Translation:Mishnah/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/Chapter 4/3

Introduction

We now begin to discuss the actual content of Shemona Esrei.

Hebrew Text

רבן גמליאל אומר:

בכל יום מתפלל אדם שמונה עשרה.

רבי יהושע אומר: מעין שמונה עשרה.

רבי עקיבא אומר: אם שגורה תפלתו בפיו – יתפלל שמונה עשרה;

ואם לאו – מעין שמונה עשרה.

English Translation

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Rabban Gamliel says:

Every day a person must pray eighteen [blessings of the Amidah].

Rabbi Yehoshua says:

[One may say] an abbreviated [form of the] eighteen [blessings].

Rabbi Akiva says:

If the prayer is fluent in his mouth, he must say eighteen [blessings];

but if it is not -- [he may say] an abbreviated eighteen [because otherwise he may stumble on the words].

Explanation

The Eighteen blessings correspond to the 18 vertebrae in the spine {1}, the 18 mentions of the divine Name in the Shema, and the 18 mentions of the divine Name in Psalm 29, from which many of the blessings of Shemona Esrei are derived (Babylonian Talmud). Other sources (cf. Jerusalem Talmud and Shenos Eliyahu) list several additional reasons for this number. Although there are actually 19 blessings, this is because the blessing of V'lamalshinim (Informers) was added much later, during a period in which the Jewish people experienced terrible persecution as a result of these slanderous informers. The task of composing the text for this blessing was delegated to the Tanna Shmuel haKatan, because he was well known as one who exemplified the idiom (Proverbs 24:19) "At the fall of your enemy, do not rejoice, and in his stumbling do not let your heart be gleeful". With regard to the symbolisms of the number 18 cited above from the Talmud, this nineteenth blessing corresponds respectively to the "minor" 19th vertebra; to the word "Echad" (One) in the first pasuk of the Shema, which refers to Hashem as well; and to the word "{K}el" (G-d), of "{K}el hakavod hir'im" in verse 3 of Psalm 129.

An abbreviated Eighteen: The Talmud cites two opinions as to what this means.

• According to one opinion, each blessing is said in an abridged manner, with only the first phrase and the closing. For example, for the blessing of Chonein Hadaat: "You inbue man with knowledge. You are the Source of all blessing, Hashem, Who imbues knowledge."
• According to the other opinion, the first three and last three blessings (the "Praise" and "Thanksgiving" groups, respectively) are said in their full form; however, the thirteen "Supplicationary" blessings in the middle are replaced with a single blessing, called Havineinu, which incorporates the main ideas of all thirteen blessings into one. The halacha reflects this second opinion.

If the prayer is fluent in his mouth: Since people used to not have siddurim, everyone had to know the text of all prayers by heart. Therefore, if one is used to the text, and does not stammer over the correct wording, then he is required to recite the entire prayer. However, if he is incapable of doing so because he is unfamiliar with or will stumble over the words, he is permitted to abbreviate.

The halacha follows the opinion of Rabbi Akiva. Therefore, one who does not know the words and cannot read them from a siddur, or in an emergency situation where there is no choice but to abbreviate, this may be done by replacing the middle thirteen blessings with Havineinu, except during the winter (because one needs to ask for rain in the blessing of Birkat Hashanim), and on Saturday night, after Shabbat, because one needs to make Havdalah in the blessing of Chonein Hadaat. Havineinu is also never said on Shabbat or Yom Tov (festivals), because it is a summary of the weekday Shemona Esrei.