Expanded Imahot for OhMo

Where does the text about the patriarchs come from?

וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ ע֨וֹד אֱלֹקִ֜ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה כֹּֽה־תֹאמַר֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ ה' אֱלֹקֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם אֱלֹקֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֱלֹקֵ֥י יִצְחָ֛ק וֵאלֹקֵ֥י יַעֲקֹ֖ב שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם זֶה־שְּׁמִ֣י לְעֹלָ֔ם וְזֶ֥ה זִכְרִ֖י לְדֹ֥ר דֹּֽר׃

Exodus 3:15

And God said moreover to Moshe, Thus shalt thou say to the children of Yisra᾽el, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Avraham the God of Yitzchak, and the God of Ya'akov, has sent me to you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial to all generations.

בראשית ט״ו:א׳

אַחַ֣ר ׀ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה הָיָ֤ה דְבַר־ה' אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם בַּֽמַּחֲזֶ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר אַל־תִּירָ֣א אַבְרָ֗ם אָנֹכִי֙ מָגֵ֣ן לָ֔ךְ שְׂכָרְךָ֖ הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

Genesis 15:1

Some time later, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision. He said,
“Fear not, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great.”

Can you change a blessing? Can you add to a blessing?

ברכות ל״ד א:ו׳-י׳

אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: טָעָה בְּשָׁלֹשׁ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת — חוֹזֵר לָרֹאשׁ. ... אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: לְעוֹלָם אַל יִשְׁאַל אָדָם צְרָכָיו לֹא בְּשָׁלֹשׁ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת, וְלֹא בְּשָׁלֹשׁ אַחֲרוֹנוֹת, אֶלָּא בְּאֶמְצָעִיּוֹת. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא: רִאשׁוֹנוֹת — דּוֹמֶה לְעֶבֶד שֶׁמְּסַדֵּר שֶׁבַח לִפְנֵי רַבּוֹ. אֶמְצָעִיּוֹת — דּוֹמֶה לְעֶבֶד שֶׁמְבַקֵּשׁ פְּרָס מֵרַבּוֹ. אַחֲרוֹנוֹת — דּוֹמֶה לְעֶבֶד שֶׁקִּבֵּל פְּרָס מֵרַבּוֹ, וְנִפְטָר וְהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ.

Berakhot 34a:6-10

Rav Huna said: One who erred in any of the first three blessings he must return to the beginning of the Amida prayer because the first three blessing comprise a single entity. ... Rav Yehuda said: There is an additional distinction between the various sections of the Amida prayer: One must never request his own needs in the first three or in the last three blessings; rather, he should do so in the middle blessings. As Rabbi Ḥanina said: During the first three blessings, he is like a servant who arranges praise before his master; during the middle blessings, he is like a servant who requests a reward from his master; during the final three blessings, one is like a servant who already received a reward from his master and is taking his leave and departing.

ברכות מ״ט א:ז׳-י״ב

רַבָּה בַּר רַב הוּנָא אִיקְּלַע לְבֵי רֵישׁ גָּלוּתָא, פְּתַח בַּחֲדָא וְסַיֵּים בְּתַרְתֵּי. אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: גְּבוּרְתָּא לְמֶחְתַּם בְּתַרְתֵּי! וְהָתַנְיָא רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: אֵין חוֹתְמִין בִּשְׁתַּיִם! גּוּפָא. רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: אֵין חוֹתְמִין בִּשְׁתַּיִם. אֵיתִיבֵיהּ לֵוִי לְרַבִּי, ״עַל הָאָרֶץ וְעַל הַמָּזוֹן״! — אֶרֶץ דְּמַפְּקָא מָזוֹן. ״עַל הָאָרֶץ וְעַל הַפֵּירוֹת״! — אֶרֶץ דְּמַפְּקָא פֵּירוֹת. ״מְקַדֵּשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְּמַנִּים״! — יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּקַדְּשִׁינְהוּ לִזְמַנִּים. ״מְקַדֵּשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְרָאשֵׁי חֳדָשִׁים״! — יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּקַדְּשִׁינְהוּ לְרָאשֵׁי חֳדָשִׁים. ״מְקַדֵּשׁ הַשַּׁבָּת וְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְּמַנִּים״! — חוּץ מִזּוֹ. וּמַאי שְׁנָא? הָכָא חֲדָא הִיא, הָתָם תַּרְתֵּי, כׇּל חֲדָא וַחֲדָא בְּאַפֵּי נַפְשָׁהּ. וְטַעְמָא מַאי אֵין חוֹתְמִין בִּשְׁתַּיִם? לְפִי שֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂין מִצְוֹת חֲבִילוֹת חֲבִילוֹת.

