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7.
RE'EH
We now reach the Seventh Bracha of Shemone
Esrei--Re’eh (Na) Veanyeinu--the
bracha of Geulah! HaRav Yonasan
Eibeschutz, Z’tl, in the Sefer Ya’aros Devash, provides important
guidelines and guidance in this bracha.
“In this Bracha, one should daven for Geulas Yisroel--not because
we will then be the princes of the land and leaders of mankind, which will
in fact be the case, but rather so that we can once and for all finally
attain Shlaimus and bring an end to Chillul Hashem--as it is permanently replaced with Kiddush Hashem--and this is what
we mean by U’Ge’alainu Meheira
LeMa’an Shemecha. We
should also have in mind that even if we are not worthy of being
saved--Hashem can act through his Great Mercy by miracle--outside of and
beyond teva-- to redeem us even if we are undeserving--and this is the
essence of Ki Go’el Chazak Atta.”
HaRav Eibeschutz concludes
that even if one did not see the Ultimate Geulah today, he must
recognize and appreciate that EVERY
DAY
we are redeemed from
enemies--some more overt, some less overt, who seek to harm, hurt and
destroy us in any way they can devise--and Hashem saves us from their
designs. This is why the bracha concludes in the present tense--Go’el Yisroel--because we
truly experience Geulah every day--and should show our appreciation to
Hashem for it. Indeed, it may
very well be that if we properly recognize Hashem’s great graciousness to
us in our daily Geulos--we can be zoche Middah KeNegged Middah to the great
and final Ge’ulah--speedily and in OUR day!
--------------------------
The Bais Yosef (Shulchan
Aruch, Orach Chaim 115) writes that this Bracha of Geulah refers to each and
every Geulah from every single Tzara that Hashem saves us from.
In the Kuntrus Avodas
HaTefillah, Rabbi Meyer Birnbaum, Shlita, explains that the first two
phrases of the Bracha, in fact, refer to two different kinds of Geulah:
With the phrase Re’eh Nah
V’Anyeinu we ask Hashem for His mercy in saving us from Tzaros which do
not come from other human beings (such as floods, financial
downturns, and the like), while in VeRiva
Riveinu we ask Hashem to help us from the Tzaros that come about through
other human beings (criminals, terrorists, wars, etc.).
After describing the sources, we then ask that ‘U’Gealeinu MeHeira’--Hashem, speedily redeem us, even if we
are not worthy. Thus, with the
teaching of the Bais Yosef, we comprehend how all encompassing and pervasive
Hashem’s Koach HaGeulah really is. Through
the breakdown of the Kuntrus Avodas
HaTefillah, we learn to divide the Geulah into its parts, making each
aspect of Geulah a separate request, and infusing particular meaning into
the phrases of the Bracha--accompanied by a plea in all events of Meheira--even
if we may not deserve it, please shower your mercy upon us speedily.
-------------------------
HaRav Chaim
Friedlander, Z’tl, (in his Sefer Rinas
Chaim on Shemone Esrei) asks a question which is essential to our
understanding of this Bracha. The
first word of the Bracha is Re’eh--See.
Would anyone imagine that
Hashem does not see us? Everything
is open and clear to Him! HaRav
Friedlander answers that when the time came for Hashem to free us from
Mitzrayim, the Pasuk relates: “VaYar
Elokim Es Bnei Yisroel VaYeida Elokim--and Hashem saw
the Bnei Yisroel, and Hashem understood.”
Hashem’s ‘seeing us’ thus directly brought the Geulah.
Rather than continue to hide us away from His view in Mitzrayim,
rather than continue in a manner of Hester Panim, Hashem determined that He would now remove the Hester
Panim and draw close to His people. The
rest--Yetzias Mitrayim and all of the Nissim VeNiflaos that accompanied it
thereafter is very much a part of our history and us.
Now, when we ask Hashem ‘Re’eh (Nah)’, we are asking Hashem to do away with all of the
difficulties, hardships and sufferings of the Hester Panim in our current Golus, and replace it with a glowing
Hashgacha MeYuchedes of Ha’Aras
Panim--shining upon us with His Obvious Presence.
With Hester Panim, our enemies can succeed, overcome us, and even
reign over us. Through Ha’Aras
Panim, Hashem’s Watchful Eye and Loving Presence will enlighten every
aspect of our lives and it is this that we so very much strive.
Accordingly, we must place real Kavannah into the first word of this
Bracha--Re’eh!--Please Hashem,
look at us, remove the Hester Panim--and shine upon us Your Ha’Aras Panim
from now and forever hereafter!
-----------------------------
HaRav Schwab, Z’tl,
(Rav Schwab on Prayer, p. 453)
emphasizes that the words U’Gealeinu
Meheira LeMa’an Shemecha does not refer to the eventual Geulah
Shleimah at the time of Yemos HaMoshiach.
Rather, this is a Tefillah for protection against the daily assaults,
fears, apprehensions, and persecutions that our people face, whether in
Eretz Yisroel or anywhere else in the world.
What we refer to here in our Bracha as Geulah is the constant
protection of HaKadosh Baruch Hu against our enemies while we are in Galus--the
Geulah within the Galus--which the Gemara calls Aschalta D’Geulah.
---------------------------------
The Sefer Avudraham
writes that the bracha begins based upon the words of Dovid Hamelech in
Tehillim (25:18); “Re’eh Onyi VaAmali Ve’sa Lechol Chatosai...see my
afflictions and my toil and forgive all of my sins.
It is reported that the Apter Rav, Z’tl would advise people to
recite this Pasuk when feeling yissurin so that the suffering would affect
atonement--importantly pointing out that a person must RECOGNIZE and EXPRESS
the suffering not as happenstance or c’v as part of life--but instead as a
kapparah for was one’s sins. Based
upon the words of the Avudraham,
we may suggest that a person take a moment before beginning the bracha to
reflect upon any difficulties he may be going through--and ask Hashem
Re’eh Nah --may my suffering until now serve as my kapparah--so that I can
now be freed of further suffering and anguish.
Indeed, with this in mind, we can better understand why the bracha of
Re’eh comes immediately after the bracha of Selach Lanu--for even if we
were undeserving of selicha based upon the previous bracha-please now add
our past suffering to gain our atonement--so that we attain Geulah--salvation
in all of its senses--Ki Go’el Chazak Atta--for you can bring us complete
Geulah!
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