Shemoneh Esrei 10: Redemption - In Whose Merit?

וזוכר חסדי אבות, ומביא גואל לבני בניהם, למען שמו, באהבה

Who recalls the kindnesses of the Patriarchs, and brings a Redeemer to their children’s children, for His Name’s sake, with love.

We present two approaches to this segment:

1.   The first comes from the wonderful siddur companion, “Avodas HaTefilah” by Rabbi Mayer Birnbaum, based on various sources:

Even for generations so distant from the time that the Avos lived, Hashem recalls on a daily basis the acts of chesed of our Avos and is constantly bringing the redemption closer (All that is happening to us is preparation for the final redemption).  He will bring the redemption so that His Name will be sanctified in the world and because of His great love of klal Yisrael.

2.   The second comes from the Tur (Orach Chayim, siman 113), which explains:

Hashem recalls the chesed of our Avos for the benefit of their children in order to redeem them; and even if the merits of the Avos have been totally used up, Hashem will still bring the redemption to their children’s children for the sake of His Name, with love.  Our redemption is assured because Hashem promised it with His Great Name, and just as His Name is forever, so too is His promise of redemption forever.

וזוכר חסדי אבות

What causes Hashem to recall the acts of chesed of our Avos?  When we attach ourselves to their midah of chesed by emulating them, that is when Hashem recalls their acts of chesed to our benefit (sefer Tal’lei Oros, explaining and expanding on Tosafos, Shabbos 55a).

Alternatively, chesed here does not refer to the acts of chesed of our Avos but rather to the chesed promised the Avos, that is, the chesed that Hashem promised the Avos that He would bestow upon them and their children (Ben Ish Chai, parshas B’Shalach).

Finally, chesed refers to the miracles that Hashem performed for the Avos.  While the Avos themselves had enough z’chuyos to have everything happen in a natural way without requiring miracles, Hashem in His chesed utilized miracles for them so that we, who would not otherwise merit miracles, could “tap into” those miracles that Hashem performed for the Avos (Maasei Avos siman la’banim).  Even if we are not worthy, Hashem prepared those miracles for us and will redeem us through them ומביא גואל...)) (Doveir Shalom, explaining the Ramban).

ומביא גואל לבני בניהם, למען שמו, באהבה

The גאולה can come in one of two times.  There is a set final time (known as בעתה –“b’itah”), but there is also a hastening of the גאולה (known as אחישנה – “achishenah”) where we can be redeemed at any time.  “למען שמו באהבה” means that  Hashem will bring the גאולה sooner  than the set time – “באהבה” (with love), “למען שמו” (for His Name’s sake) – if we return to Hashem and are pained by the current situation of the lack of honor of Hashem’s Name in the world (Pri M’gadim: Sefer HaMagid on Elul, quoted by sefer Tal’lei Oros).

Alternatively, Rav Elchonon Wasserman explains that the גאולה will not be in our merit but rather for the sake of His Name (“למען שמו”), which is now being profaned amongst the nations.  However, it will still be brought with love (“באהבה”) as if we had merited the גאולה on our own.

May we merit to see the גאולה very soon in our days.