Berakhot 069

6:
The Morning [Shaĥarit] Amidah must follow immediately upon the last berakhah of the recitation of the Shema with no interruption. We have already seen that there was a custom to co-ordinate the recitation of these two liturgical pieces so that the recitation of the Amidah would commence exactly at sunrise ["ke-vatikin"]. (See Berakhot 022.) In order to remind worshippers that they should not permit any interruption at this point (even to answer Amen to the Cantor's berakhah Ga'al Yisra'el), the custom grew up of having the Cantor end this berakhah in an undertone. This should not be taken to extremes: the end of the berakhah must still be heard by the congregation! (Many less knowledgeable leaders of the service drop their voice before other recitations of the Amidah – Mussaf or Minchah – where this custom is quite inappropriate.)

7:
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 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 this 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 at the end of this paragraph. (By the way, my use of the Hebrew text here should not be misinterpreted: the Mishnah [Sotah 7:10] includes the Amidah in the list of liturgical items that may be recited in any language – any language that is that the worshipper understands. Please see Berakhot 053 for a previous discussion on this matter.)

8:
The first sub-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 sub-section of the Amidah.

9:
The first berakhah is given the title Avot, which may best be rendered in context as "First Parents". In the book of Genesis the patriarchs are given specific promises concerning the impending slavery in Egypt and the ultimate redemption therefrom. This first berakhah hails God as our Deity by spiritual inheritance from these "first parents", and as One whose essential beneficence is historically demonstrated in the redemption of the assurance given to the First Parents by sending the Liberator, Moses, to their descendants. I know that this interpretation of the berakhah will seem novel to those participants who have prior knowledge, but let me assure you that it is not a personal interpretation, but one naturally assumed by many scholars (Rabbi Adin Steinzaltz, for example, in his two-volume work on Jewish ritual). It must have been Israel's later suffering in prolonged exile that subtilty shifted the meaning from the Moses the Liberator to an ultimate Messianic Saviour. (My interpretation of the text also preserves its essentially historical ambience.)

10:
We have already noted on a few occasions that the Talmudic era saw a decided sociological shift in disfavour of women. (The late Rabbi Theodore Friedman wrote a superb monograph on this topic which attributes this shift to Hellenistic influence. To those interested in further reading on this topic I can heartily recommend his article: "The shifting role of women from the Bible to the Talmud", first published in Judaism, Vol. 36, No.4, Fall 1987.) Very many modern Conservative congregations have of late taken active steps to begin to remedy this centuries-old bias which disfavoured the spiritual stature and contribution of the other 50% of the First Parents: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah (actually nearer 60%). These congregations give the First Mothers their rightful place next to the First Fathers in this first berakhah of the Amidah – not only ideologically but textually as well.