Two Responsa: On the Repetition of the ‘Amidah

In these two Judeo-Arabic responsa, Moses Maimonides does away with the silent recitation of the Amidah (‘amidah) prayer. Maimonides was concerned with the lack of decorum that Jews showed during the prayer leader’s recitation, as certain individuals considered their obligation to pray already fulfilled and therefore regarded the leader’s repetition of the Amidah as extraneous. Maimonides hints that this new practice, in a narrower form, was employed in other communities and that he did not insist on its implementation in every circumstance. Nevertheless, this rather revolutionary ruling sparked controversy in Fustāt (Old Cairo) and displays an innovative side of Maimonides’ approach to Jewish law. This practice survived in Egypt until the sixteenth century, although some communities maintain the practice to this day.