אֲדֹנָי, שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶךָ:
Adonai!
Open up my lips, and my mouth will declare your praises.
What might you say, in your own words, if you were trying to focus yourself and get God's attention?
Use your own words to write a sentence or two, asking for the ability to pray.
(First Blessing: Avot (Ancestors
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה',
אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אמותינו ואֲבוֹתֵינוּ:
אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם, אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק, וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב.
אֱלֹהֵי שרה, אֱלֹהֵי רבקה, אלֹהֵי רחל,
וֵאלֹהֵי לאה.
הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל, הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא, אֵל עֶלְיוֹן
גּוֹמֵל חֲסָדִים טוֹבִים,
קוֹנֵה הַכֹּל,
וְזוֹכֵר חַסְדֵי אָבוֹת ואמהות,
וּמֵבִיא גאֵולה לִבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶם לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ, בְּאַהֲבָה,
בשבת שובה מוסיפים:
זָכְרֵנוּ לְחַיִּים, מֶלֶךְ חָפֵץ בַּחַיִּים, כָּתְבֵנוּ בְּסֵפֶר חַיִּים, לְמַעַנְךָ אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים.
מֶלֶךְ עוֹזֵר וּמוֹשִׁיעַ וּמָגֵן,
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', מָגֵן אַבְרָהָם ואזרת שרה:
1) First Blessing: Avot (Ancestors)
Blessed are You, G!D
Our Divine Power, and the Divine Power of our Ancestors:
Divine Power of Abraham, Divine Power of Isaac, Divine Power of Jacob;
Divine Power of Sarah, Divine Power of Rebekah, Divine Power of Rachel and Divine Power of Leah.
The Great G!D, the Mighty and Awe-some one, the Most High:
Who nurtures with goodness
Who created everything
Who remembers the kind deeds of our ancestors
And will bring redemption to their children's children, in love.
[On Shabbat Shuva between Rosh haShana and Yom Kippu), add:
Remember us for life, Ruler who desires life, and write us in the book of life, for Your sake, Divine Power of life!]
Ruler, helper, savior, shield:
Blessed are You, G!D, Abraham's shield, Sarah's helper.
Why do you think we start the Amidah by mentioning our Biblical ancestors - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah?
(You can list more than one suggestion).
Why do you think we list each of them separately (Divine Power of Abraham, Divine Power of Isaac, etc) - instead of just saying "Divine Power of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah" all in one?
How is God described in this blessing?
From what you remember of the stories in Genesis, how would you describe each of these ancestors' relationship with God?
Abraham:
Sarah:
Isaac:
Rebekah:
Jacob:
Rachel:
Leah:
Are there other characters - from the Bible, or your own immediate ancestors, or anybody else - you would like to invoke when you are starting to pray? Who?
Write an invocation for starting to pray using the same themes as the Avot blessing, but in your own words.
2) Gevurot: Powers
אַתָּה גִּבּוֹר לְעוֹלָם, אֲדֹנָי.
מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים אַתָּה, רַב לְהוֹשִׁיעַ.
*בקיץ: מוֹרִיד הַטָּל.
*בחורף: מַשִּׁיב הָרוּחַ וּמוֹרִיד הַגֶּשֶׁם.
מְכַלְכֵּל חַיִּים בְּחֶסֶד,
מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים בְּרַחֲמִים רַבִּים,
סוֹמֵךְ נוֹפְלִים,
וְרוֹפֵא חוֹלִים,
וּמַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים,
וּמְקַיֵּם אֱמוּנָתוֹ לִישֵׁנֵי עָפָר.
מִי כָמוֹךָ בַעַל גְּבוּרוֹת? וּמִי דוֹמֶה לָּךְ?
מֶלֶךְ מֵמִית וּמְחַיֶּה וּמַצְמִיחַ יְשׁוּעָה.
בשבת שובה מוסיפים:
מִי כָמוֹךָ אָב הָרַחֲמָן, זוֹכֵר יְצוּרָיו בְּרַחֲמִים לְחַיִּים?
וְנֶאֱמָן אַתָּה לְהַחֲיוֹת מֵתִים.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים:
2) Second Blessing: Gevurot (Powers)
You are eternally mighty, Adonai.
You cause dead things to live; you are the power of salvation.
*In summer:
You cause the dew to fall.
*In winter:
You bring the winds back and cause the rains to fall.
You sustain the living with open-kindness; you bring the dead back to life with abundant mercy.
You lift up the fallen
You heal the sick
You release the bound
You keep faith with those that sleep in dust.
Who or What is like You, master of powers?
To what can you be compared, ruler who brings death, brings life, and causes salvation to sprout forth?
[On Shabbat Shuva between Rosh haShana and Yom Kippur, add:
Who is like You, merciful parent, remembering your creations for life, in mercy?]
You are faithful in restoring death to life.
Blessed are you, G!D, making the dead live.
What are the themes in this blessing? How is God described?
What do you think all the stuff about bringing the dead to life is about?
Why do you think we mention these themes in the opening blessings of the Amidah?
Write a blessing using the same themes as in the Gevurot blessing, but in your own words.
3) Kedusha: Holiness
אַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ,
וְשִׁמְךָ קָדוֹשׁ,
וּקְדוֹשִׁים בְּכָל יוֹם יְהַלְלוּךָ סֶּלָה.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', הָאֵל הַקָּדוֹשׁ:
בשבת שובה חותמים: הַמֶּלֶךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ:
3) Third Blessing: Kedusha (Holiness)
You are holy,
And your name is holy
And holy beings are praising you at all times - Selah!
Blessed are you, the Power of Holiness.
[On Shabbat Shuva say instead:
Blessed are you, Sovereign Holiness.]
What are the themes in this blessing? How is God described?
Who do you think these "holy beings" are who are praising God at all times?
Why do you think we mention this theme in the opening blessings of the Amidah?
***קדושה
נַקְדִּישָׁךְ וְנַעֲרִיצָךְ כְּנֹעַם שִׂיחַ סוֹד שַׂרְפֵי קֹדֶשׁ,
הַמְשַׁלְּשִׁים לְךָ קְדֻשָּׁה.
כַּכָּתוּב עַל יַד נְבִיאֶךָ:
וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל זָה וְאָמַר:
קָדוֹש, קָדוֹש, קָדוֹש, ה' צְבָאוֹת. מְלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ.
לְעֻמָּתָם מְשַׁבְּחִים וְאוֹמְרִים:
בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד ה' מִמְּקוֹמוֹ.
וּבְדִבְרֵי קָדְשְׁךָ כָּתוּב לֵאמֹר:
יִמְלֹךְ ה' לְעוֹלָם אֱלֹהַיִךְ צִיּוֹן לְדֹר וָדֹר, הַלְלוּיָהּ.
Bonus material - if time:
***Kedusha
When there is a minyan, and the Amidah is repeated by the chazan / prayer leader, this section is added. The congregation and prayer leader say the lines back and forth - a bit like in the Barchu, but more of it.
May you be sanctified and may you be exalted, like in the gorgeous language of the sacred Seraphim, who exclaim your holiness thrice over.
As it is said in the books of your prophets:
"They say to each other -
Holy, Holy, Holy is the G!D of the many legions! The entire earth is filled with God's glory!"
[as you say "Holy," stand on tiptoe]
Those facing them bow and respond:
"Blessed is G!D's presence from the place where it is found!"
And in Your sacred writings it is written:
"G!D shall reign forever, even your Divine Power, o Zion, from generation to generation - HalleluYah!"
Why do you think this Kedusha section is added?
Why is it only added when you are praying with a congregation (minyan)?