The Making of the Siddur: The Sources of Tefillah, Part II (with Rabbi Moshe Walter)
June 2, 2026
AI Summary
5 min read“The words that we recite in Shmonasra are the words of the Anshei Knesset HaGedola.” That claim, attributed to the Tosafot and the Tur, is the central tension in Rabbi Moshe Walter’s second episode on the making of the siddur. If the 18 blessings of the Amidah were fixed by the Men of the Great Assembly with exact wording, then no later generation can change a single letter. But if, as the Ra’avad and Abudraham argued, the text was never that rigid, then additions and variations are legitimate. This debate, Rabbi Walter explains, runs through almost every feature of the daily prayer service—from the 19th blessing against heretics to the status of Tachanun, the structure of Mincha, and even the presence of Aleinu at Maariv.
The 19th Blessing and the Limits of Fixity
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What you'll learn
- 1 (02:09) **Picking Up After Birkas Kriyas Shema** - The episode resumes from the end of the first episode, now moving into the structure of the Shemoneh Esrei.
- 2 (03:52) **The Significance of the Number 18 in Tefillah** - Explains why the prayer is called "Shemoneh Esrei" (18) and the deep numerical symbolism.
- 3 (05:12) **The Authorship of the Shemoneh Esrei** - Details the debate over whether the current text is identical to that established by the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah.
- 4 (07:54) **The Addition of the 19th Blessing (Birkas HaMinim)** - Explains the origin of the bracha against heretics, which turned the 18 blessings into 19.
- 5 (11:11) **Rules for Additions to the Shemoneh Esrei** - Distinguishes between permissible Talmudic additions and modern innovations.
- 6 (14:13) **The Post-Shemoneh Esrei: Yehiyu L’Ratzon and Tachanun** - Covers the purpose of the verse "Yehiyu L’Ratzon" and the introduction of Tachanun.
- 7 (16:32) **The Debate on Chazaras HaShatz** - Explains the ongoing debate about the necessity of the chazzan's repetition and its status.
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Show Notes
#482
> To purchase "The Making of the Siddur": https://amzn.to/4dYUdWG
>Episode sponsored by Tehillim Unveiled podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://itl.ink/LechuNeranenaApple, Spotify: https://itl.ink/LechuNeranenaSpotify
> For update and bonus content: https://qrl.is/Tehillim
> Episode sponsored by Mordechai and Michal Neuman in memory of their parents Shimon ben Michoel, Rachel bas Avraham, Dovid ben Shmuel, and Tzirel Mindel bas Pesachya
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