Mishneh Torah (Rambam) משנה תורה

In the days of Rabban Gamliel, the numbers of heretics among the Jews increased. They would oppress the Jews and entice them to turn away from God. Since he saw this as the greatest need of the people, he and his court established one blessing that contains a request to God to destroy the heretics. He inserted it into the Shemoneh Esreh so that it would be arranged in the mouths of all. Consequently, there are nineteen blessings in the Shemoneh Esreh.

In each Shemoneh Esreh, every day, a person should recite these nineteen blessings in the proper order. When does the above apply? When his concentration is not disturbed and he is able to read fluently. However, if he is distracted and bothered, or unable to pray fluently, he should recite the first three [blessings], one blessing that summarizes all the intermediate ones, and the last three [blessings], and [thereby] fulfill his obligation.

This is the blessing that they established as the abbreviated summary of the intermediate [blessings]: Give us knowledge, O God, our Lord, to know Your ways, and circumcise our hearts to fear You. Forgive us so that we will be redeemed. Distance us from pain. Cause us to prosper and to dwell in the pastures of Your land. Gather the scattered from the four [corners of the earth]. Judge those led astray in accordance with Your knowledge. Raise Your hand over the wicked, and let the righteous rejoice in the building of Your city and the reestablishment of Your sanctuary, in the flourishing of the might of David, Your servant, and in the clear shining light of the son of Yishai, Your anointed one. Before we call, You answer, as [Isaiah 65:24] states: "And before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I heed," for You are the One who answers at all times, the Redeemer and Savior from all distress. Blessed are You, O God, the One Who hears prayer.

When does the above apply? In the summer. However, in the winter, one should not recite "Give us knowledge...," since he must mention "the petition" in the blessing for material wealth. Similarly, on Saturday nights and the nights after a holiday, one should not recite "Give us knowledge...," since one must say Havdalah in [the blessing of] the One who bestows knowledge.

On Sabbaths and holidays, one recites seven blessings in each of the four [Amidah] prayers of that particular day: the first three, the last three, and one in the middle, appropriate to that particular day. On Sabbaths, one concludes the intermediate blessing with "who sanctifies the Sabbath." On the festivals, he concludes with "who sanctifies Israel and the appointed times." When the Sabbath and a festival [coincide], he concludes with "who sanctifies the Sabbath, Israel and the appointed times." On Rosh Hashanah, he concludes with "the King over all the Earth, who sanctifies Israel and the Day of Remembrance." If it is [also] the Sabbath, he concludes with "the King over all the Earth, who sanctifies the Sabbath, Israel and the Day of Remembrance."

When does this apply? In the Evening Prayers, the Morning Prayers and the Minchah Prayers. However, in the Musaf Prayer on Rosh Hashanah, one recites nine blessings: the first three and the last three [recited] every day, and three intermediate blessings. The first of the intermediate blessings is concerned with Malchuyot - [acceptance of God's sovereignty]; the second with Zichronot - [acknowledgement of God's remembrance of the Jewish people]; and the third with Shofarot - [describing the blowing of the shofar.] One concludes each one of them with an appropriate chatimah.

On Yom Kippur, one recites seven blessings in each of the five prayers of the day; the first three and the last three blessings, and the intermediate blessing appropriate to the day. One concludes the latter blessing in each of the services with: "the King over all the Earth, who sanctifies Israel and the Day of Atonement." If [Yom Kippur] falls on the Sabbath, one concludes [this blessing in] each service with: "the King over all the Earth, who sanctifies the Sabbath, Israel and the Day of Atonement."

When does the above apply? On the Fast Day of each and every year. However, on the Fast Day of the Jubilee Year, one recites a Musaf Prayer of nine blessings like the Musaf Prayer of Rosh Hashanah. They are exactly the same blessings, no less and no more. These blessings are only recited when the Jubilee Year is in effect.

Before the first blessing of each and every Amidah-prayer, one states: "God, open my lips, and my mouth will utter Your praise" [Psalms 51:17]. Upon concluding the prayer, he says: "May the utterances of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be in accordance with Your will, O God, my Rock and Redeemer" [Psalms 19:15], and then steps backwards.

On Rosh Chodesh and the intermediate days of a festival, one recites 19 blessings in the Evening Prayer, Morning Prayer, and Minchah Prayer as on other days. In the Avodah, one adds: "Our God and God of our fathers, let our remembrance rise and come,..." In the Musaf Prayer of the intermediate day of a festival, one recites the Musaf Prayer of the holiday itself. On Rosh Chodesh, one recites seven blessings; the first three and last three, and one in the middle that refers to the special Rosh Chodesh sacrifice. One concludes with: "... who sanctifies Israel and Roshei Chodashim."

On a Sabbath that occurs during the intermediate days of a festival, and Rosh Chodesh that falls on the Sabbath, in the Evening, Morning, and Minchah Prayers, one recites the seven blessings as on every Sabbath and adds: "Our God and God of our fathers, let our remembrance rise and come..." in the Avodah. In the Musaf Prayer, one begins and concludes the intermediate blessing with a reference to the Sabbath, and mentions the sanctified nature of the day in the middle. He concludes [the blessing] on Rosh Chodesh with: "who sanctifies the Sabbath, Israel and Roshei Chodashim." On the intermediate days of a festival, he concludes in the same fashion as on the holiday itself that occurs on Sabbath.

On a holiday that occurs on the first day of the week, at night, one inserts into the fourth blessing [the following]: And You have made known to us Your righteous statutes and have taught us to perform the decrees of Your will. And You have given us, God, our Lord, the sanctity of the Sabbath, the glory of the festival and the rejoicing of the pilgrim feast. You have distinguished between the sanctity of the Sabbath and that of the holiday, and You have sanctified the seventh day above the six workdays. And You have set apart and sanctified Your people Israel with Your holiness. You have given us, O God, our Lord, festivals for joy, holidays and appointed times for gladness... On the night after the Sabbath and after a holiday all year long, one recites the Havdalah prayer in "You bestow knowledge..." even though he [also] recites the Havdalah prayer over a cup.

On Chanukah and Purim, one adds "For the miracles,..." in the blessing of thanks. On the Sabbath that occurs during Chanukah, one mentions "For the miracles,..." in the Musaf Prayer, just as he does in all the other prayers.

On Fast Days, even an individual who fasts [by his own volition] adds "Answer us..." in "the One who hears prayer." The leader of the congregation recites it as an independent blessing between "the One who redeems Israel" and "the One who heals...," and concludes with "the One who answers in times of trouble." Thus, he recites 20 blessings. On the ninth of Av, one adds [the following] to the blessing of "the One who rebuilds Jerusalem": "Have mercy on us, God, our Lord, and on Your people, Israel, and Jerusalem, Your city, the mourning city,..."

During the rainy season, [the phrase] "the One who causes the rain to fall" is recited in the second blessing. In the summer, [one adds] "the One who causes the dew to descend." When does one recite "the One who causes the rain to fall"? From the Musaf Prayer on the last holiday of Sukkot until the Morning Prayer of the first holiday of Pesach. [Conversely,] from the Musaf Prayer of the first holiday of Pesach, one utters "the One who causes the dew to descend."

[Beginning] from the seventh of Marcheshvan, one petitions for rain in the blessing of prosperity, [and continues to do so] as long as one mentions the rain. Where does the above apply? To Eretz Yisrael. However, in Shin'ar, Syria, Egypt and areas adjacent to or similar to these, one petitions for rain 60 days after the autumnal equinox.

In places that require rain in the summer months, such as the distant islands, they petition for rains when they need them, in [the blessing of] "the One who hears prayer." [Even] where the holidays are observed for two days, "the One who causes the rain to fall" is recited in the Musaf Prayer of the first day of Shemini Atzeret. Its recitation is continued throughout the rainy season.

Throughout the entire year, one concludes the third blessing with "the Holy God" and the eleventh blessing with "the King who loves righteousness and justice." [However,] on the ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, one concludes the third one with "the Holy King" and the eleventh one with "the King of Justice."

There are places that are accustomed during these ten days to add in the first blessing: "Remember us for life,..." and in the second one: "Who is like You, Merciful Father,..." In the blessing of thanksgiving, [they add]: "Remember Your mercy,..." In the last blessing, they add: "In the Book of life,..." During these ten days, there are also those accustomed to add [the following prayers] in the third blessing: "And so put Your fear... And so..." On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it is the commonly accepted practice to add [these prayers] in the third blessing.