(א) אַתָּה גִבּוֹר לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָי,
מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים אַתָּה רַב לְהוֹשִֽׁיעַ:
(ב) בקיץ:
(ג) מוֹרִיד הַטָּל
(ד) בחורף:
(ה) מַשִּׁיב הָרֽוּחַ וּמוֹרִיד הַגֶּֽשֶׁם:
(ז) מְכַלְכֵּל חַיִּים בְּחֶֽסֶד
מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים בְּרַחֲמִים רַבִּים
סוֹמֵךְ נוֹפְ֒לִים...וְרוֹפֵא חוֹלִים
וּמַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים
וּמְקַיֵּם אֱמוּנָתוֹ לִישֵׁנֵי עָפָר.
מִי כָמֽוֹךָ בַּֽעַל גְּבוּרוֹת
וּמִי דּֽוֹמֶה לָּךְ?!...
מֶֽלֶךְ מֵמִית וּמְחַיֵּה וּמַצְמִֽיחַ יְשׁוּעָה:
בעשי"ת: מִי כָמֽוֹךָ אַב הָרַחֲמִים זוֹכֵר יְצוּרָיו לְחַיִּים בְּרַחֲמִים:
וְנֶאֱמָן אַתָּה לְהַחֲיוֹת מֵתִים:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים:
(1) You are mighty forever, my Master; You are the Resurrector of the dead, Powerful One to save us.
(2) From the Musaf of the first day of Pesach until the Musaf of Shemini Atzeres one should say:
(3) He causes the dew to descend.
(4) From the Musaf of Shemini Atzeres until the Musaf of the first day of Pesach you should say:
(5) Causer of the wind to blow and of the rain to fall.
(7) Sustainer of the living with kindliness, Resurrector of the dead with great mercy, Supporter of the fallen, and Healer of the sick, and Releaser of the imprisoned, and Fulfiller of His faithfulness to those who sleep in the dust.
Who is like You, Master of mighty deeds, and who can be compared to You? King Who causes death and restores life, and causes deliverance to sprout forth.
During the Ten Days of Penitence add: Who is like You merciful Father, Who remembers His creatures for life, in His mercy
And You are faithful to restore the dead to life. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Resurrector of the dead.
אַתָּה גִבּוֹר לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָי
Unlike man who's strength ebbs as he gets older, Hashem's strength is forever in its fullness because weakness and fragility are due to the aging process which doesn't exist by Hashem; Hashem might is forever.
מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים אַתָּה רַב לְהוֹשִֽׁיעַ:
On the simple level, this bracha is referring to Hashem's strength He demonstrates by bringing rain to the world.
Etz Yosef offers another explanation on a deeper level, by first prefacing an enigmatic Gemara in Taanis.
אָמַר רַב אוֹשַׁעְיָא: גָּדוֹל יוֹם הַגְּשָׁמִים, שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ יְשׁוּעָה פָּרָה וְרָבָה בּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״תִּפְתַּח אֶרֶץ וְיִפְרוּ יֶשַׁע״.
Rabbi Oshaya likewise said: The day of rain is great, as rain even facilitates salvation, which is fruitful and multiplies on that day. It is a time of God’s favor, when salvation is brought forth into the world, as it is stated: “Let the earth open that they may bring forth salvation” (Isaiah 45:8).
The meaning of this Gemara is perplexing; what does it mean that salvation sprouts when it rains? Where have we found that after it rained that there was a wave of salvation that swept over the world?
Etz Yosef explains, the rain being discussed in this Gemara isn't the rain we experience from time to time, rather it is discussing the rain and dew of resuscitation ("Tel shel Techiya") which when it will fall, it will bring out the ultimate salvation during the resuscitation of the dead ("Techiyas HaMaysim").
Etz Yosef concludes that this concept is alluded to in three places in the davening liturgy.
