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17.
RETZAI
(Avodah)
The Seder
Hayom writes that this bracha is the first bracha after our requests
have been concluded, and in it we ask that Hashem find favor in our service
of Him. In fact, in the time of
the Bais Hamikdash--may it speedily be rebuilt--the specific request was
that the Avodah in the Bais Hamikdash
should find favor in Hashem in Hashem's eyes--and that Avodah included the Ishei
Yisroel--the fire offerings, the karbanos of K'lal Yisroel.
At this time, we daven that our Tefillos be accepted in
place of the Avodas Bais Hamikdash, which is the Avodah
Sheleima --and that we once again see
with our own eyes (VeSechezena
Aineinu) the original Avodah. This
essential bracha thus contains a great dual purpose and character--asking
that our Avodah now give nachas ruach
to Hashem--and demonstrating our yearning for the Avodah Sheleima of the
Bais Hamikdash. Oh--how we
should utter the words Vesechezena
Aineinu with longing--our very
own eyes should be zoche to see the fulfillment of the greatest dream of
all mankind and of all time!
-------------------------
Many ask why this bracha is grouped together with
the last two brachos under the title of Hoda’ah, as opposed to
being grouped together with the other brachos of Bakasha.
After all, even the first word--Retzeih--is a plea to Hashem to be pleased and look favorably towards us,
with the bracha continuing with the
plea for Hashem to restore the Avodah to the Bais Hamikdash.
HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, Shlita, answers that all of the prior brachos
of Bakasha can refer to an individual’s needs as well.
From Retzeih and on we are not asking for individual needs--but only for
communal needs--and we thank Hashem
because it is only He who can respond to the needs of the millions and of
the entire world. HaRav
Kanievsky also explains (based upon the Yerushalmi) that when we ask that
the Avodah be returned LiDvir Beisecha, the
word Dvir refers to the Kodesh
HeKedoshim because it is from there that Hashem is ‘Medaber’--communicates to His people in this world.
Finally, HaRav Kanievsky was asked why we ask Hashem in this Tefillah
to again accept our Tefillos (U’Sefillasam BeAhava Sekebel B’Ratzon)--after all, didn’t we
just ask Hashem to accept our Tefillos in Shema
Koleinu?! He answers that
here we are asking for an elevated level of acceptance--an acceptance not
only B’Rachamim or even B’Ratzon--but B’Ahava--showing
His love for us! Remember to
have Kavannah when reciting the word B’Ahava--as we ask for Hashem’s loving acceptance!
-------------------------
The Sefer BeRumo
Shel Olam brings in the name of the Shelah HaKadosh that in this bracha
one should plead with Hashem, Beshivron
Lev, that his Tefillos be accepted in the place of a Karbon, until the
day that our Karbanos come back--which we also pray for with the words VeHashev Es HaAvoda LiDvir Baisecha.” The Ya’avetz incredibly
writes that if one does not answer Amein to this bracha in Chazaras Hashatz
he could be “MeAkev Bias HaMoshiach
chas veshalom”. This is an
especially important remark to those who hastily answer Modim without first
answering Amein to our bracha of Retzei.
Instead, one should clearly enunciate Amein, stop for a moment, and
then begin his recitation of Modim D’Rabanan.
We now come to perhaps the most well-known phrase in the bracha--VeIshei
Yisroel U’Tefillasam BeAhava Sekabel B’Ratzon--may the Karbanos
which we will bring, and our Tefillos at
all times, be accepted because of the love You have for us.
The Midrash teaches that the term Ishei
Yisroel applies even in today’s day, as the Malach Michoel offers the
Neshamos of Tzaddikim on the Heavenly Mizbe’ach.
(Although, beyond our understanding, what we can understand at a
minimum is that much is happening on our behalf in the Heavens above).
The Shulchan Aruch HaRav adds that the Tzaddikim in this world, by
their pure and holy actions, are our Ishei
Yisroel in the here and now--as their Tefillos, their words and actions
have a purifying effect on us all.
