Simanim 115-118: Benedictions of the Amida

            Our sages explain the content and order of the blessings in a beautiful passage in Tractate Megilla.  To help you maintain your bearings, I have prefaced the discussion of each blessing with its name (in capital letters).

 

THE TEFILLA AS A WHOLE: "Where does the tefilla come from?  As it is taught [in a beraita]: Shimon HaPekoli arranged the order of eighteen benedictions before Raban Gamliel at Yavneh.  R. Yochanan said - others say it is taught in a beraita - 'One hundred and twenty elders, with several prophets among them, instituted the order of eighteen benedictions.'"

 

1. AVOT: "The Rabbis taught [in a beraita]: From where do we learn that we say 'avot' [forefathers] as it is said (Tehillim 29) 'Grant unto HaShem the holders of dominion.'"  [That is, the Avot.  Normally we would render "Grant unto HaShem, holders of dominion."  But the way the verse is learned here is also valid.]

 

2. ATA GIBOR: "And from where [do we learn] that we say 'gevurot' [powers] as it is said 'Grant unto HaShem honor and might.'"

 

3. KEDUSHA: "And from where [do we learn] that we say 'kedushot' [holiness], as it is said 'Grant unto HaShem the honor of His name, bow to HaShem in holy splendor.'"

 

4. ATA CHONEN (CHONEN HA-DA'AT): "And why did they see fit to say 'bina' [understanding] after kedusha, as it is said (Yeshayahu 29) 'And they sanctified the holy things of Yaakov, and revered the God of Israel,' and a nearby passage states 'And the errant spirit shall know understanding.'"

 

5. HASHIVENU (HA-ROTZEH BI-TESHUVA): "And why did they see fit to say teshuva [repentance] after understanding, as it is written (Yeshayahu 6) 'And his heart will understand, and he will return [shav] and be healed.'"

 

6.  SELICHA (HA-MARBEH LISLOACH): "According to that we should then say healing after teshuva!  That can not be, as it is written (Yeshayahu 55) 'And he will return unto HaShem and He will have mercy upon him, and unto God for He is great to forgive.'  And why do you rely on this [verse] instead of that one?  Because there is another verse: (Tehillim 103) 'Who forgives all of your sins, Who heals all of your afflictions, Who redeems your life from ruin." [Redemption follows forgiveness.]  Does that mean that redemption and healing follow forgiveness?!  Is it not written 'And he will return, and be healed?'  [Healing should follow repentance!]  That [verse] does not refer to the healing of physical illness, but rather to the healing of forgiveness [itself]."

 

7. GE'ULA: "And why is redemption said in the seventh [blessing]?  Rava said, 'Since in the future they will be redeemed in the seventh [shevi'it - the shemitta year], they established it in the seventh.'  But did not one say 'In the sixth, voices; in the seventh, wars; in the wake of the seventh the son of David arrives?'  War itself is the beginning of the redemption [Milchama nami itchalta di-ge'ula hi]."

 

8. REFU'A (ROFEH CHOLEI AMO YISRAEL): "And why did they see fit to say healing in the eighth [blessing]?  Rav Acha said, 'Since brit mila was given to be performed on the eighth day, and it demands healing, therefore they established it eighth.'"

 

9. SHANIM (MEVAREKH HA-SHANIM): "And why is the blessing of years [for abundant produce] ninth?  R. Alexandry said, 'Against overchargers [who take advantage of poor harvests to inflate prices], as it is written (Tehillim 10) 'Break the arm of the wicked,' and David said this in the ninth [chapter of Tehillim]."  [In the time of the gemara the first two chapters of Tehillim were considered a single chapter.]

 

10. KIBBUTZ GALUYOT (MEKABETZ NIDCHEI AMO YISRAEL): "And why did they see fit to establish the ingathering of the exiles after the blessing of the years, as it is written (Yechezkel 36) 'And you, oh hills of Israel, give forth your branches and bear your fruits for My people Israel, for they are soon coming.'"

