The Amidah, the core of Jewish worship, is thus recited silently (or, depending on one’s practice, sotto voce) because it is modeled on the core religious practice in the Temple. The Amidah recreates Kaufmann’s “kingdom of silence” within the synagogue. Its silence ushers us directly into the inner sanctum and rituals of the Temple.
What is the Amidah and why is it important?
The Amidah is the core of every Jewish worship service, and is therefore also referred to as HaTefillah, or “ The prayer.” Amidah, which literally means, “standing,” refers to a series of blessings recited while standing. Find a version of the weekday Amidah in Hebrew and English here, or consult a prayer book of your choice.
What does the Amidah say about quiet prayer?
The guideline of quiet prayer comes from Hannah's behavior during prayer, when she prayed in the Temple to bear a child. She prayed "speaking upon her heart," so that no one else could hear, yet her lips were moving. Therefore, when saying the Amidah one's voice should be audible to oneself, but not loud enough for others to hear.
What is the Amidah (Hatefillah)?
Moving from praise to petition to thanksgiving, the Amidah inculcates a sense of connection to God. The Amidah is the core of every Jewish worship service, and is therefore also referred to as HaTefillah, or “ The prayer.” Amidah, which literally means, “standing,” refers to a series of blessings recited while standing.
What is Amidah (standing blessing)?
Amidah, which literally means, “standing,” refers to a series of blessings recited while standing. Find a version of the weekday Amidah in Hebrew and English here, or consult a prayer book of your choice.
Can the Amidah be said at home?
The prayers that one should say at home on a Saturday morning if unable to attend synagogue are: Morning Blessings, Psalm 96, Blessings Before the Shema, the Shema, the Blessing After the Shema, the Shabbat Morning Amida, and the Mussaf Amida.
Why do Jews say the Amidah?
The Amidah is another important prayer in Judaism and is the central prayer used in worship services. It is often referred to as the 'standing prayer' as it is always recited while standing and facing Jerusalem . This prayer consists of 19 blessings, which can be split into three sections: praising God.
What does Amidah mean in the Bible?
standingThe Hebrew name Amidah means "standing" and refers to the posture of the prayer: One stands while praying this prayer because it helps one concentrate. Standing erect with feet together during the prayer shows respect. The worshipper faces the direction of the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem.
What is the most famous prayer in Judaism?
Shema YisraelShema Yisrael (Shema Israel or Sh'ma Yisrael; Hebrew: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל Šəmaʿ Yīsrāʾēl, "Hear, O Israel") is a Jewish prayer (known as the Shema) that serves as a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services.
When should I wear my kippah?
It is worn by all men in Orthodox Jewish communities during prayers and by most Orthodox Jewish men at all other times.
What does Amidah mean in Arabic?
The Amidah is the central prayer of all four services: shacharit (morning), mincha (afternoon), maariv (evening), and mussaf (additional). The word Amidah literally means standing, because it is recited while standing.
What is the most holy place for Jews?
The Temple Mount is considered the holiest site in Judaism.
What are the 3 daily prayers for Jews?
Daily prayersShacharit (morning prayers)Mincha (afternoon prayers)Ma'ariv/Arvit (evening prayers)
What does Sholem mean?
peace, harmonyShalom (Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם šālōm; also spelled as sholom, sholem, sholoim, shulem) is a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility and can be used idiomatically to mean both hello and goodbye.
How do you say Amidah in Hebrew?
1:234:21The Amidah: How to Say This Jewish Prayer - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo for example the prayer begins with Baru. And it is traditional to been one's knees at baru. AndMoreSo for example the prayer begins with Baru. And it is traditional to been one's knees at baru. And then bow at Tata. And then rise at mention of God's. Name. That is done twice.
Why is the Amidah called the Amidah?
In a similar vein, the Tiferet Yisrael explains in his commentary, Boaz, that the Amidah is so-called because it helps a person focus his or her thoughts. By nature, a person's brain is active and wandering. The Amidah brings everything into focus.
Who changed the Amidah?
The most recent known change to the text of the standard daily Amidah by an authority accepted by Orthodox Judaism was done by Isaac Luria in the 16th century. He formulated a text of the Amidah which seems to be a fusion of the Ashkenazi and Sepharadi texts in accordance with his understanding of Kabbalah .
What is the Amidah in Orthodox worship?
In Orthodox and Conservative (Masorti) public worship, the Amidah is first prayed quietly by the congregation; it is then repeated aloud by the chazzan (reader), except for the evening Amidah or when a minyan is not present. The congregation responds " Amen " to each blessing, and " Baruch Hu Uvaruch Shemo " ("blessed is He and blessed is His Name") when the chazzan invokes God's name in the signature "Blessed are You, O Lord..." If there are not six members of the minyan responding "Amen," the chazzan's blessing is considered in vain.
What is the fifth public recitation on Yom Kippur?
On Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), a fifth public recitation, Ne'ilah, is added to replace a special sacrifice offered on that day.
How to bow in the Amidah?
It is the custom of the Ashkenazim that one bends the knees when saying "Blessed," then bows at "are You," and straightens while saying "O Lord." (At the beginning of Hoda'ah, one instead bows while saying the opening words "We are grateful to You" without bending the knees.) The reason for this procedure is that the Hebrew word for "blessed" ( baruch) is related to "knee" ( berech ); while the verse in Psalms states, "The Lord straightens the bent." At each of these bows, one must bend over until the vertebrae protrude from one's back; one physically unable to do so suffices by nodding the head. It is not the custom of the Sephardim to bend the knees during the Amidah.
What is the fourth Amidah?
A fourth Amidah (called Mussaf) is recited on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and Jewish festivals, after the morning Torah reading. A fifth (called Ne'ilah) is recited only once per year, at sunset on Yom Kippur .
How many blessings are in the Amidah?
The weekday Amidah contains nineteen blessings. Each blessing ends with the signature "Blessed are you, O Lord...". and the opening blessing begins with this signature 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.
Why is the Amidah not repeated at Maariv?
The reason the Amidah is not repeated at maariv is because the Talmud treats maariv as originally having been optional, meaning that it does not have the same level of obligation.
What is the difference between the Amidah and the Amidah?
The only difference between the Amidah of the different services of the day is the final blessing, for peace. In the Ashkenazi tradition, a shorter version of this blessing, starting with the words " shalom rav " is said at mincha and maariv.
Why is the Priestly Blessing recited only during Rosh Hashanah?
In Ashkenazi synagogues outside of Israel, the Priestly Blessing is recited only during the musaf Amidah of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Pesach, Succot, and Shavout because of an idea that the Priestly Blessing should only take place in an atmosphere of cheerfulness, and a holiday has extra happiness.
Why are the blessings on Shabbat the same?
In all versions of the Amidah, the first and last three blessings stay the same. The middle thirteen blessings, however, are said only on weekdays. On Shabbat and holidays they are replaced by a single blessing that relates to sanctification of the day. The main reason for this is that the Talmud says it is forbidden to ask for one's personal needs on Shabbat. Doing so reminds one of what is lacking, which takes away from the feeling of spiritual and physical contentment that should be present on Shabbat and holidays. Others say that on Shabbat, one lives as if the messianic age has arrived and therefore has no need to petition God; the petitions are thus eliminated and replaced with other prayers. Parts of this middle blessing, the paragraph that begins, " elohenu velohei avotenu retze bmnuchatenu " (Our God and God of our Father, be pleased with our rest), and the part that contains requests to "sanctify us through Thy commandments," remain the same on every Shabbat and festival. The beginning of this middle blessing changes, however, between the three services of the day. The Friday night service stresses God's sanctification as it relates to the creation of the world. The Shabbat morning service speaks of God's command to Israel to keep the Shabbat as set forth in the Ten Commandments. The Shabbat afternoon service stresses the unity of God and the singularity of the Jewish people. Also, on all holidays, but not on Shabbat, ya'aleh v'yavo is incorporated into the middle blessing.
How many blessings are in the Amidah?
Either way, the Amidah contains three sections: a three-blessing introduction made up of praises of God; thirteen petitions to God for various needs; and a closing of three blessings of thanksgiving. The model for this structure is how one would approach a powerful ruler or how a servant would approach a master.
What is the minyan of Kedushah?
Kedushah is said only with a minyan (quorem of ten), and may not be interrupted for conversation. Like the Amidah itself, it should be said while standing with one's feet together. Even if one happens to be present, and not praying, while the Kedushah is recited, one must stop what he is doing and join in.
What does the final supplication of the Amidah say?
The final supplication asks God to hear our prayers. The closing three blessings speak of the hope of return to Temple worship, thanksgiving to God, and a prayer for peace. Following the Amidah, one says a meditation that is based on the silent supplications of various rabbis recorded in the Talmud.
Why do we repeat the Amidah?
Although on a simple level the reason for the repetition of the Amidah is to accommodate those who are unlearned, there is a deeper reason that is as relevant as ever, even in an age where everyone can access a siddur, or at least a siddur app.
When was Amidah invented?
How Amidah appeared First, Syrian-Christians invented to pray communally in year 150 (and their bureaucracy fixed that custom in year 300).
Why is the Chazzan recited?
The chazzan ’s repetition holds great spiritual power, and enables our individual prayers, which we recite quietly on our own , to reach even greater spiritual heights. Although the Kabbalistic reason is beyond the scope of this article, suffice it to say that it explains why our quiet prayers may be recited even without a minyan, but the repetition of the Amidah may be recited only in the presence of a minyan, and why it is recited out loud. 10
What was the end of the Babylonian exile?
