Rabbi Abraham Twerski asked the question: why do we say the Amidah three times a day? His answer was: We say words of praise, I’m sorry, please, thank you. We do this to remind ourselves to say these words to human beings.

Prayer, Hitpalel in the Hebrew, means to reflect upon ourselves. In the spirit of these two ideas, I offer the person to person Amidah. How to take each blessing and use it to think about our relationship with others and ourselves.

Here is a list of one word from each blessing, and how to make it “personal”.

1. Ozer- helper. Think of people you can be of assistance to today.

2. Neeman- faithful. Have you fulfilled your promises?

3. Shimcha-name. be careful not to smear a good person’s name.

4. Daat-wisdom. Do you give wise advice to people? Do you know when not to advise people.

5. Teshuva-Sorry. Do you tell people you are sorry for what you did to them?

6. Selach-forgive. Do you forgive people who sincerely ask you for forgiveness?

7. Hazak- strength. Do you use all your resources to help a friend who needs help?

8. Rfaaynu-Heal. Do you take care of yourself, or do you ignore warning signs of impending sickness?

9. Kal minai-all kinds…tovah-of goodness. Do you recognize all the different kinds of good deeds you can do for people?

10. Kabtzanu yachad-gather together. Do you bring people together or split them apart?

11. Shoftaynu-judges. Do you judge people fairly with all the evidence and circumstances or are you quick to make uninformed judgments?

12. Vlamaloshinim al thi sikva-for the slanderers there should be no hope. Do you quickly destroy from your mind the urge to speak gossip and falsehood about someone?

13. Al hatzadikim…valeunu. For the righteous…and ourselves. Do you denigrate those people who you think are not on your ethical level. Caution: maybe they are higher.

14. Vli rushalayim-And the city of peace. Do you work to make your community, not just the Jewish community, a nicer and more peaceful place? Are you involved in civic affairs?

15. Kivinu- our hope. Do you fulfill the hopes people have for you to fulfill your potential?

16. Raykom Al Tshivaynu-Turn away empty handed. If you cannot help someone with money do you help with your time or verbal support?

17. Veeshay-fire. Do you fire up people with praise that prompts them to new heights?

18. Modim. Say Thank you.

19. Bor panecha-the light of your face. Smile and greet people. Make the world a happy place.

How do you make this a physical part of the Amidah? Underline these words to prompt you to think of these ideas. Or, think of a word that speaks to a personal attribute you wish to improve.