 

11. SHOFTIM (MELEKH OSEH TZEDAKA U-MISHPAT): "And once the exiles are gathered in, the wicked receive their judgment, as it is said (Yeshayahu 1) 'And I will return My hand upon you and refine away your dross into purity,' and it is written (Yeshayahu 1) 'And I will restore your judges as previously.'"

 

12. MINIM (SHOVER OYVIM U-MAKHNIA ZEDIM): "And once judgment has been performed on the wicked, then there will be an end to the heresy [minut], including the malicious [zedim], as it is said (Yeshayahu 1) 'And the sinners and the transgressors are together shattered.'"

 

13. TZADIKIM (MIVTACH U-MISH'AN LA-TZADIKIM): "And once the heretics have disappeared, the horn [honor] of the righteous is raised up, as it is written (Tehillim 75) 'And I will clip the horns of the wicked and elevate the horns of the saintly.'  And the righteous converts [gerim] are included among the saints as it is said (Vayikra 19) 'Stand up before the elder, and honor the face of the old,' and a nearby passage states 'And if a sojourner [ger] shall dwell with you.'"

 

14. YERUSHALAYIM: "And where does their horn arise, in Yerushalayim, as it is said (Tehillim 122) 'Ask for the peace of Yerushalayim,  those who love her will settle in repose.'"

 

15. DAVIDIC RULE: "And once Yerushalayim is built then David arrives, as it is said (Hoshea 3) 'Afterwards the children of Israel will settle, and they will seek HaShem their God and David their king.'"

 

16. SHOME'A TEFILLA: "And once David comes, so too does prayer, as it is said (Yeshayahu 56) 'And I will bring them to My holy mountain, and I will make them to rejoice in My house of prayer.'"

 

17. AVODA (RETZEI): "And once prayer comes, so does the [Temple] service, as it is written 'Burnt-offerings and sacrifices willingly accepted [le-ratzon] on my altar.'"

 

18. MODIM: "And once the Temple service arrives, so does gratitude, as it is said (Tehillim 50) 'Let him honor Me with a sacrifice of thanks.'"

 

BIRKAT KOHANIM: "And why did they see fit to say the priestly benediction after thanks, as it is written (Vayikra 9) 'And Aharon lifted his hands towards the people and blessed them, as he came down from bringing the sin offering and brought a shelamim.'  According to this it should precede Avoda!  That cannot be, as it is written 'And he came down FROM bringing the sin-offering etc.'  Does it say 'to bring" - no, 'from bringing!'  Then say it AFTER Avoda!  That can't be as it says "a sacrifice of thanks" [thanks must immediately succeed sacrificial service].  And why did you decide to rely on this verse, and not that one?  This is more logical, since the temple service and thanks are really one and the same."

 

19. SHALOM: "And why did they see fit to say 'sim shalom' after the priestly blessing, as it is written (Bamidbar 6) 'And they shall place My name on the children of Israel and I will bless them.'  And the blessing of the Holy One blessed be He is peace, as it is said (Tehillim 29) 'Hashem will bless His people with peace.'"

 

Since 120 elders, with several prophets among them, instituted the order of prayer, what did Shimon HaPekoly arrange?!  They were forgotten and he went back and rearranged them"  (Megilla 17b-18a).

 

            The inclusion of number 12, the blessing (really it is a kind of curse) regarding the heretics, is an anachronism in this passage since it was not arranged by the 120 elders but was added only much later with the unfortunate schism of Jews who attended synagogue but were really believers in Christianity.

 

            The MB in 115:1 gives an alternative explanation for the order of the blessings based on Seder HaYom (by Rabbi Moshe ben Makhir, a very early Acharon).

 

ITCHALTA DI-GE'ULA

 

            The passage in Megilla serves as an inspirational source for Torah Zionism:

 

1. The expression "itchalta di-ge'ula" - the beginning of the redemption - comes from here, demonstrating that the redemption is not [necessarily] a sudden event but rather a process.  Torah Zionism endeavors to view the establishment of Jewish sovereignty and settlement in Israel as the beginning of redemption - itchalta di-ge'ula.  (The prayer for the welfare of the State of Israel calls it "reshit tzemichat ge'ulatenu" - the beginning of the sprouting of our redemption, recognizing that we are in an embryonic state but looking forward in the proper and hopeful direction.)  This is further demonstrated by the fact that the gemara asserts that war itself is the beginning of the redemption.  This directly contradicts the surprising yet frequently made claim, that our era can not be the beginning of redemption because there are so many wars - the gemara says the exact opposite, that war itself is the beginning of redemption.

