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15.
ES
TZEMACH DOVID
Non-coincidentally, we reach this Bracha
as we are about to take leave of Chodesh Menachem Av.
Rabbi Heshy Kleinman, Shlita, reminded us of the following
lesson-for-us-all (originally presented in Reb Shraga Feivel, by Yonasan
Rosenblum (Artscroll p.110)):
“One
day Reb Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz was teaching Tehillim, whose subject is the
Jew’s eternal pining for return to Jerusalem and the Temple that once
stood there, “Nichsefa V’Gam Kalsa Nafshi--My soul yearns, indeed it
pines for the courtyards of Hashem (Tehillim 84:3).”
When he reached the next Pasuk, “Gam Tzippor Matza Vayis…--even
the bird finds a home, and the free bird its nest,” the tears ran down his
cheeks, as he lamented, “Everything has its place--except for the Shechina
(the Divine Presence), which remains in exile.”
We suggest that while we recite the many brachos in
Shemone Esrei three times a day relating to Galus and Geulah, when we recite
the words “Ki LiShuasecha Kivinu Kol
HaYom,” we should at least be moved to think about how desperately we
need this Yeshua! Are we no less
Jews than HaRav Shraga Feivel? Let
us move ourselves in the same way he did--by simply taking a moment of
reflection to think about it! As
the Mesilas Yesharim (end of Chapter 19) teaches, our thoughts, our
feelings, our prayers and our yearnings, mean very much in Shomayim, and it
is our great obligation and privilege to bring ourselves, K’lal Yisroel,
and the World--to where we are supposed to be!
-----------------------------------------
This bracha is the only bracha in Shemone Esrei
that begins with the word Es,
which is a word that is somewhat difficult to translate.
We may at least suggest that it represents the great importance of
this bracha--as it extends in scope from the aleph to the taf--spanning
through the entire aleph bais to demonstrate the importance of the Moshiach
to us. Why is the word Tzemach
used in the bracha? The Eitz
Yosef suggests that the name of Moshiach Ben Dovid is Tzemach (see Yirmiyah 23:5, and Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12).
With the next phrase, Dovid Avdecha--Dovid Your
servant--we convey that we are not hoping for Moshiach’s arrival so
that we, through the Malchus Bais Dovid, will rule over the world, but
rather so that we, as led by Dovid Avdecha,
will better serve You. In fact,
HaRav Chaim Friedlander, Z’tl, notes that on the Yomim Noraim we also
daven for “Utzemichas Keren
L’Dovid Avdecha--for this is the great purpose of Dovid in his
kingship--to lead all of Klal Yisroel to Ohl
Malchus Shomayim in its best and purest form!”
----------------------------------------
HaRav
Chaim Kanievsky, Shlita, was asked what will happen to Shemone Esrei after
the Moshiach comes--after all, do not so many brachos focus upon Geulah.
If the Geulah arrives--what will we daven for then?!
His response: “Nizkeh,
Nichyeh, V’Nireh!! Amein!
The
Bracha of Es Tzemach Dovid
continues with the words “M’heirah
Tzatzmiach.” Sometimes
plants grow and we do not notice them because the growth is slow and over
time. We ask Hashem, who is
All-Capable, to forgo the slow process and cause the Moshiach to sprout
forth Meheira--quickly.
We then emphasize, V’Karno Tarum Bishuasecha
(notice pronunciation)-- we will rejoice in Moshiach’s coming because it
will bring about a Yeshua for Hashem Himself, for we are pained that His
Great Name has been profaned throughout this long and bitter Galus.
Once again, we are pointing
out that it is Hashem’s Yeshua that is foremost to us. With
this, we demonstrate that our response to the question Tzipisah
Lishua is a real Yes--we eagerly await Yeshuas Hashem!
-------------------------------------
The next phrase
in this bracha is Ki LiYeshuasechi
Kivenu Kol HaYom. The Yeshua
to which we refer here is importantly two fold.
The Kuntres Avodas HaTefillah brings the Mahari Tzemach that this refers
to the Yeshuos of Hashem as He saves us from circumstances and events each
and every day, (also including saving us from illness, keeping us healthy,
healing us, giving us our daily needs, etc.).
The second more commonly known explanation is to the ultimate Yeshua
in which Hashem’s people are finally and forever redeemed.
