General background
The Shemoneh Esrei prayer is considered both the backbone and the pinnacle of the prayer services. The text of the prayer was formulated by the Men of the Great Assembly during the era of the Second Temple. It is also known as the Amidah, the Hebrew word for “standing,” because it is required to be recited while standing. The name “Shemoneh Esrei” is the Hebrew name for the number 18; the prayer is known by this name because it originally consisted of eighteen blessings. After the destruction of the Second Temple, a nineteenth blessing—the “blessing against heretics”—was added, but the prayer retained its original name. Thus, even though it now consists of nineteen blessings, we still refer to it by its original name: the Shemoneh Esrei prayer.
The Shemoneh Esrei is the central focus of all three daily prayer services—Shacharit, Minchah, and Maariv.
The fourth stage of prayer
The order of the Shacharit prayers consists of a logical progression, stage by stage. It can be compared to a tall ladder resting on the ground and stretching up to the very heavens. The purpose of prayer is to forge a bond of love and awe between us and our Creator; every element of the prayers represents another “rung” on the ladder, an additional step toward establishing that Divine connection.
If we delineate the progression of the prayers until the Shemoneh Esrei, we can divide them into four main sections, with the Shemoneh Esrei itself occupying the fourth and most central position:
- The Morning Blessings and introductory paragraphs. After we arise in the morning, we renew our bond with our Creator. We give thanks to Him for returning our souls and equipping us today—and every day—with a healthy body and functioning senses. We thank Him for giving us the privilege of being His chosen people and receiving the Torah, we make mention of the merits of our forefathers and the incident of the Binding of Isaac, and we study the passages pertaining to the sacrificial service in the Temple.
- Pesukei Dezimrah. After forging our initial connection with G-d, we continue to draw close to Him, so to speak. Before we can make any requests for our personal needs, we recite a series of chapters of Psalms filled with words of praise, extolling G-d for His infinite greatness, the beauty of His creation, and His might and strength. We go on to give thanks to Him for the kindness He demonstrates in His running of the world, and we describe the utter insignificance of heaven and earth in comparison to Him, as well as His individualized Providence over every creature.
- The Shema. Once we have awakened and refreshed our hearts, we can experience the feelings of love for G-d, Who exerts absolute control over our lives and showers us with kindness at every moment. Now is the time for us to express our submission to His Kingship. We declare our wholehearted belief and faith in Him and announce our commitment to observe all of His commandments. This acceptance of G-d’s sovereignty finds its expression in the recitation of the Shema and the various passages it contains.
- The Shemoneh Esrei. At the culmination of this progression, we arrive at the main part of the prayer services, in which we permit ourselves to approach G-d, humbly and submissively, and beseech our Father in Heaven to provide our needs and grant our requests.
Kavanah—Mental Intent
As we have indicated, Shemoneh Esrei is the centerpiece of our prayers, the primary component of every prayer service. Since the institution of prayer is, first and foremost, an encounter with G-d, it is naturally incumbent on us to conduct ourselves with the same level of decorum and respect that we would demonstrate when meeting with an important dignitary such as a king, a president, or a prime minister.
Before Shemoneh Esrei, one should make every effort to erase all mundane matters from his mind and remove the unimportant thoughts that tend to wander through one’s consciousness. The prayer should be recited with the utmost focus and concentration. One should focus on every paragraph and pay attention to the meaning of every word. It is certainly not appropriate to mumble or slur the prayers, or to recite the words by rote without paying attention to them. After all, the Shemoneh Esrei represents a personal meeting, so to speak, with the Master of the Universe, Who is aware even of our innermost thoughts!
Which direction to face
Wherever we pray, we are required to face the location of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. It is not necessary, however, to bring a compass and a map to a synagogue in order to ascertain the direction to face. Every synagogue in Israel is built in such a way that the congregation is automatically facing Jerusalem, and synagogues in other lands are built facing the Land of Israel. Therefore, while praying in a synagogue, one should pray facing the Ark and the eastern wall, both of which are positioned facing Jerusalem.
Question: My work requires me to travel by plane frequently. What direction should I face while praying on a plane?
Answer: If you cannot determine the direction of Jerusalem, you can pray facing any direction you desire. Do not forget that the most important aspect of prayer is the focus of your heart. Even if you cannot be certain that your body is facing in the appropriate direction, you should see to it that your heart is “aligned” properly— toward your Father in Heaven.
Due to the great importance of the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, our Sages instituted a number of modes of behavior that we are required to adopt during this prayer.
Before Shemoneh Esrei
- Before beginning the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, we are required to make sure that we are not holding anything in our hands that might interfere with our concentration during the prayer, such as a cellular phone, a wallet, car keys, and the like. One should place any such objects in a safe place and begin Shemoneh Esrei with a clear head.
- One should not recite the Shemoneh Esrei while facing a picture, a mirror, or anything else that might disturb his concentration in the middle of the prayer.
During the prayer
- Shemoneh Esrei should be recited while standing with both feet together. One should not move at all, and certainly not walk around, during the prayer.