------------------------
a.
Our note yesterday was on VeIshei
Yisroel U’Sefillasam, and our next point of discussion for today would
have been the punctuation of this phrase.
A reader ‘did our work for us’ by beautifully explaining as
follows: “The G’ra avoids
the problem saying that Bizman
She’ein Bais Hamikdash Kayam, the punctuation should be moved, so that
the period is after Ve’Ishei Yisroel and before U’Sefillasam
. So that the bracha reads:
... Vehasheiv
Es Ha’avodah Lid’vir Baisecha
Ve’Ishei Yisroel
U’Sefillasam
Sekabel BeRatzon...
... And restore:
(a) the service to the Devir of Your
home
(b) and the fires of Israel.
And may You accept their prayers willingly...
If we say the phrase is “ VeIshei
Yisroel U’Sefillasam BeAhava Sekabel” together , or even that this
was the phrase originally when the Kohanim said the bracha in the Bais
Hamikdash (Tamid 5:1), the question remains: What did Anshei Keneses
HaGedolah mean by Vehasheiv Es
Ha’avodah Lidevir
Baisecha -- this was being said during
the Avodah?!!?
Perhaps we can say that “Devir Baisecha” refers to the Kodesh HaKedoshim
only when it contains the Aron. Thus,
the Kohanim are asking not for the Avodah in general, but the Avodas Kohein
Gadol as it was done on Yom Kippur in Bayis
Rishon. They were asking
HaKadosh Baruch Hu to return the Aron to Bayis Sheini, so that it too may
have a Devir, and thus we can return to having an Avodah in it!”
b. In the
bracha of Retzei, the Shoresh of
‘Ratzoh’ represented in Retzai
and Ratzon is mentioned three times in this one bracha.
With this we clearly indicate that we desperately need Hashem’s
Ritzui--His appeasement, His desire and His willingness to bring us back to
the Avodah in the Bais HaMikdash. If
we are pleading Hashem for His
Ratzon (whether or not we may
deserve it)--all the more so must we demonstrate our
Ratzon when reciting the bracha!
-------------------------------------
The
Sefer Avudraham writes that the
last three brachos of Shemone Esrei are distinguished in that they are
focused on Kavod Shomayim.
Our bracha of Avodah, for instance, pleads for the final return of our Avodas
Hashem to its optimum state in the Bais HaMikdash.
We conclude the bracha with the words V’Sechezenah
Aineinu BeShuvcha L’Tzion BeRachamim--may our eyes see Hashem’s
return to
Zion
with mercy.
The Chofetz Chaim notes that our abilities to see, hear and speak are
not based in our Guf, in our body--but
are really empowered by our Nefesh.
What we see, hear, and speak in this world will then be translated
into what these abilities accomplished for, or against, the Nefesh in this
world. We therefore plead here
for our very eyes see the Shechina return to Yerushalayim--thereby
fulfilling their true purpose and goal.
The Sefer Baruch SheAmar
further explains that the reason that we specifically ask for our eyes to
see the return (as opposed to the experience by our other senses) is based
on [the deeper meaning of] the Pasuk (Yeshaya 52:8-see there) Ki
Ayin BeAyin Yiru BeShuv Hashem Tzion. We
then add that the return should be BeRachamim,
also based on the Pasuk (Tehillim 102:17)--Atta
Takum TeRachem Tzion. The
reason that we conclude our request with the word BeRachamim
is because the Chevlei Moshiach could c’v bring extreme distress.
As the Gemara (Sanhedrin 98B) records “May it come, but I not see
it”--therefore we ask that the Moshiach come (and all of the brachos
listed at the top of this Bulletin on his arrival be recited) not out of or
in a state of Yesurim and pain--but B’Nachas U’Vehashket--so
that we will want to and can see it with our very own eyes!
May our tefillos in this bracha be sincere and fulfilled!
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