1. This concept of the future and ultimate "rain" which will usher in the final salvation of the resuscitation of the dead is also alluded to in the deliberate placement of the words מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים אַתָּה רַב לְהוֹשִֽׁיעַ in quick succession to each other in order to add another layer on the the bracha to also be alluding to the future rain/dew which will sprout salvation during the resurrection of the dead.
2. These two words are also paired together in the Birchos Krias Shema of Shabbos to allude to this same message of the final salvation during the resurrection:
וְאֵין דּוֹמֶה לְּךָ מוֹשִׁיעֶנּוּ לִתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים:
And there is none similar to you, Our Savior, in the times of the Resurrection of the Dead.
3. This concept can also be gleaned as a more esoteric understanding of a clause in this beracha:
(ה) מַשִּׁיב הָרֽוּחַ וּמוֹרִיד הַגֶּֽשֶׁם:
(5) Causer of the wind to blow and of the rain to fall.
According to the simple understanding, the beracha is referring to Hashem's display of strength by making the wind blow to push clouds to where they need to be and dispense their rain where He wants it. (See below)
But it can also be understood to be referring to this future Messianic rain*, in which the beracha is saying the following:
Hashed causes a wind to blow the dew of salvation into the clouds back into the clouds it was once in, and then allows the rain to fall and resurrect the dead.
*The exact wording the Etz Yosef uses is "gishmei nidvos shel tichya", which is based on a passuk in Tehillim:
(י) גֶּ֣שֶׁם נְ֭דָבוֹת תָּנִ֣יף אֱלֹהִ֑ים נַחֲלָתְךָ֥ וְ֝נִלְאָ֗ה אַתָּ֥ה כוֹנַנְתָּֽהּ׃
(10) You released a bountiful rain, O God; when Your own land languished, You sustained it.
Although the passuk describes rain, Chazal explain that the intention of rain in this passul is referring to the resuscitating dew that will be used in the time to come.
וְטַל שֶׁעָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהַחְיוֹת בּוֹ מֵתִים — דִּכְתִיב: ״גֶּשֶׁם נְדָבוֹת תָּנִיף אֱלֹהִים נַחֲלָתְךָ וְנִלְאָה אַתָּה כוֹנַנְתָּהּ״.
The dew that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will use to revive the dead is found in heaven, as it is written: “A bountiful rain You will pour down, God; when Your inheritance was weary, You confirmed it” (Psalms 68:10).
מַשִּׁיב הָרֽוּחַ וּמוֹרִיד הַגֶּֽשֶׁם
The interrelation between the wind and the rain is found in a passuk in Tehillim, upon which this clause is based on:
(יח) יִשְׁלַ֣ח דְּבָר֣וֹ וְיַמְסֵ֑ם
יַשֵּׁ֥ב ר֝וּח֗וֹ יִזְּלוּ־מָֽיִם׃
He breathes—the waters flow.
This is another aspect of how Hashem shows "might" in the falling of rain, because Hashem controls where every drop of rain will fall, and He coordinates the wind to blow to where the drops should fall, to not be too strong to blow it too far or not strong enough to carry to where He wants it to fall.
Hashem's might is undoubtedly seen during rainstorms and will be seen its most potent form during the eventual resuscitation of the dead. But in truth, even in our daily lives we can notice and appreciate displays of Hashem's strength.
מְכַלְכֵּל חַיִּים בְּחֶֽסֶד
Hashem constantly sustains the world with food and sustenance. Unlike clothes which can last for a year or two, food is something that Hashem provides constantly and we put our trust in Him for it every day.
This concept, that we are constantly dependent on Hashem for food is found in a passuk in Tehillim which says:
(כה) נֹתֵ֣ן לֶ֭חֶם לְכׇל־בָּשָׂ֑ר כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
(25) Who gives food to all flesh, His steadfast love is eternal.
The word "give" is said in the present tense (nosein) as opposed to the past tense (nasan) to allude to this idea that Hashem giving sustenance is a constant gift from Hashem which we need to be especially grateful each and every time we eat.
