Elkanah knew his wife Hannah and the LORD remembered her. (20) Hannah conceived, and at the turn of the year bore a son. She named him Samuel, meaning, “I asked the LORD for him.” (21) And when the man Elkanah and all his household were going up to offer to the LORD the annual sacrifice and his votive sacrifice, (22) Hannah did not go up. She said to her husband, “When the child is weaned, I will bring him. For when he has appeared before the LORD, he must remain there for good.” (23) Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do as you think best. Stay home until you have weaned him. May the LORD fulfill His word.”-h So the woman stayed home and nursed her son until she weaned him. (24) When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls,-i one ephah of flour, and a jar of wine. And though the boy was still very young,-b she brought him to the House of the LORD at Shiloh. (25) After slaughtering the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. (26) She said, “Please, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you and prayed to the LORD. (27) It was this boy I prayed for; and the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him. (28) I, in turn, hereby lend him to the LORD. For as long as he lives he is lent to the LORD.” And they bowed low there before the LORD.
Kol Nidrei
| כָּל נִדְרֵי, וֶאֱסָרֵי, וּשְבוּעֵי, וַחֲרָמֵי, וְקוֹנָמֵי, וְקִנוּסֵי, וְכִנוּיֵי, דִנְדַרְנָא, וּדְאִשְתַּבַּעְנָא, וּדְאַחֲרִמְנָא עַל נַפְשָׁתָנָא. •מִיוֹם כִּפּוּרִים שֶׁעָבַר עַד יוֹם כִּפּוּרִים זֶה, וּ־־• ♦מִיוֹם כִּפּוּרִם זֶה עַד יוֹם כִּפּוּרִים הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה.♦ בְּכֻלְהוֹן אִחֲרַטְנָא בְהוֹן. כֻּלְהוֹן יְהוֹן שָׁרָן, שְׁבִיקין, שְׁבִיתִין, בְּטֵלִן וּמְבֻטָלִין, לָא שְׁרִירִין, וְלָא קַיָמִין. נִדְרָנָא לָא נִדְרֵי, וֶאֱסָרָנָא לָא אֱסָרֵי, וּשְׁבוּעָתָנָא לָא שְׁבוּעוֹת. |
All vows, and prohibitions, and oaths, and consecrations, and konams and konasi and any synonymous terms, that we may vow, or swear, or consecrate, or prohibit upon ourselves, •from the previous Day of Atonement until this Day of Atonement and ...• ♦from this Day of Atonement until the [next] Day of Atonement that will come for our benefit.♦ Regarding all of them, we repudiate them. All of them are undone, abandoned, cancelled, null and void, not in force, and not in effect. Our vows are no longer vows, and our prohibitions are no longer prohibitions, and our oaths are no longer oaths.
תלמוד בבלי, ברכות לא א-ב
אָמַר רַב הַמְנוּנָא: כַּמָּה הִלְכְתָא גִּבָּרָווֹתָא אִיכָּא לְמִשְׁמַע מֵהָנֵי קְרָאֵי דְחַנָּה. ״וְחַנָּה הִיא מְדַבֶּרֶת עַל לִבָּהּ״ — מִכָּאן לַמִּתְפַּלֵּל צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְּכַוֵּין לִבּוֹ. ״רַק שְׂפָתֶיהָ נָּעוֹת״ — מִכָּאן לַמִּתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁיַּחְתּוֹךְ בִּשְׂפָתָיו. ״וְקוֹלָהּ לֹא יִשָּׁמֵעַ״ — מִכָּאן שֶׁאָסוּר לְהַגְבִּיהַּ קוֹלוֹ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ. ״וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ עֵלִי לְשִׁכֹּרָה״ — מִכָּאן שֶׁשִּׁכּוֹר אָסוּר לְהִתְפַּלֵּל.
״וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ עֵלִי עַד מָתַי תִּשְׁתַּכָּרִין וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: מִכָּאן לָרוֹאֶה בַּחֲבֵרוֹ
עוּלָּא וְאִיתֵּימָא רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא: אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: לֹא אָדוֹן אַתָּה בְּדָבָר זֶה, וְלֹא רוּחַ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ שׁוֹרָה עָלֶיךָ, שֶׁאַתָּה חוֹשְׁדֵנִי בְּדָבָר זֶה.
אִיכָּא דְאָמְרִי, הָכִי אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: לֹא אָדוֹן אַתָּה? לָאו אִיכָּא שְׁכִינָה וְרוּחַ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ גַּבָּךְ, שֶׁדַּנְתַּנִי לְכַף חוֹבָה וְלֹא דַּנְתַּנִי לְכַף זְכוּת? מִי לָא יָדְעַתְּ דְּאִשָּׁה קְשַׁת רוּחַ אָנוֹכִי?!
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: אָמְרָה חַנָּה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, ״אִם רָאֹה״ — מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — ״תִּרְאֶה״.
אֵלֵךְ וְאֶסְתַּתֵּר בִּפְנֵי אֶלְקָנָה בַּעֲלִי, וְכֵיוָן דְּמִסְתַּתַּרְנָא מַשְׁקוּ לִי מֵי סוֹטָה, וְאִי אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה תּוֹרָתְךָ פְּלַסְתֵּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וְנִקְּתָה וְנִזְרְעָה זָרַע״.
The Babylonian Talmud, Brakhoth 31 a-b:
Rabbi Hamnuna said: How many most important laws can be learnt from these verses relating to Hannah! Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart: from this we learn that one who prays must direct his heart. Only her lips moved: from this we learn that he who prays must frame the words distinctly with his lips. But her voice could not be heard: from this, it is forbidden to raise one's voice in the Tefillah. Therefore Eli thought she had been drunken: from this, that a drunken person is forbidden to say the Tefillah.
If Thou wilt indeed look: Rabbi Eleazar said: Hannah said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of the Universe, if Thou wilt look, it is well, and if Thou wilt not look, I will go and shut myself up with someone else in the knowledge of my husband Elkanah, and as I shall have been alone they will make me drink the water of the suspected wife, and Thou canst not falsify Thy law, which says, She shall be cleared and shall conceive seed.
א"ר יוחנן משום ר' יוסי מנין שהקב"ה מתפלל? שנאמר (ישעיהו נו, ז) "והביאותים אל הר קדשי ושמחתים בבית תפלתי" -- תפלתם לא נאמר, אלא תפלתי מכאן שהקב"ה מתפלל.
מאי מצלי? אמר רב זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב: "יהי רצון מלפני שיכבשו רחמי את כעסי ויגולו רחמי על מדותי ואתנהג עם בני במדת רחמים ואכנס להם לפנים משורת הדין."
תניא אמר רבי ישמעאל בן אלישע: פעם אחת נכנסתי להקטיר קטורת לפני ולפנים, וראיתי אכתריאל יה ה' צבאות שהוא יושב על כסא רם ונשא, ואמר לי "ישמעאל בני ברכני".
אמרתי לו יהי רצון מלפניך שיכבשו רחמיך את כעסך ויגולו רחמיך על מדותיך ותתנהג עם בניך במדת הרחמים ותכנס להם לפנים משורת הדין ונענע לי בראשו. וקמ"ל שלא תהא ברכת הדיוט קלה בעיניך:
Rabbi Yohanan says in the name of Rabbi Yosi: How do we know it that the Holy One, Blessed be He, says prayers? Because it says: Even them will I bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in the house of prayer. It is not said, 'their prayer,' but 'My prayer': Hence [you learn] that the Holy One, Blessed be He, says prayers. What does he pray? Said Rabbi Zutra ben Tuvia in the name of Rav: May it be My will that My mercy may suppress My anger, and that My mercy may prevail over My [other] attributes, so that I may deal with My children in the attribute of mercy and, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice’.
It was taught: R. Ishmael b. Elisha says: I once entered into the innermost part [of the Sanctuary] to offer incense and saw Akathriel Jah, the Lord of Hosts, seated upon a high and exalted throne. He said to me: Ishmael, My son, bless Me! l replied: May it be Thy will that Thy mercy may suppress Thy anger and Thy mercy may prevail over Thy other attributes, so that Thou mayest deal with Thy children according to the attribute of mercy and
mayest, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice! And He nodded to me with His head.
Here we learn [incidentally] that the blessing of an ordinary man must not be considered lightly in your eyes.
