Concluding Berachos - Etz Yosef

Elokai Netzor

General Introduction:

In the first four supplications of this beracha, we ask Hashem to help us acquire the valuable attributes of humility and staying away from evil speech which are crucial components of a Jew's mission in this world.

Introduction to first 4 supplications:

The first four supplications of this beracha follow the same pattern as we saw in the beginning of Modim (see page ), where the first and third clauses are connected and the second and fourth clauses are connected.

However, as opposed to the pattern in Modim, they are not connecting to form a Scriptural allusion, rather it is to be understood by employing sentence structure used throughout the Talmud called "lo mibaya ko'amar",( lit. "Needless to say)" where the first subject of the sentence is obvious, and thus unnnecasaary in its own right, but is being said to bring out a the novelty of the second subject.

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Help me from speaking negatively about people (such as Lashon Hara, Rechilus).

And let my soul be silent (from retaliating) against those who curse me.

As explained in the introduction, the first clause is precluded by the second; if we are asking Hashem for the degree of humility to not react negatively against someone who hurt our feelings, it goes without saying that we don't want to actively slander someone.

And prevent me from speaking deceitfully.

And my soul shall be like dust to everyone.

In this supplication, we aren't just asking Hashem to help us resist the urge to retaliate against those who hurt us, rather that we don't even feel the urge to retaliate because of our faith in Hashem that this uncomfortable situation is for our ultimate good. As Chazal say:

This type of attitude is comparable to dust; just like after dust is trampled upon by people, it rises up and settles upon the person's head, so too, if a person humbles himself in this world (Olam Hazeh) he will be a leader in the next world (Olam Habah). (Avudraham)

This level of humility is discussed a by the Chovos HaLevavos where he speaks about the importance of acquiring the many facets of humility:

As we mentioned in the introduction, these two clauses are also a lo mibaye kaamar; if we are asking Hashem to help us feel humble like dust, it goes without saying that we do not want to take advantage of people through deceptive means. Alternatively, because deceit stems from a feeling of pride so people don't detect the real emotions and situation we are actually in, this middah is obviously precluded by humility.

(Ri ben Yakar)

Introduction to the following four supplications:

The next four supplications are a progression from the last four. After we ask Hashem to help instill within us good attributes and the correct mindset of a Jew, we are prepared to ask Him to help us observe the mitzvos we are commanded to do.

Open my heart to Your Torah and let my soul chase after Your mitzvos.

Directly after asking Hashem to open our hearts to Torah, we ask Hashem to help us fulfill the commandments which lie therein because learning without fulfilling what one learns is a travesty, as Chazal say:

The latter half of this clause connects to the supplication of וּבְמִצְותֶיךָ תִּרְדּף נַפְשִׁי because when one chases after mitzvos, Hashem will save him from his pursuers ("chasers"), which is mentioned in the very next part of the beracha. (Avudraham)

This concept is alluded to in the passuk:

As in the passuk, Dovid HaMelech supplicated Hashem to save him from his pursuers because of his faithfulness to keeping the mitzvos, therefore we also ask Hashem to fulfill this guarantee.

The word "v'chol" in an inclusionary word, thus the term "all of those who plot against me" refers not only to human adversaries, but also destructive spiritual persecutors (kochos chitzonim). (Machzor Kol Bo)

This part of the tefilla is a quote from Tehillim, as it says:

The word יֵחָלְ֒צוּן means to "arm", as the passuk says:

Here we are asking Hashem to help us strengthen our trust in Him, even when things look bleak and help us believe to never give up from asking Him to be merciful towards us.

This clause of the passuk follows in the same vein as the first half of the passuk, but here we are asking Hashem to use His Right Hand, which is another term for the Attribute of Mercy, to overpower the Attribute of Strict Justice.

The"Right Hand" denotes the Attribute of Mercy, as the passuk says: (see also Shemos by the shira...)

וַעֲנֵֽנִי

And if I am not worthy through my own merits to have my prayer answered, accept my prayer because of Your boundless mercy.

יֵחָלְ֒צוּן

Etz Yosef brings a novel interpretation of the word יֵחָלְ֒צוּן from the Yaavetz which incorporates the phonetic resemblance of the guttural sound of the "Ches" to the "Ayin", which gives license to replace the ches of יֵחָלְ֒צוּן with the yin, to make the word יֵעלְ֒צוּן, which means "to rejoice."