בְּחֶֽסֶד
In the first explanation, the modifying word "with kindness" is stressing the particular kindness of sustaining the world with food which is a kindness that Hashem does on a consistent basis, to always have food ready for us, and therefore it is worthy of a special mention.
I'd like to elaborate on the Etz Yosef here based on his commentary to the Ein Yaakov on Pesachim. The Gemara in Pesachim says:
On this Gemara (which is also brought in Ein Yaakov on Pesachim) Etz Yosef proves that Hashem providing sustenance to the world is equal in its astoundingness to the splitting of the sea because of Hashem's incredible watchfulness (Hashgacha) to sustain the entire world.
Etz Yosef brings another explanation into this phrase "with kindness" as a praise to Hashem that even when our sins outweigh our merits in which according to strict justice we should not be sustained "in full", nevertheless out of His boundless kindness, He sustains the world with plentifulness.
The bracha now moves on to discuss techiyas hamaysim which was subtly referenced in the beginning of the beracha.
...מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים בְּרַחֲמִים
We say that Hashem will resusitate the dead "with mercy". In what aspect will Hashem demonstrate His mercy during techiyas hamaysim?
The answer is that Hashem will return the same body that the person had when he or she was alive. This is an act of mercy since technically He can resuscitate them in any body, but since a person "mourns" their body when they die, Hashem gives them back the body that they have been pining for.
The Etz Yosef brings proof to this from a passuk in Iyov 14:22, which the Gemara in Shabbos expounds to mean that when a person dies, the soul pines for its body.
אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: נַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מִתְאַבֶּלֶת עָלָיו כׇּל שִׁבְעָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְנַפְשׁוֹ עָלָיו תֶּאֱבָל״, וּכְתִיב: ״וַיַּעַשׂ לְאָבִיו אֵבֶל שִׁבְעַת יָמִים״.
Rav Ḥisda said: A person’s soul mourns for him during all seven days of mourning following his death, as it is stated: "And his soul mourns over him,” and it is also written: “And he mourned his father seven days” (Genesis 50:10).
The Iyun Tefilla (later on in the beracha) cites two other sources to this idea that the soul pines to reunite with its original body during Techiyas HaMaysim.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״אֲנִי אָמִית וַאֲחַיֶּה״ יָכוֹל מִיתָה בְּאֶחָד וְחַיִּים בְּאֶחָד, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהָעוֹלָם נוֹהֵג, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״מָחַצְתִּי וַאֲנִי אֶרְפָּא״, מָה מַכָּה וּרְפוּאָה בְּאֶחָד, אַף מִיתָה וְחַיִּים בְּאֶחָד.
Similarly, the Sages taught in a baraita: “I put to death and I make live”; one might have thought that this refers to death for one person (i.e. one body) and life, i.e., resurrection, for another person, i.e. into a different body) as the customary manner of the world, therefore, the verse states: “I wound and I heal”; just as the wounding and the healing mentioned here clearly refer to the same person, so too death and life refer to the same person.
רַבִּים
The word "with much mercy" implies that there is another mercy beyond the merciful act that Hashem will bring up the resuscitated into their original bodies. What is this extra display of mercy we are referring to here?
The Etz Yosef says that this is referring to the Chazal that says that when the resuscitated come back, they will come up clothed.
שאלה קליאופטרא מלכתא את ר"מ אמרה ידענא דחיי שכבי דכתיב (תהלים עב, טז) ויציצו מעיר כעשב הארץ אלא כשהן עומדין עומדין ערומין או בלבושיהן עומדין אמר לה ק"ו מחיטה ומה חיטה שנקברה ערומה יוצאה בכמה לבושין צדיקים שנקברים בלבושיהן על אחת כמה וכמה
§ The Gemara relates: Queen Cleopatra asked Rabbi Meir a question. She said: I know that the dead will live, as it is written: “And may they blossom out of the city like grass of the earth” (Psalms 72:16). Just as grass grows, so too, the dead will come to life. But when they arise, will they arise naked or will they arise with their garments? Rabbi Meir said to her: It is derived a fortiori from wheat. If wheat, which is buried naked, meaning that the kernel is sown without the chaff, emerges with several garments of chaff, all the more so will the righteous, who are buried with their garments, arise with their garments.