- One should stand during Shemoneh Esrei with one’s head bowed slightly down. (The heart, on the other hand, should “face” upward—toward Heaven.)
- The Shemoneh Esrei should be recited in a whisper in order not to disturb the concentration of others. There is no need to raise your voice; G-d hears even the softest prayers.
- One should not yawn or burp during the Shemoneh Esrei. If it is impossible to refrain from doing so, one should place a hand over one’s mouth.
The order of the Shemoneh Esrei
The Shemoneh Esrei consists of three sections:
- Blessings of praise – the first three blessings, which discuss the praises of G-d and His sanctity.
- Requests – the thirteen middle blessings, which consist of requests of both a personal and general nature.
- Blessings of thanksgiving – the final three blessings, on the subjects of hope, gratitude, and peace.
- Before beginning the Shemoneh Esrei, one should take three steps backward, followed by another three steps forward to return to his previous spot. These three steps symbolize a reverent approach to our “meeting” with G-d.
We begin the Shemoneh Esrei prayer with the words, “Gd, open my lips, and let my mouth speak Your praise.” This is a prayer for G-d to help us pray to Him properly.
We will now present a brief overview of every individual blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei, along with the proper conduct during each blessing.
The three blessings of Praise
- We begin with the Blessing of the Forefathers, which describes our distinguished family tree and links us back to our revered Patriarchs. In this way, we make the point that we are not mere strangers approaching G-d to ask for our needs; rather, we are the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our illustrious forebears, who made great sacrifices for G-d’s sake.
This blessing begins with the traditional formula of “Blessed are You” and concludes by describing G-d as the “Shield of Abraham.”
- While reciting the words “Baruch atah–Blessed are You” both at the beginning and at the end of this blessing, one should bend the knees at the word “baruch—blessed” and bow forward at word “atah—You” until one feels slight movement in the vertebrae of the spine.
- At G-d’s Name, one should straighten up slowly, lifting the head first and then straightening the rest of the body.
- The second blessing is known as the Blessing of Might. We praise G-d for endowing us with the ability to live, and we assert that He is the only Power capable of resurrecting the dead. Restoring life to the deceased is a true expression of might that transcends the laws of nature. This blessing also contains a reference, which varies based on the season, to the fact that G-d holds the “key” to rainfall and controls the rain, wind, and dew. During the summer season, we recite the words “He Who brings down dew,” while the wintertime version is, “He Who causes the wind to blow and brings down rain.”
- The blessing begins with the words “You are mighty” and concludes by describing G-d as “He Who resurrects the dead.”
- The third blessing is called the Blessing of Sanctity, and as its name indicates, it describes the sanctity of G-d. On a deeper level, the Hebrew word kadosh, “sacred,” indicates someone or something that is separate and apart. Thus, there is a hidden message of sorts in this blessing: Regardless of how much we succeed in “coming close” to G-d, as it were, He and His Name will always remain sacred and utterly removed from us.
The blessing begins with the words “You are holy” and concludes by describing G-d as “the holy G-d.”
The thirteen blessings of Supplication
- Intelligence: The first request that we make in the Shemoneh Esrei is for wisdom and intelligence. Why is this the first request we make of G-d? In all likelihood, the reason is that the very act of praying and petitioning G-d for our needs requires wisdom in order for the petitioner to know what to ask for.
- Repentance: In the second blessing, we ask G-d to help us fully repent and reconnect with Him. We beseech Him to “bring us closer” to the observance of His commandments and the study of His Torah.
- Forgiveness: We ask G-d to pardon us, in His great kindness, for all of our sins and misdeeds, and we thank Him for the fact that He can forgive wholeheartedly time after time.
- On days when Tachanun is recited, it is customary to form a fist with the right hand and strike the left side of the chest at the words “chatanu—we have sinned” and “pashanu—we have been rebellious.”
- Redemption: We ask G-d to look upon our centuries of suffering in exile and quickly extricate us from all of our troubles.
- Healing: We ask G-d to bestow good health upon anyone who is ailing or injured.
- Sustenance: In this blessing, we beseech G-d to bless the current year with the quantities of precipitation needed for our fields to produce all the crops that are needed, leading to a flow of sustenance for the entire Jewish people. The text of this blessing also varies in accordance with the season. During the summer months, we recite, “Place a blessing upon the land,” but during the winter months, that phrase is replaced with the words, “Place dew and rain for a blessing upon the land.”
- Ingathering of exiles: At the time of our ultimate Redemption, the entire Jewish people will be gathered from across the globe and brought to the Land of Israel. We ask G-d to bring the Messiah and gather the scatted members of our nation together in our Holy Land.
- Judgment: At the time of the Redemption, the court system will be run in accordance with G-d’s laws. Consequently, every ruling will be absolutely true and just. In this blessing, we ask G-d to restore the judicial system that existed during the Temple era and to be a King Who treats His subjects with kindness and compassion.