Berakhot 49a:7-12

The Gemara recounts: Rabba bar Rav Huna happened to come to the house of the Exilarch. While reciting the blessing: Who builds Jerusalem in Grace after Meals, he opened with one theme: Have compassion on Jerusalem, and concluded with two themes: Both the building of Jerusalem and Who redeems Israel. Rav Ḥisda said derisively: It takes great fortitude to conclude with two themes. How could you conclude with two themes? Wasn’t it taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: One may not conclude with two themes? Each blessing has its own particular ending. The Gemara discusses the matter itself: Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: One may not conclude with two themes. Levi, his student, raised an objection to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi based on the standard conclusions of various blessings. The second blessing of Grace after Meals concludes: For the land and for the food. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi explained that the conclusion to that blessing is actually a single theme: The land that produces food. Levi raised a similar objection from the blessing that concludes: For the land and for the fruit. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi explained that there, too, it means: The land that produces fruit. Levi cited two other blessings: Who sanctifies Israel and the seasons. It means: Who sanctifies Israel, who sanctify the seasons. Who sanctifies Israel and the New Moon. It means: Who sanctifies Israel, who sanctify the New Moons. Levi cited an additional blessing that concludes with two themes, the blessing recited when Shabbat coincides with a Festival: Who sanctifies Shabbat, Israel, and the seasons. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi answered: Except for that one. The Gemara asks: What is different about this blessing? The Gemara answers: Here, the blessing thanks God for one matter, the sanctity of the day. However, there, in the conclusion of the third blessing of Grace after Meals, the building of Jerusalem and redemption of Israel are two themes, and each one is distinct from the other. The Gemara asks: And what is the reason that one does not conclude a blessing with two themes? The Gemara responds: Because there is a general principle: One does not perform mitzvot in bundles; rather, each mitzva must have its own blessing.

משנה תורה, הלכות ברכות א׳:ה׳-ו׳

(ה) וְנֹסַח כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת עֶזְרָא וּבֵית דִּינוֹ תִּקְּנוּם. וְאֵין רָאוּי לְשַׁנּוֹתָם וְלֹא לְהוֹסִיף עַל אַחַת מֵהֶם וְלֹא לִגְרֹעַ מִמֶּנָּה. וְכָל הַמְשַׁנֶּה מִמַּטְבֵּעַ שֶׁטָּבְעוּ חֲכָמִים בַּבְּרָכוֹת אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא טוֹעֶה. וְכָל בְּרָכָה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ הַזְכָּרַת הַשֵּׁם וּמַלְכוּת אֵינָהּ בְּרָכָה אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיְתָה סְמוּכָה לַחֲבֵרְתָהּ:

(ו) וְכָל הַבְּרָכוֹת כֻּלָּן נֶאֱמָרִין בְּכָל לָשׁוֹן וְהוּא שֶׁיֹּאמַר כְּעֵין שֶׁתִּקְּנוּ חֲכָמִים. וְאִם שִׁנָּה אֶת הַמַּטְבֵּעַ הוֹאִיל וְהִזְכִּיר אַזְכָּרָה וּמַלְכוּת וְעִנְיַן הַבְּרָכָה אֲפִלּוּ בִּלְשׁוֹן חֹל יָצָא:

Mishneh Torah, Blessings 1:5-6

(5) The text of all the blessings was ordained by Ezra and his court. It is not fit to alter it, to add to it, or to detract from it. Whoever alters the text of a blessing from that ordained by the Sages is making an error.
A blessing that does not include the mention of God's name and His sovereignty [over the world] is not considered a blessing unless it is recited in proximity to a blessing [which meets these criteria].