The beracha is thus saying that by techiyas hamaysim, not only will Hashem show mercy by bringing the dead back into their original bodies, but He will compound that mercy by bringing them back fully clothed.*
See Shu"t Maharam Bar Baruch (brought in Iyun Tefilla later on) as to why this aspect of the deda coming back to life fully clothed isn't mentioned explicitly in the beracha, which could easily be added on with the words "Malbish Arumim" (which is also referred to in a passuk in Tanach).
The beracha continues by detailing three other ways Hashem displays resuscitation-like actions in our daily lives. The first two go in ascending order of how Hashem's might is being displayed, and the third is a case of its own nature.
As with most of the text of Shemoneh Esrei, the clauses also mirror pesukim throughout Tanach.
סוֹמֵךְ נוֹפְ֒לִים
The wording here mirrors the passuk in Tehillim which says:
(יד) סוֹמֵ֣ךְ יְ֭הֹוָה לְכׇל־הַנֹּפְלִ֑ים וְ֝זוֹקֵ֗ף לְכׇל־הַכְּפוּפִֽים׃
and makes all who are bent stand straight.
The explanation here is also that even if a person "falls" sick to the extent where even doctors have given up hope, Hashem is the Almightly and He can "resuscitate" him to bring him back to good health.
וְרוֹפֵא חוֹלִים
(כו) וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ אִם־שָׁמ֨וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַ֜ע לְק֣וֹל ׀ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ וְהַיָּשָׁ֤ר בְּעֵינָיו֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְהַֽאֲזַנְתָּ֙ לְמִצְוֺתָ֔יו וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֖ כׇּל־חֻקָּ֑יו כׇּֽל־הַמַּחֲלָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֤מְתִּי בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לֹא־אָשִׂ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה רֹפְאֶֽךָ׃ {ס}
Hashem has the power to resuscitate even if ones sickness deteriorates to the point where he is literally at the gates of death.* No matter how dire, it is never out of Hashem's capability to heal a person from an illness, no matter how advanced it is.
"Gates of death" is a terminology found in Tehillim.
(יד) חָֽנְנֵ֬נִי יְהֹוָ֗ה רְאֵ֣ה עׇ֭נְיִי מִשֹּׂנְאָ֑י מְ֝רוֹמְמִ֗י מִשַּׁ֥עֲרֵי מָֽוֶת׃
(14) Have mercy on me, O LORD; see my affliction at the hands of my foes, You who lift me from the gates of death.
(ג) מרוממי משערי מות: ושערי מות הוא קרוב למיתה, כמו השער לבית.
(3) Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death: The (phrase) gates of death means "near to death," as the gate is to the house.
וּמַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים
This mirrors a passuk in Tehillim which says:
(ז) עֹשֶׂ֤ה מִשְׁפָּ֨ט ׀ לָעֲשׁוּקִ֗ים נֹתֵ֣ן לֶ֭חֶם לָרְעֵבִ֑ים יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה מַתִּ֥יר אֲסוּרִֽים׃
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free;
A person who is jailed and totally inhibited from movement is also experiencing "death" on some level. Hashem can also release him from bondage to freedom, thus "resuscitating" him as well.
וּמְקַיֵּם אֱמוּנָתוֹ לִישֵׁנֵי עָפָר.
Just as Hashem shows great assurance to those who are still living, as we mentioned before, in the Time to Come He is also going to show His assurance to those who have died by bringing them back to life during techiyas hamaysim.
This clause mirrors a passuk found in the very last chapter of Sefer Daniel, where Daniel prophesies about the End of Days:
(ב) וְרַבִּ֕ים מִיְּשֵׁנֵ֥י אַדְמַת־עָפָ֖ר יָקִ֑יצוּ אֵ֚לֶּה לְחַיֵּ֣י עוֹלָ֔ם וְאֵ֥לֶּה לַחֲרָפ֖וֹת לְדִרְא֥וֹן עוֹלָֽם׃
(2) Many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, others to reproaches, to everlasting abhorrence.
