Hakhel Email Community Awareness Bulletin

 

3. ATTA KADOSH

The Bracha of Atta Kadosh teaches us that not only is Hashem Himself inherently holy, separate and distinct from all other holiness we can fathom, but also that ‘Shimcha Kadosh’-- in the way Hashem conducts the affairs of the world we can discern His Holiness as well. It is for this reason that ‘U’Kedoshim Bechol Yom Yehalilucha Selah--the Malochim and the Bnei Yisroel--both of whom are Kadosh--will forever praise Him.’ It is with these awesome thoughts that we conclude the Third Bracha of Shemone Esrei, now mentally aware and prepared to make our requests of Hashem!

---------------------------------------

The following dynamic message is excerpted from the monumental Sefer Rav Schwab on Prayer: "Just as HaKadosh Baruch Hu is Kadosh above and not bound by His nature, He has imbued the human being with a similar power of Kedushah, that of being able to transcend his own urges and inclinations, and separate himself from them. And we thank HaKadosh Baruch Hu for giving us this ability of transcending our animal urges, and thereby assuming an aspect of Kedushah, by saying, ‘Baruch Atta Hashem HaKel Hakadosh.’ The name ‘Kel’, Almighty, denotes the Middas Harachamim of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. The greatest Rachamim that HaKadosh Baruch Hu has shown us is that He gave us the ability to become Kedoshim. And this is true even if someone has already succumbed to his desires and tasted the aveiros, and has developed a desire to do more aveiros; he still has within him the capacity for Kedushah that HaKadosh Baruch Hu granted to him, to overcome his nature, and to become a person whom the Torah can call Kadosh."

-------------------------------------

Having just left Shavuos through which we became a Goy Kadosh, we realize that our relationship with Hashem is based solidly in and on Kedusha--and that even the seemingly physical and personal requests that we are about to begin with Atta Chonen are truly supernal and sublime.

 

 

Previous Bracha                                                                                                                                                   Next Bracha

 

Back to Tefillah Archives