ליקוטי מוהר"ן נ״ז:א׳
א דַּע, כִּי כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר שֶׁיָּצָא מִפִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, נִבְרָא מִמֶּנּוּ מַלְאָךְ (חגיגה יד), וְכָל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר נֶחֱלַק לְכַמָּה נִיצוֹצוֹת, בִּבְחִינַת (ירמיהו כ״ג:כ״ט-ל׳): כְּפַטִּישׁ יְפוֹצֵץ סֶלַע. כְּמוֹ כֵן נִבְרְאוּ כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה מַלְאָכִים, לְפִי רֹב הַנִיצּוֹצוֹת. וְדִבּוּר הַכּוֹלֵל אֶת הַנִּיצוֹצוֹת נִבְרָא מַלְאָךְ, שֶׁהוּא שַׂר וְרֹאשׁ עַל הַמַּלְאָכִים שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ מִן הַנִּיצוֹצוֹת, וְהֵם מַחֲנֵהוּ.
וְכָל מַלְאָךְ וּמַלְאָךְ הוּא מְמֻנֶּה עַל אֵיזֶהוּ דָּבָר, וַאֲפִלּוּ כָּל אִילָנוֹת וַעֲשָׂבִים יֵשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם מְמֻנִּים, כְּמָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (בראשית רבה פרשה י): אֵין לְךָ עֵשֶׂב מִלְּמַטָּה שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מַלְאָךְ מִלְּמַעְלָה וְכוּ'. וְכָל מַלְאָךְ מְקַבֵּל חִיּוּתוֹ מֵהַדִּבּוּר, וּמַשְׁפִּיעַ לְתוֹךְ הַדָּבָר שֶׁנִּמְנֶה עָלָיו, הַיְנוּ לְאֵיזֶה עֵשֶׂב אוֹ דָּבָר אַחֵר שֶׁהוּא מְמֻנֶּה עָלָיו.
Know! an angel is created from each and every word spoken by God (Chagigah 14a). Each and every word is divided into many sparks, in the aspect of “like a hammer shattering rock” (Jeremiah 23:29), and commensurate with the amount of sparks, a like number of angels are created. The angel created from the word that encompasses the sparks is the ruler and head of the angels created from the sparks, and they are his troops. {There is not a blade of grass below that does not have an angel from Above, striking it and telling it, “Grow!” ( Bereishit Rabbah 10:7).}
Each angel is put in charge of something. Even all the trees and grasses have [angels] appointed over them. As our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “There is not a blade of grass below that does not have an angel from Above.” Each angel receives its vitality from the word, and transmits [that vitality] into the thing in its charge—i.e., some grass or other thing over which it is appointed.
שירת העשבים/ נעמי שמר
דע לך
שכל רועה ורועה
יש לו ניגון מיוחד
משלו
דע לך
שכל עשב ועשב
יש לו שירה מיוחדת
משלו
ומשירת העשבים
נעשה ניגון
של רועה
כמה יפה
כמה יפה ונאה
כששומעים השירה
שלהם
טוב מאוד
להתפלל ביניהם
ובשמחה לעבוד
את השם
ומשירת העשבים
מתמלא הלב
ומשתוקק
וכשהלב
מן השירה מתמלא
ומשתוקק
אל ארץ ישראל
אור גדול
אזי נמשך והולך
מקדושתה של הארץ
עליו
ומשירת העשבים
נעשה ניגון של הלב
Shirat Haasabim/ Naomi Shemer
Do know
that each and every shepherd
has his own tune
Do know
that each and every grass
has its own poem.
And from the poem of the grasses
a tune of a sheppard is made
How beautiful, how beautiful and pleasant
to hear their poem.
It's very good to pray among them
and to serve the Lord in joy
And from the poem of the grasses
the heart is filled and yearns
And when the poem causes the heart to fill
and to yearn to the Land of Israel
a great light is drawn and goes
from the Land's holiness upon it.
And from the poem of the grasses
a tune of the heart is made.
לאה גולדברג
לַמְּדֵנִי, אֱלֹהַי, בָּרֵך וְהִתְפַּלֵּל
עַל סוֹד עָלֶה קָמֵל, עַל נֹגַהּ פְּרִי בָּשֵׁל,
עַל הַחֵרוּת הַזֹּאת: לִרְאוֹת, לָחוּשׁ, לִנְשֹׁם,
לָדַעַת, לְיַחֵל, לְהִכָּשֵׁל.
לַמֵּד אֶת שִׂפְתוֹתַי בְּרָכָה וְשִׁיר הַלֵּל
בְּהִתְחַדֵּשׁ זְמַנְּךָ עִם בֹּקֶר וְעִם לֵיל,
לְבַל יִהְיֶה יוֹמִי הַיּוֹם כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם.
