This is the traditional AmidahLit. Standing One of the central prayers of the Jewish prayer service, recited silently while standing. with the words that refer to God changed to the feminine form. The other departure from the tradtional text is that the Matriarchs have been added where relevant, especially in the first section, and the names of the handmaidens Bilhah and Zilpah are included in parenthesis. Direct quotations from the Bible are included unchanged with male God-language. The closing meditation is adapted from the Reconstructionist prayerbook Kol Haneshamah.
The hardest part of this by far was deciding how to feminize the names for God. In the end I converted “eloheinu” into what would be its feminine plural form “elohoteinu”. For “Adonai”, I substituted “G‘vurati”, which is grammatically singular and means “mistress”. The tetragrammaton I wrote as an abbreviation, and the pronunciation is left up to the one praying. These choices are not intended to be meaningful and could easily have been different.
Great thanks to Steve Weitzman, who helped answer grammatical questions. Any mistakes are my own, and I would appreciate hearing about them. I hope this version of the Amidah is useful to people to use and change however they want.
גְּבוּרַתִי שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתְחִי, וּפִי יַגִּיד תְהִילָתַיִךְ.
בְּרוּכָה אַתְ ה‘, אֱלוֹהוֹתֵנו ּוְאֱלוֹהוֹת אִמוֹתֵנו ּוְאֲבוֹתֵינו,ּ אֱלוֹהוֹת שָׂרַה, אֱלוֹהוֹת אַבְרָהָם, אֱלוֹהוֹת רִבְקָה, אֱלוֹהוֹת יִצְחָק, אֱלוֹהוֹת רַחֵל, אֱלוֹהוֹת לֵאַה, (אֱלוֹהוֹת בִּלְהָה, אֱלוֹהוֹת זִלְפָּה) וְאֱלוֹהוֹת יַעֲקֹב, הַאֵלָה הַגְּדוֹלָה, הַגִּבּוּרָה, וְהַנּוֹרָאָה, אֵלָה עֶלְיוֹנָה, גּוֹמֶלֶת חֲסָדִים טוֹבִים וְקוֹנָה הַכֹּל, וְזוֹכֶרֶת חַסְדֵי אָבוֹת וְאִמָהוֹת, וּמְבִיאָה גוֹאֵל לִבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶם לְמַעֲן שְׁמָהּ בְּאַהֲבָה.
מַלְכָּה עוֹזֶרֶת וּמוֹשִיעָה וּמַגֶנֶת. בּרוּכָה אַת ה‘, מַגֶנֶת אַבְרָהָם וּפוֹקֶדֶת שָׂרָה.
אַתְ גִּבּוּרָה לְעוֹֹלַם גְּבוּרַתִי מְחַיָה מֵתִים אַתְ רַבָּה לְהוֹשִיעַ.
(in winter)
מְשִׁיבָה הַרוּחַ וּמוֹרִידָה הַגֶשֶם.
מְכַלְכֶּלֶת חַיִים בְּחֶסֶד, מְחַיָה מֵתִים בְּרַחֲמִים רַבִּים, סוֹמֶכֶת נוֹפְלִים וּרוֹפָה חוֹלִים וּמַתִירָה אַסוּרִים, וּמְקַיֶמֶת אֶמוּנָתָהּ לִישֵׁנֵי עָפָר. מִי כָמוֹךְ בַּעַלָת גְּבוּרוֹת, וּמִי דוֹמֶה לַךְ, מַלְכָּה מְמִיתָּה וּמְקַיֶמֶת וּמַצְמִיחַה יְשוּעָה.
וְנֶאֱמֶנֶת אַתְ לְהַחֲיוֹת מֵתִים. בְּרוּכָה אַתְ ה‘ מְחַיָה הַמֵתִים.
אַתְ קְדוֹשָה וּשְׁמֵךְ קָדוֹש, וּקְדוֹשִים בְּכָל–יוֹם יְהַלְלוּךְ סֶלָה. בְּרוּכָה אַתְ ה‘ הַאֵלָה הַקְדוֹשָה.
יִשׂמַח מֹשֶה בְּמַתְּנַת חֶלקוֹ, כִּי עֶבֶד נֶאֱמָן קָרָאתְ לּוֹ, כְּלִיל בְּּתִּפְאֶרֶת בְּרֹאשׁוֹ נָתַַתְּ לּוֹ, בְּעָמְדוֹ לְפָנַיךְ עַל הַר סִינַי, וּשְׁנֵי לוּחוֹת אֲבָנִים הוֹרִיד בּיָדוֹ, וְכָתוּב בָּהֶם שְׁמִירַת שַׁבָּת, וְכֵן כָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתַיךְ:
וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּת, לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּת לְדֹרֹתָם בְּרִית עוֹלָם. בֵּינִי וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל אוֹת הִיא לְעֹלָם, כִּי־שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה ה‘ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַֽיִם וְאֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ, וּבַיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שָׁבַת וַיִּנָּפַשׁ.
