Pt2 From Patriarchs to Peace: The Logic of the Sequence of the Amida Blessings (Shemoneh Esreh) (Megillah 17a-18a)

This is the second and final part of a two-part series. Part 1 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.

The Logic of the Sequence of the Amida Blessings Based on Biblical Prooftexts (Shemoneh Esreh)

Baraita - Prooftexts for the first three blessings of the Amida - Patriarchs (אבות - Blessing #1), Mighty Deeds (גבורות - #2), and Holiness (קדושת השם - #3) - Psalms 29:1–2

תנו רבנן:

1. מנין שאומרים אבות?

   1. שנאמר: ״הבו לה׳, בני אלים״.

2. ומנין שאומרים גבורות?

   1. שנאמר: ״הבו לה׳ כבוד ועוז״.

3. ומנין שאומרים קדושות?

   1. שנאמר: ״הבו לה׳ כבוד שמו, השתחוו לה׳ בהדרת קדש״.

The Talmud proceeds to explain this order:

A baraita states:

1. From where is it derived that one says the blessing of the Patriarchs, the first blessing of the Amida?

   1. As it is stated: “Ascribe to YHWH, mighty ones” (Psalms 29:1), which means that one should mention before YHWH the mighty ones of the world, i.e., the Patriarchs.

2. And from where is it derived that one then says the blessing of mighty deeds?

   1. As it is stated in the continuation of that verse: “Ascribe to YHWH glory and strength” (Psalms 29:1).

3. And from where is it derived that one then says the blessing of holiness?

   1. As it is stated in the next verse: “Give to YHWH the glory due to His name; worship YHWH in the beauty of holiness” (Psalms 29:2).

Understanding (#4 - חונן הדעת) follows Holiness because Scripture places understanding immediately after sanctifying God - Isaiah 29:23–24

ומה ראו לומר בינה אחר קדושה?

• שנאמר:

  • ״והקדישו את קדוש יעקב, ואת אלהי ישראל יעריצו״,

• וסמיך ליה:

  • ״וידעו תועי רוח בינה״.

The Talmud continues:

And why did they see fit to institute to say the blessing of understanding after the blessing of holiness?

• As it is stated:

  • “They shall sanctify (הקדישו) the Holy One of Jacob, and shall revere the God of Israel” (Isaiah 29:23),

• and adjacent to that verse it is written:

  • “They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding (בינה)” (Isaiah 29:24).

This shows that it is proper for the theme of understanding to follow the theme of God’s holiness.

Repentance (#5 - תשובה) follows Understanding because understanding leads to repentance - Isaiah 6:10

ומה ראו לומר תשובה אחר בינה?

דכתיב:

״ולבבו יבין

ושב

ורפא לו״.

[...]

And why did they see fit to institute to say the blessing of repentance after the blessing of understanding?

As it is written:

“And they will understand with their heart,

and repent (שב),

and be healed” (Isaiah 6:10-11),

showing that the theme of repentance properly follows the theme of understanding.

[...]

Rava - Redemption (#7 - גאולה) is the 7th blessing because redemption begins in the 7th year of the messianic cycle

ומה ראו לומר גאולה בשביעית?

אמר רבא:

מתוך שעתידין ליגאל בשביעית —

לפיכך קבעוה בשביעית.

[...]

The Talmud continues:

And why did they see fit to institute to say the blessing of redemption as the 7th blessing?

Rava said:

Since there is a tradition that the Jewish people are destined to be redeemed in the 7th year of the Sabbatical cycle ¹ --

Consequently, they fixed redemption as the 7th blessing.

[...]

R’ Aḥa - Healing (#8 - רפואה) is the 8th blessing because circumcision occurs on the 8th day and requires healing

ומה ראו לומר רפואה בשמינית?

אמר רבי אחא:

מתוך שנתנה מילה בשמינית שצריכה רפואה —

לפיכך קבעוה בשמינית.

The Talmud continues:

And why did they see fit to institute that one says the blessing of healing as the 8th blessing?

R’ Aḥa said:

Since circumcision was assigned to the 8th day of life (as stated in Leviticus 12:3), and circumcision requires healing² --

Consequently, they established healing as the 8th blessing.

R’ Alexandri - The blessing for prosperous years (#9 - השנים) is 9th because it opposes price manipulators

ומה ראו לומר ברכת השנים בתשיעית?