לבל יהיה עלי יומי הרגל.
Leah Goldberg
Oh lord my god please teach me how to bless and pray
The truth of falling leaves And fruits of summers day
The freedom that it brings - to see to feel to breath
To know, to yearn, and even fail
Teach my lips a song that tells us how to praise
The morning and the nights the secrets of your ways
Guide my mind to find the truth, see through the haze
'cause I don't want no ordinary days
https://shimonsmith.bandcamp.com/track/lamdeni-elohay-teach-me-my-god-english-version
חנה סנש -- הליכה לקיסריה
אֵלִי, אֵלִי
שֶׁלֹּא יִגָּמֵר לְעוֹלָם
הַחוֹל וְהַיָּם,
רִשְׁרוּשׁ שֶׁל הַמַּיִם,
בְּרַק הַשָּׁמַיִם,
תְּפִלַּת הָאָדָם.
Hannah Senesh - Walk to Caesaria
My God, My God
May these things never end:
The sand and the sea
The rustle of the water
The lightning in the sky
Man's prayer.
Eli, Eli
Shelo yigamer le'olam:
Hachol vehayam
Rishrush shel hamayim
Berak hashamayim
Tefilat ha'adam
http://www.hebrewsongs.com/song-elieli.htm
שלומית נעים-נאור -- הנני
וַתַּעַמְדִי מוּל עַצְמֵךְ וַתֹּאמְרִי בְּקוֹל רָם כִּי פִּיךְ וְלִבֵּךְ שָׁוִים וּפָשַׁטְתְּ יָדַיִךְ וְנָשַׁמְתְּ עָמֹק וְיָם לְפִתְחֵךְ נִגְלָה וְטָבַלְתְּ וְעָלִית טְהוֹרָה וְאֵין בָּךְ מְאוּם וַתַּעַמְדִי מוּל אֱלֹהַיִךְ מוּל הַמִּדְבָּר מוּל הַיָּם מוּל הָעִיר
הַהוֹמָה מוּל עַצְמֵךְ שֶׁל הַיַּלְדוּת וּמוּל מָה שֶׁתִּהְיִי בַּשִּׁכְחָה וְשָׁאַגְתְּ כִּי בָּחַרְתְּ בַּחַיִּים בָּחַרְתְּ בְּעַצְמֵךְ וְסָלַחְתְּ לְעַצְמֵךְ עַל פִּשְׁעֵי הָאֶתְמוֹל וְסָלַחְתְּ לְסוֹבְבַיִךְ עַל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַיּוֹם וּמָצָאת חֶמְלָה עַל כָּל בָּרוּא וּמָצָאת בָּךְ אַהֲבָה לְכָל אֲשֶׁר עֵינֵךְ לִטְּפָה וְתֵדְעִי כִּי אַתְּ אַחַת וּשְׁמֵךְ
אֶחָד.
Shlomit Naim-Naor -- Hinenni
And you will stand before yourself and say aloud that your mouth and heart are one, your arms spread and breathing deeply, a sea revealed before you, you who immersed and rose pure, not a trace within, and you will stand before your G-d facing the desert facing the sea, facing the busy city, facing yourself as a child, and facing what you will become in older age, and you roared because you chose life chose and forgave yourself for yesterday’s sins and forgave those around you for their actions today and found compassion for each creation and found within love for all that your eye caressed and you will know that you are one and your name
is One.
Tr. Lisa Katz
אבי היה אלוהים ולא ידע.
הוא נתן לי את עשרת הדברות לא ברעם ולא בזעם,
לא באש ולא בענן אלא ברכות ובאהבה.
והוסיף ליטופים והוסיף מילים טובות, והוסיף "אנא"
והוסיף "בבקשה"
וזימר זכור ושמור בניגון אחד והתחנן ובכה בשקט בין דיבר לדיבר,
לא תשא שם אלוהיך לשוא, לא תשא, לא לשוא,
אנא, אל תענה ברעך עד שקר.
וחבק אותי חזק ולחש באוזני, לא תגנוב, לא תנאף, לא תרצח.
ושם את כפות ידיו הפתוחות על ראשי בברכת יום כפור.
כבד, אהב, למען יאריכון ימיך על פני האדמה.
וקול אבי לבן כמו שיער ראשו.
