The Shabbat Morning Shemoneh Esrei

Although the three daily Shemoneh Esrei prayers are essentially the same, the three Shabbat Shemoneh Esrei prayers are different. At Ma’ariv on Shabbat we recite "ata kidashta" as the main body of the prayer at Shacharit on Shabbat we recite "yismach moshe" as the main body of the prayer and at Mincha on Shabbat we recite "ata echad v’shimcha echad" as the main body of the prayer

There are a number of interpretations as to why each of these “main bodies” are recited when they are. One explanation is that the three Shabbat Shemoneh Esrei prayers correspond to three different Shabbatot. The "ata kidashta" passage corresponds to the Shabbat of Creation, the "yismach moshe" passage corresponds to the Shabbat when the Torah was given, and the "ata echad" passage corresponds to the Shabbat of the future. (1)

Another reason why “yismach moshe” (“Moshe rejoiced”) was chosen for the Shabbat morning is related to the slavery in Egypt. As we know, Pharaoh made the Jews do backbreaking labor all week long. The Midrash says that whatever the Jews built during the week would collapse on Shabbat. This upset Pharaoh tremendously. It was a terrible waste of materials and slave labor! Pharaoh asked his advisors why this mysterious occurrence was happening, but they didn’t have an answer. He then asked Moshe who told him that he could ensure that this would not happen any longer, but he would have to agree to follow his instructions. Pharaoh readily agreed.

Moshe told Pharaoh that the Jews must be given a day of rest. Pharaoh agreed, and told Moshe to choose a day that the Jews should be given as a day of rest. Moshe said that it should be the seventh day, Saturday. And so it was. The Jews were given as a day of rest what would one day come to be known as “Shabbat.” The buildings the slaves built each week ceased falling.

Moshe then told G-d that He should assign a day of rest to the Jewish people. God agreed and declared that the Jewish day of rest would be on the seventh day, just as Moshe had chosen for the Jews in Egypt.

…And “Moshe rejoiced!” that his idea had been accepted and eternalized by God! (2)

1. Tur, OC 292.

2. Sefer Kushiot 125. See also Abudraham, Shacharit shel Shabbat.