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7.
RE'EH
We now reach the Seventh Bracha of Shemone
Esrei--Re’eh (Na) Veanyeinu--the
bracha of Geulah! HaRav Yonasan
Eibeschutz, Z’tl, in the Sefer Ya’aros Devash, provides important
guidelines and guidance in this bracha.
“In this Bracha, one should daven for Geulas Yisroel--not because
we will then be the princes of the land and leaders of mankind, which will
in fact be the case, but rather so that we can once and for all finally
attain Shlaimus and bring an end to Chillul Hashem--as it is permanently replaced with Kiddush Hashem--and this is what
we mean by U’Ge’alainu Meheira
LeMa’an Shemecha. We
should also have in mind that even if we are not worthy of being
saved--Hashem can act through his Great Mercy by miracle--outside of and
beyond teva-- to redeem us even if we are undeserving--and this is the
essence of Ki Go’el Chazak Atta.”
HaRav Eibeschutz concludes
that even if one did not see the Ultimate Geulah today, he must
recognize and appreciate that EVERY
DAY
we are redeemed from
enemies--some more overt, some less overt, who seek to harm, hurt and
destroy us in any way they can devise--and Hashem saves us from their
designs. This is why the bracha concludes in the present tense--Go’el Yisroel--because we
truly experience Geulah every day--and should show our appreciation to
Hashem for it. Indeed, it may
very well be that if we properly recognize Hashem’s great graciousness to
us in our daily Geulos--we can be zoche Middah KeNegged Middah to the great
and final Ge’ulah--speedily and in OUR day!
--------------------------
The Bais Yosef (Shulchan
Aruch, Orach Chaim 115) writes that this Bracha of Geulah refers to each and
every Geulah from every single Tzara that Hashem saves us from.
In the Kuntrus Avodas
HaTefillah, Rabbi Meyer Birnbaum, Shlita, explains that the first two
phrases of the Bracha, in fact, refer to two different kinds of Geulah:
With the phrase Re’eh Nah
V’Anyeinu we ask Hashem for His mercy in saving us from Tzaros which do
not come from other human beings (such as floods, financial
downturns, and the like), while in VeRiva
Riveinu we ask Hashem to help us from the Tzaros that come about through
other human beings (criminals, terrorists, wars, etc.).
After describing the sources, we then ask that ‘U’Gealeinu MeHeira’--Hashem, speedily redeem us, even if we
are not worthy. Thus, with the
teaching of the Bais Yosef, we comprehend how all encompassing and pervasive
Hashem’s Koach HaGeulah really is. Through
the breakdown of the Kuntrus Avodas
HaTefillah, we learn to divide the Geulah into its parts, making each
aspect of Geulah a separate request, and infusing particular meaning into
the phrases of the Bracha--accompanied by a plea in all events of Meheira--even
if we may not deserve it, please shower your mercy upon us speedily.
-------------------------
HaRav Chaim
Friedlander, Z’tl, (in his Sefer Rinas
Chaim on Shemone Esrei) asks a question which is essential to our
understanding of this Bracha. The
first word of the Bracha is Re’eh--See.
Would anyone imagine that
Hashem does not see us? Everything
is open and clear to Him! HaRav
Friedlander answers that when the time came for Hashem to free us from
Mitzrayim, the Pasuk relates: “VaYar
Elokim Es Bnei Yisroel VaYeida Elokim--and Hashem saw
the Bnei Yisroel, and Hashem understood.”
Hashem’s ‘seeing us’ thus directly brought the Geulah.
Rather than continue to hide us away from His view in Mitzrayim,
rather than continue in a manner of Hester Panim, Hashem determined that He would now remove the Hester
Panim and draw close to His people. The
rest--Yetzias Mitrayim and all of the Nissim VeNiflaos that accompanied it
thereafter is very much a part of our history and us.
