The Line in Shemoneh Esreh that Changed, and What it Tells us about Ancient - and Modern Jewish Communities in Israel and the Diaspora. Part 1.

Religious Jews around the world recite the following two blessings during the Amidah (otherwise known as Shemoneh Esreh) three times a day, every weekday throughout the year. The first blessing we pray for the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and in the second we pray for our national salvation through the Final Redemption. We recite:

וְלִירוּשָׁלַֽיִם עִירְךָ בְּרַחֲמִים תָּשׁוּב, וְתִשְׁכֹּן בְּתוֹכָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ, וּבְנֵה אוֹתָהּ בְּקָרוֹב בְּיָמֵֽינוּ בִּנְיַן עוֹלָם, וְכִסֵּא דָוִד מְהֵרָה לְתוֹכָהּ תָּכִין. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה, בּוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלָֽיִם. 

אֶת־צֶֽמַח דָּוִד עַבְדְּךָ מְהֵרָה תַצְמִֽיחַ, וְקַרְנוֹ תָּרוּם בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ, כִּי לִישׁוּעָתְךָ קִוִּֽינוּ כׇּל־הַיּוֹם. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה, מַצְמִֽיחַ, קֶֽרֶן יְשׁוּעָה.

At first glance, nothing here seems out of the ordinary. Of course it doesn't, because we've been habituated to this specific text for our entire lives. But when we look more carefully at the blessings themselves, we notice that part of them don't make sense. Take the brachah for Yerushalayim. The first three lines of the brachah seem fine.

וְלִירוּשָׁלַֽיִם עִירְךָ בְּרַחֲמִים תָּשׁוּב / וְתִשְׁכֹּן בְּתוֹכָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ / וּבְנֵה אוֹתָהּ בְּקָרוֹב בְּיָמֵֽינוּ בִּנְיַן עוֹלָם

But then, when we come to the fourth line, we change topics entirely.

וְכִסֵּא דָוִד מְהֵרָה לְתוֹכָהּ תָּכִין / בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה, בּוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלָֽיִם

Why suddenly, do we switch from our focus on Jerusalem to the seat of King David? Now you might argue that David's seat makes perfect sense in this blessing, because it will be reconstituted in Jerusalem, of course. But then, the brachah returns to the subject of Yerushalayim for its conclusion. And, the very next brachah turns to the subject of King David.

אֶת־צֶֽמַח דָּוִד עַבְדְּךָ מְהֵרָה תַצְמִֽיחַ, וְקַרְנוֹ תָּרוּם בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽך 

Why does the prayer add a line about David in the previous brachah if David is the subject of the very next brachah. Moreover, this brachah also seems to switch subjects mid-sentences. While the brachah begins with King David, it then takes a very sharp turn from the specific redemption of King David, to a much broader divine salvation. 

כִּי לִישׁוּעָתְךָ קִוִּֽינוּ כׇּל־הַיּוֹם. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה, מַצְמִֽיחַ, קֶֽרֶן יְשׁוּעָה

While originally David was the driving force for our future redemption, suddenly the blessing "forgets" about King David, and we turn not to our Messianic King, but instead to the God himself - for it is His salvation, and not David's which we pray for at the conclusion of the blessing.

So, just to sum up, we noted that:

• The brachah for Yerushalayim begins with a prayer for the city, but then adds and element about King David, even though the next brachah focuses on David.

• The next brachah begins with King David, but then abandons him mid-brachah, choosing to focus instead on Divine salvation.

What happened? Why do these brachot take such interesting turns?

It turns out that these two brachot underwent fundamental shifts from their original language. These shifts reflected additions to the tefillah as Judaism faced internal threats and turmoil, as well as ideological shifts that drove a need to change the language of prayer. In addition, they may well reflect a divergence of opinions between the rabbinic communities in Israel, and their counterparts in the Babylonian Diaspora.

To be continued...