The G’ra (Mishlei
10:28
)
explains that the word ‘Tikvah’ (Kivinu)
specifically refers to an anticipation of something happening immediately or
in a very short time. Accordingly,
it very much relates to the term ‘Meheirah’
used earlier in the bracha. Just
as there are two different kinds of wonderful Yeshuos to which we refer,
there are two different meanings to the concluding term in the bracha of ‘Kol
HaYom.’ Some explain that
the term ‘Kol HaYom’ literally
means the whole day, and by this we indicate that the Yeshua is always at
the top of our minds. Others,
however, explain that the word ‘HaYom’ really refers to the expanse of
our entire Golus, but that our anticipation is not the entire day--but
rather Kol Yom, every day (for one cannot truthfully say that it is on the
foremost of his mind every moment of the day).
In either event, we note that the Sefer Olas
Tomid writes that for every moment that one does in fact anxiously await
the coming of Moshiach, he fulfills
two Mitzvos M’Divrei Kabbalah--Im
Yisma’mah Chakei Lo Ki Vo Yavo (Chabakuk 2:3) and Lachein
Chaku Li Ne’um Hashem (Tzefanya 3:8)! Go
to it!
-----------------------------
In this Bracha, the word Keren,
or horn, is used twice--in the term ‘VeKarno
Tarum Bishuasecha’, and in the last words of the bracha--’Matzmiach
Keren Yeshua’.
Why is the term ‘Keren’ used?
HaRav Shimon Schwab (in the classic Rav
Schwab on Prayer, p.494-495), writes that the word Keren
really has two meanings. First,
meaning ‘horn’, it is a metaphor for power, just as an animal expresses
its power by goring its perceived enemies with its horns.
Second, the word Keren has
the meaning of ray as in Karan Ohr
P’nei Moshe--Bnai Yisroel could perceive the spiritual rays of light
emanating from Moshe Rabbeinu. The
Moshiach, too, will have a dual role. First,
he will bring order into the world by eliminating the Reshaim (see Yeshaya
11:4). He will not be some sort
of a ‘superman’ who will simply overpower the Reshaim, but rather will
use Tefillah as his staff. Second,
the Moshiach will bring spiritual rays and ligh to us.
He will cause a mass movement of Teshuva and elevate us to a level of
V’Ameich Kulam Tzaddikim.
Hakhel Note: We may add
that perhaps this is the reason that the term Keren
is used twice in the bracha--once to indicate the obliteration of the
Reshaim--and the other to raise us with his spiritual rays to new spiritual
heights!
---------------------------------------------
SECOND SET --------------------------------------------------------------
The Levush writes that
the Bracha of Baruch Atta Hashem
Matzmiach Keren Yeshuah was recited by the Malochim when Bnei Yisrael
crossed the Yam Suf and sang Shira. To
us, however, it represents not only the Geulah from Mitzrayim--but the
Geulah for all time. This is
the Bracha in which we directly daven for the Moshiach to come.
We begin with the first phrase of “Es
Tzemach Dovid Avdecha Meheirah
Satzmiach--may the offspring of Dovid Your servant speedily sprout.”
HaRav Chaim Friedlander, Z’tl, definitively brings that the word Tzemach is one of the names of Moshiach (see Yirmiyah 23:5;
Zechariah 3:8; and
6:12
; and Eicha Rabba
1:51
). Here,
we refer to Dovid HaMelech as Dovid
Avdecha because the purpose of Moshiach is not for him to serve as a
king in and of himself, but rather to lead all of K’lal Yisrael and the
world to accept Ohl Malchus Shomayim.
This is, indeed, the
manner in which Dovid HaMelech conducted himself while he was king.
Here, we note that even though it may otherwise still take a while
for the Malchus Beis Dovid to sprout in full form--we ask that the process
be ‘unnaturally’ sped up in
these last stages that we are currently in.
Even though we are not in a position to c’v
give Hashem advice as to when it would be best for the Moshiach to come,
with the word Meheirah we indicate
our own personal sense of urgency to reach the time when we, together with
the whole world, can properly fulfill Ohl
Malchus Shomayim to its true and full degree!
---------------------------------------
We continue with the phrase:
“VeKarno Tarum
BeYeshuasecha--and raise his position through Your [act of]
salvation.” With the term Yeshuah, we recall one of the famous questions asked of a person
after 120 years: “Tzipisah L’Yeshuah--did
you eagerly await Yeshuas Hashem?” What
can one do to demonstrate that he eagerly anticipates Yeshuas Hashem?
This is what the Sefer Yearning with Fire (89, 5-minute daily lessons) is about.
By studying this Sefer, one can come a long way towards successfully
being able to answer the question. Especially
in these turbulent and awe-filled times, it is an essential Sefer to study.
One more important point on our phrase: HaRav Schwab, Z’tl,
explains that the Moshiach himself will not be the savior--without Yeshuasecha--the Yeshuas
Hashem--even the Moshiach will be completely helpless.
