Now comes the central moment of the Shabbat service—the Amidah, the standing prayer. The Amidah comes in the middle of every Jewish service, and is traditionally recited silently, at least in part. On weekdays, it consists of 19 blessings, asking God for everything from health, to redemption, to healing, to peace. On Shabbat, it has been streamlined, eliminating some of the overt requests—on Shabbat we try not to request things of God, because even God is resting—and instead focusing on thanking...