Episode 39: Pleas and Please (Amidah middle blessing 13 & R’tzei)
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Pleas and Please
This week, Eliana, Ellen, and Josh explore the last of the petitionary prayers of the Amidah and the transitional section, “r’tzei.” Topics include our favorite sounds, g?d (not) as vending machine, sacrifice and service, and the present (and presence) of present tense. Plus we share some favorite melodies!
What does it mean to hear our prayers?
(0:31) Trivruta - a play on the word hevruta - חברותא - partnered learning, referring here to learning with 3 people.
(1:04) Listen to “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap here. Listen to “The Happy Song” by Imogen Heap here.
(3:33) You can read “Filling Words with Light: Hasidic and Mystical Reflections on Jewish Prayer” by Rabbi Nehemia Polen & Rabbi Larry Kushner here.
(7:25) Shema koleinu adonai eloheinu chus v’rachem aleinu v’kabel b’rachamim u’vratzon et tefilateinu ki el shomea t’fillot v’tachanunim atah u’milfanecha malkeinu reikam al tashiveinu ki atah shomea t’fillat amcha yisrael b’rachamim. Baruch atah adonai shomea t’fillah.
שְׁמַע קוֹלֵֽנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ חוּס וְרַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ וְקַבֵּל בְּרַחֲמִים וּבְרָצוֹן אֶת־תְּפִלָּתֵֽנוּ כִּי אֵל שׁוֹמֵֽעַ תְּפִלּוֹת וְתַחֲנוּנִים אָֽתָּה וּמִלְּ֒פָנֶֽיךָ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ רֵיקָם אַל־תְּשִׁיבֵֽנוּ כִּי אַתָּה שׁוֹמֵֽעַ תְּפִלַּת עַמְּ֒ךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּרַחֲמִים: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה שׁוֹמֵֽעַ תְּפִלָּה:
Hear our voice Adonai our g?d, be kind and have compassion for us, willingly and lovingly accept our prayer, for You, g?d, hear prayers and listen to pleas. Do not send us away empty-handed, for in your kindness you listen to the prayers of Your people Israel. Baruch Atah Adonai, Who listens to prayer. (From Lev Shalem Siddur)
(8:45) Both of these examples are from Yedid Nefesh - ידיד נפש , which you can find here.
(10:00) Ki mochel v’soleach atah - כי מוחל וסולח אתה - because You are the one who is forgiving (Josh’s translation).
(10:10) Ki goel chazak atah - כי גואל וחזק אתה - because You are the redeemer (Josh’s translation).
(10:35) Chatimot - חתימות - the ending blessings
(11:42) You can find My People’s Prayer Book here.
(12:10) Rachamim - רחמים - mercy
(12:16) Kol peh - כל פה - of all mouths/lips (Ellen’s translation)
(13:20) You can find the text of Nishmat - נשמת here.
(16:10) Learn more about the show “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” here.
(17:02) You can find The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld here.
(18:23) You can find Rav Kook’s Olay Reiyah essays here.
(21:43) Parshat hashavua - פרשת השבוע - weekly torah portion
(21:57) Click to learn more about Rivka (Rebecca), Hagar, Eliezer, and Jacob (Ya’akov).
(22:05) Exodus 2:23-24
(22:16) Machloket - מחלוקת - Jewish legal disagreement
(22:24) Midrash - מדרש - commentary
(23:19) B’tzelem elohim - בצלם אלהים - Created in G?d’s image. Learn more here.
(24:08) To pay a shiva call - learn more here.
(28:22) Retzei adonai eloheinu beamcha yisrael uv’tfilatam v’hashev et ha’avodah lidvirei beitecha v’ishei israel u’tfilatam b’ahava tekabel beratzon u’tehi leratzon avodat israel amecha. V’techezena eineinu b’shuvcha l’tzion b’rachamim. Baruch atah adonai hamachazir shechinato letziyon.
רְצֵה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ בְּעַמְּ֒ךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִתְפִלָּתָם וְהָשֵׁב אֶת הָעֲבוֹדָה לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֶֽךָ וְאִשֵּׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּתְפִלָּתָם בְּאַהֲבָה תְקַבֵּל בְּרָצוֹן וּתְהִי לְרָצוֹן תָּמִיד עֲבוֹדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֶּֽךָ: וְתֶחֱזֶֽינָה עֵינֵֽינוּ בְּשׁוּבְ֒ךָ לְצִיּוֹן בְּרַחֲמִים: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמַּחֲזִיר שְׁכִינָתוֹ לְצִיּוֹן:
Favorably receive, O Lord our G?d, Thy people Israel and their prayer, restore the worship to Thy temple in Zion, receive with love and favor the offerings of Israel and their prayer, and may the worship of Thy people Israel always be favorably received by Thee. May our eyes behold and return to Zion in mercy. Blessed Art Thou, Lord who restores His divine presence to Zion. (Translation from Hayim Halevy Donin)
(29:02) You can find To Pray As A Jew by Hayim Halevy Donin here.
(32:37) Avodah - עבודה - service
(32:48) Find the text of Shalom Rav, a prayer for peace within the Amidah, here.
(33:36) Avadim hayinu - עבדים היינו - we were slaves
(38:46) Korbanot - קרבנות - sacrifices
Root word ק.ר.ב - karov - means to come close
(39:20) El karov l’chol korav pnei al avadecha v’choneinu - אל קרוב לכל פני על עבדיך וחונינו - G?d who is near to all who call, turn lovingly to your servants (Mishkan T’fillah)
(40:02) Avodah shebalev - עבודה שהלב - service of our heart / a labor of love (Ellen’s translation)
(44:24) Shechuna - שְׁכוּנָה - neighborhood
This word has the same root ש.כ.ן as Shechina - שְׁכינָה
Learn more about Shechina by listening to our previous episode “Activating Shechina (with Rishe Groner)” here.
(44:30) Learn more about Marsha Falk here.
(45:37) Learn more about the Musaf מוסף - service here.
(45:43) Baruch Atah Adonai sheotcha l’vadcha b’yirah na’avod - Blessed Are You, to You alone we serve in awe.
(48:00) You can find The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices by Casper ter Kuile here.
(49:02) L’taken olam b’malchut Shadai - לתקן עולם במלכות שדי - to fix the world under the kingdom of all that is. (Eliana’s translation)
This is a line from the Aleinu.
(50:22) Listen to “Shema Koleinu” by Debbie Friedman here. Learn more about Debbie Friedman here.
(50:25) Niggun - ניגון - wordless spiritual melody. Learn more here
(50:51) Yahrzeit - anniversary of a person’s death. Learn more here
(51:18) Learn more about Dan Nichols here.
(51:43) Listen to “Retzei” by Michael Ochs and Gesher here.
(52:48) Listen to “Shema Coaleinu” by Saul Kaye here.
(54:26) Listen to “Shma Koleinu” by Blue Fringe here.