מִי כָמֽוֹךָ בַּֽעַל גְּבוּרוֹת
וּמִי דּֽוֹמֶה לָּךְ
Up until this point we have firmly established that Hashem has the ultimate strength - the ability to resuscitate the dead.
However there have been isolated incidents throughout history, which we will enumerate below, where certain individuals also revived the dead.
This could potentially bring some people to have doubts as to Hashem holding all of the power over life and death and minimize His strength.
The next two clauses each come to highlight two specific qualities in the resuscitation that Hashem does versus what these people did, which affirm Hashem's unparalleled strength in the act of resuscitation.
מִי כָמֽוֹךָ בַּֽעַל גְּבוּרוֹת
The Gemara records a story in Avodah Zarah:
אזל ר' חנינא בר חמא אשכחיה דהוה קטיל אמר היכי אעביד אי איזיל ואימא ליה דקטיל אין משיבין על הקלקלה אשבקיה ואיזיל קא מזלזלינן במלכותא בעא רחמי עליה ואחייה ושדריה אמר ידענא זוטי דאית בכו מחיה מתים מיהו בעידנא דאתינא לא נשכח איניש קמך
Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ḥama went and found that the servant Antoninus referred to had been killed. He said to himself: How shall I act? If I go and tell Antoninus that he was killed, this is problematic, as one should not report distressing news. If I leave him and go, then I would be treating the king with disrespect. He prayed for God to have mercy and revived the servant, and he sent him to Antoninus. Antoninus said: I know that even the least among you can revive the dead; but when I come to visit let no man be found before you, even one as great as Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ḥama.
This story seems to clearly show that a person had the strength to resuscitate the dead.
However, if you look closely into the terminology employed by the Gemara it says, "he asked mercy from before Hashem and He resuscitated him."
We see that Rav Chanina didn't bring about the resuscitation - Hashem did. Rav Chanina's role was more similar to that of a son who insistently begs his father for something to which the father eventually relents and grants the son his wish.
It is with this foreground that we say "And who is like You Master of Strengths", in order to dispel the notion that man's resuscitation is similar to that of Hashem's, because as we see from the Gemara above, man's role is vastly insignificant to that of Hashem's, man can only ask Hashem to have mercy, but it is Hashem Who is the Master of the strength of resuscitation.
I wanted to add perhaps a smach to this explanation into these words, based on the Gemara in Moed Katan. The Gemara says:
וּמַאי מַשְׁמַע דְּהַאי ״בֵּית הַבַּעַל״ לִישָּׁנָא דִּמְיַיתְּבוּתָא הִיא — דִּכְתִיב: ״כִּי יִבְעַל בָּחוּר בְּתוּלָה״, וּמְתַרְגְּמִינַן: אֲרֵי כַּמָּה דְּמִיתּוֹתַב עוּלֵם עִם בְּתוּלְתָּא יִתְיַיתְּבוּן בְּגַוִּיךְ בְּנַיִיךְ.
And from where may it be inferred that this term, beit haba’al, a field that suffices with rainwater, is a term denoting settlement, i.e., an established field that does not require extensive upkeep? As it is written: “For as a young man takes to himself [yiv’al] a virgin, so shall your sons take you to themselves” (Isaiah 62:5). And it is translated in the Aramaic translation: As a young man settles down with a virgin, so shall your sons become settled within you. Similarly, beit haba’al is referring to a settled field that suffices with rainwater.
We see from here that the term "Baal" refers to the idea that the entity is self-sufficient and doesn't need external help. So too here, the idea that's being conveyed in these words, according to the Etz Yosef, is that Hashem's power to resuscitate is not dependent on another force, rather the power comes from Him and Him alone, unlike a person who needs to come on to a Hashem, an "External Force", in order to bring about the resuscitation.