(6) All the blessings may be recited in any language, provided one recites [a translation of] the text ordained by the Sages. [A person who] changes that text fulfills his obligation nonetheless - since he mentioned God's name, His sovereignty, and the subject of the blessing - although he did so in a ordinary language.

משנה תורה, הלכות תפילה וברכת כהנים א׳:ט׳

(ט) ... וְשָׁלֹשׁ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת וְשָׁלֹשׁ אַחֲרוֹנוֹת לְעוֹלָם אֵין מוֹסִיפִין בָּהֶן וְלֹא פּוֹחֲתִין מֵהֶן וְאֵין מְשַׁנִּין בָּהֶן דָּבָר:

Mishneh Torah, Prayer and the Priestly Blessing 1:9

... In the first three [blessings] and the last three [blessings], one must never add, detract or change anything at all.

Why mention matriarchs? / In prayer, truth can outrank tradition

יומא ס״ט ב:י״ג-ט״ז

אֲתָא מֹשֶׁה, אָמַר: ״הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא״.

אֲתָא יִרְמְיָה וַאֲמַר: גּוֹיִם מְקַרְקְרִין בְּהֵיכָלוֹ, אַיֵּה נוֹרְאוֹתָיו? לָא אֲמַר ״נוֹרָא״.

אֲתָא דָּנִיאֵל אֲמַר: גּוֹיִם מִשְׁתַּעְבְּדִים בְּבָנָיו, אַיֵּה גְּבוּרוֹתָיו? לָא אֲמַר ״גִּבּוֹר״.

אֲתוֹ אִינְהוּ וְאָמְרוּ: אַדְּרַבָּה, זוֹ הִיא (גְּבוּרַת) גְּבוּרָתוֹ: שֶׁכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ — שֶׁנּוֹתֵן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם לָרְשָׁעִים. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן נוֹרְאוֹתָיו — שֶׁאִלְמָלֵא מוֹרָאוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הֵיאַךְ אוּמָּה אַחַת יְכוֹלָה לְהִתְקַיֵּים בֵּין הָאוּמּוֹת?

וְרַבָּנַן: הֵיכִי עָבְדִי הָכִי וְעָקְרִי תַּקַּנְתָּא דְּתַקֵּין מֹשֶׁה? אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁיּוֹדְעִין בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁאֲמִתִּי הוּא, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא כִּיזְּבוּ בּוֹ.

Yoma 69b:13-16

Moses came and said in his prayer: “The great, the mighty, and the awesome God” (Deuteronomy 10:17).

Jeremiah the prophet came and said: Gentiles, i.e., the minions of Nebuchadnezzar, are carousing in His sanctuary; where is His awesomeness? Therefore, he did not say awesome in his prayer: “The great God, the mighty Lord of Hosts, is His name” (Jeremiah 32:18).

Daniel came and said: Gentiles are enslaving His children; where is His might? Therefore he did not say mighty in his prayer: “The great and awesome God” (Daniel 9:4).

The members of the Great Assembly came and said: On the contrary, this is the might of His might, i.e., this is the fullest expression of it, that He conquers His inclination in that He exercises patience toward the wicked. God’s anger is flared by the gentile nations’ enslavement of His people, yet He expresses tremendous might by suppressing His anger and holding back from punishing them immediately. Therefore, it is still appropriate to refer to God as mighty. And these acts also express His awesomeness: Were it not for the awesomeness of the Holy One, Blessed be He, how could one people, i.e., the Jewish people, who are alone and hated by the gentile nations, survive among the nations?

The Gemara asks: And the Rabbis, i.e., Jeremiah and Daniel, how could they do this and uproot an ordinance instituted by Moses, the greatest teacher, who instituted the mention of these attributes in prayer? Rabbi Elazar said: They did so because they knew of the Holy One Blessed be He, that He is truthful and hates a lie. Consequently, they did not speak falsely about Him. Since they did not perceive His attributes of might and awesomeness, they did not refer to them; therefore, they cannot be criticized for doing so.

