Episode 19: Asking for Help (Amidah-Middle Blessings 1)
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Asking for Help
This week we’re live from Songleader Boot Camp! It was such a treat to interact with folks and feel the energy in the (zoom) room. We’re back in our Amidah series, exploring the challenges and opportunities of petitionary prayer as a whole before jumping into the first of the 13 middle Amidah blessings, on knowledge/understanding/discernment/wisdom. What’s the difference between all these things? Let’s discuss!
This episode is all about asking for help, so to that end:
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(14:34) Am sgula – עם סגולה – chosen people.
(14:57) Learn more about Rabbi Ruth Gan Kagan here.
(14:59) Learn more about Rav Zalman Shachter-Shalomi here.
(17:07) Adonai hu haelohim – אדוני הוא האלוהים – Adonai is g?d. This line is chanted many times as part of the climatic end of the Yom Kippur service
(18:46) Aseh v’lo ta’aseh – עשה ולא תעשה – “to do” commandments and “not to do” commandments. Learn more here.
(21:46) Ein od milvado – אין עוד מלבדו – There is no one else.
(21:59) Kvodo maleh olam – כבודו מלא עולם – g?d’s holiness is everywhere.
(24:26) Trope – טעמים – the special cantillation for reading Torah. Learn more here.
(24:30) Learn more about Shavuot here.
(24:34) Aseret hadibrot – עשרת הדברות – Ten Commandments.
(25:12) Learn more about Simchat Torah here.
(25:36) Lo bashamayim hi – לא בשמים היא – The law is not in heaven. Learn more here.
(27:14) Learn more about Kabbalah here and Chasidut here.
(27:49) Pasuk – פסוק – verse.
(28:05) Click to listen to Asher Lo Hayam, Sham’ah Va-Tismach, Zamru (Havayah), B’amud Anaan, Y’cholel Ayalot, Lecha Dodi
(28:25) Tehila – תהילה – praise.
(30:24) Kol haneshama tehalel ya – כל הנשמה תהלל יה – All that has breath shall praise G?d.
(32:04) Heimish – Yiddish word for homey.
(33:17) Oneg – עונג – a festive gathering on Friday night after services.
(38:20) Learn more about Neo-Hasidism here.
(41:57) Kavanot – כוונות – giving a personal meaning to the prayer.
(42:10) Pshat – פשט – the literal meaning of a verse
(49:19) Chutzpah – חוצפה – gall / self-confidence.
(57:03) Check out our previous episodes on Modeh/Modah Ani and Shema.
(58:40) Listen to Shiviti here. (0:33) Our Light Lab listener survey can be found here, we can’t wait to hear your feedback!
(1:02) Learn more about Song Leader Boot Camp here.
(1:36) We’ve officially launched our membership page – learn more here!
(7:01) Ken yehi ratzon – כן יהי רצון – so may it be.
(7:26) Check out our past episodes here!
(11:35) Watch the clip from Bruce Almighty here.
(15:30) Learn more about the Talmud here.
(15:35) Learn more about the Great Assembly here.
(15:44) Find My People’s Prayer Book here.
(15:48) Brachot 29a can be found here.
(19:12) Learn more about Rabbi Shai Held here.
(19:13) Learn more about the Book of Job here, the Psalms here.
(20:29) Tzedakah – צדקה – giving charity. Learn more here.
(21:25) This is close to a quote by Rabbi David Wolpe: “If we rise from our prayer as better human beings than the ones who sat down, our prayers have been answered.” It also rings of a quote by Victorian Poet George Meredith: “Who rises from prayer a better man, his prayer is answered.”
(22:10) Daf Yomi – studying a page of Talmud every day. Learn more here.
(23:19) Explore more about the changing meanings of “Great, Mighty, and Awesome” in the Talmud with this source sheet.
(26:16) Learn more about Kabbalah here.
(27:37) Atah chonen l’adam da’at umelamed la’adam da’at umelamed le’eino shvina koneinu meitcha chochma bina l’da’at. Baruch atah adonai chonen hada’at.
אתה חונן לאדם דעת ומלמד לאנוש בינה חננו מאתך *חכמה בינה ודעת. ברוך אתה יי חונן הדעת.
You grace humans with knowledge and teach mortals understanding, graciously share with us your wisdom, insight and knowledge. Blessed, are you Adonai who graces with knowledge. (From Mishkan T’fillah)
*Deah binah vehaskel – דעה בינה והשכל (Artscroll Siddur Ashkenaz)
*Chochma binah vedaat – חכמה בינה ודעת (Artscroll Siddur Sefard)
(29:20) Learn more about sefirot – ספירות – Kabbalistic emanations – here.
(29:34) Learn more about Chabad here.
(29:51) Learn more about the diversity of Jewish customs here.
(30:20) Learn more about the Haskalah, the Jewish Enlightenment Movement, here.
(30:46) Deah – דעה – factual knowledge. Binah – בינה – discernment. Haskel – השכל – wisdom.
(31:03) Learn more about Havdalah, the service separating Shabbat and the rest of the week, here.
(33:55) Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech haolam asher natan lesechvi bina lehavchin bein yom uvein layla.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לַשֶּֽׂכְוִי בִינָה לְהַבְחִין בֵּין יוֹם וּבֵין לָֽיְלָה:
Blessed are You, Adonai our g?d, King of the Universe, Who gives the rooster understanding to distinguish between day and night. (From Sefaria)
(34:24) You can find The Guide for the Perplexed by Maimonides here.
(37:05) Learn more about the Baal Shem Tov here.
37:05 Learn more about Rabbi Dr. Nehemia Polen here
(39:35) Ein kol chadash tachat hashemesh – וְאֵ֥ין חָדָ֖שׁ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ – there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9
(42:12) Learn more about Thich Nhat Hanh here.
(42:16) Learn more about Chava Mirel here.