The first blessing before the Shema, both morning and evening, deals with nature and creation. At maariv, the emphasis is on the endless cycle of day and night. “G-d brings on the night through His word, and opens gates with wisdom…”. The reference to “gates” is based on ancient cosmology, according to which the moon and sun came go through celestial gates coming on- and off-scene.
Over and above this, though, is the deeper meaning of the passage of time, days, seasons, and years. G-d “opens gates with wisdom.” Every single day, G-d opens gates for us—gates which take us to new places on our life’s journey. G-d does not merely offer us numerous choices. G-d offers us choices wisely. One or more of those gates is “the right” one, leading to a path that, if followed, will transform our life for the better.
But which gates should we go through? How can we know? Well, step one is to recognize that there are gates to pass through; no matter where we are in our lives, there are possibilities for improvement.
Step two is reflection: what is there about my life that needs improvement? If I find myself in some darkness, what needs to happen so that I can see the light? And if my life is brightly illuminated, what can I do to avoid spiritual darkness? Here, we rely on G-d who “mavdil bein yom uvein lilah” “Who distinguishes between day and night.”
Step three is prayer, asking G-d for help in finding the right path. Our Christian friends use the expression, “I’ll need to pray on that.” Spiritual directors refer to this as “seeking discernment,” sensing those paths that glow with sacred possibilities.
And the final step is finding the courage to walk through the gate. The concluding words of the prayer offer us encouragement, by reminding us that “G-d is a G-d of life and being, always reigning over us forever.”
The Book of Proverbs contains this insight: “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” (Prov. 4:18)