Today's source sheet draws from My People's Prayerbook and heavily from Rabbi Dr. Ellie Kaunfer's teachings.
עַל־הַצַּדִּיקִים
וְעַל־הַחֲסִידִים
וְעַל־זִקְנֵי עַמְּ֒ךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל
וְעַל פְּלֵיטַת סוֹפְ֒רֵיהֶם
וְעַל גֵּרֵי הַצֶּֽדֶק
וְעָלֵֽינוּ
יֶהֱמוּ רַחֲמֶֽיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ
וְתֵן שָׂכָר טוֹב לְכָל הַבּוֹטְ֒חִים בְּשִׁמְךָ בֶּאֱמֶת
וְשִׂים חֶלְקֵֽנוּ עִמָּהֶם לְעוֹלָם
וְלֹא נֵבוֹשׁ כִּי בְךָ בָּטָֽחְנוּ:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה מִשְׁעָן וּמִבְטָח לַצַּדִּיקִים:
On the righteous
and on the pious
And on the elders of Your nation, the House of Israel
And on the remnant of their scribes
And on the righteous converts
And on us:
May Your mercy extend, HaShem our G-d
And give a good reward to all those who trust in Your name, in truth.
And grant our portion with them forever.
And we will not be ashamed, because we have trusted in You
Blessed are You, HaShem, support and trust for the righteous.
Al ha-tzadikim
v'al hachasidim
v'al ziknei amecha beit yisrael
v'al pleitat sofreihem
v'al geirei hatzedek
v'aleinu
yehemu rachamecha adonai eloheinu
v'tein sachar tov lkhol habotchim bshimcha b'emet
v'sim chelkeinu imahem l'olam
v'lo neivosh ci v'cha batachnu
Baruch atah adonai, mishan umivtach latzadikim
Questions:
- What are we asking for, exactly?
- Who are all these people we want G-d to be merciful towards?
- What do each of these groups represent to you?
- Do you identify with any of them more or less strongly?
- Why do you think they need us to pray for them? In other words, why do we have this blessing?
This is as far as I expect you to get! Feel free to keep going if you want.
על הצדיקים...פירוש אלו הצדיקים שהם גדלים מכלם שלא חטאו מעלם ולא נצרכו להיות בעלי תשובה...
פירוש אלו חסידים שיש בהם קצת יראה על העבירות שעשו וכן אמר דוד שמרה נפשי כי חסיד אני כלומר כי בעל תשובה אני שלא היה רשאי לקרות עצמו חסיד.
On the righteous...An explanation of these 'righteous' is that they are the greatest of all who haven't ever sinned and (therefore) do not need to do repentance...
An explanation of these 'pious' is that they have some fear about the sins they've committed. Indeed, David said "protect my soul for I am a Pious (hasid)." Which means "I am a penitent" (otherwise) he would not be permitted to call himself 'pious.'
(trans. Alex Friedman)
In accordance with whose opinion do we pray every day for the sick and for the suffering? In accordance with whose opinion? In accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yosei, who holds that one is judged every day, not only on Rosh HaShana, and therefore it is appropriate to pray for people every day. From the fact that he said: The sick and the suffering, one can learn from his statement that the term: The sick, is referring to actual sick people, while the term: The suffering, is referring to the Sages.
The suffering- on the remnant of their sages
...אִם מְבַקֵּשׁ אָדָם לִהְיוֹת כֹּהֵן אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל, לִהְיוֹת לֵוִי אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל, לָמָּה, שֶׁלֹא הָיָה אָבִיו לֹא כֹּהֵן וְלֹא לֵוִי, אֲבָל אִם מְבַקֵּשׁ אָדָם לִהְיוֹת צַדִּיק, אֲפִלּוּ גּוֹי יָכוֹל הוּא, שֶׁאֵינוֹ בֵּית אָב, לְכָךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים קלה, כ): יִרְאֵי ה' בָּרְכוּ אֶת ה', בֵּית יִרְאֵי ה' לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא יִרְאֵי ה', אֵינָן בֵּית אָב אֶלָּא מֵעַצְמָם נִתְנַדְּבוּ וְאָהֲבוּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, לְפִיכָךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹהֲבָם, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר, ה' אֹהֵב צַדִּיקִים וגו', הַרְבֵּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹהֵב אֶת הַגֵּרִים.
