Omer Learning 2019: Day 42 | Siddur Q & A: When did they add the matriarc…

Today is 42 days, which is 6 weeks of the Omer

Instructions for counting the omer are found on our Omer Overview Page. You can find the specific blessing for today at chabad.org.

We’re dedicating new Siddurim on the first day of Shavuot. In honor of this wonderful occasion, we’re using the counting of the Omer to learn about the siddur.

Enjoy today’s siddur related question and answer, which was provided by Debbie D..

When did they add the matriarchs to the Amidah?

The 1998 edition of the Siddur Sin Shalom was the first to include the option of reciting the names of the matriarchs as well as the patriarchs at the beginning of the Amidah. The addition followed a 1990 decision by the Rabbinical Assembly. In a responsum prepared for the vote, Rabbi Joel Rembaum argued that including the matriarchs is appropriate because they are central to the story of the covenant between God and the Jewish people affirmed in the Amidah. He concluded that it is fitting that “a prayer that expresses the unity, commitment, and lofty aspirations of the Jewish people” be modified to speak to all members of the congregation.

Learn More

You can learn more at:

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/halakhah/teshuvot/19861990/rembaum_matriarchs.pdf

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