An Overview of The Amidah Prayer

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September 21, 1999 - We will start with phrases from the Amidah, also called the Shmoneh Esreh. This is the heart of every prayer service. It contains the basic components of  prayer: praising God, petitioning Him, and thanking Him. Whenever the Talmud refers to tefilah ("prayer"), it means the Shmone Esreh...Shmoneh Esreh means simply "eighteen" (8+10). The prayer is so-called because the original version consisted of 18 blessings. The basic formula is ancient - composed by the 120 Men of the Great Assembly in the fifth century B.C.E. This prayer is called by still another name - the "Amidah", which means "standing". The prayer is called this because it reflects our having stopped to stand in the presence of God.

September 21, 2001 - Update - After two years, we are now on the 15th prayer out of the 19. Archive of the issues is currently not available.

The Shmoneh Esreh is a beautifully simple prayer. Almost every phrase has it's source in the Bible. Each blessing is a very ingenious collection of Biblical words and phrases pieced together to form a new composition that reflects a broad spectrum of personal needs, communal needs, and Jewish convictions. The Shmoney Esreh is said while facing in the direction of in Eretz Israel. Worshipers in Eretz Israel face towards Jerusalem. Worshipers in Jerusalem face the Temple Mount, where the Temple (Beit HaMikdash) once stood. The Holy Ark in every synagogue is generally located so that when one faces the Ark, one is also standing in the proper direction... 

The Shmoneh Esreh should be said quietly to oneself, based on the example set by Hannah, whose praying lips moved, but her voice could not be heard" (I Sam 1;13). That is why the Shmoneh Esreh is sometimes referred to as the "Silent Prayer". 

Inasmuch as we also relate to God as the King of Kings, the Sovereign of the universe, no less courtesy should be shown to Him than to mortal kings. The convention that prevailed in high courts when approaching a king thus became the basis for several customs during worship: for example, three small steps forward are taken before beginning the Shmoneh Esreh. 

[This prayer is said three times per day, where each prayer service is in remembrance of the temple sacrifices which cannot take place without the temple. In the morning and afternoon service, is said once individually, and once corporately.] The public repetition was instituted for the benefit of those who were not able to recite it properly. By listening attentively and answering "Amen" at the end of each blessing, such worshipers are considered to have fulfilled their prayer obligation. 

(page 69-72, To Pray As A Jew; A Guide to the Prayer Book and and the Synagogue Service,
by Hayim Halevy Donin, Harper Collins Publishers, 1980). 

I think we will all learn a great deal of Hebrew from studying this prayer. It is not a short one, so we might be working on it for the next year! I'll try to provide a sound file so you can work with that as you learn the words. 

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