The Amidah

amidah

עמידה

Israeli: ' marks a reduced vowel that Israeli speech drops (b'rachah); when the vowel is pronounced it is written e (lefanecha). - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

Sixth B’rakhah: Gratitude for Life and Its Blessings

When the Amidah is recited silently, we read the following paragraph. When the Amidah is chanted aloud, the leader reads this paragraph as the congregation reads the next passage.

Hebrew

מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ, שָׁאַתָּה הוּא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי
אֲבוֹתֵינוּ [וְאִמּוֹתֵינוּ] לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. צוּר חַיֵּינוּ, מָגֵן יִשְׁעֵנוּ
אַתָּה הוּא לְדוֹר וָדוֹר. נוֹדֶה לְךָ וּנְסַפֵּר תְּהִלָּתֶךָ, עַל חַיֵּינוּ
הַמְּסוּרִים בְּיָדֶךָ וְעַל נִשְׁמוֹתֵינוּ הַפְּקוּדוֹת לָךְ, וְעַל נִסֶּיךָ
שֶׁבְּכָל־יוֹם עִמָּנוּ, וְעַל נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ וְטוֹבוֹתֶיךָ שֶׁבְּכָל־עֵת,
עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהֳרָיִם. הַטּוֹב, כִּי לֹא כָלוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ,
וְהַמְרַחֵם, כִּי לֹא תַמּוּ חֲסָדֶיךָ מֵעוֹלָם קִוִּינוּ לָךְ.

Israeli

modim anachnu lach, sha-atah hu Adonai Eloheinu veilohei
avoteinu [ve-imoteinu] le-olam va-ed. tzur chayeinu, magen yishenu
atah hu ledor vador. nodeh lecha unesaper tehilatecha, al chayeinu
hamesurim b'yadecha ve-al nishmoteinu hapkudot lach, ve-al nisecha
shebchol-yom imanu, ve-al nifle-otecha vetovotecha shebchol-et,
erev vavoker vetzohorayim. hatov, ki lo chalu rachamecha,
vehamerachem, ki lo tamu chasadecha me-olam kivinu lach.

English

We thank You, for You are ever our God and the God of our ancestors; You are the bedrock of our lives, the shield that protects us in every generation. We thank You and sing Your praises—for our lives that are in Your hands, for our souls that are under Your care, for Your miracles that accompany us each day, and for Your wonders and Your gifts that are with us each moment—evening, morning, and noon. You are the one who is good, whose mercy is never-ending; the one who is compassionate, whose love is unceasing. We have always placed our hope in You.

This paragraph is recited by the congregation when the full Amidah is repeated by the service leader, by custom remaining seated and bowing slightly.

Hebrew

מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ, שָׁאַתָּה הוּא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי
אֲבוֹתֵינוּ [וְאִמּוֹתֵינוּ], אֱלֹהֵי כָל־בָּשָׂר, יוֹצְרֵנוּ, יוֹצֵר
בְּרֵאשִׁית. בְּרָכוֹת וְהוֹדָאוֹת לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ,
עַל שֶׁהֶחֱיִיתָנוּ וְקִיַּמְתָּנוּ. כֵּן תְּחַיֵּנוּ וּתְקַיְּמֵנוּ, וְתֶאֱסוֹף
גָּלֻיּוֹתֵינוּ לְחַצְרוֹת קָדְשֶׁךָ, לִשְׁמוֹר חֻקֶּיךָ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנֶךָ,
וּלְעָבְדְּךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם, עַל שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ מוֹדִים לָךְ.
בָּרוּךְ אֵל הַהוֹדָאוֹת.

Israeli

modim anachnu lach, sha-atah hu Adonai Eloheinu veilohei
avoteinu [ve-imoteinu], Elohei chol-basar, yotzrenu, yotzer
bereishit. b'rachot vehoda-ot leshimcha hagadol vehakadosh,
al shehecheyitanu vekiyamtanu. ken t'chayenu utkaymenu, vete-esof
galuyoteinu lechatzrot kodshecha, lishmor chukecha vela-asot retzonecha,
ule-avdcha b'levav shalem, al she-anachnu modim lach.
baruch El hahoda-ot.

