AMIDA: The basic 3.6.6.1.3 structure

The ‘amida is the most important prayer. It was composed by anshe keneset hagedola, the Men of the Great Assembly during the Fifth century BCE. The words of ‘amida are extremely significant, second in their importance only to the words of the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible). The text of the ‘amida was also formulated in a very precise and sophisticated structure, as follows.
The ‘amida contains 19 berakhot, or blessings, each blessing is dedicated to one theme. The 19 blessings are divided in 3 sections. 
(3) The first section, “Praise”, contains 3 berakhot. In this section we are not asking, nor soliciting anything from God. We begin this prayer by praising Him, declaring that we are aware that He protects us, as He shielded our ancestors. We also acknowledge that our physical survival is entirely dependent on His benevolence (hesed, rahamim). 
(6.6.1) The second section, “Requests” contains 13 blessings. In these blessings we ask God to fulfill our needs. The first 6 blessings of this section we focus on our basic personal needs. We ask God to give us wisdom, health, a decent livelihood, etc.   The next 6 berakhot focus on our national aspirations. We ask God to bring to fruition, soon in our days, redemption (=coming back to Erets Israel), having the right political leaders, re-building Yerushalayim, etc. The last berakha of this section, shome’a tefila, contains a general and comprehensive request. We ask God to listen to all our previous pleads. At the same time, because this berakha does not focus on any specific theme, it allows us to beseech God for any particular requests that might not have been covered in the previous berakhot (for example: finding the right wife/husband, having children, etc.).
(3) The Third section, “Gratitude”, contains 3 blessings:  The middle blessing of this section, Modim, is a prayer of gratitude to HaShem. In the blessing that precedes Modim, we ask God to restore the conditions which will allow us to worship Him once again in His Temple with prayers and sacrifices. Finally, in the 19th and last berakha, we ask HaShem to bless Israel with peace. We end the ‘amida asking for peace, “shalom” because peace is the Jewish people’s highest aspiration, personally and nationally, and the most encompassing of all of God’s blessings.


Understanding the Amida (2nd Berakha)

The second berakha (blessing) of the Amida, is called Geburot (God’s powers). This blessing describes God’s infinite (leolam) might, which He employs to nurture, support those who fell, cure the sick, deliver captives, make rain descend, etc.

God’s might is about blessings, not destruction. Teaching us too, how to use our own powers to help.

The highest point of God’s power mentioned in this berakha (3 times) is techiat hametim, ‘the resurrection of the dead’.

Resurrection (do not confuse with ‘reincarnation’!) is a core belief in Judaism which affirms that at some time in the future, God will bring life back to the dead.

techiat hametim defeats all physical and biological laws known to us.

Even today, 2010, when humans have decoded the DNA, no scientist can create life from atoms in a lab, even though they assert life appeared ‘randomly’ millions of years ago…Creation of life is God’s exclusive power.

techiat hametim in a sense, parallels ‘Creation’. The ‘living soul’ (nefesh chaya, in Bereshit, a.k.a. 21 grams) is not a chemical but a ‘divine’ entity.

To understand the essence of techiat hametim think of a modern scientist provided with the legs, head, wings and body of a simple fruit fly. Can he assemble a living fruit fly in a lab?

Make it simpler: we give the scientist a fruit fly which died 1 minute ago of natural causes. Every part of its body is still in its right place. Could the scientist make it fly even for one minute?  Can a human recreate, not the body, but  just one minute ofautonomous life in a laboratory?

That is techiat hametim.  haShem’s exclusive power.



Understanding the 1st berakha of the Amida

The first berakha of the Amida is known as ‘abot‘ (ancestors) and it refers to God’s protection of the Jewish people.   In this berakha we don’t ask for protection: we praise God stating that our miraculous survival as Jews, is due to His eternal divine protection.

We mention that haShem Almighty protected Abraham, Ytzchak and Yaakov (E-lohe Abraham, etc). We also describe with a few words what we can ‘humanly’ grasp of God’s protective power (hagadol, hagibbor, etc.),  a power that God uses to bestow kindness (gomel chasadim tobim).

We state that because of the merit of our ancestors (zokher chasde abot), God grants us His present and future salvation (umebi go’el). God protects us because He so promised (lema’an shemo)our ancestors, and because He loves us (beahaba). To understand these last concepts you must read the Pasuk Debarim 7, 7.

Finally we state that God is our King (melekh), but a special kind of king: not the king that demands for his own sake, but a King ready to help when we ask (ozer) and to rescue us when we are in trouble (moshi’a) and a king who covers us with His invisible shield (magen) against harms and hazards we are not aware of.

Magen is indeed the highest level of divine protection.

The protection responsible for the survival of the Jewish people since the time of Abraham Abinu (baruckh ata hasem magen Abraham).



Kavana: Understanding the meaning

29th of Nisan, 5770. Today is the 14th day of Omer

When saying the Amida, we should delve into the meaning of every word. This mental exercise is called Kavana: consciousness / alertness. Distractions or even having a blank mind is not accepted. Kavana is required at the time of prayer and it’s mandatory in the first Berakha of the Amida.ELOKIM is one of the names of God. It is actually the first name to appear in the Torah. The closest English word to define ELOKIM will be “Almighty”. The Kuzari, written by rabbi Yehuda haLevy, explains that the word ELOKIM is written in the plural form, not to suggest that there is more than one God but to manifest that God Almighty encompasses all the powers. There is no force in the universe which is not under His control.

ELOKIM is also the way we refer to God when we want to express our perception of God acting with strict justice, (Middat haDin) in opposition to compassion. When God creates the world (nature, Bereshit chapter 1) the Torah uses the name ELOKIM, because nature is not compassionate. It’s ruled by mechanical laws like, sicknesses, death and the survival of the fittest.

But when the Torah focuses on the Creation of man (Bereshit chapter 2) the Torah uses HASHEM ELOKIM which suggests “nature” combined with “compassion”. In regards to human beings, God sometimes judges us or humanity with strict justice but we always pray to Him to be judged with compassion, consideration and patience.



Preparing ourselves to stand in front of God

Today is the 27th day of Shebat , 5771

 

The Amida or Shemona-Esre –also known in our community as lachash– is the most important prayer. It is said every day, three times a day, morning, afternoon, and evening.

When we pray the Amida we are talking directly to God.

There is nothing more meaningful in life that communicating with our Creator.

We should not start praying the Amida unprepared or unfocused. The Amida requires ‘Kobed Rosh’, a serious effort of concentration.

‘Amida’ means ‘standing’.

In preparation for the Amida we must visualize and internalize that we are standing in front of the King of Kings.

In the Jewish protocol a servant stands in front of his King, firmed, with his feet together and bowing down his head a little, in signal of submission.

Strictly speaking, Amida means: “Standing at Your service/waiting for Your command”. For this very reason, many Sephardic Jews would recite the Amida by heart, with their eyes closed, with their hands together on the middle of the chest, the right hand holding the left closed fist.

If you don’t know the Amida by heart, you should obviously read it normally from the Siddur.

The Amida should be ‘said’, articulating the words. Articulation -among other things- facilitates a better concentration.

The Amida is said ‘quietly’ (that is the meaning of the word lachash) so low no one else could hear your words, and loud enough you could hear your own whispering.

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Rabbi Yosef Bitton. YMJC | 130 Steamboat Rd. | Great Neck | NY | 11024