Amida

amidah

עמידה

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Israeli: ' marks a reduced vowel that Israeli speech drops (b'rachah); when the vowel is pronounced it is written e (lefanecha). - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

עמידה

THE AMIDA

Until "in former years" on page 138, the prayer that follows is recited standing with feet together, imitating the angels in Ezekiel's vision (Ezek. 1:7). In keeping with Hannah's precedent when she prayed for a child (1 Sam. 1:13), the Amida is said silently. If there is a minyan, the Leader repeats it aloud. Advance three steps, as though entering formally the place of the Divine Presence. Where ▾ appears, bend the knees on the first word, bow on the second, and straighten before uttering God's name.

Ps. 51

Hebrew

אֲדֹנָי, שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח, וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶךָ:

Israeli

Adonai, s'fatai tiftach, ufi yagid tehilatecha:

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.

Israeli

baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu veilohei avoteinu
Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitzchak, veilohei Ya-akov
ha-El hagadol hagibor vehanora, El Elyon
gomel chasadim tovim, koneh hakol
vezocher chasdei avot
umevi go-el livnei v'neihem lema-an sh'mo be-ahavah.

Amid Rosh HaShana & Yom Kippur:

Hebrew

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

Israeli

zochrenu lechayim, melech chafetz bachayim
vechatvenu b'sefer hachayim, lema-ancha Elohim chayim.

Hebrew

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

Israeli

melech ozer umoshia umagen.
baruch atah Adonai, magen Avraham.

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.