Berakhot 067

1:
The Shema, which has been the subject of our Tractate thus far, is an item of liturgy that was instituted mi-de-orayta – by the Written Torah itself. The next topic to be dealt with by Tractate Berakhot is the Amidah. Whether this item of the liturgy is mi-de-orayta 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-orayta, whereas the details (text and halakhic parameters) are mi-de-rabbanan. These super-luminaries include particularly Rif [Rabbi Yitzĥak of Fez, Morocco] and Rambam [Rabbi Moses Maimonides, Egypt]. However, the overwhelming majority of the rest of the sages 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 [Rabbi Shelomo Yitzĥaki, France, 11th century CE] and Ramban [Rabbi Moses Naĥmanides, Spain, 13th century CE].

2:
The Shema 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 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 the Deity in personal and direct communion. As our mishnah sets forth, 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 the Deity, with no "intercessors" as go-between.

3:
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 more general implication of "prayer" in general, wherever the term is used in the Mishnaic sense I shall substitute the term "Amidah". Thus even though our present mishnah refers to Tefillat ha-Shaĥar, for example, I have translated "The Morning Amidah"; and so throughout.

4:
The term "Amidah" seems to have originated among the Sefaradi 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 not so convenient now, since even the Weekday Amidah now consists of nineteen berakhot and the Amidot for holy days (Shabbat, Festivals etc) much less – usually seven berakhot only.

To be continued.

In Avot 066 I wrote: But surely there were periods and places where our halakhic tradition was the all-pervading life-style of the masses. What about East-European Jewry during the 17th and 18th centuries CE? Would they qualify?

David Kogut disagrees, and writes:

In a lecture by the late Max Dimont, he made the point that as soon as Eastern European Jewry fled the shtetl, much Jewish practice was enthusiastically abandoned. To substantiate his point he discussed ads in the Yiddish press of he day, including advertisements to productions in the Yiddish theatre – announcing the availability of tickets on dates which included Friday nights.

I respond:

I think the comment by Max Dimont referenced by David serves further to strengthen my point! East European Jewry did not flee the shtetl until after the political and social earthquake that was the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. The French Revolution began in 1789 and the Napoleonic wars did not come to an end until his final deposition in 1815. Thus it was not until the second decade of the 19th century that real demographic changes began to overtake East European Jewry with a vengeance. That is why I was very careful to suggest "East-European Jewry during the 17th and 18th centuries", and after deliberation with myself consciously excluded the 19th century. Quod erat demonstrandum.