Esrei. Under Gamaliel II. Fill our hands with Thy blessings and the richness of the gifts of Thy hands. For Thou hearest the prayer of Thy people Israel in mercy. Maimonides and Amram likewise do not use the formula beginning with the words "Shalom rab." No. 2a) confirms this theory. ). as now given is a later reconstruction of a petition with the implications of the Ecclesiasticus paraphrase. 1; Ket. xix., before the end, "May we be remembered and inscribed in the book of life, of blessing, of peace, and of good sustenance, we and all Thy people, the whole house of Israel, yea, for happy life and for peace"; and the close (in the German ritual) is changed to "Blessed be Thou, O Lord, who makest peace." The first of the seven enumerated is identical with the one contained in the "Shemoneh 'Esreh" as No. iii., "holy King," in place of "holy God" at the close; in No. 8 (Meg. or "humiliates the arrogant" (Amram); in the former phrase Saadia and Maimonides replace the noun "enemies" by "evil-doers.". des Achtzehngebetes"), although the aversion to making prayer a matter of rigor and fixed formula may perhaps have had a part in the neglect of the Mishnah. : Compare ib. ", Verse 5. ; Pire R. El. The prayer furnished the traducers of Judaism and the Jews a ready weapon of attack (e.g., Wagenseil; see "Sefer Niaon,"p. 348). Mystical prayers and practices existed in which worshippers would attempt to ascend to heaven and come into the presence of God. 4). xviii. On New Moons and middle days, except in the Musaf, the "Ya'aleh we-yabo" (see above) is inserted in the "'Abodah" before "bring back." King, Helper, Savior, and Shield; blessed be Thou, Shield of Abraham". 11b, 13b), has come down in various recensions. cxlvii. Two Basic VersionsThere are two basic versions of the Amidah. iv. The above account seems to suggest that this "new" (revised) addition to the benedictions was not admitted at once and without some opposition. Shemoneh Esrei is also called "Amida," meaning "standing," because the Jew says it while standing. Two Basic Versions Reciting the AmidahMost Jews face the Aron Kodesh and take three steps backward, and then three steps forward before before (quietly) reciting the Amidah. The first three and the last three constitute, so to speak, the permanent stock, used at every service; while the middle group varies on Sabbath, New Moons, and holy days from the formula for week-days. On the Day of Atonement the petition solicits pardon for sins (Dembitz, l.c. 26 (Meg. ); (2) twelve (now thirteen) petitions ("Baashot," Nos. xxxi. xi. v. 16], 'The Lord God is exalted in judgment, and the Holy God is sanctified in righteousness.' ]; for the dispersed Thou wilt gather [x. Delitzsch, Zur Geschichte der Jdischen Poesie, 1836, pp. But this was considered to break the connection between the "Ge'ullah" (the preceding eulogy, the last in the "Shema'" ending with "Ga'al Yisrael") and the "Tefillah"; and such an interruption was deemed inadmissible, as even an "Amen" was not to be spoken before the words "O Eternal, open my lips," in order that this verse might be considered to belong to the preceding "Ge'ullah" and to form with it a "long Ge'ullah" (; Ora ayyim, 111; and the ur, l.c.). ", Verse 6. 112 et seq. 5) = "powers," because it addresses God as the "Ba'al Geburot" and recites His powers, i.e., the resurrection of the dead and the sustentation of the living (comp. will cease (Ber. 13 Shemoneh Esrei - Seventh Blessing - Chanukah Rabbi Yitzchok Botton . ", "[Thou wilt] dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, Thy city, as Thou hast spoken [promised], and the throne of David Thy servant speedily in its midst [Thou wilt] establish, and build it an everlasting building soon in our days. 5, xlv. xciv. Before Him we shall worship in reverence and fear. 36; Ps. viii. Dan. ii. According to Sephardim all the brachot of Shemonah Esrei all necessary and one may not say a portion of them without the others. For this reason it is more straightforward to refer to the Shemoneh Esrei as the "Amidah" (standing) or "the Tefillah" (the prayer). 18a) by Num. 1, lxxiv. xv. Before the priestly blessing (originally in the morning service, but now in the additional service, and in the Minah service on the Ninth of Ab or on any other public fast-day), whenever "the priests" ("kohanim") are expected to recite the priestly blessing (see Dukan), the leader reads in the "'Abodah": "May our supplication be pleasing in Thy sight like burnt offering and sacrifice. Text Message Abbreviations 15 Questions. : "Behold our distress," Ps. : "Supportest the falling," Ps. ], and heal our sick [= viii. and xv. For example, if one only knows a portion of the Brachot it is better not to say anything. Blessed be Thou, O Eternal, who hearest prayer" (ib.). 