English

We thank You for the ability to acknowledge You. You are our God and the God of our ancestors, the God of all flesh, our creator, and the creator of all. We offer praise and blessing to Your holy and great name, for granting us life and for sustaining us. May You continue to grant us life and sustenance. Gather our dispersed to Your holy courtyards, that we may fulfill Your mitzvot and serve You wholeheartedly, carrying out Your will. May God, the source of gratitude, be praised.

On Ḥanukkah we add Al Hanissim on page 430.

Hebrew

וְעַל כֻּלָּם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִתְרוֹמַם שִׁמְךָ מַלְכֵּנוּ תָּמִיד לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

Israeli

ve-al kulam yitbarach veyitromam shimcha malkenu tamid le-olam va-ed.

English

For all these blessings may Your name be praised and exalted, our sovereign, always and forever.

On Shabbat Shuvah we add:

Hebrew

וּכְתוֹב לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים כָּל־בְּנֵי בְרִיתֶךָ.

Israeli

uchtov lechayim tovim kol-b'nei v'ritecha.

English

And inscribe all the people of Your covenant for a good life.

Hebrew

וְכֹל הַחַיִּים יוֹדוּךָ סֶלָה,
וִיהַלְלוּ אֶת־שִׁמְךָ בֶּאֱמֶת,
הָאֵל יְשׁוּעָתֵנוּ וְעֶזְרָתֵנוּ סֶלָה.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה, הַטּוֹב שִׁמְךָ וּלְךָ נָאֶה לְהוֹדוֹת.

Israeli

vechol hachayim yoducha selah,
vihalelu et-shimcha be-emet,
ha-El yeshu-atenu ve-ezratenu selah.
baruch atah Adonai, hatov shimcha ulecha na-eh lehodot.

English

May all that lives thank You always, and faithfully praise Your name forever, God of our deliverance and help. Barukh atah Adonai, Your name is goodness and praise of You is fitting.

Commentary

THE SIXTH B’RAKHAH. The penultimate b’rakhah of the Amidah has two versions. The first is recited during the silent Amidah, or by the leader when the Amidah is recited aloud by the leader. This version reflects on the miracles of daily life. When the Amidah is recited out loud, the congregation accompanies the leader with a different version of the blessing, one that remarks on the very ability to give thanks. The central idea it expresses is modim anaḥnu lakh . . . al she-anaḥnu modim lakh, “we thank You for the ability to thank You.” The prayer may be understood as an expression of appreciation for being part of a religious tradition that values gratitude. More radically, this prayer may be understood as expressing the thought that our prayers may be addressed to God, but God is the Source of All—even the prayers we speak. The very ability to thank is thus a manifestation of the presence of God within us.

WE THANK YOU מוֹדִים. Our gratitude is expressed in universal terms, without reference to Jewish particularity. Here we reflect on the very basis of life itself. God’s wonders are found in the cycles of the planets, the rhythm of the seasons, the resurgence of life. We may come to realize that gratitude is a self-creating blessing: the more we cultivate gratitude, the more we are aware of all that we receive for which we may be grateful, the more we blossom as human beings. (Bradley Shavit Artson) …

Thanksgiving How great my joy that I dwell with You—and thinking of You, my troubles flee. For Your love and kindness I owe so much, but all I can offer are prayers recited thankfully. Heavens cannot contain You; how could my ideas? Teach me what may please You, that I may do what to You is dear. Take my praise as a rightful offering, consider it as sacrifices of old. Pure of Vision, open Your eyes to my suffering, let Your light illumine what I fail to see. Let Your kindness and love favor me. Let them cover my sins, that they not be seen. And as Your name is held in my heart, may my spirit in Your hands be. —SOLOMON IBN GABIROL …

Thanksgiving The older we get, the greater becomes our inclination to give thanks, especially heavenwards. We feel more strongly than we could possibly have ever felt before that life is a gift. . . . But we also feel, again and again, an urge to thank our fellow, even if he or she has not done anything special for us. For what, then? For being truly present when we are together; for opening his eyes, and not mistaking me for someone else; for opening her ears, and listening carefully to what I had to say to her; indeed, for opening up to me what I really wanted to address—a securely locked heart. —MARTIN BUBER (adapted) …