אמר רבי אלכסנדרי:

כנגד מפקיעי שערים,

And why did they see fit to institute that one says the blessing of bountiful years as the 9th blessing?

R’ Alexandri said:

This blessing was instituted in reference to those who raise³ the prices⁴ of food.

Prooftext - condemned in the 9th psalm according to the traditional count - Psalms 10:15

דכתיב:

״שבור זרוע רשע״,

We pray for rain so that the price of produce will not rise as a result of shortages, as it is written:

“Break the arm of the wicked” (Psalms 10:15),

referring to the wicked, who practice deception and extort the poor.

ודוד כי אמרה —

בתשיעית אמרה.

And when David expressed this request, he expressed it in the 9th psalm.

Although today it is considered the 10th psalm, the 1st and 2nd psalms are actually counted as one, and therefore this is the 9th psalm. Therefore, the blessing of the years was fixed as the 9th blessing.

The ingathering of exiles (#10 - קיבוץ גלויות) follows agricultural prosperity because Israel’s land will produce fruit when the exiles are about to return (in the future messianic era) - Ezekiel 36:8

ומה ראו לומר קיבוץ גליות לאחר ברכת השנים?

דכתיב:

״ואתם הרי ישראל

ענפכם תתנו

ופריכם תשאו לעמי ישראל

כי קרבו לבוא״.

The Talmud asks:

And why did they see fit to institute that one says the blessing of the ingathering of the exiles after the blessing of the years?

As it is written:

“And you, O mountains of Israel,

you shall shoot forth your branches,

and yield your fruit to My people Israel;

for they will soon be coming” (Ezekiel 36:8)⁵

Judgment of the wicked (#11- משפט) follows the ingathering of exiles, and restoration of judges follows that judgment - Isaiah 1:25–26

וכיון שנתקבצו גליות —

נעשה דין ברשעים,

• שנאמר:

  • ״ואשיבה ידי עליך ואצרוף כבור סיגיך״,

• וכתיב:

  • ״ואשיבה שופטיך כבראשונה״.

And once the exiles have been gathered --

judgment will be meted out to the wicked,⁶

• as it is stated:

  • “And I will turn my hand against you and purge away your dross as with lye” (Isaiah 1:25),

• and immediately after it is written:

  • “And I will restore your judges as at first” (Isaiah 1:26).

For this reason the blessing of the restoration of judges comes after the blessing of the ingathering of the exiles.

Once judgment is imposed, transgressors and sinners disappear; therefore the blessing against heretics (#12 - מינים) follows the restoration of justice - Isaiah 1:28

וכיון שנעשה דין מן הרשעים —

כלו הפושעים,

וכולל זדים עמהם,

שנאמר:

״ושבר פושעים וחטאים יחדיו (יכלו)״.

And once judgment is meted out to the wicked --

the transgressors (פושעים), i.e., the heretics and sectarians, will cease to be.

Consequently, the next blessing is that of the heretics, and one includes evildoers (זדים) with them,

as it is stated:

“And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake YHWH shall cease to be” (Isaiah 1:28).

The “transgressors and sinners” are the evildoers, and “they that forsake YHWH” are the heretics.

Once the wicked disappear (in the future messianic era), the righteous will be exalted (#13 - על הצדיקים) - Psalms 75:11

וכיון שכלו הפושעים —

מתרוממת קרן צדיקים,

דכתיב:

״וכל קרני רשעים אגדע

תרוממנה קרנות צדיק״.

And once the heretics cease to be --

the horn, i.e., the glory, of the righteous will be exalted,

as it is written:

“All the horns of the wicked will I cut off;

[but] the horns of the righteous shall be exalted” (Psalms 75:11).

Therefore, after the blessing of the heretics, one says the blessing about the righteous.

Converts are included with the righteous - Leviticus 19:32–33

וכולל גירי הצדק עם הצדיקים,

• שנאמר:

  • ״מפני שיבה תקום, והדרת פני זקן״

• וסמיך ליה:

  • ״וכי יגור אתכם גר״.

And the verse includes the righteous converts along with the righteous,

• as it is stated:

  • “You shall rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the elder” (Leviticus 19:32),

• and adjacent to this it is stated:

  • “And if a stranger sojourns with you” (Leviticus 19:33).

