The Amidah: The Standing Prayer

The Amidah: The Standing Prayer

The Amidah, also known as the "Standing Prayer" or "Shemoneh Esrei" (which means "Eighteen" in Hebrew, referring to the original number of blessings), is one of the central prayers in Jewish liturgy. It is recited during daily prayer services in both communal and personal settings, and it forms a key part of Jewish worship. The Amidah is often considered the heart of the Jewish prayer service and is recited while standing, signifying reverence and humility before God.

Historical Context and Background

The Amidah originated during the time of the Second Temple period (around the 5th century BC) and evolved into the form we know today after the destruction of the Temple in AD 70. The rabbis of that time, particularly the Men of the Great Assembly, formalized Jewish prayers to ensure that worship could continue without the physical Temple. The Amidah was central to this new form of worship, where prayers replaced sacrifices.

The Amidah is prayed three times a day during the weekday—morning (Shacharit), afternoon (Mincha), and evening (Ma'ariv). On Shabbat and festivals, there is a modified version of the Amidah, which focuses on the sanctity of the day.

Structure of the Amidah

The Amidah consists of nineteen blessings today (originally eighteen), divided into three sections:

Praise (The first three blessings)

Petition (The middle blessings, asking for various needs)

Thanksgiving (The final three blessings)

1. Praise (Avot, Gevurot, Kedushat HaShem)

The Amidah begins with three blessings that praise God:

1. Avot (Fathers): This blessing praises God as the God of the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It acknowledges God's covenant with the forefathers of Israel and His role as protector and redeemer.

Text (Excerpt): "Blessed are You, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob… who remembers the kindnesses of the fathers and brings a redeemer to their children’s children."

Key Theme: God's faithfulness to the promises He made to the patriarchs and His continual relationship with their descendants.

Reference Scripture:

Genesis 17:7: "And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you."

Exodus 3:6 "And he said, 'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God."

2. Gevurot (God’s Might): This blessing highlights God's power and His ability to control life and death. It speaks of His sustaining the living, healing the sick, and raising the dead.

Text (Excerpt): "You are mighty forever, O Lord; You give life to the dead and have great power to save. You sustain the living with kindness, revive the dead with great mercy…"

Key Theme: God's might and mercy, particularly His power to give life, heal, and provide for His people.

Reference Scripture:

Deuteronomy 32:39: "See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand."

Psalm 147:3: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

3. Kedushat HaShem (Sanctification of God's Name): This blessing sanctifies God’s name, acknowledging His holiness and the awe-inspiring nature of His presence.

Text (Excerpt): "Blessed are You, O Lord, the holy God."

Key Theme: The holiness of God and His unique, exalted nature. This prepares the worshiper to approach God in reverence.

Reference Scripture:

Isaiah 6:3: "And one called to another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!'"Leviticus 22:32: "You shall not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you."

2. Petition (Requests for Our Needs)

The middle section of the Amidah contains blessings that ask God for various personal and communal needs. These requests are for both material and spiritual needs and are most often recited during the weekday Amidah. Here are the key blessings:

4. Understanding (Binah): This blessing asks God for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

Text (Excerpt): "You graciously endow man with knowledge and teach insight to a frail mortal. Endow us graciously from Yourself with wisdom, insight, and knowledge."

Key Theme: Acknowledging that all understanding and wisdom come from God.

Reference Scripture:

Proverbs 2:6: "For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding."James 1:5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him."

5. Repentance (Teshuvah): This blessing calls for God’s help in returning to Him in repentance.

Text (Excerpt): "Bring us back, our Father, to Your Torah, and draw us near, our King, to Your service. Cause us to return to You in complete repentance."

Key Theme: Turning back to God in repentance and asking for His help in doing so.

Reference Scripture:

Joel 2:12-13: "‘Yet even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.’ Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love."Lamentations 5:21: "Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old."

6. Forgiveness (Selichah): In this blessing, the worshiper seeks forgiveness for sins.

Text (Excerpt): "Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, our King, for we have willfully transgressed."

Key Theme: God’s mercy in forgiving sins and providing atonement.

Reference Scripture:

Psalm 130:4: "But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared."Daniel 9:9: "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him."

7. Redemption (Geulah): This blessing requests personal and national redemption.

Text (Excerpt): "Look upon our affliction and plead our cause, and redeem us speedily for Your Name’s sake."

Key Theme: A plea for God’s intervention in redeeming His people from suffering.

Reference Scripture:

Isaiah 43:1: "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.'"Psalm 25:22: "Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles."

8. Healing (Refuah): This prayer seeks healing for the sick.

Text (Excerpt): "Heal us, O Lord, and we shall be healed; save us and we shall be saved."

Key Theme: God’s power to heal and restore physical and spiritual health.

Reference Scripture:

Jeremiah 17:14: "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise."Psalm 103:2-3: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases."

9. Blessing for Prosperity (Birkat HaShanim): This blessing asks for a prosperous year, good crops, and material blessings.

