Weekly Tefilah Focus

In last week’s segment, we mentioned several examples of where in our tefilos we can recognize that Hashem is the source of all and where we can daven to Hashem that the whole world will recognize that. One example we provided is a pasuk in our tefilah immediately after the last Hallelukah. Many of us may gloss over this powerful pasuk, which originates in T’hilim perek 89 (the last pasuk). This perek is said to be authored by Avraham Avinu. 

We now continue our series dedicated to strengthening and deepening our connection with Hashem by selecting specific small segments of Tefilah to invest a few more seconds of mind and heart to contemplate and inculcate. 

B’chasdei Hashem, for over a year and a half, we have been experiencing an abundance of miracles in Eretz Yisrael, and we are of course extremely grateful to Hashem for His continuous chesed. At the same time, we feel the tzaar of our brothers and sisters who are going through extremely difficult and painful times.

We now begin a series dedicated to strengthening and deepening our connection with Hashem through our tefilah.

Ahavah Rabah 19

Loving All of His Children…
All of the Time

Before we proceed to the conclusion of our brachah, we would like to share one powerful thought from the Vilna Gaon. He quoted the Gemara in Chulin 91b, which states that klal Yisrael is more beloved to Hashem than the mal’achei ha’shareis, the heavenly angels. The Gaon states that when we say “v’keiravtanu l’Shimcha ha’gadol,” this is what we are saying: Hashem has brought us closer to Him than the mal’achim are.

Haysah Yehudah l’kodsho, Yisrael mamsh’losav.

Then the tribe of Yehudah became His holy nation (for jumping into the threatening Yam Suf first), and klal Yisrael became under Hashem’s rule (and no longer under the Egyptians’ rule).