The Daily 'Amidah and the Rhetoric of Redemption

The 'Amidah, as presently constructed, constitutes an argument for redemption. The first triad of blessings presents a tripartite thesis: after arguing that God should bring a redeemer, it makes the case for resurrection and concludes with the worshiper acclaiming the kingship of God on earth. Common to all three is the affirmation that God is King. Perceiving God as Lord of history, Lord of nature and death, and Lord of Israel heightens the expectation of redemption. The first two units of the intermediate blessings (4-9) presents three accessible dimensions of redemption--personal salvation, physical recovery, and agricultural revival--in order to sustain the hope for the not yet available national redemption. Pointing to the experience of the former serves to enhance the plausibility of the latter. The next series of national eschatological blessings (10-15) delineate the order of redemption, commencing with the great shofar's blast of freedom which announces the ingathering of the exiles and culminating in the return of God to Zion. Since the themes are all biblical, the liturgical contribution lies in the linguistic formulation, in the sequencing of events, and in the emphasis on divine involvement. All three converge to make the point that God alone is the redeemer. Blessings 17 and 18 also advance the drama of redemption. Blessing 17 concludes with, "May our eyes behold your merciful return to Zion," whereas blessing 18 concludes with the hope that, "all the living will worship you." Thus the last two sections of the 'Amidah advance from personal through national to universal redemption, each stage involving the progressive realization of God's kingship. Finally, understanding the 'Amidah's theme to be future redemption explains how the blessing of redemption of the Shema' came to focus only on past redemption.