תּלמוד אויף ישעיהו 56:7

Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: Also he who composed this prayer¹⁸⁷The week-day 18 benedictions of the Amidah. Another derivation is given in the following paragraph. composed it in good order. The first three and the last three are the praise of the Omnipresent, the middle ones are the needs of the creatures. Give us knowledge. You gave us knowledge¹⁸⁸The entire list should be read as a conditional: Assuming that You gave us knowledge (fourth benediction), please accept our repentance (fifth benediction). This is particularly evident in the second part, starting from the prayer for good years, which is a prayer for redemption and therefore future oriented even though the formulation here is in the past tense., accept our repentance. You accepted our repentance, forgive us. You forgave us, save us. You saved us, heal our diseases. You healed our diseases, bless our years. You blessed our years, gather us in. You gathered us in, judge us in justice. You judged us in justice, subdue those who arise against us.¹⁸⁹While the benediction against apostates was introduced at Jabneh and the rest of the Amidah is an institution of the Men of the Great Assembly, its place was chosen in the spirit of those who first formulated the prayer. You subdued those who arise against us, justify us¹⁹⁰This is the text of the Rome and Genizah manuscripts, not like the Leyden manuscript and the Venice print which have צדקנו במשפט “justify us in law” that belongs to the benediction before the previous one, not to the one for the elders (and all) of Israel and the converts which follows after the imprecation against apostates.. You justified us, build Your house, listen to our supplications, be pleased with us in it. Is it necessary after “build Your house,” listen to our supplications, be pleased with us in it¹⁹¹After a prayer for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple, the prayers for acceptance of the prayer and the hope that our service be for God’s pleasure may seem superfluous since acceptance of prayer and God’s pleasure are guaranteed in the Temple.? But as the verse is, so is the tradition (Is. 56:7): “I shall bring them to My holy mountain, make them happy in My house of prayer.¹⁹³A parallel with slightly different treatment of the entire paragraph appears in Babli Megillah 17b–18a.”

It has been stated²³¹Shortened versions are in Tosephta Berakhot 3:13–16 and Babli Berakhot 30a; the entire text to the end of the Halakhah is in Shir rabba 4:11 with minor deviations. The tradition of the verses is somewhat garbled in order to make the point of the derivation clearer.: One who is blind and one who cannot determine directions should have in mind to pray to Heaven as it is said (1Kings 8:44) “They shall pray to the Eternal”. Those who are praying outside the Land turn their faces towards the Land of Israel. What is the reason? (1Kings 8:48) “They will pray to You through their Land that You gave to their forefathers.” Those who are praying in the Land of Israel turn their faces towards Jerusalem. What is the reason? (2Chr. 6:34) “They shall pray to You by way of this city that You chose.” Those who are praying in Jerusalem turn their faces towards the Temple Mount, as it is said (1Kings 8:48): “And the Temple that I built for Your Name.” Those who are praying on the Temple Mount turn their faces towards the Holiest of Holies. What is the reason? (1Kings 8:30) “They will pray to this place and You will hear at Your dwelling place in Heaven, You will hear and forgive.” Those who stand North will be facing South, those who stand South will be facing North, those who stand East will be facing West, those who stand West will be facing East. It turns out that all of Israel pray towards one place. That is what is written (Is. 56:7) “For My house will be called a house of prayer for all people.”

R. Johanan said in the name of R. Jose : Whence is it that the Holy One, blessed be He, prays? ] As it is said, "Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer [lit. the house of My prayer]" (ibid. Ivi. 7). It is not said "their prayer" but "My prayer" ; hence we infer that the Holy One, blessed be He, prays.