Shimona Esrei

[Dr. Dan]

On the daily Amidah prayers after the Kedushah, there are additional prayers.  Is it purposely done the specific order? If so, what's the reason behind it?

[muman613]

On the daily Amidah prayers after the Kedushah, there are additional prayers.  Is it purposely done the specific order? If so, what's the reason behind it?

I have a good book on the Amidah...

http://www.artscroll.com/Books/shmh.html


I believe that the prayers are said in a specific order, hence the name of the prayer book the Siddur/Order...

Let me see if I can find any mention of this on the Internet.

Chabad offers these classes on the meditations behind the davening:
http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/956493/jewish/Jewish-Meditation.htm

[muman613]

One rule which I seem to forget from time to time is this one... We are not supposed to interrupt anyone, or be interrupted, while davening Shemoneh Esrie...

http://torah.org/advanced/mishna-berura/S104.html

Siman 104 . Concerning the prohibition against interrupting the Amidah [Silent Prayer]

104:1. (1) One must not interrupt (2) one's own Silent Prayer. Even if a Jewish king greets him he should not answer. However, (3) with a non-Jewish king, if it is possible to complete the prayer by shortening it before the king reaches him, one should do so, by saying the beginning and ending of each remaining blessing. (4) Or, if it is possible to move to the side of the road and thereby avoid having to interrupt one's prayer [even though this means he moves from his position, which is ordinarily not allowed during the Silent Prayer - LC], one should do so. In any case, one should avoid speaking during one's prayer [i.e., one should use a non-verbal greeting], (5) but if that is impossible one should interrupt by speaking.

MB 1: One must not interrupt - Even a non-verbal gesture is forbidden, except in the case of a crying child, where it is permissible to gesture to him with his hands so that the child will quiet down and not disturb one's prayer. If such gestures don't work, one should distance oneself from the child, and not speak to him. Similarly, if a prominent person [most commonly the congregational rabbi -LC] is in the middle of the Silent Prayer and the communal prayer leader is waiting for him to finish before proceeding with Kaddish or Kedusha, the prominent person may gesture to the communal prayer leader that he should proceed without waiting for him. [Shaarei Teshuvah, by Rabbi Chayim Mordechai Margolis, published early 19th Cent.]

MB 2: One's own Silent Prayer - Even in a case where monetary loss is involved one may not interrupt. The Chayei Adam writes [Sec 25, Par.9] that if one is in the middle of the Silent Prayer and has a doubt about how he should pray, e.g., if he forgot part of the prayer [and the question is whether he needs to go back and if so to what point --LC], one is permitted to move from one's place to a particular place where one can consult a book containing the appropriate laws. It is not clear whether one is permitted in such a case to ask a question about how one should proceed with one's prayer, but it seems to the Chayei Adam that it is permissible.

MB 3: With a non-Jewish king - This also applies if one is accosted by a potentially violent person and one is afraid that he will kill him. [Presumably fear of significant injury suffices. -LC]

MB 4: Or, if it is possible - It is preferable to shorten one's prayer if possible than to move to the side of the road [Bach and Elyah Raba (by Rabbi Eliyahu Shapira, 17th-18th Cents.)]. But the Pri Megadim writes that this issue requires further study, since the implication of the Shulchan Aruch is that moving for the purpose of one's prayer [in this case so that it not be interrupted] does not constitute an interruption.

MB 5: But if that is impossible one should interrupt by speaking - That is, it is permissible even to initiate the greeting if he perceives that otherwise he may be in danger. It is certainly permissible to return a greeting in this situation [Elyah Raba].

Lawton Cooper

[muman613]

Here are a bunch of good lectures on the Shemoneh Esrei...

http://torahanytime.com/Rabbi/Search/index.html?lecture=shemoneh&lecture_ID=

[edu]

The Talmud in tractate Megilla pages 17b and 18a explains the reason for the order of Shimona Esrei.
Part of it has to do the stages of redemption, what comes first.
In any case at http://halakhah.com/pdf/moed/Megilah.pdf you can read an english translation of the talmud tractate Megilla and see for yourself the full explanation.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

On the daily Amidah prayers after the Kedushah, there are additional prayers.  Is it purposely done the specific order? If so, what's the reason behind it?

What do you mean by 'additional prayers?'

I'm not sure what you mean because shemona esray refers to 18.   Kedusha is only at the 3rd prayer

[Dr. Dan]

What do you mean by 'additional prayers?'

I'm not sure what you mean because shemona esray refers to 18.   Kedusha is only at the 3rd prayer

after the kedusha, you have one prayer
then the second part where some jews beat their chest
then after that i get the order confused, but some prayers that ask for healing and the proper prayers for the land
and then after that a prayer for the righteous converts and to curse the informers
and then the kingdom of David and moshiach

and then shema koleinu etc...

