In general, tefillah is meant to be recited aloud. Although in practice, many prayers are often mumbled in silence, especially in Ashkenazi services, with only the beginning and end chanted or sung, that is done more for time and expediency than necessity. Sephardic services tend to recite all of the words aloud, a practice that creates a different atmosphere and relationship to the prayers, often encouraging a greater degree of engagement by the worshippers.
The Amidah, however, is different. It is recited twice in all rites, first silently, second aloud by the sheliach tzibbur. The repetition ensures that everyone manages their obligation to recite this central prayer properly, so that even if someone errs or is unable to recite it alone, they can respond “Amen” to the blessings and fulfill their duty.
The silent Amidah seems particularly fitting, and it’s not hard to consider reasons for it. Silence allows opportunity for personal connection with the prayers. People can recite them at their own pace, whatever their comfort with the Hebrew or their mindset during the service. They are forced to say the prayers by themselves, and cannot coast on the recital by the leader. Silence affords time to stop and reflect upon the prayers’ meaning; worshippers may take time to ponder the prayers and their own associations that the prayers evoke, and at times to insert personal petitions. The silent Amidah is a heightened moment for a person to feel that they are speaking to God, standing in God’s presence. It is an island of meditative quiet surrounded by the music and motion of services.
In an article entitled “Between Voice and Silence: The Relationship Between Prayer and Temple Cult” (Journal of Biblical Literature, Spring 1996), Biblical scholar Israel Knohl offers another perspective on the Amidah’s silence, one that may speak to its origins and perhaps offer additional resonance for contemporary practice. Knohl begins with a quotation from Yehezkel Kaufmann (The Religion of Israel): “The priestly temple is the kingdom of silence.” While the courtyards of the Temple were filled with Psalms and rejoicing, the inner precincts where the rituals were sacrificed were places of silence. There, the priests recited no prayers or hymns during their labors; they fulfilled God’s commandments with silent devotion.
The recitation of obligatory prayer that arose after the destruction of the Second Temple was conceived as a replacement for, and corresponding to, the sacrificial service of the priests (Berakhot 26b). Although most examples of Biblical prayer were uttered aloud, Chazal chose to uphold Hannah’s silent prayer as the paradigm for tefillah. The Amidah, the core of Jewish worship, is thus recited silently (or, depending on one’s practice, sotto voce) because it is modeled on the core religious practice in the Temple. The Amidah recreates Kaufmann’s “kingdom of silence” within the synagogue. Its silence ushers us directly into the inner sanctum and rituals of the Temple.