Now, when we ask Hashem ‘Re’eh (Nah)’, we are asking Hashem to do away with all of the
difficulties, hardships and sufferings of the Hester Panim in our current Golus, and replace it with a glowing
Hashgacha MeYuchedes of Ha’Aras
Panim--shining upon us with His Obvious Presence.
With Hester Panim, our enemies can succeed, overcome us, and even
reign over us. Through Ha’Aras
Panim, Hashem’s Watchful Eye and Loving Presence will enlighten every
aspect of our lives and it is this that we so very much strive.
Accordingly, we must place real Kavannah into the first word of this
Bracha--Re’eh!--Please Hashem,
look at us, remove the Hester Panim--and shine upon us Your Ha’Aras Panim
from now and forever hereafter!
-----------------------------
HaRav Schwab, Z’tl,
(Rav Schwab on Prayer, p. 453)
emphasizes that the words U’Gealeinu
Meheira LeMa’an Shemecha does not refer to the eventual Geulah
Shleimah at the time of Yemos HaMoshiach.
Rather, this is a Tefillah for protection against the daily assaults,
fears, apprehensions, and persecutions that our people face, whether in
Eretz Yisroel or anywhere else in the world.
What we refer to here in our Bracha as Geulah is the constant
protection of HaKadosh Baruch Hu against our enemies while we are in Galus--the
Geulah within the Galus--which the Gemara calls Aschalta D’Geulah.
---------------------------------
The Sefer Avudraham
writes that the bracha begins based upon the words of Dovid Hamelech in
Tehillim (25:18); “Re’eh Onyi VaAmali Ve’sa Lechol Chatosai...see my
afflictions and my toil and forgive all of my sins.
It is reported that the Apter Rav, Z’tl would advise people to
recite this Pasuk when feeling yissurin so that the suffering would affect
atonement--importantly pointing out that a person must RECOGNIZE and EXPRESS
the suffering not as happenstance or c’v as part of life--but instead as a
kapparah for was one’s sins. Based
upon the words of the Avudraham,
we may suggest that a person take a moment before beginning the bracha to
reflect upon any difficulties he may be going through--and ask Hashem
Re’eh Nah --may my suffering until now serve as my kapparah--so that I can
now be freed of further suffering and anguish.
Indeed, with this in mind, we can better understand why the bracha of
Re’eh comes immediately after the bracha of Selach Lanu--for even if we
were undeserving of selicha based upon the previous bracha-please now add
our past suffering to gain our atonement--so that we attain Geulah--salvation
in all of its senses--Ki Go’el Chazak Atta--for you can bring us complete
Geulah!
----------------------------------------------
SECOND SET --------------------------
------------------------------------
We begin asking Hashem to See our affliction. HaRav
Chaim Kanievsky, Shlita, teaches that this is based both on the Pasuk of
Eicha (1:9): “Re’eih Hashem Es Anyi--Hashem, see my affliction”, and the Pasuk in
Tehillim (25:18): “Re’eih Anyi V’Amali--see my affliction and toil”.
HaRav Kanievsky adds that for those who recite Re’eih
Nah--the word Nah here means
‘please’ and not ‘now’ as
the Pasuk in Shmuel II (7:2) teaches: “Re’eih
Nah (please)
Anochi Yoshev Biveis Arazim VeAron HaElokim Yoshev Besoch HaYeriah….”
HaRav Chaim adds that we ask Hashem not only to look at Anyeinu
but Ve’Anyeinu--into
our afflictions--because after all these years of Galus we do not even know
how great our affliction is and how much we are missing!
----------------------------------------
We continue with the phrase “Ve’Riva
Riveinu--and battle our battles for us.”
By asking Hashem to fight our battles, we demonstrate our unity with
Him. For His enemies are our
enemies, and in fact, our enemies despise us so greatly because we are the Am Hashem. Moreover, we
emphasize that it is Hashem Who is the Ish
Milchama--and not us. He
therefore can defeat our enemies of any size and with any advantage.
Additionally, He can defeat any of these enemies in a second, in a
minute, in an hour, in a day, in a week or in a year.