- Blessing Against Heretics: This blessing was added to the Shemoneh Esrei at a later date, bringing the total number of blessings to nineteen. It was composed in response to the development of various heretic sects who attempted to interfere with the traditional Jewish way of life. The blessing asks G-d to eradicate these harmful spirits from our midst.
- Blessing for the Righteous: This blessing asks G-d to elevate the status of the righteous members of the Jewish people—the pious, the devout, and the converts who joined the nation at great personal cost—with the hope that we will also be able to count ourselves among those who are truly righteous.
- Jerusalem: This blessing is dedicated to the true “city of lights”—the holy city of Jerusalem. We ask G-d to rebuild the city and the Temple within it and to “return” to Jerusalem, dwell in its midst, and restore the Davidic dynasty.
- The Horn of Salvation: We ask G-d to cause the Kingdom of David to “sprout” once again by bringing the Messiah soon, perhaps as a reward for our intense longing for his coming.
- He Who Hears our Prayers: We conclude this section of the Shemoneh Esrei with a general prayer to G-d to have compassion on us, accept our prayers, and grant our requests. We express our confidence that our prayers always have an effect, that G-d listens to them, accepts them, and grants us everything that we pray for.
The three concluding blessings
- The Temple Service: In this blessing, we beseech G-d to accept our prayers willingly and to answer them, and we beg Him to rebuild the Temple so that we can return to it and perform the sacrificial services just as we did in ancient times. We conclude the blessing by expressing our powerful hope that we will have the privilege of witnessing the building of the Third Temple in our own lifetimes, with our own eyes.
- Thanksgiving: This is a blessing of thanks to G-d for our lives, which are in His hands, and for all the “hidden miracles” that He performs for us every day—morning, afternoon, and night. We express our gratitude to G-d for His endless compassion, which is never exhausted. The blessing concludes with the words, “Blessed are You, G-d, Whose name is good and it is pleasant to thank You.”
- At the beginning of the blessing, one should bend one’s head and body forward and remain bowing until one reaches G-d’s Name, at which point one should straighten up.
- One should also bend one’s knees and bow at the end of the blessing, as follows: At the word “baruch—blessed,” the knees should be bent. At the word “atah—You,” one should bow forward until feeling a slight movement in the vertebrae of the spine. At the next word—G-d’s Name— one should lift one’s head and then straighten one’s body, rising to a full standing position.
- Peace: We often find that the last item in a series is the most precious or valued of that series. The last blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei asks G-d to bring about true peace, to help His people live in true unity, and to bless the Jewish nation at every moment.
Concluding paragraph
Concluding Paragraph: “My G-d, Guard My Tongue”
The concluding paragraph of the Shemoneh Esrei is a plea for G-d to help us overcome the temptation to gossip and engage in the sin of “evil speech.” We also ask G-d to open our hearts to the study of the Torah and the observance of His commandments, and to block any negative thoughts that other people may have about us.
Both before and after this concluding paragraph, we recite the verse, “May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart find favor before You, G-d, my Rock and my Redeemer.” This verse is a request for G-d to accept both the spoken prayers that we have just uttered and the requests that we were not bold enough to verbalize but were nevertheless present in our minds.
- Before the second recitation of this phrase, it is customary to recite a Biblical verse corresponding to one’s name. The verse for each person’s name begins and ends with the letters that begin and end the name.
Question: My name is Shmuel. What verse should I recite?
Answer: The name Shmuel begins with the Hebrew letter shin and ends with the letter lamed. The verse that corresponds to this name is, “May there be much peace for those who love Your Torah, and may no obstacles befall them.” A complete list of names and their corresponding verses appears on our website: www.yahaduton.com.
As the conclusion of the Shemoneh Esrei prayer approaches, we utter a brief yet highly meaningful prayer: “The One Who makes peace in the heavens, may He place peace upon us and all of Israel, and say Amen.”
Before reciting these words, one should bow forward and take three steps backward, while bowing, beginning with the left foot as a sign of reluctance to depart from the “Presence” of G-d. The three steps should be neither too small nor too wide; they should be average-sized steps. During the recitation of these words, one should incline one’s head to the left at the beginning of the sentence, while reciting the words, “The One Who makes peace in the heavens,” forward at the words “may He,” to the right at the words, “place peace upon us,” and forward again for the remainder of the sentence.
We then conclude the Shemoneh Esrei with the following prayer: “May it be Your Will, G-d, our Lord and the Lord of our forefathers, that the Temple be rebuilt quickly in our days, and give us our portion in Your Torah.”
The implication of this passage is clear. The entire prayer that we have just recited is merely a temporary substitute for the sacrificial service that took place in the Temple. We engage in this form of prayer because the alternative—which is preferable—is not available to us. Thus, we beseech G-d to rebuild the Temple soon so that we will be able to serve Him in the most ideal fashion once again.
- A person who is praying with a congregation should remain in his place after the conclusion of Shemoneh Esrei until the chazzan concludes the second blessing of his repetition. During that time, other people should not walk through the area of one’s “three steps.”
- A person praying alone should wait a few seconds after concluding his Shemoneh Esrei, then take three steps forward to return to the place where he recited the prayer.
