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Home , Berakhot (tractate), Maariv, Mussaf, Priestly Blessing, Shalom Rav

Rabbi Menachem Penner Focusing on Max and Marion Grill Dean, RIETS Tefilla

SIM SHALOM: THE PERFECT

e end the — makes peace in His heights.” G-d, the of life, love of kindness, both on weekdays and Derekh Eretz, Perek righteousness, , mercy, life and holy days — with a Shalom no. 19 peace. tefillahW for peace. This is in keeping There are, however, multiple reasons Moreover, the closing (and opening) with the tradition of concluding our to question whether is a of Shemoneh Esreh — with the hope for shalom: mere request for peace. Retzei, Modim, and Sim Shalom — אמר ר' יהושע דסכנין בשם ר' לוי גדול השלום Indeed, the first half of the are not supposed to be requests at all! - שכל הברכות והתפלות חותמין בשלום: אמר רב יהודה לעולם אל ישאל אדם צרכיו :asks for more than peace קרית שמע - חותמה בשלום - "ופרוס סוכת לא בג' ראשונות ולא בג' אחרונות - אלא ָ לֹוםשִ ים הׁשטֹובָ ּובְרָ כָה חֵ ן וָחֶ ֽסֶ ד וְרַחֲמִ ים באמצעיות: שלומך". ברכת כהנים - חותמה בשלום עָלֵ ֽינּו וְעַל לכָ יִשְרָאֵל בָרְ ֽ עַמֶ כֵ ָך׃ ֽנּו, אָבִֽ ינּו, כֻלָ ֽנּו - שנאמר "וישם לך שלום". וכל הברכות - R’ Yehudah said: A person should not כְאֶחָדבְאֹור כִי פָנֶ ֽיָך בְאֹור פָנֶ ֽיָך נָתַ ֽתָלָ ֽנּו ה' חותמין בשלום - "עושה שלום במרומיו." ask for his needs — not during the first אֱ ֹלקינּו תֹורַת חַ יִים וְאַ ֽהֲבַת חֶ ֽסֶ ד הּוצְדָקָ ּובְרָ כָ ה Said R’ Yehoshua of Sachnin in the three blessing [of the Amidah] and notוְרַחֲמִ ים וְחַ יִים וְ ָ ׁשלֹום׃ name of R’ Levi: All the and during the last three blessings. Instead, he prayers are sealed in peace. The recital Grant peace, goodness, blessing, grace, 1 lovingkindness and mercy to us and should ask during the middle blessings. of Shema ends in peace with “spread Berakhot 34b over us a shelter of peace,”; the priestly unto all , Your people. Bless us, blessing ends in peace, as it says, “and he our Father, all of us as one with the Instead, Sim Shalom is supposed to will place upon you peace”; and all the light of Your face; For by the light of be a blessing of thanks. The Rambam blessings end in peace, as it says “He who Your face, You have given us, L-rd our (Hilkhot Tefillah 1:2) states:

19 Rabbi Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana 5779 Hashanah. Most of the berakhot are ... חיוב מצוה זו ]של תפילה[ כך הוא: שיהא Tefillah Insights: listed as expected. Yet Sim Shalom is אדם מתחנן ומתפלל בכל יום. ומגיד שבחו 4 Zochreinu L’Chaim !nowhere to be found של הקדוש ברוך הוא. ואחר כך שואל צרכיו שהוא צריך להם בבקשה ובתחנה. ואחר כך During the ten days from Rosh סדר ברכות: אומר )1( אבות )2( וגבורות נותן שבח והודיה לה' על הטובה שהשפיע לו HaShanah to , we )3( וקדשת השם ... )4( קדשת היום – insert the phrase zochreinu ותוקע. )5( זכרונות - ותוקע. )6( שופרות - כל אחד לפי כחו: l’chaim — remember us for life - ותוקע. ואומר )7( עבודה )8( והודאה )This commandment obligates each )9 in the first blessing of the — ...