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Rabbi David Aaron – Amida Series

The Amida, also known as the Shmonei Esrei (The Eighteen), is the heart and soul of Jewish prayer. In this series, Rabbi Aaron gives us a user-friendly overview of all of the blessings, and gives us inspiration to work toward more meaningful prayer experiences.

Amida – Intro and 1st Blessing

Rabbi Aaron spends a half-hour introducing the Amida and its choreography. Then he looks at the first blessing of the forefathers and explains how it prepares us to stand before Hashem.
Amida – 2nd – 4th Blessings

After a review of the first class, Rabbi Aaron adds the next four blessings, which address Hashem’s might, Hashem’s holiness, and request for knowledge, respectively. With the fourth blessing, we create the foundation for the rest of the ensuing requests.
In the 5th we request the power to do teshuva. In the 6th we ask Hashem to forgive us. In the 7th we request personal redemption. In the 8th, we ask for health and healing. In the 9th we request abundance and prosperity. In the10th we request the ingathering of the exiles from the four corners of the earth.
Amida – 11th – 14th Blessings

In the 11th we request the establishment of justice and righteousness. In the 12th we ask for the destruction of evil. In the 13th we ask to be included among the tzaddikim. In the 14th we request the rebuilding of Jerusalem. If Jerusalem is not built, then the redemption process is not complete.
Amida – 13th Blessing In-Depth

Rabbi Aaron shares both his personal stories, and other well-known stories of present-day tzadikim emphasizing their special personalities and their down-to-earth way of living. These righteous people are an inspiration to the Jewish nation and world, providing assistance and advice to all those that seek them.
Amida – 15th – 17th Blessings

Hashem’s salvation and the arrival of the Mashiach (messiah) comprise the 15th. The 16th is a wrap-up request that Hashem hear and consider our prayers. Now that we succeeded in unifying our will with Hashem’s we ask Him to unify our reality with His divine reality, as we say the 17th blessing.
Amida – 18th – 19th Blessings and Conclusion

The last two blessings, expressing thanksgiving, and peace, respectively, bring the prayer experience to a powerful finish. Rabbi Aaron also comments on the additional material at the conclusion of the Amida and how it fits into the overall picture of the Shmonei Esrei.
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