 

2. According to this gemara, the order of prayer itself testifies to the fact that the flowering of the land of Israel is a prelude to the full ingathering of the exiles - "And you, oh hills of Israel, give forth your branches and bear your fruits for My people Israel, for they are soon coming."  This theme is reinforced by the gemara in Sanhedrin (98a) which calls this flowering the revealed end of the exile, saying, "There is no end more revealed than this."  This shows that we can not be indifferent to the inner meaning of the astounding regeneration of agricultural and forest greenery in our land in the last few generations.

 

3. The gemara explains that the judgment of the wicked occurs only AFTER the ingathering of the exiles.  Again, this is not merely a vague premonition but a foundation of the thrice-daily order of prayer.  This gives lie to the claim that our era can not be the flowering of redemption because of all the wickedness we perceive.  (By the way, while it is certainly forbidden to ignore the wickedness we encounter, it is likewise forbidden to gratuitously exaggerate it.)  Notice also that the judgment of the wicked is not portrayed as retribution but rather as purification - "And I will return My hand upon you and refine away your dross into purity."

 

4. The order of prayer indicates that the settlement of Yerushalayim precedes the coming of the Mashiach.  Of course we can not know for certain how the redemption will unfold, as the Rambam writes, "No one knows how it will happen, until it will happen" (Melakhim 12:2).  Still, the fact that the Kingdom of David has not yet been established certainly does not diminish the status of the modern-day building of Yerushalayim as a harbinger and even preparation for the redemption.  On the contrary, the order of prayer suggests that we are witnessing the process of redemption as it was ideally envisioned by the elders of the Great Assembly, with the several prophets among them.

 

5. The popular book "The Book of our Heritage" by Eliahu Kitov (an educator in the independent school system and an important figure in Po'alei Agudat Yisrael) devotes an entire section to Yom HaAtzma'ut, dilating on the momentous significance of the events surrounding the founding of the State of Israel.  (The author was convinced to expunge this section from the Hebrew version, "Sefer HaToda'a," so that the book would not seem controversial.  He printed it instead as a separate booklet called "Kavshi deRachmana.")  He expresses dismay at those who are unable to express gratitude to God for His guidance in these wonderful events: "When you see people of Israel who are thankful for all of the good, but who still pray for God's redemption to be complete, join them! ... But if you see people of Israel whose heart is divided and who are unable to recognize the goodness that has been bequeathed them, pray for them to be granted clarity of vision to see God's salvation, and for yourself to be rescued from the blindness and ingratitude into which they have fallen."

 

            This seeming ingratitude which Eliahu Kitov so bemoaned seems also to be hinted at in the order of prayer: "And once the Temple service arrives, so does gratitude."  It seems amazing that not only the flowering of the land of Israel, but also the judgement of the wicked, the building of Yerushalayim, and the coming of the Mashiach will not arouse gratitude worthy of a prayer.  Evidently, the Great Assembly recognized that for many people the feeling of gratitude would have to await the proper medium for expressing it - service in HaShem's holy sanctuary.  As the gemara explains, "The temple service and thanks are really one and the same."

 

            A guiding principle of my halakha shiurim is to present the halakha in the total context of a Torah lifestyle.  It is in this context that the rules can express their full meaning.  This is the way of the sages of the Gemara and very often even of the Shulchan Arukh itself.  According to Chazal's explanation of the order of prayer, some aspects of the inner meaning of the Tefilla are evident to our generation in a way that previous generations could envision only vaguely.  I hope that this examination of Chazal's words will help my readers realize this opportunity to augment and deepen the meaningfulness of their prayers.