If a person wants to become a kohen, they are unable to. To become a Levi, they are unable to. Why? Because his parent was not a kohen or a Levi.
But if a person wants to become a tzaddik, even a non-Jew can, for there is no ancestry for this. That is why it says “Those who fear God should bless God” (Psalm 135). “The house of those who fear God” it doesn’t say, rather: “Those who fear God.” This is not a matter of ancestry; rather they themselves volunteered and loved God. Therefore God loves them, as it says (Psalm 146:8-9) “YHVH loves tzadikim [God protects gerim].” God loves the gerim very much.
ר"י ב"ר יקר ע' נא
ועוד אמרינן בפרקי דר' אליעזר: כשניצול יונה בן אמתי עמדו כלם ונדרו איש להביא את בנו ואת כל אשר לו לאלהי יונה ונדרו ושלמו. ועליהם הוא אומר ועל הגרים גרי הצדק
“We also said in Pirke DeRebbe Eliezer: When Jonah ben Amitai was saved [from drowning], all [the sailors] stood and made vows to bring his child and all that was his to the God of Jonah. And they vowed and paid. About them it is said: “on the converts, the righteous converts” (Trans. R' Ellie Kaunfer)
- R”I bar Yakar, p. 51
(י) וַתִּפֹּל֙ עַל־פָּנֶ֔יהָ וַתִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָ֑רְצָה וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו מַדּ֩וּעַ֩ מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ לְהַכִּירֵ֔נִי וְאָנֹכִ֖י נׇכְרִיָּֽה׃ (יא) וַיַּ֤עַן בֹּ֙עַז֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֔הּ הֻגֵּ֨ד הֻגַּ֜ד לִ֗י כֹּ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂית֙ אֶת־חֲמוֹתֵ֔ךְ אַחֲרֵ֖י מ֣וֹת אִישֵׁ֑ךְ וַתַּֽעַזְבִ֞י אָבִ֣יךְ וְאִמֵּ֗ךְ וְאֶ֙רֶץ֙ מֽוֹלַדְתֵּ֔ךְ וַתֵּ֣לְכִ֔י אֶל־עַ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יָדַ֖עַתְּ תְּמ֥וֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃ (יב) יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם יְהֹוָ֖ה פׇּעֳלֵ֑ךְ וּתְהִ֨י מַשְׂכֻּרְתֵּ֜ךְ שְׁלֵמָ֗ה מֵעִ֤ם יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֖את לַחֲס֥וֹת תַּֽחַת־כְּנָפָֽיו׃
(10) She prostrated herself with her face to the ground, and said to him, “Why are you so kind as to single me out, when I am a foreigner?” (11) Boaz said in reply, “I have been told of all that you did for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband, how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth and came to a people you had not known before. (12) May the LORD reward your deeds. May you have a full recompense from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have sought refuge!”
(כ) הֲבֵן֩ יַקִּ֨יר לִ֜י אֶפְרַ֗יִם אִ֚ם יֶ֣לֶד שַׁעֲשֻׁעִ֔ים כִּֽי־מִדֵּ֤י דַבְּרִי֙ בּ֔וֹ זָכֹ֥ר אֶזְכְּרֶ֖נּוּ ע֑וֹד עַל־כֵּ֗ן הָמ֤וּ מֵעַי֙ ל֔וֹ רַחֵ֥ם אֲֽרַחֲמֶ֖נּוּ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס}
(20) Truly, Ephraim is a dear son to Me,
A child that is dandled!
Whenever I have turned against him,
My thoughts would dwell on him still.
That is why My heart yearns for him (lit. my innards tremble for him);
I will receive him back in love
—declares the LORD.
In each and every generation, a person is obligated to see themself as if they left Egypt, as it is stated (Exodus 13:8); "And you shall explain to your child on that day: For the sake of this, did the Lord do [this] for me in my going out of Egypt." Not only our ancestors did the Holy Blessed One redeem, but rather also us [together] with them did G-d redeem, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 6:23); "And G-d took us out from there, in order to bring us in, to give us the land which G-d swore unto our ancestors."