אחר כך הפנה את פניו אלי בפעם האחרונה כמו ביום שמת בזרועותיי,
ואמר:"אני רוצה להוסיף שניים לעשרת הדברות:
הדיבר האחד-עשר, "לא תשתנה"
והדיבר השנים-עשר, "השתנה, תשתנה"
כך אמר אבי ופנה ממני והלך ונעלם במרחקיו המוזרים.
(פתוח סגור פתוח, עמ' 85)
Yehuda Amichai
My father was God and did not know it. He gave me the ten commandments neither in thunder nor in fury, neither in fire nor in cloud but in gentleness and in love. He added caresses and added kind words adding, “I beg you,” and “please.” He sang keep and remember in a single melody and he pleaded and cried quietly between one commandment and the next: Don’t take your God’s name in vain; don’t take it, not in vain. I beg you, don’t bear false witness against your neighbor. He hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear Don’t steal. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t murder. And he put the palms of his open hands on my head with the Yom Kippur blessing. Honor, love, in order that your days might be long on the earth. And my father’s voice was white like the hair on his head. Later, he turned his face to me one last time like on the day he died in my arms and said, “I want to add two to the ten commandments: The eleventh commandment: Don’t change. The twelfth commandment: You must surely change. So said my father and then he turned from me and went off disappearing into his strange distances.
translated by Rabbi Steven Sager
אברהם שלונסקי
הַלְבִּישִׁינִי אִמָּא כְּשֵׁרָה כְּתֹּנֶת־פַּסִּים לְתִפְאֶרֶת
וְעִם שַׁחֲרִית הוֹבִילִינִי אֱלֵי עָמָל.
עוֹטְפָה אַרְצִי אוֹר כַּטַּלִּית
בָּתִּים נִצְּבוּ כַּטּוֹטָפוֹת
וְכִרְצוּעוֹת־תְּפִלִּין גּוֹלְשִׁים כְּבִישִׁים סָלְלוּ כַּפַּיִם.
תְּפִלַּת־שַׁחֲרִית כֹּה תִּתְפַּלֵּל קִרְיָה נָאָה אֱלֵי בּוֹרְאָהּ
וּבַבּוֹרְאִים
בְּנֵךְ אַבְרָהָם
פַּיְטָן סוֹלֵל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
וּבָעֶרֶב בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת יָשׁוּב אַבָּא מִסִּבְלוֹתָיו
וְכִתְפִלָּה יִלְחַשׁ נַחַת:
הֲבֵן יַקִּיר לִי אַבְרָהָם
עוֹר וְגִידִים וַעֲצָמוֹת.
הַלְלוּיָהּ.
הַלְבִּישִׁינִי אִמָּא כְּשֵׁרָה כְּתֹּנֶת־פַּסִּים לְתִפְאֶרֶת
וְעִם שַׁחֲרִית הוֹבִילִינִי
אֱלֵי עָמָל.
Abraham Shlonsky
Dress me, good mother, in a splenderous coat of many colors
And with dawn lead me to toil.
My land wraps in light like a prayer shawl,
Houses stand like phylacteries,
And like bands of phylacteries glide hand-laid asphalt roads.
Thus a beautiful city offers her morning prayer to her creator.
And among the creators, your son Abraham,
Poet-roadbuilder in Israel.
And toward evening, at dusk, father returns from his labors
And like prayer whispers with pleasure:
A dear son of mine is Abraham:
Skin, sinew, and bones.
Hallelujah!
Dress me, good mother, in a splenderous coat of many colors
And at dawn lead me To toil.*
From Modern Hebrew Poetry: A Bilingual Anthology. Edited and translated by Ruth Finer Mitz. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966.
To pray daily is an affirmative duty, as it is said, "And ye shall serve the Lord, your God" (Exodus 23:25). The service, here referred to, according to the teaching of tradition, is Prayer, as it is said, "And to serve Him with all your heart" (Deuteronomy 11:13), on which the sages commented, "What may be described as Service of the Heart? Prayer". The number of prayers is not prescribed in the Torah. No form of prayer is prescribed in the Torah. Nor does the Torah prescribe a fixed time for Prayer.
Hence, women and slaves are under an obligation to pray, this being a duty, the fulfillment of which is independent of set periods. The obligation in this precept is that every person should daily, according to his ability, offer up supplication and prayer; first uttering praises of God, then, with humble supplication and petition ask for all that he needs, and finally offer praise and thanksgiving to the Eternal for the benefits already bestowed upon him in rich measure.