Why not to change the Amidah

מגילה כ״ה א:ז׳-ח׳

הַהוּא דִּנְחֵית קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא, אָמַר: ״הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא הָאַדִּיר וְהֶחָזָק וְהָאַמִּיץ״. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: סַיֵּימְתִּינְהוּ לִשְׁבָחֵיהּ דְּמָרָךְ? הַשְׁתָּא הָנֵי תְּלָתָא, אִי לָאו דְּכַתְבִינְהוּ מֹשֶׁה בְּאוֹרָיְיתָא, וַאֲתוֹ כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה וְתַקְּנִינְהוּ — אֲנַן לָא אָמְרִינַן לְהוּ. וְאַתְּ אָמְרַתְּ כּוּלֵּי הַאי! מָשָׁל לְאָדָם שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ אֶלֶף אַלְפֵי אֲלָפִים דִּינְרֵי זָהָב, וְהָיוּ מְקַלְּסִין אוֹתוֹ (בְּאֶלֶף) דִּינְרֵי כֶסֶף. לֹא גְּנַאי הוּא לוֹ?!

Megillah 25a:7-8

With regard to additions to prayers formulated by the Sages, the Gemara relates that a particular individual descended before the ark as prayer leader in the presence of Rabbi Ḥanina. He extended his prayer and said: God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome, the powerful, and the strong, and the fearless. When he finished, Rabbi Ḥanina said to him: Have you concluded all of the praises of your Master? Even these three praises that we recite: The great, the mighty, and the awesome, had Moses our teacher not written them in the Torah (Deuteronomy 10:17), and had the members of the Great Assembly not come and incorporated them into the Amida prayer (see Nehemiah 9:32), we would not be permitted to recite them. And you went on and recited all of these. It is comparable to a man who possessed many thousands of golden dinars, yet they were praising him for owning a thousand silver ones. Isn’t that deprecatory toward him? All of the praises one can lavish upon the Lord are nothing but a few silver dinars relative to many thousands of gold dinars. Reciting a litany of praise does not enhance God’s honor.

Alternative Options

מאירי ברכות יא.

ומכל מקום להוסיף במלות לפי ענין הברכה או לפי ענין היום בפיוטון שהם שבח לשם מעין הברכה אין לחוש...ומתוך סברא זו נהגו לומר פיוטים מעין הברכות...ואף בג' ראשונות מגן ומחיה וכל הקרובות...

Meiri (Provence, 14th-15th Century), B'rakhot 11a

Nonetheless, adding words in keeping with the blessing’s theme or in keeping with the theme of the day, which are praises to God related to the blessing’s theme is perfectly permissible… And based on this reasoning, the practice is to say piyyutim on the theme of the blessings… and even in the first three blessings of the Amidah…

I have been impressed by the sincere desire to include the Imahot in the Amidah and to make the Amidah more relevant. The problem is not the goal but rather the method . The method of changing the beginning and ending of the Avot is contrary to halakhah , contrary to our liturgy and contrary to classical theology as explained above ... there is an authentic way to insert changes and innovations into the Amidah and that is through the use of piyyutim [ed - poems] ...
The authentic and traditional way to add the Imahot to the Amidah is to compose a short piyyut or several short piyyutim which will be recited in the middle of Avot or in the middle of other blessings of the Amidah. In this way, the Imahot can be added without changing the ancient wording of the Amidah itself.
Rabbi Dr. Einat Ramon , the Dean of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem , has composed such a piyyut and it is found in an Appendix to this teshuvah . I hope that such piyyutim will be adopted by synagogues who wish to incorporate the Imahot into the Amidah in a halakhic and authentic fashion.
-- Rabbi David Golinkin, A Responsum Concerning the Addition of the Imahot (Matriarchs) to the Silent Amidah, February 2007
Appendix - A Piyyut about the Imahot, for inclusion in the Avot Blessing, by Rabbi Dr Einat Ramon
To be inserted after the words lema'an shemo be'ahava:
Navo'ah oholei Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, veLeah
Utehei gemilut chasdeihen lefaneinu bechol eit uvechol sha'ah
Let us come to the tents of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah,
And let their acts of kindness be before us at all times

Rabbi Dr Eliezer Diamond & Rabbi Julia Andelman's Piyyut & Sources:

מעדן שרה

נדרש לרבקה

מנחם רחל

ואוהב לאה

[God who] causes joy to Sarah;

responds to Rivkah’s inquiry;

brings comfort to Rachel;

and expresses love for Leah.

