Amida

Amidah

עמידה

Visible layers

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

עמידה

THE AMIDA

The following prayer, until “in former years” on page 420, is said silently, standing with feet together. Take three steps forward and 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 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:

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 and creates all, who remembers the loving-kindness of the fathers and will bring and will bring a Redeemer to their children’s children for the sake of His name, in love.

On Shabbat Shuva:

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 יְהֹוָה, 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

… 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 …