6 (on the strength of which was printed the emendation "Ha-Mufadot" for the "Ha-Peudot"); Jer. Formerly the reader would not ascend (or descend to) the rostrum before beginning the loud (second) recital (Elbogen, l.c. When Abraham was saved the angels recited the "Blessed be Thou . Jews pray three times daily and repeat the Amida in the three services. Instead they adopted or composed the "Sim Shalom," known as the "Birkat Kohanim" (priestly blessing), and therefore equivalent to the "lifting up of the priest's hands" (for these terms see Maimonides and RaBaD on Tamid v. 1; and Ta'an. Rock of our life, Shield of our help, Thou art immutable from age to age. 585, the Yemen "Siddur" has the superscription. " The conclusion is either "who breakest the enemies" (Midr. 4; Isa. On Rosh ha-Shanah there are three middle benedictions (according to R. H. iv. xiv. Ber. Reciting the Weekday Amidah Prayers. Da Nusach Chabad technisch gesehen eine Variation von Nusach Sefard ist, warum wird Tzur Jisroel" aus dem Text weggelassen? The abstracts, however, throw light on what may have been the number of the benedictions before Gamaliel fixed it at eighteen by addition of the petition for the punishment of traitors ("wela-malshinim") The Babylonian Talmud has preserved one version; Yerushalmi, another (or two: a longer and a briefer form, of which the fragments have been combined; see J. Derenbourg in "R. E. iv. 1579 Attempts. Yoma 44b is given a concluding formula almost identical with that now used on holy days when the blessing is recited by the kohanim (; in Yer. is termed the "'Abodah" = "sacrificial service" (Ber. The "Ge'ullah," redemption, should be the seventh benediction (Meg. xxix. Blessed be Thou, O Lord, who strikest down enemies and humblest the haughty". No. xiii. x. Verse 8 is the content of the prayer in behalf of the pious, No. xii. ), while for the evening "Tefillah" recourse was had to artificial comparison with the sacrificial portions consumed on the altar during the night. (Many siddurim offer a suggested text for such . x. to Jacob's reunion with his family in Egypt; No. The affinity, noticed by Loeb (in "R. E. Once a week for nineteen weeks, we will review the contents of the 19 blessings of "Shemoneh Esrei." . 0 ratings 0% found this document useful (0 votes) 384 views. iv.). v. 2; Ta'an. ii. 17b); and when this hastaken place all treason (No. Another line begins "Hasten the end-time," which may, by its Messianic implication, suggest benediction No. As the Syrians were aided by the apostates, the "zedim," these were also embraced in the imprecatory appeal. 10. to Sanh. The opinions and views expressed are solely those of the author or lecturer and should not be attributed to Yeshiva . xi. 17b), sometimes also as "Birkatokmah" (on account of the word "okmah," now omitted, which occurred in the first phrase) and as "Birkat ha-ol" = "work-day benediction" (Ber. It consists of an introductory portion, which on Sabbath has four different forms for the four services, and another short portion, which is constant: "Our God and God of our fathers! communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. "Nissim," for "wonders," "miracles," has a significance which the Biblical word "nes" does not possess (Ab. 2 et seq.). 18a). R. anina took occasion to reprove very severely a reader who added attribute to attribute while addressing the Deity. v., namely, fifteen, is recalled by the similar number of words in Isa. At the end, after Mar bar Rabina's "My God keep my tongue" (Ber. In its earlier composition, then, the "Tefillah" seems to have comprised Nos. there is a uniform structure; namely, they contain two parallel stichoi and a third preceding the "Blessed be" of the "sealing" (as the Rabbis call it) of the benediction; for example, in No. ); (4) the eighteen "commands" which are in the pericope "Peude" (Ex. 5; Isa. 107a, 117b; Tan., Wayera [ed. He says that "the wisdom of the Sages is embedded within the text." Thus, by carefully examining it, "we can find the fundamentals of faith and divine service," and . xxix. On New Moons and on the middle days of Pesa or Sukkot, as well as on the holy days, the "Ya'aleh we-yabo" (= "Rise and come") is inserted in the "'Abodah," the name of the day appearing in each case in its proper place. In Babylon this became the rule, but in Palestine the "Tefillah" was read aloud by the congregation (Mller, "illufim," No. 34a). 28b). And may our eyes behold Thy merciful return to Zion. ("'Abodah" and "Hoda'ah") occur in the liturgy for the high priest for the Day of Atonement as described in the Mishnah (Yoma vii. 10. ]; but upon the evil-doers thou wilt lay Thy hand [xii. 6. He directed Simeon ha-Paoli to edit the benedictionsprobably in the order they had already acquiredand made it a duty, incumbent on every one, to recite the prayer three times daily. xvi. The worshiper was bidden to remain at the place whither his three backward steps had brought him for the space of time which would be required for traversing a space of four ells, or, if at public prayer-service, until the precentor, in the loud repetition, intoned the "edushshah.". 