וברכת כהנים person to offer supplication and prayer each day and utter praises of G-d, then The Order of the blessings is as follows: Amidah. In general, we don’t have petition for all his needs with requests (1) Fathers, (2) Might, (3) Sanctity of any requests in the first three and supplications, and finally give praise the Name, (4) Sanctity of the day (and blessings of the Amidah, because and thanks to G-d for the goodness the is blown), (5) Remembrances we must first praise God and then that He has bestowed upon him; each (and the shofar is blown), (6) Shofar ask for our needs. How is it that 2 according to his ability. (and the shofar is blown)… (7) Temple we are permitted to pray for life Thenosei of the Rambam Service, (8) Thanks, and (9) The in the first blessing? Furthermore, struggle to identify the source that the . why do we pray for life in the first final three berakhot are expressions The Priestly Blessing refers to the blessing, but in the insertions of thanksgiving. Nonetheless, the three-sentence berakhah recorded in at the end of the Amidah, we Rambam’s opinion is widely accepted. Parshat (Bamidbar 6:22-27): ask for “chaim tovim” — good Sim Shalom, however, doesn’t give the life? R. Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, יברכך ה’ וישמרך; יאר ה’ פניו אליך ויחנך; impression of gratitude. After all, how Meshech Chochma, Devarim 33:2, ישא ה’ פניו ה’ אליך וישם לך שלום. are we thanking G-d by saying Sim answers that zochreinu l’chaim is May the L-rd bless you and keep you. Shalom? Of the three final berakhot, not a request, but rather a praise May the L-rd make His countenance only Modim is an expression of of God. Jewish people, by their shine upon you and be gracious to you. thanks!3 With Sim Shalom, we have nature, praise God. Therefore, May the L-rd lift up His countenance to fallen back on asking Hashem for we request that He provide life, you and give you peace. more! not for our sake, but for His It is one of the most famous berakhot (l’ma’ancha Elokim chaim). We Finally, why are the critical requests in our tradition. But we do not don’t ask for a good life in these in Sim Shalom — so central to our consider it to be one of the blessings blessings, rather we reserve lives — not included in the middle of the Amidah! that for later, because in these section of the Amidah? Are peace, According to the Rambam (Hilkhot blessings, the focus is on God, goodness, and mercy less imperative Temidim uMussafin 6:4), this “Birkat and Jewish people praise God than knowledge, forgiveness, health Kohanim” refers to the berakhah of even in difficult times. and wealth? If anything, the requests Sim Shalom.5 The ( contained in Sim Shalom are more Torah To Go Editors 18a) already makes a connection fundamental, more impactful than between Birkat Kohanim and Sim anything mentioned in the middle He is peace, as it states, “The Lord will Shalom: section of the Amidah. bless His nation with peace.” ומה ראו לומר שים שלום אחר ברכת כהנים The evidence indicates that Sim Sim Shalom and Birkat Kohanim are - דכתיב ושמו את שמי על בני ישראל ואני Shalom is no unassuming request integrally linked and form a single אברכם. ברכה דהקדוש ברוך הוא - שלום, for peace. Instead, as we shall see, it unit. The Gaon of Vilna spells out the שנאמר ה’ יברך את עמו בשלום. is a fitting culmination of our silent thematic connections between the Why did they institute saying Sim 6 “” with G-d. two: Shalom after Birkat Kohanim? Because שים שלום טוב וברכה ... הם כנגד ששה The inRosh Hashanah it states “And they will place My name on ברכות שבברכת כהנים: שלום - כנגד (4:5) lists the nine berakhot that the Jewish people and I will bless them.” “וישם לך שלום”; "טובה" - כנגד יאר ה' ... comprise the Musaf Amidah on Rosh The blessing of the Holy One Blessed be כמ"ש "וירא אלקים את האור כי טוב"...;

