Amida

Amidah

עמידה

Visible layers

עמידה

THE AMIDA

The following prayer, until "in former years" on page 138, is said standing with feet together in imitation of the angels in Ezekiel's vision (Ezek. 1:7). The Amida is said silently, following the precedent of Hannah when she prayed for a child (1 Sam. 1:13). If there is a minyan, it is repeated aloud by the Leader. Take three steps forward, as if formally entering the place of the Divine Presence. At the points indicated by ▾, bend the knees at the first word, bow at the second, and stand straight before saying God's name.

Ps. 51

Hebrew

אֲדֹנָי, שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח, וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶךָ:

Sephardi

Adonai, sefatai tiftach, ufi yagid tehilatecha:

English

O LORD, open my lips, so that my mouth may declare Your praise.

אבות

PATRIARCHS

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה, אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ
אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם, אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק, וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב
הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא, אֵל עֶלְיוֹן
גּוֹמֵל חֲסָדִים טוֹבִים, קוֹנֵה הַכֹּל
וְזוֹכֵר חַסְדֵי אָבוֹת
וּמֵבִיא גוֹאֵל לִבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶם לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה.

Sephardi

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu veilohei avoteinu
Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitzchak, veilohei Yaakov
ha'El hagadol hagibor vehanora, Eil elyon
gomel chasadim tovim, koneh hakol
vezocher chasdei avot
umeivi go'el livnei veneihem lema'an shemo be'ahavah.

English

Blessed are You, LORD our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob; the great, mighty and awesome God, God Most High, who bestows acts of loving-kindness, who creates all, who remembers the loving-kindness of the fathers and will bring a Redeemer to their children's children for the sake of His name, in love.

Between Rosh HaShana & Yom Kippur:

Hebrew

זָכְרֵנוּ לְחַיִּים, מֶלֶךְ חָפֵץ בַּחַיִּים
וְכָתְבֵנוּ בְּסֵפֶר הַחַיִּים, לְמַעַנְךָ אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים.

Sephardi

Zachrenu lechayim, melech chafetz bachayim
vechotveinu besefer hachayim, lema'ancha Elohim chayim.

English

Remember us for life, O King who desires life, and write us in the book of life - for Your sake, O God of life.

Hebrew

מֶלֶךְ עוֹזֵר וּמוֹשִׁיעַ וּמָגֵן.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה, מָגֵן אַבְרָהָם.

Sephardi

Melech ozer umoshia umagen.
Baruch atah Adonai, magen Avraham.

English

King, Helper, Savior, Shield: Blessed are You, LORD, Shield of Abraham.

Commentary

Several centuries later, it was canonized in a fuller form by Shimon HaPakuli in the days of Rabban Gamliel II (Berakhot 28b).

It is often called the Shemoneh Esreh, "Eighteen," because it originally consisted of eighteen blessings (now, nineteen). It has a three-part structure: (1) praise (blessings 1-3), (2) requests (blessings 4-16), and (3) thanks (17-19). Each of these has a tripartite form. The first and last sections each contain three blessings. The middle section is composed of twelve blessings (4-15), six personal requests and six collective ones. The first three personal requests are for spiritual goods (wisdom, repentance and forgiveness). The second are for physical goods (deliverance, healing and livelihood). The first three national requests are for physical events (ingathering of exiles, justice, and an …

THE AMIDA: THE STANDING PRAYER The Amida is the summit of prayer: in it, we enter the holy of holies of religious experience. We say it standing because we are conscious of being in the unmediated presence of God. The name Amida is also related to its earliest setting: prayers said by the people of the Ma'amad, groups of laymen who, in Second Temple times, accompanied their local "watch" (mishmar) of priests who officiated in the Temple on a one-in-24-week schedule. The Ma'amad was one of the prototypes of congregational prayer.

According to tradition, the Amida in embryonic form dates back to the Great Assembly in the time of Ezra following the Jews' return from Babylon.