Text (Excerpt): "Bless for us, O Lord our God, this year and all its crops for good, and bestow dew and rain for a blessing."

Key Theme: God as the source of material blessings and sustenance.

Reference Scripture:

Deuteronomy 28:12: "The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands."Psalm 65:9-10: "You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it."

10. Gathering of Exiles (Kibbutz Galuyot): This blessing asks for the ingathering of the Jewish people from exile.

Text (Excerpt): "Sound the great shofar for our freedom, raise the banner to gather our exiles."

Key Theme: The hope for the full restoration and return of all Jews to their homeland.

Reference Scripture:

Isaiah 11:12: "He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."Jeremiah 23:3: "Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply."

11. Justice (Din): This blessing calls for God’s judgment and the restoration of justice.

Text (Excerpt): "Restore our judges as in earlier times… and reign over us, You alone, with kindness and compassion."

Key Theme: God's righteous judgment and desire for justice on Earth.

Reference Scripture:

Isaiah 1:26: "And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city."Amos 5:24: "But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."

12. Against Enemies (Birkat HaMinim): This blessing seeks protection from enemies and those who oppose God’s will.

Text (Excerpt): "May You swiftly uproot, smash, cast down, and humble the wanton sinners."

Key Theme: Requesting divine justice against those who seek to harm Israel or disrupt God’s purposes.

Reference Scripture:

Psalm 3:7: "Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked."

Deuteronomy 32:35: "Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip."

13. The Righteous (Tzadikim): This blessing asks for God’s blessing and support for the righteous and pious people of Israel.

Text (Excerpt): "On the righteous, the pious, the elders of Your people… grant abundant mercy."

Key Theme: God’s care for the righteous and faithful among His people.

Reference Scripture:

Psalm 34:15: "The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry."

Isaiah 3:10: "Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds."

14. Rebuilding Jerusalem (Boneh Yerushalayim): This blessing requests the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the restoration of God’s presence there.

Text (Excerpt): "Rebuild Jerusalem, the holy city, speedily in our days."

Key Theme: The ultimate redemption of Israel and the centrality of Jerusalem in God's plan.

Reference Scripture:

Psalm 147:2: "The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel."Isaiah 62:7: "And give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth."

15. The Davidic Reign (Malchut Beit David): This prayer asks for the restoration of the Davidic monarchy and the coming of the Messiah.

Text (Excerpt): "Speedily cause the offspring of Your servant David to flourish… for Your salvation we hope every day."

Key Theme: Messianic hope and the fulfillment of God’s promises through the Davidic line.

Reference Scripture:

Jeremiah 23:5: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land."

Isaiah 9:7: "Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore."

16. Acceptance of Prayer (Shema Koleinu): This blessing asks that God hear and accept the prayers of the people.

Text (Excerpt): "Hear our voice, Lord our God… accept our prayers with mercy and favor."

Key Theme: Petitioning God to be attentive to our prayers.

Reference Scripture:

Psalm 102:17: "He will regard the prayer of the destitute and will not despise their prayer."

1 Kings 8:49: "Then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause."

3. Thanksgiving (Hoda’ah, Modim, Sim Shalom)

The Amidah concludes with three blessings that express gratitude and thanksgiving:

17. Service (Avodah): This blessing asks God to restore the Temple service and accept our worship.

Text (Excerpt): "Be favorable, O Lord, our God, toward Your people Israel and their prayer, and restore the service to the Holy of Holies of Your Temple."

Key Theme: The restoration of the Temple service and God’s acceptance of worship.

Reference Scripture:

Ezekiel 37:26-27: "I will make a covenant of peace with them… and I will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."Psalm 51:19: "Then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings."

18. Thanksgiving (Modim): This blessing expresses gratitude to God for His goodness and mercy.

Text (Excerpt): "We thank You, for You are the Lord our God and God of our fathers forever and ever."

Key Theme: Gratitude for God’s ongoing mercy and providence.

Reference Scripture:

Psalm 107:1: "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!"1 Chronicles 16:34: "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!"

19. Peace (Sim Shalom): The final blessing asks for peace, goodness, and blessing.

Text (Excerpt): "Grant peace, goodness, blessing, grace, kindness, and mercy upon us and upon all Israel."

Key Theme: The pursuit of peace, which encompasses both personal peace and peace for the entire nation of Israel.

Reference Scripture:

Psalm 29:11: "May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!"Numbers 6:24-26: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."

Practical Significance

The Amidah is a personal and communal conversation with God, connecting the worshiper with God in a deep and reflective manner. Standing with feet together, facing Jerusalem, the prayer is recited silently or aloud (in communal settings) as a sign of respect and humility. The structure covers every aspect of life—acknowledging God’s greatness, presenting human needs, and offering gratitude for His provision and protection.

Conclusion

The Amidah is more than a prayer—it is an intimate, structured dialogue between the worshiper and God, covering praise, petition, and thanksgiving. It has served as the heart of Jewish worship for centuries, and its message of reliance on God, repentance, and hope for redemption continues to shape Jewish faith and practice to this day.