An “elder” is one with Torah wisdom and a “stranger” is one who has converted to Judaism.

The righteous will be exalted in Jerusalem (in the future messianic era), so the blessing for Jerusalem (#14 - ירושלים) follows the blessing for the righteous - Psalms 122:6

והיכן מתרוממת קרנם?

בירושלים,

שנאמר:

״שאלו שלום ירושלם

ישליו אוהביך״.

And where will the horns of the righteous be exalted in the future messianic era?

In Jerusalem,

as it is stated:

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem;

they who love you shall prosper” (Psalms 122:6).

“They who love you” are the righteous. Therefore, the blessing of the rebuilding of Jerusalem is placed after the blessing of the righteous.

The Davidic Messiah (#15 - מצמיח קרן ישועה) will come (in the future messianic era) after Jerusalem is rebuilt - Hosea 3:5

וכיון שנבנית ירושלים —

בא דוד,

שנאמר:

״אחר ישובו בני ישראל

ובקשו את ה׳ אלהיהם ואת דוד מלכם״.

And once Jerusalem is rebuilt in the future messianic era⁷ --

the Messiah, scion of the house of David, will come,

as it is stated:

“Afterward the children of Israel shall return,

and seek YHWH their God and David their king” (Hosea 3:5),

and consequently, the blessing of the kingdom of David follows the blessing of the building of Jerusalem.

Prayer (#16 - שומע תפילה) follows the coming of the Davidic Messiah - Isaiah 56:7

וכיון שבא דוד —

באתה תפלה,

שנאמר:

״והביאותים אל הר קדשי

ושמחתים בבית תפלתי״.

And once the scion of David comes in the future messianic era --

the time for prayer will come,

as it is stated:

“I will bring them to My sacred mountain

and make them joyful in My house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:7).

Therefore, the blessing of hearing prayer is recited after the blessing of the kingdom of David.

Restoration of Temple service (#17 - עבודה) in the future messianic era follows prayer - Isaiah 56:7

וכיון שבאת תפלה —

באת עבודה,

שנאמר:

״עולותיהם וזבחיהם לרצון על מזבחי״.

And after prayer comes --

the Temple service will arrive,

as it is stated in the continuation of that verse:

“Their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted on My altar” (Isaiah 56:7).

The blessing of restoration of the Temple service in the future messianic era follows the blessing of hearing prayer.

Thanksgiving (#18 - הודאה) follows Temple service because thanksgiving is associated with Temple sacrifice - Psalms 50:23

וכיון שבאת עבודה —

באתה תודה,

שנאמר:

״זובח תודה יכבדנני״.

And when the Temple service comes --

with it will also come thanksgiving (תודה),

as it is stated:

“Whoever sacrifices a thanks-offering honors Me” (Psalms 50:23),

which teaches that thanksgiving follows sacrifice.

Therefore, the blessing of thanksgiving follows the blessing of restoration of the Temple service.

The Priestly Benediction follows thanksgiving because Aaron blessed the people after completing the sacrifices - Leviticus 9:22

ומה ראו לומר ברכת כהנים אחר הודאה?

דכתיב:

״וישא אהרן את ידיו אל העם ויברכם

וירד מעשות

1. החטאת

2. והעולה

3. והשלמים״.

[...]

And why did they see fit to institute that one says the Priestly Benediction after the blessing of thanksgiving?

As it is written:

“And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people and blessed them,

and he came down from sacrificing

1. the sin-offering,

2. and the burnt-offering,

3. and the peace-offerings” (Leviticus 9:22),

teaching that the Priestly Benediction follows the sacrificial service, which includes the thanks-offering.

[...]

Peace (#19 - שים שלום) follows the Priestly Benediction because God’s concluding blessing is peace - Numbers 6:27; Psalms 29:11

ומה ראו לומר ״שים שלום״ אחר ברכת כהנים?

דכתיב:

״ושמו את שמי על בני ישראל

ואני אברכם״,

And why did they see fit to institute that one says the blessing beginning with the words: “Grant peace...” after the Priestly Benediction?

As it is written immediately following the Priestly Benediction:

“And they shall put My name upon the children of Israel,

and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:27).

ברכה דהקדוש ברוך הוא שלום,

שנאמר:

״ה׳ יברך את עמו בשלום״.

[...]