20 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana 5779 only during , when Birkat Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein (Rosh "ברכה" - כנגד יברך ה'; "חן" - כנגד ויחנך; Kohanim is (at least theoretically) Yeshiva, Yeshivat Har Etzion)7 offers "וחסד" - כנגד וישמרך - כמ"ש )דב' ז:יב( recited. At other times, we recite textual support for Birkat Kohanim to "ושמר לך ... את החסד" - כדי שלא נאבד , a shorter request for follow the Amidah — rather precede בעונינו...;"ורחמים" - כנגד "ישא ה פניו )peace which does not correspond to its conclusion. The Rambam Hilkhot אליך" - כי הוא נושא עון - וכובש ונושא פנים :the multi-faceted Birkat Kohanim. Tefillah 14:14) states this clearly אלינו... במקדש מברכין ברכת כהנים פעם אחת Sim shalom tova u’veracha” corresponds Due to the concern that a “ ביום - אחר תמיד של שחר... אבל במדינה to the six berakhot contained in Birkat might have consumed an alcoholic - מברכין אותה אחר כל תפלה - חוץ Kohanim: “Shalom” corresponds to “and drink, Birkat Kohanim is not recited ממנחה.... give you peace.”; “Tova” corresponds to later in the day (Taanit 26a). The only exception is a fast day. On a , “may the L-rd shine His countenance taanit In the Temple, the recite the kohanim can recite upon you” — as it is written: “And G-d Birkat Kohanim priestly blessing once a day: After the until sundown. Therefore, Sim Shalom saw the light and that it was good.” …; Morning offering…. But outside of the is recited as well. “uVeracha” corresponds to “may the L-rd Temple, the blessing is said after every bless you.”; “Chen” corresponds to “and be This clarification — that Sim Shalom tefillah [Shacharit, and Neilah] gracious to you.”; “Chesed” corresponds is coupled with Birkat Kohanim — except for Minchah. to “And he should guard you,” as it says — requires further examination. A similar idea, claims Rav “to keep for you … the kindness,” in Everything about Birkat Kohanim order that we will not be lost through our Lichtenstein, is expressed by the indicates that the priestly blessing Behag (at the end of his commentary sins…; “veRachamim” corresponds to, should be offeredafter the Shemoneh “may Hashem lift up His face unto you” to Berakhot, chapter 5). The Behag Esreh — not during the Shemoneh claims that adding the berakhah of for He carries our sins and conquers [His Esreh. Yet Sim Shalom, which follows, anger] and turns His face towards us … Sim Shalom to the Amidah is less concludes the Amidah! problematic than insertions made Sim Shalom is part and parcel of In Parshat (Vayikra 9:22), earlier in the Shemoneh Esreh: Birkat Kohanim. The kohanim bless Aharon blesses the people after he ואפילו זכרנו לחיים במגן לא אמרינן וכל שכן the people (or, for Ashkenazic Jews זכור רחמיך וכבוש כעסך במודים לא אמרינן .completes the sacrificial service in the Diaspora, the chazzan recalls Wouldn’t it make sense to do the same אבל ובספר חיים אמרינן בשים שלום דסליקו ,the Priestly blessing), and the chazan להו שמונה עשרה והוה ליה כתחנונים. in tefillah, by inserting Birkat Kohanim representing the people, accepts that the Amidah is finished? After all, after We do not say even ‘Zokhreinu le-chayim’ berakhah by reciting Sim Shalom to isn’t a in the Birkat Kohanim hefsek in Magen [Avraham]. All the more conclude Chazarat HaShatz. Amidah? Why not wait for one more so we do not say “Zekhor rachamekha berakhah — Sim Shalom — to finish This is emphasized inNusach u-khevosh ka’askha” in Modim. However, Ashkenaz, in which Sim Shalom is said before introducing Birkat Kohanim?

