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

On Yom Tov (including one that falls on Shabbat) recite the fitting Amida on page 816.

עמידה

THE AMIDA

The following prayer, until “in former years” on page 420, is recited in silence, standing with feet together. Advance three steps and at the points indicated by ▼, at the first word bend the knees, at the second bow, and stand erect 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 יְהֹוָה, 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:

On Shabbat Shuva:

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 יְהֹוָה, מָגֵן אַבְרָהָם.

Israeli

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

Commentary

… evening, we think of the birth of time; in the morning, of historical time, the remembered past and the living present; and in the afternoon, of the culmination of time, and the World to Come of which Shabbat is the foretaste. Shabbat becomes a journey through the three phases of faith: God’s creation of the universe, His self-revelation to humanity, and His redemptive acts – collectively summoning us to build a world at peace with itself because it is at peace with God.

Another interpretation sees in the three stages of Shabbat the three parts of a wedding: first betrothal, kiddushin; then the marriage itself, symbolized by joy; then yihud, the coming together of the bride and groom (Abudarham). This idea, reflected in the language of the Amida, accords with the mystical understanding of Shabbat as a bride, and the day itself as a marriage of heaven and earth.

THE FRIDAY NIGHT AMIDA …

On Shabbat and Yom Tov, the Amida, the “standing prayer,” consists not of nineteen but seven blessings (in Musaf of Rosh HaShana, nine). The first and last three are, with minor variations, the same throughout the year. The seventh (middle) blessing is dedicated to the special “sanctity of the day.” Uniquely on Shabbat, this blessing is different for each of the three services; evening, morning and afternoon (the Musaf prayer is in a category of its own). The quality of time on Shabbat is different from other days: like a symphony, it has several movements.

On Friday evening, we speak of the Shabbat of creation; in the morning, of the Shabbat of revelation, as it was commanded on Mount Sinai; and in the afternoon, we look forward to the Shabbat of redemption. Thus in the …