Liturgy / Prayer Book (Siddur)

[rabbiyitz]

Each prayer in the traditional Jewish liturgy has its reason for sitting or standing. For example, one of the prayers is said standing as it was revealed from Heaven to its authors the Men of the Great Assembly (the Sanhedrin from the time of the last Biblical prophets through the reign of Alexander the Great); thus we stand to remind us of Whom we speak - its Divine authorship. The Amida prayer is said standing as it is supplications before the King in front of whom we stand with reverence. When the prayers of "And David blessed ..." and "You made a Covenant with him [Abraham] ..." were recited by King David and Nehemiah, respectively, their audiences were standing, so we also stand. The Song at the Red Sea is said standing because Moses and the Jews recited it standing after crossing the sea. These are some examples.