24a; R. H. 12a; Meg. In No. l.c.) for the Sabbath the Sephardim add on Friday evening lines which the Ashkenazim include only in the additional service (see Dembitz, l.c. v. was spoken over Reuben and Bilhah (or when Manasseh the king repented; ib. Blessed be Thou, O Lord, who hearest prayer" (Ber. xvi., as well as in the Minah and the silent prayer, the fast-day appeal might be inserted. O Thou Merciful Being, in Thy great mercy restore Thy Shekinah to Zion and the order of service to Jerusalem. ciii. ii. The prayer is traditionally recited while standing and facing the Aron Kodesh (the ark that houses the Torah scrolls). (1889) 137-166; Lvi, Les Dixhuit Bndictions, in R. E. J. xxxii. According to "Shibbole ha-Lee." 28a; Shab. No. In the "Ne'ilah" (concluding) service for the Day of Atonement, "inscribe" is changed to "seal." This is apparent from the haggadic endeavor to connect the stated times of prayer with the sacrificial routine of the Temple, the morning and the afternoon "Tefillah" recalling the constant offerings (Ber. Visit Stack Exchange Tour Start here for quick overview the site Help Center Detailed answers. Title: Shemoneh Esrei: The Depth And Beauty Of Our Daily Tefillah Rosally Saltsman Rabbi Leff's Shemoneh Esrei is a magnum opus on the central prayer of our davening. In places and situations where there is grave danger of interruptions, a shorter form is permissible comprising the first three and the last three benedictions and between them only the "Attah onen," the petition for understanding (No. ], xviii., and xix.). vi. 23. The function of blessing the people the Pharisees would not and could not arrogate unto themselves. Hebrew for ChristiansCopyright John J. ParsonsAll rights reserved. Blessed be Thou, O Eternal, who answerest in time of trouble." xxxviii. p. 122), and the concludingphrase of this eulogy also is changed: "Thou art holy, and Thy name is fearful, and there is no God besides Thee, as it is written [Isa. In dangerous places a very brief formula was, according to R. Joshua, substituted: "Help, O Eternal, Thy people, the remnant of Israel. 7. iii. 14, xxv. . : Zech. It is called the Amidah because when at all possible, . Translated, it reads as follows: "Blessed be Thou, O Lord, our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, the great, the mighty, and the fearful GodGod Most Highwho bestowest goodly kindnesses, and art the Creator ["oneh," which signifies primarily "Creator" and then "Owner"] of all, and rememberest the love of [or for] the Fathers and bringest a redeemer for their children's children for the sake of [His] Thy name in love. : I Chron. Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik adds an additional requirement for the first paragraph of the Shemoneh Esrei: One must understand its words. vii. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. 'May the Eternal lift up His countenance toward thee and give thee peace.'". 5. 154 (comp. Es scheint jedoch ein interessanter Punkt zu sein. viii. are gathered, judgment (No. 28b). . At one time two other Biblical passages (Ps. xxii. p. 55) for the congregation at Cairo, though not in his "Yad"(see "Yad," Tefillin, ix. "Creator of all," Gen. xiv. 25; and this would justify the insertion of the word "Na" (), which appears in some versions. 17; see Ber. Ber. ", Verse 10. In fall and winter, in No. in the rebuilding of Thy city and in the restoration of Thy sanctuary [xiv.]. ii., after "salvation to sprout forth," "Who is like Thee, Father of mercies, who rememberest His [Thy] creatures unto life in mercy? For example, if it is Shabbat, they read in the Musaf Amidah the pesukim from Bamidbar 28:9-10 related to the additional sacrifices of Shabbat. ; Ps. iv. 104a) of the seven blessings (Shab. xvi. 24b; Rashi ad loc.). The names of Nos. (1896) 161-178; xxxiii. Another mnemonic reference, based upon the number of times the names of the three Patriarchs occur together in the Pentateuch (Gen. R. 2 Shemoneh Esrei - First Blessing Part 1 Hashem Open My Lips - Prepering to pray According to Yer. That Thy beloved ones may rejoice, let Thy right hand bring on help [salvation] and answer me. x. is the benediction in regard to the "ibbu Galuyot," the gathering of the Jews of the Diaspora (Meg. "And redeem us," ib. This prayer is called the Amidah (because it is recited standing); the weekday version is also called Shemoneh Esrei, the Eighteen Benedictions (although a nineteenth has since been added). The prayer for the sick may perhaps likewise be assigned among the older portions (see Elbogen, l.c. Maimonides abrogated the repetition of the "Tefillah" (Zunz, l.c. 9; Jer. 23; Ps. This reading is that of Maimonides, while the Ashkenazim adopted that of Rab Amram. The history of the petition against enemies may serve to illustrate the development of the several component parts of the "Tefillah" in keeping with provocations and changed conditions. xix.). "Make glad the people called by Thy name, Israel