Dirshu Mishnah Berurah

Although instituted on behalf of those who were not expert in saying the Amidah, its repetition applies to everyone and the Halacha teaches of the great care needed in listening intently whilst the chazan says it.

The repetition of the Amidah was instituted primarily as a way to exempt members of the community who did not know the words of the amidah themselves. For this to work, each person needs to listen to each and every word without interuption. The ability of the chazan to exempt another person does not work if they have the ability to pray the amidah for themselves.

The Halacha discusses the way we should step back from HaShem after completing our prayers.

We discuss the completion of the amida and one's personal requests, together with the significance of stepping back and bowing.

We discuss bowing for modim and the completion of ones amidah prayer

We discuss what a chazan must do if he forgot to add anaynu on a fast day - normally added before the bracha of refaynu, and separately the meaning of the retzay bracha.

The amidah encompasses the whole range of human needs and Divine requests yet, our Rabbis provided the opportunity for us to insert personal requests within its text. There are some rules and regulations we should be aware of when adding in our own thoughts and personal requests.

We conclude our discussion of the brocho of Boreich Aleinu when insertions are missed, and discuss the brocho of hashiva shofteinu with the change in text between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur

Continuing with the next bracha of the amidah, we discuss when to make the appropriate insertions into birchat haShanim

We discuss the ‘90 times rule’ for establishing the habit of correct amidah additions. We also examine the order of blessings and their meaning.

We learn about the 30 day rule of assumed habit from what one was doing before. If you have been saying mashiv haruach for less than 30 days and not sure if you inserted it correctly, the presumption is that you followed the pre-existing practice where it was not said.

When You Must Repeat the Amidah for an Incorrect Insertion - and the two second rule following completion of a blessing,

We mention the blessing for rain between the end of Succot and beginning of Pesach. We learn in this lesson what to do if he adds or removes this prayer by mistake.

We discuss when we start and stop saying Mashiv HaRuach (Prayer for Rain) and the importance of its announcement in shul prior to this happening.

Chazal were particular that we should only bow at set times during the amidah - during Avot and Modim and not before and after other blessings. Our discussion today explains this and also the correct format for bowing.

The requirement to adjoin the blessing of redemption with the start of the morning amidah is very strong - and in some cases overrides praying together with the community. We also discuss the requirement not to add personal requests into the first and last 3 blessings of the amidah unless they are for the community and this forms the basis of the insertion of piyutim and yotzros - liturgical addit...

We discuss when teffilas haderech should be said and a prayer said that our learning of Torah should be clear and correct.

Part 1 of the laws of Tefillas HaDerech - Prayer When On a Journey - the ideal of joining this prayer with another blessing

Under circumstances of great need, the condensed version of the amidah can be said - havineynu. Where even minimal concentration is not possible then the tefilla kitzorah can be said with the full amidah repeated when he is in a more settled environment.

We continue looking at the timing of one's amidah in order to bow during the modim prayer together with the congregation.

We learn how to conduct ourselves if coming to shul late in terms of the priorities of answering kedusha, kaddish, and other prayers if that will mean missing praying at the same time as the community.

We discuss cases where a make up Amidah is not possible because there is nothing to be gained my repeating a "wrong" nusach (text) in make up for the previous day. We also examine whether you need to repeat an Amidah if you insert completely unnecessary additions from different parts of the year into the Amidah.

Where someone misses an Amidah by accident or where events occur beyond their control, there is an opportunity to make up a missed Amidah at the next sitting. If missed intentionally, there is no make up possible. Is getting caught up in ones work considered an accident or intentionally missed Amidah or not?

We learn that Chazal only instituted the ability to make up for missed Amidahs at the next tefilla time period and not beyond. 

Where a person makes a mistake or faces a situation beyond their control and does not say the Amidah during one session, it can be 'made up' and the next time for davenning.