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21 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana 5779 we do recite “Be-sefer chayim” in Sim • The requests made in Sim Shalom response to our requests. We, over the Shalom since Shemoneh Esrei has are for notions omitted during the course of the Amidah, praised G-d as been completed, and it thus resembles middle section of the Amidah, the an introduction, asked him to satisfy a tachanunim [additional prayers recited section reserved for requests. plethora of our needs, and then thanked after the formal Shemoneh Esrei]. • The final three berakhot of the Him for His “time” and “consideration.” Contrary to everything we have Amidah are reserved for thanksgiving. His response is the blessing — or learned to this point, Rav Lichtenstein Sim Shalom (and Retzei, for that blessings — of Birkat Kohanim. suggests that the Amidah truly ends matter) are devoid ofhoda’ah , serving But aren’t the Kohanim the ones at the conclusion of Modim — instead as an opportunity to ask for blessing us? No, says the Rambam “hatov shimecha ulecha na’eh lehodot.” additional needs. (Hilkhot Tefillah 15:6-7), it is G-d Birkat Kohanim, as suggested by • Sim Shalom is so integrally linked Himself: the aforementioned sources, is כהן שלא היה לו דבר מכל אלו הדברים to Birkat Kohanim that the two are המונעין נשיאת כפים - אף ע"פ שאינו חכם pronounced after the formal Amidah synonymous in the language of the ואינו מדקדק במצות ... הרי זה נושא את .is finished. His father, Rav Aharon Mishnah כפיו: ואל תתמה ותאמר "ומה תועיל ברכת Lichtenstein, zt”l, concurred with this • There are multiple indications הדיוט זה?" שאין קבול הברכה תלוי בכהנים .approach that Birkat Kohanim is said after the אלא בהקדוש ברוך הוא שנאמר "ושמו את This idea finds further support in the conclusion of the Amidah; necessarily, שמי על בני ישראל ואני אברכם" הכהנים fact that we bow at the beginning Sim Shalom forms an epilogue to the עושים מצותן שנצטוו בה — והקב"ה ברחמיו and end of Modim, just as we do at Amidah. What, then, is Sim Shalom? מברך את ישראל כחפצו: the beginning and end of the first berakhah — Birkat Avot. Bowing for • [Parenthetically, a meta-question: A who does not have any of the both the first and last berakhot of the How many of these questions have factors that hinder the recitation of Amidah, an encapsulating symmetry, bothered us before? And if the answer the priestly blessings mentioned above is unequivocally significant. is “none of them,” how can we not should recite the priestly blessing, even ask these questions? How many If Modim marks the end of the though he is not a wise man or careful in thousands of times have we recited his observance of the commandments… Amidah, and Birkat Kohanim follows Sim Shalom and glossed over these the Amidah, then Sim Shalom Do not wonder: “What good will come problems? I will admit that, until from the blessing of this simple person?” necessarily comes after the conclusion my late 20s, I did not think much of the Amidah. This explains both for the reception of the blessings is not about these glaring difficulties with dependent on the priests, but on the the language of the Rambam and understanding tefillot. The search for the formulation of the Behag. It also, Holy One, blessed be He, as [Bamidbar answers to these questions is one of And they shall set My according to Rav Lichtenstein, explains 6:27] states: “ the most exhilarating aspects of my name upon the children of Israel, and the phenomenon where the text of the avodat Hashem.] I shall bless them final blessing diverges for and .” The priests perform . If Sim Shalom is recited after I will share first Rav Mosheh the with which they were the Amidah has been completed, it Lichtenstein’s approach to some of commanded, and God, in His mercy, will allows for more flexibility beyond the these questions. I will then suggest, in bless Israel as He desires. set nusach. But this all further deepens my humble opinion, an approach to It follows, then, that Sim Shalom is the mystery of Sim Shalom. What is all of the issues raised above. not to be understood as a request this prayer recited after the conclusion Rav Lichtenstein suggests that Birkat in the same way that the middle of the Amidah? What is Sim Shalom? Kohanim is the divine response to berakhot are requests. Rather, Sim Let me summarize our questions and our prayers. It is the very blessing that Shalom is a response to G-d’s issues to this point: we have been praying for! Whether blessing. “Yes” we say, “May it be that blessing comes through the spaces Your will to bestow these blessings • Sim Shalom is known as a prayer between the fingers of the Kohanim or upon us.” Thus, it is an expression of for peace. It, however, asks for is merely recited, as in the Diaspora, gratitude to G-d for bestowing His considerably more. by the shaliach tzibbur, it is G-d’s blessings upon us.