וְלֹא נְתַתּוֹ ה‘ אֱלוֹהוֹתֵנוּ לְגוֹיֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת, וְלֹא הִנְחַלְתּוֹ, מַלְכָּתֵנוּ, לְעוֹבְדֵי פְסִילִים, וְגַם בִּמְנוּחָתוֹ לֹא יִשְׁכְּנוּ עֲרֵלִים, כִּי לְיִשׂרָאֵל עַמֵךְ נְתַתּוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה, לְזֶרַע יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר בָּם בָּחָרְתְּ.
עַם מְקַדְּשֵׁי שְׁבִיעִי כֻּלָּם יִשְׁבְּעוּ וְיִתְעַנְּגוּ מִטּוּבֵךְ, וּבַשְּׁבִיעִי רָצִיתְ בּוֹ וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ חֶמְדַּת יָמִים אוֹתוֹ קָרָאתְ, זֵכֶר לְמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית.
אֱלוֹהוֹתֵנוּ ואֱלוֹהוֹת אֲבוֹתֵנוּ וְאִמוֹתֵנוּ, רְצִי בִמְנוּחַתֵנוּ. קָדְּשִׁינוּ בְּמִצְוֹתַיִךְ וּתְּנִי חֶלְקֵנוּ בְּתוֹרָתֵךְ, שַׂבְּעִינוּ מִטּוּבֵךְ וְשַׂמְּחִינוּ בִּישׁוּעָתֵךְ, וְטַהֲרִי לִבֵּנוּ לְעָבְדֵּךְ בְּאֶמֶת. וְהַנְחִילִינוּ ה‘ אֱלוֹהוֹתֵנוּ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן שַׁבַּת קָדְשֵךְ, וְיָנוּחוּ בָהּ יִשׂרָאֵל מְקַדְּשֵי שְׁמֵךְ. בְּרוּכָה אַתְ ה‘ מְקַדֶּשֶת הַשַבָּת.
רְצִי ה‘ אֱלוֹהוֹתֵנוּ בְּעַמֵּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִתְפִלָּתָם, וְהָשְׁבִי אֶת הָעֲבוֹדָה לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֵךְ. וְאִשֵּׁי יִשׂרָאֵל וּתְפִלָּתָם בְּאַהֲבָה תְּקַבְּלִי בְּרָצוֹן. וּתְהִי לְרָצוֹן תָּמִיד עֲבוֹדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֵּךְ.
וְתֶחֱזֶינָה עֵינֵינוּ בְּשׁוּבֵךְ לְצִיּוֹן בְּרַחֲמִים. בְּרוּכָה אַתְ ה‘ הַמַחְזִירָה שְׁכִינָתָהּ לְצִיּוֹן.
מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ, שֶׁאַתְ הִיא ה‘ אֱלוֹהוֹתֵנוּ וְאֱלוֹהוֹת אִמוֹתֵינוּ וְאֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. צוּר חַיֵּינוּ, מָגֵן יִשְׁעֵנוּ אַתְ הִיא לְדוֹר וָדוֹר נוֹדֶה לָּךְ וּנְסַפֵּר תְּהִלָּתַיִךְ, עַל חַיֵינוּ הַמְּסוּרִים בְּיָדַיִךְ, וְעַל נִשְׁמוֹתֵינוּ הַפְּקוּדוֹת לָךְ, וְעַל נִסַּיִךְ שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם עִמָּנוּ, וְעַל נִפְלְאוֹתַיִךְ וְטוֹבוֹתַיִךְ שֶׁבְּכָל עֵת, עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהָרָיִם. הַטּוֹבָה, כִּי לֹא כָלוּ רַחֲמַיִךְ וְהַמְרַחֶמֶת, כִּי לֹא תַמּוּ חֲסָדַיִךְ, מֵעוֹלָם קִוִּינוּ לָךְ.
וְעַל כֻּלָּם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִתרוֹמַם שְׁמֵךְ מַלְכָּתֵנוּ תּמִיד לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.
וְכֹל הַחַיִּים יוֹדוּךְ סֶלָה, וִיהַלְלוּ אֶת שְׁמֵךְ בֶּאֶמֶת, הָאֵלָה יְשׁוּעָתֵנוּ וְעֶזְרָתֵנוּ סֶלָה. בְּרוּכָה אַתְ ה‘ הַטּוֹבָה שְׁמֵךְ וּלָךְ נָאֶה לְהוֹדוֹת.
