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Why did the Men of the Great Assembly institute formal prayer when Jews had always davened in their own words? The Rambam (רמב"ם) explains that exile scattered Jews among foreign nations, corrupting their languages and leaving them unable to express their spiritual needs articulately. The shiur traces how this linguistic and spiritual crisis led to the eighteen blessings that ensure complete prayer even for those who lack the words or wisdom to daven effectively on their own.
This comprehensive shiur explores the fascinating development of formal Jewish prayer from biblical times through the institution of the Shemoneh Esrei by the Men of the Great Assembly. Rabbi Zweig begins by reviewing how prayer was originally individualistic, with each person davening according to their own syntax and wisdom from the time of Moshe Rabbeinu until the Men of the Great Assembly. The lecture includes a detailed reading of a Midrash from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer describing how Yitzchok actually died during the Akedah and was resurrected, explaining why the angels proclaimed 'Mechayei hameitim' (He who resurrects the dead). This leads into an extensive Midrash tracing how each blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei originated from specific events in Jewish history - from Avrohom's salvation prompting 'Magein Avrohom' to various patriarchal experiences that gave rise to different blessings.
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Rambam Hilchos Tefillah 1:4, Talmud Bavli Brachos 28b
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