Indeed, the Moshiach Himself will be among those who will be
saved--as the Pasuk (Zechariah 9:9) teaches:
“Tzadik V’Nosha Hu--he
will be a Tzadik and one who is saved.”
What then is the role of Moshiach?
HaRav Schwab teaches that the whole lineage of Moshiach is one of
‘Ba’alei Teshuvah’. From
Lot through Yehuda through Rus through Dovid HaMelech through Shlomo
HaMelech. The function of
Moshiach is to take his own personal family past and make the whole world
into Ba’alei Teshuvah--starting first with the Jewish people and then
moving to all of mankind, as we recite in Aleinu:
“Vechol Bnei Basar Yikru
Vishemecha--and all of humanity will [once and for all] call upon
You”--may it come speedily and in our day!
------------------------------------------
The next phrase is:
“Ki Lishuasecha Kivinu Kol
HaYom--because we hope for Your Yeshua all day long.”
The Avnei Eliyahu explains
that the word Ki--because, has
special meaning here. Even
though we have just asked Hashem to bring the Yeshuah, whether or not we may
have zechuyos, we relate here at least one zechus--which is the merit of
our Bitachon--our hope that the Yeshuas Hashem will come.
This special appeal appears to be based in the three-word Pasuk (Bereishis
49:18 ) of “Lishuasecha Kivisi
Hashem-for Your salvation do I long Hashem.”
HaRav Chaim Friedlander, Z’tl, points out that even when everything
appears hopeless and lost--this Pasuk reinvigorates our Emunah--for it
reminds us that the Yeshuas Hashem can come at any time--and in any manner.
HaRav Friedlander adds that we express our awaiting Hashem’s Yeshua
Kol
HaYom--all day--meaning that when the Moshiach does not come in the
morning, we wait until the afternoon, when he does not come in the
afternoon we wait until the evening….
Every day there is a fresh expectation, a new waiting.
Based upon our eager anticipation, based upon our sincere yearning,
we enable Hashem to act on our behalf--Middah
K’Neged Middah--and bring us the very Yeshua that we have true
bitachon--that he can and will bring!
---------------------------------------
HaRav Schwab, Z’tl,
notes that the words Mitzapim
L’Yeshuah, which are found towards the end of this Bracha in Nusach
Sefard Siddurim (sometimes in parenthesis) were probably originally written
as a marginal note--as a reminder that this is the thought that one
should have while reciting this Bracha.
IN other words, we are not only asking
that Hashem bring Moshiach--we are eagerly awaiting it!
The Bracha concludes with the words:
“Baruch Atta Hashem Matzmiach
Keren Yeshuah--…Who makes the power of salvation sprout forth.”
HaRav Schwab compares the process of Bias
HaMoshiach to a structure being built behind an enclosure.
At first, nothing is visible besides the wall of the enclosure.
Then, suddenly--the structure begins to appear above the enclosure!
Chazal (Sanhedrin 97A) teach, HaRav Schwab concludes, that three
things come unexpectedly--and one of them is the Moshiach--may we be
surprised in this way--today!
----------------------------------------
Non-coincidentally, we
conclude this Bracha as we are about to take leave of Chodesh Menachem Av.
Rabbi Heshy Kleinman, Shlita, reminded us of the following lesson-for-us-all
(originally presented in Reb Shraga Feivel, by Yonasan Rosenblum (Artscroll
p.110)):
“One day Reb Shraga
Feivel Mendlowitz was teaching Tehillim, whose subject is the Jew’s
eternal pining for return to Jerusalem and the Temple that once stood there,
“Nichsefa V’Gam Kalsa Nafshi--My soul yearns, indeed it pines for the
courtyards of Hashem (Tehillim 84:3).” When he reached the next
Pasuk, “Gam Tzippor Matza Vayis…--even the bird finds a home, and the
free bird its nest,” the tears ran down his cheeks, as he lamented,
“Everything has its place--except for the Shechina (the Divine Presence),
which remains in exile.”
We suggest that while we
recite the many brachos in Shemone Esrei three times a day relating to Galus
and Geulah, when we recite the words “Ki LiShuasecha Kivinu Kol HaYom,”
we should at least be moved to think about how desperately we need this
Yeshua! Are we no less Jews than HaRav Shraga Feivel? Let us
move ourselves in the same way he did--by simply taking a moment of
reflection to think about it! As the Mesilas Yesharim (end of Chapter
19) teaches, our thoughts, our feelings, our prayers and our yearnings, mean
very much in Shomayim, and it is our great obligation and privilege to bring
ourselves, K’lal Yisrael, and the World--to where we are supposed to be!
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