Shemoneh Esrei 6: Emulating Our Avos

א-לקינו וא-לקי אבותינו, א-לקי אברהם, א-לקי יצחק, וא-לקי יעקב...ב

Our G-d and the G-d of our Forefathers, G-d of Avraham, G-d of Yitzchak, and G-d of Yaakov…

When we say the word “Elokeinu” we should have in mind: “Our (Hashgachah Pratis – Divine Providence) G-d, Who is Powerful, All Capable, and the power behind all powers (based on Shulchan Aruch siman 5, Rashba, Gra).

Any abilities we have are only those that Hashem places within us.  The Saba of Kelm would say that he never asked himself if he was capable of achieving a particular goal.  He only asked himself if this goal was necessary.  If it was, he embarked upon it, knowing that the ability was totally in Hashem’s domain.

Why do we mention our Avos at the very start of our Shemoneh Esrei?  Perhaps the most popularly known reason is to invoke the merit of our Avos by mentioning them.  However, there is another very powerful reason brought by several s’farim (Reishis Chochmah, S’fas Emes, Saba of Kelm, amongst others quoted by the sefer Tal’lei Oros and the sefer Nafshi Cholas Ahavasecha): The Avos were able to reach the highest levels of d’veikus, longing and yearning to come close to and totally attach themselves to Hashem, completely relinquishing any self-interest.  Rav Chaim Volozhin states that their minds were totally and constantly connected to fulfilling the will of Hashem, without interruption.

They achieved this, according to the Saba of Kelm, by focusing on and contemplating the wonders of creation.  This gave them an unquenchable thirst to recognize the Master of the world and attach themselves to Him.  The Rambam, in fact, lists contemplating the wonders of creation as one of the primary ways of acquiring ahavas Hashem (love of Hashem), one of the Six Constant Mitzvos.  After the Torah was given, immersing oneself in learning Torah and living Torah (by integrating it into our very being) is an even more preferred method of acquiring ahavas Hashem and d’veikus.  The Anshei K’neses HaG’dolah (The Men of the Great Assembly), who formulated the Shemoneh Esrei, wanted us to start our Shemoneh Esrei by being inspired to emulate the Avos in longing for the closeness and d’veikus with Hashem.

Perhaps we can garner a deeper understanding in the “popular” reason for mentioning the Avos.  Perhaps the reason why mentioning the Avos evokes merit for us is because that demonstrates our desire to emulate this d’veikus to Hashem.  In fact, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l¹ states this very idea with respect to T’hilim.  He says that the primary elevated status of reciting T’hilim is because it is talmud Torah.  He asks, if that is true, why not take out a Gemara or Mishnayos and learn for the benefit of the sick or in time of tzarah?  Why do we all turn to our T’hilim at these troubled times?  Rav Shlomo Zalman answers that when we learn or we recite T’hilim we are aroused and inspired to have a great longing for d’veikus with Hashem similar to that of David HaMelech.  Longing for this d’veikus is why the merit of T’hilim is a greater merit for the sick than learning any other part of Torah.

Allow us to suggest an approach to reciting T’hilim that mirrors our Weekly Tefilah Focus work.  Rather than merely reciting many chapters that we may not understand well, and which therefore may not lead to this intense desire for d’veikus, each individual should ask his own rav or rebbe if he (and the sick person) would be better off reciting less in quantity but learning the p’sukim/chapters he or she recites with one of the many insightful resources available.  If one learns or recites T’hilim in this manner on a consistent basis, and over an extended period of time, one will, b’ezras Hashem, be able to understand much of T’hilim and long for the d’veikus with Hashem through the words of David HaMelech.

EMULATING OUR AVOS

The degree to which we recognize Hashem’s involvement in our lives with hashgachah pratis depends upon our degree of attachment with Him (Rambam, amongst many others).  A number of p’sukim in Torah, N’viim, and K’suvim are used to support this concept.  Needless to say, it is a very significant challenge to keep our minds on Hashem even during the times we learn Torah and daven.  Rav Chaim Friedlander zt”l says tefilah is where we must begin our efforts to improve our focus on Hashem.  Within tefilah, the first brachah of Shemoneh Esrei (and the pasuk of Shema Yisrael) is primary.  May we all be zocheh to long for and achieve d’veikus baShem.

1  sefer Tehilim HaM’forash, quoting sefer Halichos Shlomo on Tefilah