Episode 48: Elohai N’tzor - End of the Amidah Journey

PrayerGuestInterview

Aug 24

Written By Eliana Light

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Elohai N’tzor: End of the Amidah Journey

This week, Eliana, Ellen, & Josh explore the end of the Amidah journey. Topics include the Amidah as a personal AND communal experience, symbolism in the shape words take in our mouths, and license to create our own prayers. Plus, Josh and Coleen Dieker perform Elohai N’tzor live!

Do written prayers inhibit your extemporaneous prayer experience?

(2:18) Rosh Hashanah

(2:23) Jewish agricultural calendar

(2:43) Solomon Schechter Chicago

(4:12) Gevurah- גבורה - strength

(4:37) Gematria

אֱלהַי נְצר לְשׁונִי מֵרָע וּשפָתַי מִדַּבֵּר מִרְמָה וְלִמְקַלְלַי נַפְשִׁי תִדּם. וְנַפְשִׁי כֶּעָפָר לַכּל תִּהְיֶה פְּתַח לִבִּי בְּתורָתֶךָ. וּבְמִצְותֶיךָ תִּרְדּף נַפְשִׁי וְכָל הַחושְׁבִים עָלַי רָעָה. מְהֵרָה הָפֵר עֲצָתָם וְקַלְקֵל מַחֲשַׁבְתָּם עֲשה לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ. עֲשה לְמַעַן יְמִינֶךָ. עֲשה לְמַעַן קְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ. עֲשה לְמַעַן תּורָתֶךָ לְמַעַן יֵחָלְצוּן יְדִידֶיךָ הושִׁיעָה יְמִינְךָ וַעֲנֵנִי יִהְיוּ לְרָצון אִמְרֵי פִי וְהֶגְיון לִבִּי לְפָנֶיךָ. ה’ צוּרִי וְגואֲלִי עשה שָׁלום בִּמְרומָיו. הוּא יַעֲשה שָׁלום עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשרָאֵל ועל כל יושבי תיבל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.

Elohai n’tzor leshoni meira u’sfatai midaber mirma vlimkaleli nafshi tidom v’nafshi keafar lekol tihiyeh petach libi betoratecha uvemitzvotecha tirdof nafshi vechol hachoshvim alai ra’ah mehera hafer atzatam vekalkel machashavtam aseh lema’an shemecha aseh lema’an yeminecha aseh lema’an kodshecha aseh lema’an toratecha lema’an yechaltzun yedecha hoshia yeminecha va’aneni. Yih'yu l'ratzon imrei fi vehegyon libi lefanecha Adonai tzuri ve’goali. Oseh shalom bimromav hoo ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol yisrael v’al kol yoshvei teivel v’imru amen.

My God, keep my tongue from evil, my lips from deceit. Help me ignore those who would slander me. Let me be humble before all. Open my heart to Your Torah, that they may, that I may pursue your mitzvot, frustrate the designs of those who plot evil against me, nullify their schemes. Act for the sake of Your name, act for the sake of Your triumph, act for the sake of Your Holiness, act for the sake of Your Torah, answer my prayer for the deliverance of Your people. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, Adonai, my Rock and my Redeemer. May the One who creates peace on high bring peace to us and to all Israel and to all who dwell on earth. And we say, Amen. (Translation and text from Lev Shalem Siddur)

(9:29) Victoria Hanna

(13:57) Adonai s’fatai tiftach - ה שפתי תפתח - learn more here

(14:55) Learn more about the story from Parshat Shmini here

(23:11) Kedusha

(23:43) My People’s Prayer Book

(23:51) Psalm 34

(25:27) Psalm 19

(28:59) Rabbi Steve Sager z”l

(29:55) Learn more about the origins of Elohai N’tzor here.

(30:16) Rabbi Chiya batar dimtzalei amar hachi: Yehi ratzon milfanecha Adonai eloheinu v'elohei avoteinu shetehe toratecha umanuteinu v'al yidevah libeinu v'al yechshivu eineinu.

רַבִּי חִיָּיא בָּתַר דִּמְצַלֵּי אָמַר הָכִי: ״יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, שֶׁתְּהֵא תּוֹרָתְךָ אוּמָּנוּתֵנוּ, וְאַל יִדְוֶה לִבֵּנוּ, וְאַל יֶחְשְׁכוּ עֵינֵינוּ״.

After Rabbi Ḥiyya prayed he said the following: May it be Your will, Lord our God, that Your Torah should be our vocation, and may our heart not become faint nor our eyes dim (Berachot 16b:21)

(31:46) Learn more about alternative and expanded versions of Elohai N’tzor here.

(33:01) Rabban Gamliel

(33:11) Amram Gaon

(33:21) Machzor Vitry

(33:55) Bima - בימה - prayer platform

(35:35) Rabbi Brad Artson

(35:57) Rabbi Larry Kushner

(36:01) Reb Zalman Shachter Shalomi

(37:25) Olat Reyah by Rav Kook

(38:49) Sicha - סיכה - conversation

(38:53) Pegiah - פגיעה - encounter

(40:31) Elohai N’tzor by David Paskin