Thou namedst the first-born. R. Eliezer, the son of R. Zadok, virtually repeated the preceding, with merely the substitution of a synonym for "cry." 4; Gen. R. Teh. In the Roman Mazor the phraseology is: "From generation to generation we shall proclaim God King, for He alone is exalted and holy; and Thy praise, O our God, shall not depart from our mouth forever and aye, for a God great and holy art Thou. In benediction No. 107a). ), the prayer against heretics and Sadducees (and traducers, informers, and traitors): "May no hope be left to the slanderers; but may wickedness perish as in a moment; may all Thine enemies be soon cut off, and do Thou speedily uproot the haughty and shatter and humble them speedily in our days. As the title suggests, this is an anthology of various thanksgiving prayers composed by the Rabbis (Soah 9a). xii. 17b): "Lead us back, our Father, to Thy Torah; bring us near, our King, to Thy service, and cause us to return in perfect repentance before Thee. 3). The Sephardic recension has the following: "Answer us, O our Father, answer us on this fast-day of affliction; for we are in great distress. May it be good in Thine eyes to bless" (and so forth as in the preceding form). vi. Ber. . After each section the people usually answer, "Ken yehi raon!" Blessed be Thou, O Lord the King, who lovest righteousness and justice.". viii. Insertions are made in the six constant benedictions on certain occasions, as follows: During the ten days of Teshubah, i.e., the first ten days of Tishri, in No. xv. Hurl back the adversary and humiliate the enemy. The latter is a good summary of the petitions (comp. No. . and xv. iv. were counted as two distinct blessings. 10, li. And so in the final benedictionfor which the Sephardim always use the formula beginning with "Sim shalom," never that with "Shalom rab"among the blessings asked for is included that for "much strength," one not found in the German ritual. 16, 17) regarding appearance before God on those days. Ber. (ed. 17b; Yer. after the words "from everlasting we have hoped in Thee." 5, 12; ciii. On the whole the language of the eighteen (nineteen) benedictions is Biblical, and in phraseology is more especially similar to that of the Psalms. 12; Num. ii. 17b by a reference to Isa. ", Verse 3. xxxii. lxxxix. 13). iv. also Isa. This abstract opens like No. xv. and xviii. ", Moreover, in the Sephardic ritual a number of individual petitions are admitted in various benedictions, which is not the case in the Ashkenazic. New: One page PDF file for reading practice, Hebrew for ChristiansCopyright John J. ParsonsAll rights reserved.www.hebrew4christians.com. Eighteen corresponds to the eighteen times God's name is mentioned in Ps. vii. Selah. While praying, concentrate on the meaning of the words, and remember that you stand before the divine presence. Ber. The following brief prayer, attributed to R. Eliezer, is for use in places where wild animals and robbers may be prowling about: "Thy will be done in heaven above, and bestow ease of mind upon them that fear Thee [on earth] below, and what is good in Thine eyes execute. No. According to the German ritual, when Sabbath and New Moon coincide, the "Sanctification of the Day" is omitted; but a somewhat more impressive prayer is recited, referring to God's creation of the world, His completion thereof on the seventh day, His choice of Israel, and His appointment of Sabbaths for rest and New Moons for atonement; declaring that exile is the punishment for sins of the fathers; and supplicating for the restoration of Israel. Understanding the Shemoneh Esrei; The Philosophy of Shemitta; Theological Issues in Sefer BeReishit; Jewish Political Theory - Hilkhot Melakhim; Meaning in Mitzvot; Philosophy of Halakha; Understanding the Practice and Meaning of Halakha; A River Goes Out of Eden "Have mercy on Thy holy city, Jerusalem, the place of Thy dwelling. ib. i., ii., iii. In praying for the new month the Portuguese ritual adds: "May this month be the last of all our troubles, a beginning of our redemption." lxx. O do not hide Thyself from our supplication, for Thou answerest in time of trouble and tribulation, as it is written, 'and they cried unto Yhwh in their need and from their tribulations did He save them.' 5; Ezek. xxix. After reciting all of these berachot, there is a concluding prayer said for the entire ceremony. xiv. The primitive form of most of them was undoubtedly much simpler. Blessed be Thou, O Eternal, who hearest prayer.". The anti-Sadducean protest in this benediction is evident. "Shield of Abraham," Ps. 2; Ber. "Killing and reviving," I Sam. refers to Isaac's planting and plowing; No. It reads: "The sprout of David Thy servant speedily cause Thou to sprout up; and his horn do Thou uplift through Thy victorious salvation; for Thy salvation we are hoping every day. ), "Sefer ha-Eshkol" ("Tefillah," etc., ed. Nos. to the Israelites' conquest of the land after which they had peace. 3).