וּמִי דּֽוֹמֶה לָּךְ
The Gemara in Bava Kamma says:
הָדְרָא לֵיהּ עַכְנָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: ״עַכְנָא, עַכְנָא, פְּתַח פּוּמָּיךְ וְיִכָּנֵס הָרַב אֵצֶל תַּלְמִיד״, וְלָא פְּתַח. ״יִכָּנֵס חָבֵר אֵצֶל חָבֵר״, וְלָא פְּתַח. ״יִכָּנֵס תַּלְמִיד אֵצֶל הָרַב״, פְּתַח לֵיהּ. בְּעָא רַחֲמֵי וְאוֹקְמֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: ״אִי הֲוָה יָדַעְנָא דְּדַרְכֵּיהּ דְּמָר הָכִי, לָא חָלְשָׁא דַּעְתִּי; הַשְׁתָּא לֵיתֵי מָר בַּהֲדַן״. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: ״אִי מָצֵית לְמִיבְעֵי רַחֲמֵי דְּתוּ לָא שָׁכֵיבְנָא – אָזֵילְנָא, וְאִי לָא – לָא אָזֵילְנָא, הוֹאִיל וַחֲלֵיף שַׁעְתָּא, חֲלֵיף״.
encircled by a serpent [akhna], which had placed its tail in its mouth, completely encircling the cave and blocking the entrance. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to it: Serpent, serpent, open your mouth and allow the teacher to enter and be near the disciple, but the serpent did not open its mouth to allow him entry. He then said: Allow a colleague to enter and be near his colleague, but still the serpent did not open its mouth. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Allow the disciple to enter and be near the teacher, referring to Rav Kahana as his own teacher. The snake then opened its mouth for him to allow him entry. Rabbi Yoḥanan requested divine mercy from God and raised Rav Kahana from the dead. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to Rav Kahana: Had I known that this was the Master’s manner of appearance, I would not have been offended. Now let the Master come with me to the study hall. Rav Kahana said to him: If you are able to request divine mercy so that I will not die again, I will go with you, and if not, I will not go with you. The Gemara comments: Since the time decreed for his death had passed, it had passed.
We see from this Gemara that there is another limitation within man's ability to resurrect the dead, and that is a temporary because the person will again die.
By contrast, Hashem's resurrection can be a ressureation which the person can remain alive eternally, as Chazal say in the Gemara in Sanhedrin:
תנא דבי אליהו צדיקים שעתיד הקדוש ברוך הוא להחיותן אינן חוזרין לעפרן שנאמר (ישעיהו ד, ג) והיה הנשאר בציון והנותר בירושלים קדוש יאמר לו כל הכתוב לחיים בירושלים מה קדוש לעולם קיים אף הם לעולם קיימין
The school of Eliyahu taught: The righteous whom the Holy One, Blessed be He, is destined to resurrect do not return to their dust, as it is stated: “And it shall come to pass, that he who remains in Zion and he who remains in Jerusalem shall be called holy, anyone who is written unto life in Jerusalem” (Isaiah 4:3). Just as the Holy One exists forever, so too will they exist forever.
:מֶֽלֶךְ מֵמִית וּמְחַיֵּה וּמַצְמִֽיחַ יְשׁוּעָה
The end of the beracha embellishes on the latter advantage of Hashem's resurrection of it being eternal. Hashem is the King Who causes death and life and sprouts salvation - to last forever, without death necessarily following it.
מִי כָמֽוֹךָ אַב הָרַחֲמִים זוֹכֵר יְצוּרָיו לְחַיִּים בְּרַחֲמִים
The Etz Yosef explains this seasonal insertion said during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva (The Ten Days of Reprentence between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur) based on how Rabbeinu Bachya says, tucked away in his commentary on the Torah. The passuk says:
(ד) אֵ֣לֶּה תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם עֲשׂ֛וֹת יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם׃
(4) Such is the story of heaven and earth when they were created. When God יהוה made earth and heaven—
וע"ד הקבלה בהבראם בה"א בראם הה"א הזאת ה' אחרונה בשם והיא זעירי נאצלת מכח אלהי-ם והיא שבראה את העולם והיא הנקראת יד ה' שעליה נאמר בפירוש (ישעיה סו ב) ואת כל אלה ידי עשתה, וכתיב (איוב יב ט) מי לא ידע בכל אלה כי יד ה' עשתה זאת.
