Tefillah 050

Today's shiur is dedicated by Jay Slater and Ellen Goldmuntz
in honour of the wedding of their daughter
Sara Rose Slater to Nicholas Alexander Block.
The wedding took place yesterday, 1 July 2007, 15 Tamuz 5767.

Mazzal Tov!

1:
With the completion of the Recitation of Shema and its benedictions the service continues immediately with the recitation of the Amidah [Siddur Sim Shalom page 115; Siddur Va'ani Tefillati page 344]. The word 'immediately' here is to be understood literally: there should be no pause at all between the conclusion of the Ge'ulah benediction of the Shema and the commencement of the Amidah. The Gemara [Berakhot 42a] says Tekef li-Ge'ulah Tefillah, the Tefillah – Amidah – must come immediately after the Ge'ulah benediction. The great Amora of Eretz-Israel, Rabbi Yoĥanan, stipulates that the first benediction of the Amidah should be preceded by the biblical verse [Psalm 51:17] "Open my lips, O God, and my mouth will declare Your praise," and the Gemara [Berakhot 4b] has to give a special dispensation for the intrusion of this verse: since it has become an accepted addition to the Amidah it must now be considered to be an intrinsic part of that prayer. (Rabbi Yoĥanan also added another verse to conclude the Amidah: "May the words of my mouth and the prayer of my heart be acceptable to You, God, my rock and my redeemer" [Psalm 19:15].)

2:
The Shema, which was the previous subject of our study , is an item of liturgy that was instituted mi-de-oraita – by the Written Torah itself. Whether or not the present subject of our study, the Amidah, is mi-de-oraita or mi-de-rabbanan [instituted by the rabbis] is a moot point. Great luminaries of the North African school in 11th – 12th centuries CE were of the opinion that the concept of prayer was instituted mi-de-oraita, whereas the details (text and halakhic parameters) are mi-de-rabbanan. These super-luminaries include particularly Rif [Rabbi Yitzĥak of Fez, Morocco] and Rambam. However, the overwhelming majority of the rest of the poskim [decisors] are of the opinion that the whole is of human origin: concept, text and halakhic parameters are all mi-de-rabbanan. The super-luminaries of this majority group are led by Rashi and Ramban.

3:
The Shema, as we have pointed out several times, is essentially a declaration of religious ideology, setting forth our essential beliefs about the existence and unity of God, major duties such as Tefillin, Mezuzzah and Tzitzit, the concept of our responsibility and accountability for our actions and the informative event of our history, the Exodus from Egypt. The Amidah, however, is essentially a response to the human need to worship. It is, to use the words of Rashi and Ramban, "a plea for mercy". The Amidah expresses our basic "wants" – as a nation and as individuals. Furthermore, the Amidah represents that supreme moment when every adult Jew stands (literally) before God in personal and direct communion: three times every day (four times on Shabbat, Festivals and Rosh Ĥodesh [New-Moon]; five times on Yom Kippur) we stand boldly to address our worship directly to God, with no "intercessors" as go-between.

4:
The term used by the sages of the Mishnah and Talmud to indicate this item of the liturgy is Tefillah, the Prayer. Since this term is a homonym, and in later Hebrew usage, takes on the implication of "prayer" in general, we usually substitute the term Amidah, which seems to have originated among the Sefardi sections of Jewry. It indicates that item of our liturgy which must be recited "standing", and thus serves as a convenient indicator of this liturgical piece exclusively. Another term often used to indicate the same item is Shemonah-Esreh. This term means "the Eighteen", which refers to the fact that originally the Weekday Amidah consisted of Eighteen separate berakhot. The term is no longer so convenient, since even the Weekday Amidah now consists of nineteen berakhot and the Amidah for holy days (Shabbat, Festivals etc) much less – usually seven berakhot only. Since our present study relates to the Shabbat service we shall use the term Amidah throughout as being the most apropriate.

5:
The Shabbat Amidah consists of three major sections. The first contains three berakhot whose content is unchanging. The third also contains three berakhot whose content is unchanging. It is the middle section of each Amidah that changes. While on ordinary weekdays this middle section consists of thirteen separate berakhot on Shabbat (and Festivals) it consists of one berakhah only.

6:
As already noted, when reciting the Amidah we are required to stand throughout, feet together, eyes closed (or glued to the text) and to permit no distraction whatsoever. Some stand still with straight back and head bent while others shokkel – shaking their bodies backwards and forwards in a rocking movement in an attempt to fulfill the words of the Psalmist "all my bones utter" my words of worship [Psalm 35:10]. Both these stances are recognized by halakhah and the individual worshipper will choose that which best suits his or her personality. However, at the beginning and end of the first berakhah of the Amidah there is a uniform requirement. As we say the Hebrew word Barukh we must bend the knees; as we proceed to the word Attah we must also bend the back forwards in a deep bow; and as we then say the word Adonai we must resume a completely upright posture before continuing with the rest of the text. This same behaviour is repeated when we reach the berakhah which concludes that paragraph.

7:
To recapitulate: the first section of the Amidah consists of three berakhot. These berakhot are laudatory in character, based upon the rabbinic idea that the worshipper is actually 'having an audience' of God. When we wish to make requests of a higher power we customarily preface our requests with words of laudatory greeting. So it is with this first section of the Amidah.

8:
Next time we shall, God willing, discuss in detail the first benediction of the Shabbat Morning Amidah.