AMIDA (Berakha 04), the miracle of intelligent life
Ata honen la-adam da'at..., You grant humans wisdom...
This berakha inaugurates the second section of the 'amida, "Request" (baqasha), the blessings in which we ask God...
AMIDA (Berakha 03), the limits of our understanding
The third blessing of the 'amida is also the shortest one. In this berakha we state that HaShem is "qadosh"; and that so is...
AMIDA (Berakha 02) God’s powers and Evolution theory
The second berakha (=blessing) of the 'amida is called geburot, "God's powers".
This blessing asserts, in the first place, that God is Omnipotent (Atta gibbor...
Rabbi David Messer Leon (1470-1526)
Rabbi David ben Yehuda Messer-Leon (דוד מיסיר-ליאון) was born in Venice, Italy, 1470. He was educated at Naples in the school of his father...
AMIDA (Berakha 01). God, our protector
The 'amida consists of nineteen blessings, or short prayers which end with a blessing. The first blessing of the Amida is called "Abot", which...
AMIDA: God, open my lips….
ה' שפתי תפתח ופי יגיד תהִלתך
Before we begin the 'amida, we recite a very special verse from the book of Psalms, (51:15) "God, open...
Rabbi Ya’aqob Berab (1474-1546) and the renewal of Rabbinic ordination
Rabbi Ya'aqob Berab was born in the town of Maqueda, near Toledo, Spain, in 1474. His teacher was the celebrated rabbi Isaac Abohab, Gaon...
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...
AMIDA: The after effects of the ‘Amida
Last week we explained that prayer, particularly the 'amida, requires kavana, the proper state of mind. When praying the 'amida we don't allow mundane...
TEFILA: The basics of the ‘amida
The 'amida or Shemona-Esre --also called by our Rabbis "Tefila"-- is the most important prayer. It is said every day, three times a day,...
