As mentioned last week, the core of the service consists of two parts, the Shema (and its accompanying blessings) and the Amidah. We discussed the first blessing, describing G-d as a merciful creator and sustainer of the world. Today, we are focusing on the second blessing, ahavah rabba “With great love…” which describes G-d as a loving revealer of wisdom. There are five aspects of the prayer I want to mention:

  1. Hashem revealing the Torah was an act of love, not a crippling burden (as depicted in classic anti-Jewish Christian texts).
  2. We can be called “the chosen people” because we were chosen to receive the Torah (not because we are great scientists, singers, athletes, comedians, or machers).
  3. The prayer ends on a dramatic note, as we shift from talking about  G-d as a revealer, and about ourselves as the chosen recipients of  G-d’s wisdom, to actually getting the revelation in the form of the Shema. Every time we hear it, it should be like the first time. This is one of the crescendos of the service.
  4. As we get to the end of the blessing, we take our four tzitzit in hand. We do so when it says, “Gather us in peace from the four corners of the earth…” We gather the four tzitzit, symbolic of our obedience to the commandments, as we urge Hashem to gather us from the four corners of the earth. It’s “Let’s make a deal!” We’ll gather what You want. You should gather what we want.
  5. The previous blessing talked about G-d as the creator of light and darkness. It concluded with a reference to our return to Israel: “…cause a new light to shine on Zion…” So, too, the second blessing about revelation refers to the ingathering of our exiles. This explicit Zionist emphasis permeates the siddur.

 

Rabbi L. Wolkoff

Prayer can be taking that contemplative moment before a meal or a boardroom meeting.  We can say to ourselves, “I’m going to take a moment and center myself – what am I about to do and why?”  In this moment we are locating a self often buried under the mundane.  Prayer gets us in touch with that deeper self.

Rabbi Shawn Zevit