We therefore plead “U’Gialeinu Miheira Lema’an Shimecha--please redeem us in the
quickest possible manner--without delay, even if we are currently
undeserving, for it is Kiddush Shem Shomayim at stake--our enemies are battling Your
Name as well. Thus, with these
words, we express to Hashem, an essential element of why we seek Geulah--LeKadesh
Sheim Shomayim!
----------------------------------
We continue with the phrase ‘Ki
Go’el Chazak Atta’. HaRav
Chaim Friedlander, Z’tl, brings the Siach
Yitzchok, who explains that there are prosecuting angels who argue
against our Geulah. Indeed,
Hashem created the Midas HaDin and the Satan, whose role it is to judge us
with disfavor, and to attempt to bring regular Din upon us.
At Kriyas Yam Suf, for example, there were those ministering angels
who exclaimed: “They [the
Mitzriyim] are ovdei Avodah Zara and they [the Bnei Yisroel] are ovdei
Avodah Zara.” Accordingly, we
needed the Yad
Chazaka of Hashem to take us out. With
Hashem’s incomprehensible strength, He overcomes the seemingly
incontrovertible Midas HaDin that He has established in this world, and
through this His Name is sanctified--as He shows that he is not limited by
the world’s ‘rules’. The Kuntres
Avodas HaTefillah adds that when Hashem saves us He does so in ways
which evidence His Hashgacha Pratis over us--ways that are beyond Tevah--the
natural course of events, which also demonstrates that Hashem is the Go’el
Chazak. HaRav Feivel
Cohen, Shlita, once explained during the Intifada in Eretz Yisroel that
although the situation seemed impossible of rectification as crazed bombers
appeared out of the wood work seemingly everywhere--Hashem can be there to
help overcome all of the impossible situations to bring us a Yeshua--this is
the nature and reality of ‘Ezri
Mai’im Hashem, as the Oseh Shomayim VaAretz’.
We add that we are privileged to address Hashem here as Go’el
Chazak Atta--not as One Who is removed, foreign, or distant from
us--but as One Who is close to us, Whom we speak to, and with Whom we have a
direct and personal relationship!
-------------------------------------
We continue with the phrase ‘Ki
Go’el Chazak Atta’. HaRav
Chaim Friedlander, Z’tl, brings the Siach
Yitzchok, who explains that there are prosecuting angels who argue
against our Geulah. Indeed,
Hashem created the Midas HaDin and the Satan, whose role it is to judge us
with disfavor, and to attempt to bring regular Din upon us.
At Kriyas Yam Suf, for example, there were those ministering angels
who exclaimed: “They [the
Mitzriyim] are ovdei Avodah Zara and they [the Bnei Yisroel] are ovdei
Avodah Zara.” Accordingly, we
needed the Yad
Chazaka of Hashem to take us out. With
Hashem’s incomprehensible strength, He overcomes the seemingly
incontrovertible Midas HaDin that He has established in this world, and
through this His Name is sanctified--as He shows that he is not limited by
the world’s ‘rules’. The Kuntres
Avodas HaTefillah adds that when Hashem saves us He does so in ways
which evidence His Hashgacha Pratis over us--ways that are beyond Tevah--the
natural course of events, which also demonstrates that Hashem is the Go’el
Chazak. HaRav Feivel
Cohen, Shlita, once explained during the Intifada in Eretz Yisroel that
although the situation seemed impossible of rectification as crazed bombers
appeared out of the wood work seemingly everywhere--Hashem can be there to
help overcome all of the impossible situations to bring us a Yeshua--this is
the nature and reality of ‘Ezri
Mai’im Hashem, as the Oseh Shomayim VaAretz’.
We add that we are privileged to address Hashem here as Go’el
Chazak Atta--not as One Who is removed, foreign, or distant from
us--but as One Who is close to us, Whom we speak to, and with Whom we have a
direct and personal relationship!
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