Amida

amidah

עמידה

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Reader

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

When reciting the Amida silently, go on with "You are holy" on the next page.

קדושה

KEDUSHA

During the Leader's Repetition, stand with feet together to say the following, rising on the toes at the words marked by ^.

Is. 6

Hebrew

נְקַדֵּישָׁךְ וְנַעֲרִיצָךְ כְּנֹעַם שִׂיחַ סוֹד שַׂרְפֵי קֹדֶשׁ
הַמְשַׁלְּשִׁים לְךָ קְדֻשָּׁה
כַּכָּתוּב עַל יַד נְבִיאֶךָ, וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל־זֶה וְאָמַר

Israeli

nekadeishach vena-aritzach k'no-am siach sod sarfei kodesh
hameshaleshim lecha k'dushah
kakatuv al yad nevi-echa, vekara zeh el-zeh ve-amar

Hebrew

קָדוֹשׁ, קָדוֹשׁ, קָדוֹשׁ, יהוה צְבָאוֹת
מְלֹא כָל־הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ׃
לְעֻמָּתָם מְשַׁבְּחִים וְאוֹמְרִים

Israeli

kadosh, kadosh, kadosh, Adonai Tz'va-ot
melo chol-ha-aretz k'vodo.
le-umatam meshabechim ve-omerim

Ezek. 3

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד־יהוה מִמְּקוֹמוֹ׃
וּבְדִבְרֵי קָדְשְׁךָ כָּתוּב לֵאמֹר

Israeli

baruch k'vod-adonai mimekomo.
uvdivrei kodshcha katuv leimor

Ps. 146

Hebrew

יִמְלֹךְ יהוה לְעוֹלָם, אֱלֹהַיִךְ צִיּוֹן לְדֹר וָדֹר, הַלְלוּיָהּ׃

Israeli

yimloch Adonai le-olam, Elohayich Tziyon ledor vador, haleluyah.

The Leader goes on with "You are holy" on the next page.

Commentary

Repetition; and Kedusha DeSidra, toward the end of the service. The first and third do not require a minyan and are said sitting. The second requires a minyan and is said standing. The reason is that the first and third are descriptions of the song of the angels; the second is a reenactment. We stand, feet together, rising on our toes, as if we too were angels.

In the Kedusha we move beyond the priestly prayer-as-sacrifice and the prophetic prayer-as-dialogue, to prayer as a mystic experience. So holy is it that in Israel in ancient times it was said only on Shabbat and festivals. The Zohar interprets Jacob's vision of a ladder stretching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending (Gen. 28:12), as a metaphor for prayer, and this, too, is part of the meaning of Kedusha. We have climbed the ladder from earth to heaven. As the Leader repeats the prayer on behalf of the entire community, we reach the summit of religious experience.

… vision of Ezekiel of the valley of dry bones that came to life once more. Jews kept hope alive; hope kept the Jewish people alive.

קדושה Kedusha. The Kedusha is the supreme moment of holiness in prayer. It takes several different forms. Common to them all is that they are built around the two supreme mystical visions in the Hebrew Bible, of Isaiah (chapter 6) and Ezekiel (chapters 1-3). The prophet sees God enthroned in glory, surrounded by angels singing His praises. Isaiah hears them singing, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole world is filled with His glory." Ezekiel (3:12) hears them singing, "Blessed is the LORD's glory from His place." Together they constitute the most sublime expression of prayer as praise in the presence of God.

In the morning, Kedusha is said three times at different points in the service. There is Kedushat Yotzer, which appears in the first of the three Shema blessings (page 99), Kedusha DeAmida, said here during the Leader's …