וכל אלהים שבמעשה בראשית היא התשובה והיא ה"א ראשונה שבשם ואליה נכוין בראש השנה שהוא יום הדין שבו נברא העולם כי עשרת ימי תשובה לתשובה, ועל כן תקנו בתפלה לומר מי כמוך אב הרחמים בה"א על ה"א ראשונה שבשם וה"א אחרונה שבשם שנתוספה לאברהם שנתנה לו כח ההולדה, וכמו שהזכירו ז"ל אברם אינו מוליד אברהם מוליד, וכמו שאפרש בפסוק (בראשית יז ה) והיה שמך אברהם...
A kabbalistic approach to the word בהבראם, understands it to mean that He (G-d), created it with the letter ה.
This letter is the last letter in the Ineffable four-lettered name of G-d, and it is written in smaller than usual script in the Torah.
It was emanated from the energy which is part of the attribute of אלוקים, and it was this part of G-d’s “energy” which created the universe On other occasions this part of G-d’s “energy” is called יד ה', “the hand of G-d,” such as in Isaiah 66,2 ואת כל אלה ידי עשתה, “and all of these (phenomena, the universe) My hand has made.” We find a verse with a similar meaning in Job 12, 9 מי לא ידע בכל אלה כי יד ה' עשתה זאת? “Who amongst all these does not know that the hand of G-d has made all this?”
Whenever the wordאלוקים is mentioned in the first chapter of Genesis, it refers to the emanation called תשובה, i.e. the first letter ה in G-d’s Ineffable Name. It is this letter and what it represents that we speak of in our prayers on New Year’s day which is the Day of Judgment, the anniversary of when the universe was completed.
This emanation תשובה extends (presides) for the duration of the Ten Days of Penitence which are called עשרת ימי תשובה. This is why our sages have inserted a paragraph in the principal prayer עמידה during these days in which we acknowledge G-d as מי כמוך אב הרחמים, “who is like You father of mercy?” The reference is to the two letters ה, i.e. א, ב הרחמים which appear in the Ineffable Name.
The letter ה is the letter which was added to Avraham’s name when it was changed from אברם to אברהם The addition of that letter enabled him to procreate [together with Sarah, seeing he had fathered Ishmael before that letter was added to his name. Ed.] Our sages have said (Bereshit Rabbah 44,12) “Avram could not produce viable sperm, Avraham could.” I will explain this further on Genesis 29, 32 in connection with the words והיה שמך אברהם in Genesis 17,5-6.
וְנֶאֱמָן אַתָּה לְהַחֲיוֹת מֵתִים:
וְנֶאֱמָן
Before Etz Yosef goes to explain the clause as a whole, he points out that the word "v'ne'eman" "And He is trustworthy" is employed because of the strong connection between "ne'emanus" (trustworthiness) and Techiyas HaMaysim, as evidenced in both Tanach and Midrashic literature.
The passuk in Eicha says:
(כג) חֲדָשִׁים֙ לַבְּקָרִ֔ים רַבָּ֖ה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ {ס}
(23) They are renewed every morning— Ample is Your trustworthiness!
On this passuk, the Medrash expounds:
כְּתִיב (איכה ג, כג): חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַבָּא עַל שֶׁאַתָּה מְחַדְּשֵׁנוּ בְּכָל בֹּקֶר וָבֹקֶר אָנוּ יוֹדְעִים שֶׁאֱמוּנָתְךָ רַבָּה לְהַחֲיוֹת לָנוּ אֶת הַמֵּתִים.
It is written: “They are renewed each morning, great is Your trustworthiness” (Lamentations 3:23) – Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said: From the fact that you renew us each and every morning we know that You have great trustworthiness to revive the dead for us.