[muman613]

http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/287,2227863/What-do-we-pray-for-in-the-Amidah.html

What do we pray for in the Amidah?
by Rabbi Naftali Silberberg

The Amidah (pronounced ah-MEE-dah) is the central, critical section of Shacharit, Musaf, Minchah and Ma'ariv prayers, around which the other sections were built. In the times of the Temples, when full Tefillah services were not required, tefillah consisted of the Amidah only. The Amidah, which means "standing" in Hebrew, is a series of 12 requests (it is now thirteen as enumerated later in the article**) of G-d recited silently while standing at attention, as if before a king, introduced by three praises of G-d and capped by three thank-yous. Because of the eighteen sections, the amidah is also known as the Shmoneh Esrei, meaning "eighteen" in Hebrew (although it's really nineteen, because of one extra request added later**).


[On Shabbat, holidays and Rosh Chodesh, the musaf Amidah is fewer than nineteen blessings. The first three and last three blessings are the same as all the other times the Amidah is recited, however, the middle changes as appropriate to the special date.]

The first and last three blessings of the Amidah offer praise and thanksgiving to G-d. The middle thirteen, are devoted to all our requests.

The following list (of the middle thirteen) describes the main point of each of these blessings:

4. Knowledge and intelligence.

5. Awaken us to repent.

6. Atonement.

7. Redemption.

8. Cures for our illnesses.

9. Livelihood.

10. Ingathering of the Diaspora.

11. Return of Jewish courts and justice.

12. Elimination of evil. **(This is the 19th blessing which was added later.)

13. Support and reward the righteous.

14. Rebuilding Jerusalem.

15. Restore the royal Davidic House.

16. General request for G-d to hearken to our prayers.

These prayers contain standard liturgy, but should be imbued with your personal feelings and desires as you adopt each word to be your own. If you would like to add your own words, find the blessing which is closest to the nature of your request, and insert your private prayer. If your request doesn't match any of the above blessings, you can always add it to blessing #16.

[Dr. Dan]

I think it is in the Shema Kolanu when it gets to part al tishiveinu (don't leave us emptyhanded) where I quickly pray a request...

http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/287,2227863/What-do-we-pray-for-in-the-Amidah.html

What do we pray for in the Amidah?
by Rabbi Naftali Silberberg

The Amidah (pronounced ah-MEE-dah) is the central, critical section of Shacharit, Musaf, Minchah and Ma'ariv prayers, around which the other sections were built. In the times of the Temples, when full Tefillah services were not required, tefillah consisted of the Amidah only. The Amidah, which means "standing" in Hebrew, is a series of 12 requests (it is now thirteen as enumerated later in the article**) of G-d recited silently while standing at attention, as if before a king, introduced by three praises of G-d and capped by three thank-yous. Because of the eighteen sections, the amidah is also known as the Shmoneh Esrei, meaning "eighteen" in Hebrew (although it's really nineteen, because of one extra request added later**).


[On Shabbat, holidays and Rosh Chodesh, the musaf Amidah is fewer than nineteen blessings. The first three and last three blessings are the same as all the other times the Amidah is recited, however, the middle changes as appropriate to the special date.]

The first and last three blessings of the Amidah offer praise and thanksgiving to G-d. The middle thirteen, are devoted to all our requests.

The following list (of the middle thirteen) describes the main point of each of these blessings:

4. Knowledge and intelligence.

5. Awaken us to repent.

6. Atonement.

7. Redemption.

8. Cures for our illnesses.

9. Livelihood.

10. Ingathering of the Diaspora.

11. Return of Jewish courts and justice.

12. Elimination of evil. **(This is the 19th blessing which was added later.)

13. Support and reward the righteous.

14. Rebuilding Jerusalem.

15. Restore the royal Davidic House.

16. General request for G-d to hearken to our prayers.

These prayers contain standard liturgy, but should be imbued with your personal feelings and desires as you adopt each word to be your own. If you would like to add your own words, find the blessing which is closest to the nature of your request, and insert your private prayer. If your request doesn't match any of the above blessings, you can always add it to blessing #16.

[muman613]

I daven with the Artscroll siddur... I really like Artscroll and I also use their Stone Chumash...

One of the 'instructions' which appear along with the davening in Amidah reads:

Some recite verses pertaining to their names at this point. See page 924.

This occurs between "My G-d, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceit..." {Elohei} and "May the expressions of my mouth..." "Yehe Ratzon..."... Just before the final "Oseh Shalom" {when we bow and take three steps back}...

Looking at the notes on page 924 I find the following list of verses in the Torah which correspond to a persons name...

The heading reads:

Kitzur Shelah teaches that it is a source of merit to recite a scriptural verse symbolizing ones name before "Yehe LeRatzon" at the end of Shemoneh Esrei. The verse should either contain the persons name, or else begin and end with the first and last letters of the name...

In my case I recite "Mah Tovu Ohalecha Yaacov Mishkenatecha Yisroel" for my name...

http://www.yeshiva.org.il/midrash/printShiur.aspx/3683