Amidah facts for kids

The Amidah (עמידה‎, "standing") is a very important prayer in Judaism. Its name means "standing" in Hebrew, because people say this prayer while standing up. Jews say the Amidah during almost every prayer service throughout the year.

It's also known as Shemoneh Esrei (שמונה עשרה‎, "eighteen"). This means "eighteen" in Hebrew. This is because the weekday version of the prayer first had eighteen blessings. Today, it has nineteen blessings. In the Talmud, an important Jewish book, the Amidah is simply called Tefilah (תפילה‎), which means "prayer." It has this name because it is so central to Jewish worship.

What are the Blessings of the Amidah?

The Amidah prayer always has three main parts.

• The first part includes blessings that praise God.
• The middle part changes depending on the day. On weekdays, it has blessings where people ask God for help. On Shabbat and holidays, this part has one blessing to thank God for the special day.
• The last part has blessings to thank God for all the good things He does for us.

First Part: Praising God

The first three blessings focus on praising God:

• It praises God as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were important leaders in Jewish history.
• It praises God for having power over life and death.
• It praises God for being holy and special.

Middle Part (Weekdays): Asking God for Help

On weekdays, the Amidah includes blessings where we ask God for different kinds of help. Here are some of the things people ask for:

• To help us think and understand things better.
• To help us follow the laws of His Torah (Jewish teachings).
• To forgive us for our sins.
• To save us from trouble.
• To heal people who are sick.
• To bless our food and help us make a living.
• To bring Jewish people who are living in other countries back to the land of Israel.
• To give us fair judges on Earth.
• To support righteous (good) people.
• To rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, a very important building from ancient times.
• To bring the Messiah, a future leader who will bring peace to the world.
• To accept all our prayers.

Last Part: Thanking God

The final blessings of the Amidah are all about thanking God:

• Thanking God for allowing us to pray to Him.
• A general blessing of thanks to God for everything.
• Thanking God for peace.

How to Say the Amidah

The Amidah is said at least three times every day: during the morning, afternoon, and evening prayer services. When you say it, you should stand up. You should say it loud enough so you can hear yourself, but quiet enough so that others nearby cannot hear you.

During the morning and afternoon services, the prayer leader repeats the Amidah out loud for everyone to hear. When the Amidah is said out loud:

• The third blessing includes a special section called Kedushah, which means "holiness." This part talks about angels declaring God's holiness.
• The eighteenth blessing includes a section called Modim d'Rabbanan, or "The Rabbis' Prayer of Thanks." This part reminds everyone to thank God personally, even during a public prayer.

The Amidah is not said out loud during the night service.

In Reform Judaism, the Amidah is usually said out loud at every prayer service, not quietly.

How the Amidah Changes on Shabbat and Holidays

On Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest) and important Jewish holidays, the Amidah prayer changes in two main ways:

• People do not ask God for help with their daily needs. The middle section of the weekday Amidah is replaced with one blessing about the holiness of Shabbat or the holiday. The first three blessings and the last three blessings stay the same as on weekdays.
• The Amidah is said a fourth time. This extra Amidah is called the musaf, which means "additional" service. The middle blessing of the musaf Amidah talks about the additional offerings that were given at the Temple in Jerusalem on Shabbat and holidays long ago.

There are also two Amidah prayers during the year that are very different from the others. You can find more information about them on the pages for these holidays:

• On Rosh Hashanah, the musaf Amidah has nine blessings instead of seven.
• On Yom Kippur, a fifth Amidah, called Ne'ilah ("closing"), is said at the very end of the day.

See Also

In Spanish: Amidá para niños

Images for kids

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  An illustration from a Jewish Encyclopedia (1906—1913).

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  People praying during a morning service in 2005.

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  A mixed-gender Conservative service at Robinson's Arch, near the Western Wall.