The Priestly Benediction is followed by God’s blessing, and the blessing of God is peace,

as it is stated:

“YHWH blesses His people with peace” (Psalms 29:11).

[...]

Limiting the freedom to add further praises of God

R’ Elazar - Only someone capable of recounting all of God’s praise would be fit to recount His mighty acts; since no one can, one must limit praise - Psalms 106:2

(See footnote.)⁸

אמר רבי אלעזר,

מאי דכתיב:

״מי ימלל גבורות ה׳

ישמיע כל תהלתו״,

למי נאה למלל גבורות ה׳?

למי שיכול להשמיע כל תהלתו.

R’ Elazar said:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

“Who can utter the mighty acts of YHWH?

Who can declare all His praise?”

(Psalms 106:2)?

It means: For whom is it fitting to utter the mighty acts of YHWH?

Only for one who can declare all His praise.

And since no one is capable of declaring all of God’s praises, we must suffice with the set formula established by the rabbis.

Rabba bar bar Ḥana citing R’ Yoḥanan - One who praises God excessively is uprooted from the world

אמר רבה בר בר חנה, אמר רבי יוחנן:

המספר בשבחו של הקדוש ברוך הוא יותר מדאי —

נעקר מן העולם,

Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that R’ Yoḥanan said:

With regard to one who excessively declares the praises of God --

his fate is to be uprooted from the world⁹

Prooftext - because human speech cannot encompass God’s praise - Job 37:20

שנאמר:

״היסופר לו כי אדבר

אם אמר איש כי יבלע״.

As it is stated:

“Shall it be told to Him when I speak?

If a man says it, he would be swallowed up” (Job 37:20).

The Talmud interprets the verse as saying: Can all of God’s praises be expressed when I speak? If a man would say such a thing, he would be “swallowed up” as punishment.

R’ Yehuda of Kefar Gibboraya, alternatively Kefar Gibbor Ḥayil - Silence is the best form of praise of God - Psalms 65:2

דרש רבי יהודה איש כפר גבוריא,

ואמרי לה איש כפר גבור חיל:

מאי דכתיב:

״לך דומיה תהלה״?

סמא דכולה —

משתוקא.

The Talmud relates: R’ Yehuda, a man of Kefar Gibboraya, taught

and some say he was a man of Kefar Gibbor Hayil:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

“For You silence is praise” (Psalms 65:2)?

The best remedy of all --

is silence,

i.e., the optimum form of praising God is silence.

Rav Dimi citing an Eretz Yisrael proverb - A word is worth one sela, but silence is worth two

כי אתא רב דימי, אמר:

אמרי במערבא:

• מלה —

  • בסלע,

• משתוקא —

  • בתרין.

The Talmud relates: When Rav Dimi came from Eretz Israel to Babylonia, he said:

In the West, Eretz Yisrael, they say an adage:

• If a word

  • is worth one sela,

• silence

  • is worth two.¹⁰

1. Compare the baraita cited in my “Pt1 The Messianic Era in the Talmud: The Character of the Messianic Generation and Moral and Social Collapse in the Leadup to the Messianic Era (Sanhedrin 96b-99a)“, section “Baraita - Seven-year cycle of the coming of the Messiah: 1st—selective rain; 2nd—arrows of famine; 3rd—great famine and Torah forgotten; 4th—limited plenty; 5th—great plenty and Torah returns; 6th—heavenly voices; 7th—wars (eg, Gog and Magog); after seventh—ben David comes - Amos 4:7“.

2. On the medical dangers of circumcision, compare my “Neonatal Care and Conditional Circumcision: Medical Observation, Harm Prevention, and Maternal Expertise (Shabbat 134a)“.

3. מפקיעי - literally: “split, break”.

On this word, see Jastrow (modernized), entry “פָּקַע”:

(compare בקע) to split; to burst; to break forth, escape.

[….]

Pi'el

פִּקֵּעַ to cause splitting.

[….]

Hif'il

הִפְקִיעַ 1) to split, break open.

[….]

2) to strip, pluck, ravel out.

[….]

3) הפקיע השער - to break up, unsettle the market, to raise prices arbitrarily, create a panic.

• Mishnah Taanit 2:9 - שלא להַפְקִיעַ השערים - “in order not to cause a sudden rise of market prices” (by creating the impression of impending scarcity).

