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The Sages ruled that the Amidah – prayer par excellence – should follow a basic pattern of praise (shevach), request (bakashahh), and acknowledgement or thanks (hodayah). This is how Maimonides puts it: “The obligation of prayer is that every person should daily, according to his ability, offer up supplication and prayer, first uttering praises of GOD, then with humble supplication and petition asking for all that he needs, and finally offering praise and thanksgiving to the Eternal for the benefits already bestowed on him in rich measure” (Laws of Prayer 1:2).

The Amidah is constructed on this template. Of its nineteen blessings, the first three express praise. The middle thirteen on weekdays are requests (we do not make requests in the Amidah on Shab-bat or Festivals, which are times dedicated to thanking GOD for what we have, as opposed to asking Him for what we lack). The final three are acknowledgements. The same pattern can be seen in the blessings over the Torah at the beginning of the morning service (see below, Fractals).