5/17/2025 - SATURDAY evening - working week begins.

Topic for today: 

1) Time to start digging into Amidah - DAY 1 [reading "To Pray as a Jew"].

- known as: The Prayer, Shemonei Esrei or Amidah of 18 Blessings, Amidah, Silent Prayer

- composed by the Great Assembly 5th Century BCE. Exact order of Blessings was set shortly after the destruction of the 2nd Temple.

- actually has 19 Blessings

- Shabbat and Festival version is known as Tefilat Sheva - the Prayer of 7 Blessings.

- when davening Amidah: keep two feet together (stand at attention as the angels do), face Eretz Yisrael or Jerusalem (when in Israel) or the Temple Mount (when in Jerusalem); should be said quietly to oneself (words must be audible to oneself though).

- before starting, take 3 steps forward and when hearing "Oseh shalom bimromav"take 3 step back + bow three times.

- Prayer cannot be interrupted.