One who was fluent, would offer up many prayers and supplications. If one was slow of speech, he would pray as he could and whenever he pleased. Thus also, the number of separate services depended on an individual's ability. One would pray once daily; others, several times in the day. All, however, turned during prayer to the Sanctuary, in whichever direction that might be. This was the uniform practice from the times of Moses to those of Ezra.
When the people of Israel went into exile in the days of the wicked Nebucednezzar, they mingled with the Persians, Greeks and other nations. In those foreign countries, children were born to them, whose language was confused. Everyone's speech was a mixture of many tongues. No one was able, when he spoke, to express his thoughts adequately in any one language, otherwise than incoherently, as it is said, "And their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod and they could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people" (Nehemiah 13:24). Consequently, when anyone of them prayed in Hebrew, he was unable adequately to express his needs or recount the praises of God, without mixing Hebrew with other languages. When Ezra and his Council realized this condition, they ordained the Eighteen Benedictions in their present order. The first three blessings consist of praises of God and the last three, of thanksgiving to Him. The intermediate benedictions are petitions for the things which may stand as categories of all the desires of the individual and the needs of the community. The object aimed at was that these prayers should be in an orderly form in everyone's mouth, that all should learn them, and thus the prayer of those who were not expert in speech would be as perfect as that of those who had command of a chaste style. For the same reason, they arranged [in a fixed form] all the blessings and prayers for all Jews so that the substance of every blessing should be familiar and current in the mouth of one who is not expert in speech.
Thus, too, they ordained that the Services of Prayer should be equal in number to the Sacrifices—two services of prayer daily, corresponding to the two daily offerings. And for the day on which an additional offering was ordained, they instituted a third prayer, corresponding to the additional offering. The Service which corresponds to the daily morning sacrifice is called the Morning Prayer. The Service which corresponds to the Afternoon Sacrifice is called the Afternoon Prayer, and the Service corresponding to the Additional offering is called the Additional Prayer.
So also they ordained that a person should recite one service of Prayer at night, since the portions of the animal offered up as the Afternoon Sacrifice were consumed on the altar throughout the night, as it is said, "This is the law of the burnt offering; this it is that which goeth up on its firewood upon the altar all night" (Leviticus 6:2). And in this sense it is said, "Evening and morning and at noon will I meditate and cry aloud, and He hath heard my voice" (Psalms 55:18). The Evening Service is not obligatory like the Morning and Afternoon Services. Nevertheless all Israelites, wherever they have settled, have adopted the practice of reciting the Evening Service and have accepted it as obligatory.
So, too, they instituted a service to be recited after the afternoon service, close to sunset, but only on a fast day, the purpose being to add petitions and supplication on account of the fast. This Service is called "the Closing" [service]—an allusion to the fact that the sky is closed to the sun which is at that hour of the day invisible—this service being recited near sunset.
Thus the Services recited daily are three; namely, the Evening Service, the Morning Service and the Afternoon Service. On Sabbaths, Festivals and New Moons, they are four—the three daily services and the Additional Service. On the Day of Atonement, they are five services, the four just mentioned and the Neilah, the closing service.
The number of these services may not be diminished but may be increased. If a person wishes to pray the whole day, he may do so. And the prayers he adds are accounted to him as if he brought free-will offerings. He must accordingly add in each of the middle blessings a thought appropriate to the particular blessing. If this is done in one of the blessings only, that is sufficient, the object being to make it manifest that the prayer is voluntary and not obligatory. In the first three and last three blessings there must be no addition, diminution or change.
A congregation does not hold a voluntary service, because the community never brought a free-will offering. Additional services (those recited on Sabbaths, Festivals and New Moons), may not be recited twice [even by a private individual], once by way of discharging an obligatory duty and once voluntarily, because the additional sacrifices were never brought as free-will offerings. One of the Geonim decided that it is forbidden to recite any voluntary service on Sabbaths and Festivals, since on those days no free-will offerings were brought but only those that were obligatory.
In Rabban Gamliel's days, the number of heretics in Israel increased. They were wont to vex the Israelites and seduce them to turn away from God. When R. Gamliel realized that the most urgent need was to remove this evil, he composed a Benediction which contains a petition to God to destroy the heretics, and incorporated it in the Eighteen Blessings so that it should be in a fixed form for all. Hence the total number of Blessings in the Daily Service is Nineteen.