The idea of interchanging letters which sound similar for exegesis purposes is found in Rashi:

Although Rashi doesn't bring ches and ayin, we find in other places in Chazal where they are interchanged, such as the Yerushalmi in Peah which says:

According to this, the passuk is a plea to Hashem to save Klal Yisrael from misfortune so that Your loved ones can rejoice in You. By reading of the passuk this way, it would be closely echoing a passuk Dovid Hamelech wrote elsewhere in Tehillim, as it says:

The passuk in Tehillim in yet another place also echoes this idea:

אִמְרֵי פִ

The words actually spoken by a person during prayer are the most effective way to awaken Hashem's mercy. They are the highest of the high.

Etz Yosef here employs a stylistic nod to a passuk in Kohelles reiterating the point of words being optimal way, as it says:

וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי

Although verbalization is the most effective way to awaken Hashem's mercy, here we ask Hashem to also consider the thoughts in the deep recesses of our hearts which we were not able to verbalize for whatever reason, and let those also find favor before you, since You are the All-Knowing G-d.

And even if they don't penetrate the highest of heavens, let them rise to the heart of the heavens (?)

לְפָנֶֽיךָ

Both our verbalized and unverbalized prayers should come before You.

(יְהֹוָה צוּרִי (וְגוֹאֲלִי:

You, the G-d, Who searches man's consciousness and the thoughts of his heart, as the passuk says:

עֹשֶׂה (בעשי"ת הַשָּׁלוֹם) שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו

Hashem is called the "Maker of Peace in His high heavens" because He makes peace between the celestial beings.

The very idea of friction existing between the celestial beings is found in the passuk in Iyov which states:

In this passuk, "Dominion" refers to the Angel Michael who represents fire, and "Dread" refers to the Angel Gavriel who represents water. Although they would naturally be at odds with each other, Hashem imposes His peace between them.

The idea of friction between celestial beings also appears in Midrashic literature:

הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵֽינוּ וְעַל כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל

After stating the fact that Hashem is the Maker of Peace between the celestial beings, the passuk concludes with a prayer supplicating Hashem to also exercise His peace-making between humans who naturally tend to be more argumentative than the celestial beings.

We find a reference to humans being naturally argumentative from how strongly Dovid HaMelech urges us to make seek and pursue peace, implying that by running its natural course, a person is likely to be quarrelsome, as he writes in Tehillim:

וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן

This concluding statement is an imperative statement addressed to the angels who have accompanied us throughout Shemoneh Esrei. We ask them to say Amen, thereby acknowledging our request for peace from Hashem.

(Although this last statement is grammatically in the plural form, it should be said even if a person is davening alone, since as explained, it is being said towards the accompanying angels, not towards the members of the congregation)

The idea of a person having "accompanying angels" is found in Chazal in numerous places, such as in Maseches Taanis, where it says:

(The Iyun Tefilla adds, that not only are we asking them to answer Amen serves a stronger purpose than just an acknowldgemt and agreement in our request. We are asking them to strengthen its ability to go up to the heavens!)

After we take three steps back, officially concluding the Shemoneh Esrei tefilla, we ask of Hashem one more thing: To rebuild the Beis Hamikdash.

Why did Chazal decide to add another tefilla to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash after we just concluded the entire Shemoneh Esrei- and especially since we already asked Hashem for the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash in the V'lirushalayim prayer in Shemoneh Esrei itself?

The answer is that we are demonstrating to Hashem that although our tefilla of Shemoneh Esrei corresponds to the actual offering of the daily Tamid brought in the Beis Hamikdash, we long for the day where we can actually bring the korban Tamid.

Taking Three Steps Back After Shemoneh Esrei

Iggeres HaTiyul explains the reason for the minhag to take three steps back after we finish Shemoneh Esrei based on a Gemara in Sanhedrin. The Gemara relates:

Therefore, concludes the Iggeres HaTiyul, in order to counter the three steps that Nevuchadnezzar took in deference to Hashem's honor which allowed him to destroy the Beis Hamikdash, we also take three steps back in Hashem's honor to bring about the rebuilding and reestablish the Beis Hamikdash in our midst.

After taking three steps backward symbolically asking Hashem to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash, we now refocus our attention on the current, grim reality that the Beis Hamikdash is not yet here, and we ask Hashem for the "next-best-thing" and that is to grant us our portion in Torah specifically to understand the sections which discuss the Temple service, because by doing so we are fulfilling our Temple service obligation on some level, as Chazal say: