Reception of the Bible in Rabbinic Liturgy: Expression and Interpretation

Abstract This essay explores two questions: How is the Bible received and expressed in classical rabbinic Jewish liturgy? What is the implication for the understanding and interpretation of Jewish prayer, given the role of the Bible in the liturgy? We will review the prevailing theories of the Bible’s reception in the liturgy and classify the different forms of this reception. We will then explore the implications for interpretation of liturgy by analyzing a piece of the daily Jewish liturgy—the first blessing of the amidah.