שִׂימי שָׁלוֹם טוֹבָה וּבְרָכָה בָּעוֹלָם, חָיִּים חֵן וָחֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כֹּל יִשְרָאֵל עַמֵּךְ. בָּרְכִינוּ אִמֵינוּ כֻּלָּנוּ כְּאֶחָד בְּאוֹר פָּנַיִךְ, כִּי בְאוֹר פָּנַיִךְ נָתַתְּ לָּנוּ ה‘ אֱלוֹהוֹתֵינוּ תוֹרָת חיִּים וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד, וּצְדָקָה וּבְרָכָה וְרָחֲמִים וְחָיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם. וְטוֹב בְּעֵינַיךְ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת כּל עָמֵּךְ יִשְׁרָאֵל בְכֹל עֵת וּבְכֹל שָׁעָה בִּשְׁלוֹמֵךְ. בְּרוּכָה אַתְ ה‘, הַמְבָרֶכֶת אֶת עַמָּהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשָּׁלוֹם.
אֱלוֹהוֹתַי נְצוֹרִי לְשׁוֹנִי מֵרָע וּּשְׂפָתַי מִדַבֵּר מִרמָה. יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁאָסוּר מֵרָע וְהַטּוֹב בְּעֵינַיִךְ אֶעֱשֶׂה. יְהִי חֶלְקִי עִם מְבַקְשֵׁי שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדְפָיו. יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי פִי וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי לְפָנַיִךְ ה‘ צוּרִי וְגוֹאֱלָתִי. עוֹשָׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמֶיהָ הִיא תַּעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְרָאֵל וְעַל כָּל יוֹשׁבֵי תֵבֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
English Translation:
Madam, open up my lips and my mouth will tell your praises.
Blessed are you, our Divinity, and the Divinity of our mothers and our fathers, the Divinity of SarahThe first matriarch, wife of Abraham, and mother of Isaac, whom she birthed at the age of 90. Sarah, in Rabbinic tradition, is considered holy, beautiful, and hospitable. Many prayers, particularly the Amidah (the central silent prayer), refer to God as Magen Avraham – protector of Abraham. Many Jews now add: pokehd or ezrat Sarah – guardian or helper of Sarah., the Divinity of AbrahamAbraham is the first patriarch and the father of the Jewish people. He is the husband of Sarah and the father of Isaac and Ishmael. God's covenant - that we will be a great people and inherit the land of Israel - begins with Abraham and is marked by his circumcision, the first in Jewish history. His Hebrew name is Avraham., the Divinity of RebeccaThe second Jewish matriarch, Isaac's wife, and mother to Jacob and Esau. Rebecca is an active parent, talking to God when she is pregnant and learning the fate of her children, then ultimately manipulating Isaac and the children to ensure Jacob's ascendancy. Her Hebrew name is Rivka., the Divinity of IsaacAbraham and Sarah's much-longed-for son and the second Jewish patriarch. Isaac is nearly sacrificed by his father at God's command (Genesis 22). He is married to Rebecca and is the father of Esau and Jacob. His Hebrew name is Yitzchak., the Divinity of RachelLavan's younger daughter and Jacob's beloved wife second wife (after he is initially tricked into marrying her older sister, Leah). Rachel grieves throughout her life that she is barren while Leah is so fertile. Ultimately, Rachel gives birth to Joseph and dies in childbirth with Benjamin. Rachel is remembered as compassionate (she is said to still weep for her children), and infertile women often invoke Rachel as a kind of intercessor and visit her tomb on the road to Bethlehem., the Divinity of LeahThe third of the Jewish matriarchs, Lead is the eldest of Lavan's daughters and one of the wives of Jacob. She is the daughter whom Lavan tricks Jacob into marrying instead of his younger daughter Rachel, whom Jacob has requested to marry. Leah is mother to six of the the twelve tribes and to one daughter, Dinah., (the Divinity of Bilhah, the Divinity of Zilpah,) and the Divinity of JacobLit. heel Jacob is the third patriarch, son of Isaac and Rebecca, and father to the twelve tribes of Israel. More than any of the other patriarchs, Jacob wrestles with God and evolves from a deceitful, deal-making young man to a mature, faithful partner to God. His Hebrew name is Yaakov.; the great Goddess, powerful and awesome, the highest Goddess, who performs good kindnesses and creates everything; and who remembers the piety of the fathers and mothers, and who brings a redeemer to the children of their children for the sake of Her Name in love.
Helping, saving, shielding Queen: Blessed are You, YHVH, who shields Abraham and guards Sarah.
You are powerful forever, Madam; you revive the dead, abundant in salvation.
(in winter: You cause the wind to return and the rain to fall.)
Supporter of life in lovingkindness, reviver of the dead in abundant mercy, supporter of the falling, healer of the sick, loosener of the bound, and sustainer of Your faith to those who sleep in dust. Who is like You, Mistress of power, and who is comparable to You, Queen who causes death and life, and who causes salvation to bloom.
