There are significant differences between the traditional
Amidah and that said in
Reform congregations. The traditional liturgy has been revised repeatedly by the Reform movement, in order to shorten the service and omit passages not in line with Reform doctrine. As a result, references to a personal messiah as opposed to a messianic age, resurrection of the dead, restoration of the sacrificial cult, and the existence of angels are all rephrased. Changes have also been made to conform with the egalitarian nature of Reform Judaism.
The first blessing is mostly unchanged, except that it includes
Sarah,
Rebecca,
Rachel, and
Leah in addition to
Abraham,
Isaac, and
Jacob, in keeping with the egalitarian nature of Reform Judaism, and in recognition of the significant contributions of the Matriarchs. Most Reform prayer books change the text to read "redemption" instead of "a redeemer." The second blessing talks of resurrection of the dead, a doctrine not accepted by Reform Judaism. It is amended to affirm God as the source of all life who has implanted within us eternal life. In the third blessing about holiness of God, the Hebrew that might literally be translated as "holy beings" (angels) is changed to "those who strive to be holy." With regard to the middle blessings, the first four are retained, although they are rewritten in a gender-neutral language (For example, God is referred to as a Sovereign or a Ruler, and not a Father or a King). In the fifth blessing (
refaenu), the traditional "who heals
the sick of His people Israel" is changed to "Healer of
the sick" to be more inclusive. In the sixth blessing, for economic prosperity, the phrase "Bless our year like other years" is omitted. The next blessing, for ingathering of the exiles (
teka b'shofar), is rewritten. The Reform version begins like the traditional text, but
in place of the petition for the ingathering of the exiles, it goes on to emphasize hope for universal freedom. The blessing for justice (
hashiva shofteinu), is also rewritten to express the hope for universal justice instead of the restoration of Israel's judges. The blessing against heretics (
lemalshinim) is omitted. The blessing for the righteous is abridged.
The blessing for Jerusalem is rewritten.
Instead of beseeching God to
rebuild Jerusalem and reestablish the Davidic monarchy,
the Reform version is a prayer for the present and continuing welfare of the people of Israel. It also alludes to the connection between Zion and the messianic hope. In the blessing concerning the
Davidic dynasty, the hope for restoration of the Davidic commonwealth is broadened into a concept of a Messianic Age. The last middle blessing (
shomea tfila) is abridged. With regard to the last three blessings, in the one on Temple worship, the traditional references to sacrificial worship are omitted; instead, a thought on the theme of God's nearness to all who seek God with sincerity is used. The blessing of thanksgiving uses the complete text, rendered in gender-neutral language. The content of the last blessing is unchanged, although the translation is more freely done.
ראשי
צ'אט
14-09-2015, 21:04
A nation is a society united by delusions about its ancestry and by common hatred of its neighbors - William Ralph
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