Siddur on the Hill - The Vilna Shul

Standing
Prayer
תפילת העמידה Tefilat Ha’Amidah
The most common name for the Amidah is Shmona Esrei, literally “eighteen,” which
refers to the number of prayers included when it was first composed. Today, the
actual number of prayers within the Amidah varies from nineteen on weekdays to
seven on Shabbat and festivals. These prayers date from different time periods and
have different purposes. The oldest, Avodah, comes from the Temple Period. It is
sandwiched between more modern prayers that make up the bulk of the Shabbat
Amidah, which closes with a prayer for peace. This last prayer, the Birkat Ha’Shalom, is
inspired by another prayer from the Temple Period. A special prayer, Kiddushat
Ha’Yom, or “Sanctification of the Day,” is inserted in the middle of the Shabbat
Amidah, replacing thirteen of the prayers normally found in the weekday Amidah.
Petition, not praise, is the ultimate purpose of the Amidah, and while the Amidah
contains prayers of praise and thanksgiving, it always centers around a petition to
God.
Originally, the Amidah was intended for public worship, and the Community simply
recited “amen” after each benediction; however, Rabbi Gamliel II argued that every
person must say it alone. Since the Amidah was characterized as a public prayer, the
rabbis compromised by adding a repetition said aloud.
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