The prayer we recite as the Torah is placed back in the ark after the Torah reading is a remarkable collection of verses from all over the Tanach. It is a brilliant interweaving of different themes—the ark carried by our ancestors in the desert, the glorious reign of King David, our hopes for the messianic future, and a summary verse linking our future to our past, and our present to both.
The opening line, uvnucho yomar, is the verse from the Torah recited when the ark rested. This verse is the complement to the verse with which we began the Torah service, vayehi binsoah haaron, sung when the ark began its journeys.
The prayer then shifts from the time of the Exodus to the time of King David. For the sake of David your servant, don’t reject Your anointed one (mashiach).
Only then does the prayer begin to address the Torah itself. Ki lekach tov—I have given good instruction, don’t abandon it. Etz chayim he—It is a tree of life, it will bring you happinesss. Vchol netivoteha shalom—it will bring you peace.
The concluding line shifts away from these specific references, and offers a broader perspective on our history, We ask that Hashem chadesh yameinu k’kedem—“renew our days as of old.”
This is a remarkable formulation for two reasons. Often we imagine that we move forward by keeping our eyes firmly on the future. But in Judaism, we travel forward with our eyes on the rear-view mirror. In this thinking our past is the best guide to our future.
But wait, there’s more. This verse is taken from the Book of Lamentations (Eicha), written in response to the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. Its citation here is a subtle liturgical tactical maneuver to influence G-d. The not so hidden message is this: G-d, we find ourselves in Exile. We still remember the glorious times in the past, like the reign of King David; and we remember your saving power at the time of the exodus. You have given us the Torah, and we have been true to it—as our just concluded Torah service proves. In spite of everything, we’ve done our part. Isn’t it time for you to do yours? Fulfill your promises of redemption to us! Renew our days, as of old!
May it only be so.
Rabbi Robert L. Wolkoff