You are faithful in reviving the dead. Blessed are you, YHVH, who revives the dead.
You are holy and Your name is holy, and holy beings praise you every day. Blessed are You, YHVH, the holy Goddess.
MosesThe quintessential Jewish leader who spoke face to face with God, unlike any other prophet, and who freed the people from Egypt, led them through the desert for forty years, and received the Torah on Mt. Sinai. His Hebrew name is Moshe. rejoiced in accepting his portion, for you called him a faithful servant. You gave him a crown in glory for his head when he stood before You on Mount SinaiAccording to the Torah, God, in the presence of the Jewish people, gave Moses the Torah on Mount Sinai (Har Sinai)., and he took down two stone tablets in his hand, and written on them was the observance of ShabbatShabbat is the Sabbath day, the Day of Rest, and is observed from Friday night through Saturday night. Is set aside from the rest of the week both in honor of the fact that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. On Shabbat, many Jews observe prohibitions from various activities designated as work. Shabbat is traditionally observed with festive meals, wine, challah, prayers, the reading and studying of Torah, conjugal relations, family time, and time with friends., and thus it is written in Your TorahThe Five Books of Moses, and the foundation of all of Jewish life and lore. The Torah is considered the heart and soul of the Jewish people, and study of the Torah is a high mitzvah. The Torah itself a scroll that is hand lettered on parchment, elaborately dressed and decorated, and stored in a decorative ark. It is chanted aloud on Mondays, Thursdays, and Shabbat, according to a yearly cycle. Sometimes "Torah" is used as a colloquial term for Jewish learning and narrative in general.:
And the Children of IsraelLit. ''the one who struggles with God.'' Israel means many things. It is first used with reference to Jacob, whose name is changed to Israel (Genesis 32:29), the one who struggles with God. Jacob's children, the Jewish people, become B'nai Israel, the children of Israel. The name also refers to the land of Israel and the State of Israel. will observe the Sabbath, to make the Sabbath a covenant through their generations. Between Me and the Children of Israel it is a sign forever, that YHVH made the heavens and earth in six days, and on the seventh He rested and was refreshed.
You did not give it, YHVH our Divinity, to the peoples of the lands, and You did not confer it, our Queen, on the idol-worshippers, and also, the uncircumcised do not recline in its rest, but You gave it to Your people Israel in love, to the seed of Jacob whom You chose.
A people who sanctify the seventh day, all of them: may they be satisfied and enjoy themselves in Your good things. On the seventh day you found favor in it and sanctified it, calling it cherished of days, a remembrance of the work of creation.
Our Divinity and the Divinity of our fathers and mothers, find favor in our rest. Sanctify us with Your commandments and give us Your Torah for our portion. Satisfy us from your good things and let us rejoice in your salvation. Purify our hearts to serve you truly. YHVH, our Divinity, confer on us in love and favor Your holy Sabbath, and may Israel, the sanctifiers of your name, rest in it. Blessed are You, YHVH, sanctifier of the Sabbath.
Find favor, YHVH our Divinity, in Your people Israel and in their prayer, and return the worship to Your House. Accept the fire-offerings of Israel and their prayer in love and favor. May the worship of Your people Israel always be what you want.
May our eyes behold your return to Zion in mercy. Blessed are You, YHVH, who returns Her Presence to Zion.
We thank you, for You are YHVH our Divinity and the Divinity of our mothers and fathers forever and always. Rock of our lives, Shield of our salvation You are from generation to generation; we will thank You and recount Your glories, for our lives which are bound up in Your hands, for our souls which are entrusted to You, for Your miracles which are with us every day, and for Your wonders and goodnesses that are at all times, evening and morning and noon. The Good, for Your mercies are never finished, and the Merciful, for Your kindnesses never end, we have always hoped in You.
For all these things may Your name be blessed and exalted, our Queen, eternally forever and always.
May all life thank You, and praise Your name in truth, Goddess of our salvation and our help. Blessed are You, YHVH, Your name is “The Good One” and it is fitting to praise you.
Put peace, goodness, and blessing on earth, life, grace, and lovingkindness, and mercy on us and on all Your people Israel. Bless us, our Mother, all of us together, with Your radiance, for in Your radiance You have given us, YHVH our Divinity, the Torah of life and love of kindness, justice and blessing and mercy and life and peace. And may it be good in Your eyes to bless all of Your people Israel at every time and every moment with peace. Blessed are You, YHVH, blesser of Her people Israel with peace.
Divinity, guard my tongue from evil, and my lips from deceitful speech. May it be Your will that I turn from evil and may I do what is good in Your eyes. May my place be with the requesters of peace and its seekers. May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my mind be favorable before you, YHVH, my rock and my redeemer. The maker of peace in Her heavens, may She make peace for us and for all Israel and for all who live in the world, and say, Amen.