In his commentary to Modeh Ani, Etz Yosef (in his peripheral commentary Anaf Yosef), explains how waking up in the morning from sleep proves that the future Techies HaMaysim is not so outlandish - we experience a microcosm of it every single day.
At the end of each day, a person goes to lies his weary eyes to rest and gives over his soul, as it were, to Hashem. In the morning, he wakes up, and he is refreshed and with renewed vitality.
Similarly, we believe, that the body, after a life well lived, he 'rests' in the ground, and the time will come when he is awoken to a renewed existence.
In other words, the process of being worn out, sleeping, and subsequently waking up with renewed strength, shares the same progression to the eventual prophecy that a dead person will arise from his decomposed "worn out" state and come back to life with vitality.
וְנֶאֱמָן אַתָּה לְהַחֲיוֹת מֵתִים:
Roke'ach echoes this sentiment and adds that it is a merit for us that we believe and verbally attest about the eventual resuscitation of the dead, despite not having seen it.*
*See the next phrase of this beracha, where a similar idea is expressed by Midrash Shocher Tov to explain the siyum haberacha.
ונאמן אתה להחיות מתים, יכוין במחשבתו בזה"ל בש"ע אני מאמין באמונה שלימה ואמתית בזה שאתה עתיד להחיות מתים.
Zohar (Va'era 28a, brought by Yesod V'Shoresh HaAvodah) takes a whole different perspective than the Rokeach. Whereas Rokeach praises Klal Yisrael for taking a "leap of faith" for believing in Techiyas HaMaysim, the Zohar upbraids those who deny Techiyas HaMaysim.
וז"ל בזה"ק פ' וארא דכ"ח ע"א תפח רוחם דאנון דאמרין דלא זמין קב"ה לאתיא מחייא והיך יתעבד מניי' ברי' חדתא ייתון ויחמון אנון תפשין חייביא רחיקין מאורייתא רחיקין מניה בידי' דאהרן הוה חוטרא אעא יבישא וקב"ה לפום שעתא אהדר ליה ברי' משני' ברוחא וגופא כו' עכ"ל.
לכן אל יחטוף אדם חתימת ברכה זו רק יכוין במחשבתו גבורת ה' כנ"ל.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים:
For the ending of the bracha, Etz Yosef quotes directly from the Yesod V'Shoresh HaAvoda:
ברוך א"י מחיה המתים:
יכוין האדם במחשבתו בש"ע עד מאד כמה פעמים גבורות ה' גבורות ה' בזה שיחיה כל המתים שמתו מימות אדה"ר ועד אותו הזמן והגופים כבר נרקבו מכמה אלף שנים וכמה אלפים ורבבות גופים עד אין מספר שנתערבו עצמותיהם אלו עם אלו והבורא ית"ש ויתעלה בחכמתו הנפלאה יכיר ויחבר עצם אל עצמו של כל גוף וגוף ויתן בהם נשמתם נשמה ונשמה השייך לגוף שלו מי ימלל גבורת ה' בזה.
(ה) "אהבו את ה' כל (יראיו) [חסידיו] אמונים נוצר ה'." אלו שעונין אמן באמונה.
אומר ברוך מחיה המתים ועדיין לא בא ומאמינים בי שאני מחיה המתים.
אומר ברוך גאל ישראל ועדיין לא נגאלו אלא לשעה וחזרו ונשתעבדו. והם מאמינים שאני עתיד לגאלם. הוי אמונים נוצר ה'.:
(5) "Love the Lord, all His faithful ones, the Lord preserves the faithful." (The Midrash expounds:) These are those who respond "Amen" with faith.
One says "Blessed be He who revives the dead," and they still have not come, yet they believe in me that I revive the dead...
One says "Blessed be He who redeems Israel," and they still have not been redeemed except for an hour, and they returned and were subjugated. And they believe that I am destined to redeem them. (This is indeed an expression of) Be faithful, for the Lord preserves the faithful.