• Megillah 17b:15 - כנגד מַפְקִיעֵי שערים - “a prayer against those who raise prices” (speculating on a coming scarcity)

4. שערים.

On this word, see Jastrow (modernized), entry “שַׁעַר”, sense #2:

2) market, market price.

• Mishnah Bava Metzia 5:7 - שיצא השער, see פָּסַק.

• Ibid. (72b) כשער הגבוה (Bavli printed edition בשער) - “according to the price at the height of the market,” i.e. the lowest price.

• Ibid. 8 - כשער הזול - “according to the lowest market price”

• Ibid. 1 - לקח … וכן השער - “if he bought wheat of him, at a gold Denar a Kor, and such was the market price”

• Gittin 57a:22 - נחסר השער מודיא אחת - “the price went down one Modius”, i.e. from forty Modii to thirty-nine for a Denar; וחזר השער למקומו - “the price went back to its former figure”

• and frequently.

Plural: as above

• Bava Batra 89a:90 - לשערים - “for the regulation of market prices”, see אֲגַרְדְּמִיס;

• Yerushalmi ibid. 5, end, 15b - שִׁיעוּרִין, and שִׁיעוּרַיָּיא.

For the citation from tractate Gittin, see my “Three Talmudic Stories about the Righteous Community of Kefar Sekhanya of Egypt (Gittin 57a)“, section “Story #2 - Divine Justice and Community Response“, where I summarize:

The second tale connects a decrease in grain prices to a sinful act committed by a father and son, who had illicit relations with a betrothed woman on Yom Kippur. After their sin was discovered and they were punished, the grain prices returned to normal. This story underscores a belief in divine justice affecting communal welfare based on the morality of individuals within the community.

5. Steinsaltz explains:

[This verse in Ezekiel 36:8] indicates that [in the future messianic era] the ingathering of the exiles will follow after Eretz Yisrael is blessed with bountiful produce.

On this, see my previous series, on the sugya in tractate Ketubot about agricultural fertility in Eretz Yisrael in the future messianic era.

6. On judgement of the wicked in the future messianic era, compare my “Rome and the Final Judgment: The Messianic-Era Judgement Day in the Talmud and Rome’s Role (Avodah Zarah 2a-b)“; and see especially my intro there.

7. On the rebuilding of Jerusalem in the future messianic era, see my recent three-part series, “Leviathan, Behemoth, and Jerusalem in the Messianic Future (Bava Batra 74b-75b)“, final part here: Pt3.

8. This statement of R’ Eliezer is cited elsewhere as well, see these pieces of mine:

• “Pt3 Cities of Refuge: Geography, Access, Legal Procedure, and Theological Reflections (Makkot 9b-10b)“, section “R’ Elazar - only one who can proclaim all of God’s praise should speak publicly - Ps 106:2“

• “Pt1 Hierarchy, Honor, and Challenge: The Dramatic Story of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel vs. R’ Meir and R’ Natan and Its Aftermath (Horayot 13b-14a)“, section “They schemed to expose Rabban Shimon’s ignorance by challenging him with tractate Okatzin; Had he failed to teach it, they planned to declare him unfit for leadership and to install themselves in his place“

9. Steinsaltz explains:

as it appears as if he had exhausted all of God’s praises.

On this, compare later in this tractate, in my “Policing Communal Worship: Form, Language, and the Boundaries of Legitimate Prayer (Mishnah Megillah 4:8-9; Megillah 24b-25a)“, section “Anecdote of R’ Ḥanina - Rebukes excessive added divine epithets beyond “great, mighty, awesome”: even those 3 are only said because Moses wrote them and the Great Assembly fixed them; adding more is deprecatory - Deuteronomy 10:17; Nehemiah 9:32“.

10. On the value of being silent, as opposed to speaking, compare the aphorism in Mishnah tractate Avot, in these pieces of mine:

• “Pt2 Tripartite Aphorisms: From The Men of the Great Assembly to Rabban Gamaliel’s Dynasty (Mishnah Avot 1:1-2:4)“, section “Shimon ben Rabban Gamaliel - silence is best; deed--not study--is primary; excessive speech lead to sin (1:17)“

• “Tannaitic Aphorisms (Avot 3:13-4:4)“, section “Frivolity leads to sexual sin; various practices act as protective “fences”; silence is a safeguard for wisdom (3:13)“