בראשית י״ח:י״ב

(יב) וַתִּצְחַ֥ק שָׂרָ֖ה בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אַחֲרֵ֤י בְלֹתִי֙ הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֣י עֶדְנָ֔ה וַֽאדֹנִ֖י זָקֵֽן׃

Genesis 18:12

(12) And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “Now that I’ve lost the ability, am I to have enjoyment—with my husband so old?”

בראשית כ״ה:כ״ב

(כב) וַיִּתְרֹֽצְצ֤וּ הַבָּנִים֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אִם־כֵּ֔ן לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה אָנֹ֑כִי וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לִדְרֹ֥שׁ אֶת־ה'׃

Genesis 25:22

(22) But the children struggled in her womb, and she said, “If so, why do I exist?” She went to inquire of ה',

ירמיהו ל״א:ט״ו-ט״ז

(טו) כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר ה' ק֣וֹל בְּרָמָ֤ה נִשְׁמָע֙ נְהִי֙ בְּכִ֣י תַמְרוּרִ֔ים רָחֵ֖ל מְבַכָּ֣ה עַל־בָּנֶ֑יהָ מֵאֲנָ֛ה לְהִנָּחֵ֥ם עַל־בָּנֶ֖יהָ כִּ֥י אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃ {ס} (טז) כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר ה' מִנְעִ֤י קוֹלֵךְ֙ מִבֶּ֔כִי וְעֵינַ֖יִךְ מִדִּמְעָ֑ה כִּי֩ יֵ֨שׁ שָׂכָ֤ר לִפְעֻלָּתֵךְ֙ נְאֻם־ה' וְשָׁ֖בוּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ אוֹיֵֽב׃

Jeremiah 31:15-16

(15) Thus said the LORD:
A cry is heard in Ramah^-e—
Wailing, bitter weeping—
Rachel weeping for her children.
She refuses to be comforted
For her children, who are gone. (16) Thus said the LORD:
Restrain your voice from weeping,
Your eyes from shedding tears;
For there is a reward for your labor
—declares the LORD:
They shall return from the enemy’s land.

בראשית כ״ט:ל״ב

(לב) וַתַּ֤הַר לֵאָה֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ רְאוּבֵ֑ן כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֗ה כִּֽי־רָאָ֤ה ה' בְּעׇנְיִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה יֶאֱהָבַ֥נִי אִישִֽׁי׃

Genesis 29:32

(32) Leah conceived and bore a son, and named him Reuben; for she declared, “It means: ‘'ה has seen my affliction’; it also means: ‘Now my husband will love me.’”

Other Texts

ברכות ט״ז ב:י״ג-י״ד

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אֵין קוֹרִין ״אָבוֹת״ אֶלָּא לִשְׁלֹשָׁה, וְאֵין קוֹרִין ״אִמָּהוֹת״ אֶלָּא לְאַרְבַּע. אָבוֹת מַאי טַעְמָא? ... עַד הָכָא חֲשִׁיבִי, טְפִי לָא חֲשִׁיבִי.

Berakhot 16b:13-14

The Sages taught in a baraita: One may only call three people patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but not Jacob’s children. And one may only call four people matriarchs, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah. The Gemara asks: What is the reason for this exclusivity with regard to the Patriarchs? ... the reason the sons of Jacob are not called patriarchs is because until Jacob they are significant enough to be referred to as patriarchs, but beyond Jacob, they are not significant enough to be referred to as patriarchs.