It was the end of the Babylonian exile, and the Jews began returning to the Holy Land. Up until that point there had been no set text or prescribed structure to the daily prayers. It was up to the individual to come up with his or her own script. But seeing that much of the younger generation lacked adequate mastery of Hebrew to eloquently pray in the Holy Tongue, Ezra the Scribe and the Men of the Great Assembly established the text of the Amidah and instituted that it be said thrice daily. 1
Who is Rabbi Shurpin?
Rabbi Shurpin is the rabbi of the Chabad Shul in St. Louis Park, Minn., where he resides with his wife, Ester, and their children.
Is repetition a truncated version of Kabbalah?
Although there are some communities who are lax about the repetition ( performing a truncated version known as a hoiche kedushah ), in light of the above, those schooled in the Kabbalah warn that it is extremely important that the entire repetition be said aloud and carefully listened to.
Does Chabad.org share email address?
Please send me Chabad.org's weekly Magazine and periodic emails. We will not share your email address.
Who recites the Amidah?
The Amidah is recited silently by all members of a congregation — or by individuals praying along — and then, in communal settings, repeated aloud by the prayer leader or cantor, with the congregation reciting “ Amen ” to all the blessings of the Amidah.
What is the meaning of the amidah?
The Amidah is the core of every Jewish worship service, and is therefore also referred to as HaTefillah, or “ The prayer.” Amidah, which literally means, “standing,” refers to a series of blessings recited while standing.
What are the first three blessings of the Amidah?
The first blessing is called Avot, Hebrew for “ancestors, ” and serves as an introduction to the God of our biblical heritage, connecting us to the Divine. Immediately before reciting the Amidah, the tradition developed of taking three steps backward and then forward again to symbolize entering into God presence. Mentioning the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob –and in liberal congregations, the matriarchs, Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel –this blessing praises God for remembering their good actions, and by implication, asking God to hear our prayer favorably because of their merit. The blessing begins and ends with a formal bow at the knees and hips, symbolically demonstrating our subservience to God.
How many blessings are in the middle section of the Amidah?
The Middle Section. On weekdays, the middle section of the Amidah consists of 13 blessings that are individual and communal requests to God. Originally consisting of only 12 petitions, the total number of blessings recited was 18, hence, an early synonym for the Amidah was the Shemonah Esrei, or the Eighteen.
What does the Amidah say about Shabbat?
On Shabbat morning, the entire middle section of the Amidah describes Moses receiving the Ten Commandments followed by the verses from the book of Exodus (31:16-17) that describe the observance of Shabbat as a sign of the covenant between God and the Jewish people.
What are the three sections of the Amidah?
Thus, every Amidah is divided into three central sections: praise, petitions and thanks .
What is the middle portion of the Amidah?
On festivals, particularly the pilgrimage holidays of Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot, the middle portion of the Amidah similarly describes how God has given these holidays as a gift to the Jewish people for joy and celebration. There are also references to the biblical patriarchs, King David, and Jerusalem to be remembered in glory.
Overview
Weekday Amidah
The weekday Amidah contains nineteen blessings. Each blessing ends with the signature "Blessed are you, O Lord..." and the opening blessing begins with this signature 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 …
Origin
The language of the Amidah most likely comes from the Mishnaic period, both before and after the destruction of the Temple (70 CE). In the time of the Mishnah, it was considered unnecessary to fully prescribe its text and content. This may have been simply because the language was well known to the Mishnah's authors. The Mishnah may also have not recorded specific text because of an aversion to making prayer a matter of rigor and fixed formula.
When the Amidah is recited
On regular weekdays, the Amidah is prayed three times, once each during the morning, afternoon, and evening services that are known respectively as Shacharit, Mincha, and Ma'ariv. One opinion in the Talmud claims, with support from Biblical verses, that the concept for each of the three services was founded respectively by each of the three biblical patriarchs. The prescribed ti…
Special Amidot
On Shabbat, the middle 13 benedictions of the Amidah are replaced by one, known as Kedushat haYom ("sanctity of the day"), so that each Shabbat Amidah is composed of seven benedictions. The Kedushat haYom has an introductory portion, which on Sabbath is varied for each of the four services, and short concluding portion, which is constant:
Our God and God of our Ancestors! Be pleased with our rest; sanctify us with Your commandme…
Seasonal change
The phrase "משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם" ("He [God] causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall") is inserted in the second blessing of the Amidah (Gevurot), throughout the rainy season in Israel (fall and winter). The most prominent of God's powers mentioned in this blessing is the resurrection of the dead. Rain is mentioned here because God's provision of rain is considered to be as great a …
Within the early Christian Church
New Testament scholar Paul Barnett has identified 2 Corinthians 1:3–7 as a modified version of the first blessing (Avot). This has also been identified by Martin Hengel in his book The Pre-Christian Paul, arguing that Saul/Paul was a teacher in the Hellenistic synagogues of Jerusalem prior to his conversion to Christianity.
See also
• Jewish services
• Siddur
• Zion and Jerusalem in Jewish prayer and ritual