Amidora

Amidora · Library

Against Enemies

Ashkenaz · Weekday · Maariv · Amidah · Against Enemies

Nusach
Ashkenaz
Edition
Translation based on the Metsudah linear siddur, by Avrohom Davis, 1981

Against Enemies

Let there be no hope for informers and may all wickedness instantly perish; may all the enemies of Your people be swiftly cut off, and may You quickly uproot, crush, rout and subdue the insolent, speedily in our days. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Crusher of enemies. and Subduer of the insolent.

This petition was added to the original Eighteen Benedictions. It was ordained by Rabban Gamliel and his Bais Din in Yavneh, according to the text of Shmuel HaKattan, its author (Maseches Berachos 28b). It is directed against the early Christians who informed against Jews to the Roman authorities after the destruction of the Second Temple, causing them to be put to an excruciatingly painful death.

Not the “wicked,” but “wickedness.” This particular prayer is based on the Talmudic interpretation of the verse, “Let sins be terminated on earth and the wicked will be no more” (Psalms 104:36).

The internal enemies of the Jews, against whom this prayer was originally directed, disappeared within a short time.

Where it comes in the siddur

Texts and sources

Every prayer text in Amidora comes from openly licensed editions published on Sefaria. Only editions released under CC-BY, CC0 or the public domain are included.