22 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana 5779 If Sim Shalom is a response to Birkat Rav David Kimchi (quoted in Sefer us make do with a quote from the Rav, Kohanim, however, why is it said by Avudraham, Seder Tefillot shel Chol), Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik: the individual in the silent points out the word means mitpallel l’hitpallel When a Jew says Retzei, he does not Amidah — even before the blessings “to judge oneself.” The text of the refer to the satisfaction of needs and are bestowed? Perhaps we can argue Amidah allows me to compare the the fulfillment of the desires about that, for various reasons, the text of the mindset with which I enter the state of which he poured out his heart in the silent Amidah should match that of the tefillah to an ideal crafted by our sages. middle, petitionary section. For this repetition. But then why recite Shalom By reading this sacred text, authored he has already prayed in the previous Rav at Minchah and Maariv? If the by the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah , Shema Koleinu. When Amidah has technically ended with the — among them prophets — I am he reaches Retzei these ‘petty’ matters recitation of Modim and there will be challenged and uplifted on many , no longer concern him. His soul asks no mention of — and levels. Birkat Kohanim G-d to accept the great sacrifice he has thus no Sim Shalom — why not end Would I, on my own, make my just offered, to accept his being that the Amidah at that point? requests in the plural? Probably not. is returned to G-d, cleaving unto the Furthermore, if Birkat Kohanim Given a chance to plead before the Infinite and connecting itself to the is the divine response to our King of Kings, I would focus my own Divine throne. G-d is ‘satisfied’ with this tefillot, shouldn’t it correspond needs and the needs of my family. offering. He receives it and restores it to to our requests in the Amidah? Would I start my list of requests with the one who has offered it. The praying We explained, according to the intellectual and spiritual requests individual annuls himself in order to , how the requests in for knowledge, repentance and acquire himself. From his prayer man Sim Shalom correspond to Birkat forgiveness? Almost certainly not. emerges firm, elevated and sublime, Kohanim. But wouldn’t it make having found his redemption in self-loss sense to see a relationship between Would I use more than half of my and self-recovery…8 what we’ve asked for and what we’ve requests to pray for the unfolding of the national redemption of the Jewish Having asked Hashem for all of our received? needs, we then thank Him in Modim, people (from Teka b’Shofar through, Perhaps there is a more fundamental and in the opinion of some including, recognizing that everything we have is way of looking at Sim Shalom — and from Him. Our needs have connected Shema Koleinu)? Shalom Rav for that matter. These us back to our Creator and allowed us berakhot serve as the culmination of Similarly, would I choose to join to remember that everything is from our precious moments with G-d, and my fellow worshippers in a , Him. It is likely, for the hours between I believe they reflect a higher spiritual emphasizing the fact that we come to our prayers, we forgot, at least on state of awareness than the berakhot G-d as a community, or find a quiet the level of active awareness, that with which I began. spot to have a spiritually uplifting our daily lives were so dependent on moment on my own? Let’s take a step backward: Him. We emerge from our encounter The recitation of the Amidah is a reconnected to Him, His people and The recitation of the Shemoneh Esreh process that refines us as it reorients the truths underlying His world. is more than an act of prayer to fulfill us. For this reason, personal requests a religious obligation. It is a thrice- But there is still one more step. The precede communal requests in the final lesson in priorities, and the final daily encounter with the Divine that middle section of the Amidah. We are is meant to serve as a transformative step in our transformation, comes drawn into a conversation with the from G-d Himself. experience. The process of saying Divine about our most basic needs. As the Amidah, especially the weekday we stand before Him, we broaden our If I could only ask for three things (or Amidah, with its long list of requests perspective, turning to national needs. six, as explained before in the three covering the gamut of personal and pesukim of Birkat Kohanim) what national life, is meant to reorient The final berakhot of the Amidah would and should they be? Only our priorities and our outlook on take this a step further. Though a true my Creator truly knows. The final the world. Rabbi Sampson Raphael understanding of Retzei and Modim refinement of our requests comes Hirsch, following in the footsteps of are beyond the scope of this article, let from His own words in Parshat Naso:

23 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana 5779 That no thieves shall attack you and many details are mentioned in the“ יברכך ה’ וישמרך; יאר ה’ פניו אליך ויחנך; ,steal your money. For when one gives his blessing, the berakhah’s conclusion ישא ה’ פניו ה’ אליך וישם לך שלום. May the L-rd bless you and keep you. servant a gift, he cannot protect it from the chatimat ha-berakhah, is clear: May the L-rd make His countenance all other people, so if robbers come and “May it be pleasing in Your eyes to shine upon you and be gracious to you. take it from him, what benefit has he bless Your people Israel with peace. May the L-rd lift up His countenance to [the servant] from this gift? As for the Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, who you and give you peace. Holy One, blessed be He, however, He is blesses the People of Israel with the One who [both] gives and protects. peace.” What is the sum total of these Similarly, “Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta blessings? I believe that there are three This is more than just a prayer to be said: The Blessed Holy One found main themes here, none of which have spared the horrors of war. The peace no vessel which could hold Israel’s received much attention until this that we long for in this berakhah blessing except peace.” (Mishna, point in the Amidah:9 serves as the basis for an idyllic Uktzin 3:12) existence, unencumbered by the 1. The ultimate blessing is (or What then is Sim Shalom? The crippling distractions and hurdles includes) a feeling of connection perfect prayer. The tefillah that of envy, competition, hate and to G-d. Birkat Kohanim emphasizes we weren’t ready to offer when we persecution. Of course we want peace. blessing that is accompanied by an first started. After standing with and But what is the ultimate goal? A peace awareness of G-d’s “face.” engaging the Divine in dialogue, we of mind that gives us the opportunity 2. A request for the ultimate are now different people from those to focus on serving the Ribbono shel blessing doesn’t need specific who begged “G‑d, please open my lips Olam while enjoying His many gifts. details. G-d knows us better than and may my mouth say Your praises.” As tell us ( Rabbah, we know ourselves. Occasionally, We have aligned our will with His. We Vayikra 9:9), “Great is peace, for it that which we pray for isn’t even for thought we knew what we needed. We encompasses all other blessings.” our good. In Birkat Kohanim we are thought we knew what was important. The details of our earlier request fall to blessed with berakhah as only He But we were, certainly before the the wayside. After all, we now feel that knows to give it. Amidah — even during the Amidah G-d is caring for us. Rav Yosef Albo, — misguided, just moving closer to 3. All of the blessings in the world in the Sefer Ha-Ikkarim (4:24), fleshes are meaningless without conditions the ideal. out this approach to tefillah: that allow us to enjoy and capitalize ולזה יהיה מבחר התפלה מה שהיה מתפלל We have grown — even since on them. Each of the three pesukim החכם ואומר: רבונו של עולם עשה רצונך saying the beautiful berakhot of the starts with G-d showering a blessing, בשמים ממעל - ותן נחת רוח ליראיך מתחת middle section. We now introduce but continues with a critical secondary ... ואח”כ אמר והטוב בעיניך עשה - כלומר: more sublime requests: “Grant clause. The Kohanim help us not ובכל דבר שאני מתפלל לפניך - אל תפן ,peace, goodness, blessing, grace simply to receive divine bounty, but לדברי - ולא לבקשתי לעשות מה שלבי חפץ lovingkindness and mercy … Bless to receive G-d’s help in protecting and או מה שאני שואל. שפעמים הרבה - אני us, our Father, all of us as one with appreciating it. As comments מבקש ומתפלל על דבר שהוא רע לי - לפי the light of Your face; For by the on the word veyishmerecha: שאני מדמה וחושב שהוא טוב. ואתה הוא ,light of Your face You have given us היודע יותר ממני אם הדבר ההוא טוב אלי או L-rd our G-d, the Torah of life, love שלא יבאו עליך שודדים ליטול ממונך שהנותן רע. ועל כן: אתה תבחר - ולא אני. עשה מה ,of kindness, righteousness, blessing מתנה לעבדו אינו יכול לשמרו מכל אדם וכיון שאתה יודע שהוא טוב ... ”.mercy, life and peace שבאים לסטים עליו ונוטלין אותה ממנו מה What are the true goals of those many The best kind of prayer is therefore that הנאה יש לו במתנה זו אבל הקב”ה הוא הנותן blessings? One thing: Peace. Though of the wise man, who said: “O L-rd, do הוא השומר.

Find more shiurim and articles from Rabbi Menachem Penner at https://www.yutorah.org/Rabbi-Menachem-Penner

24 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana 5779 Thy will in heaven above, show kindness of G-d I had been for so long before appropriate berakhot before and after. We will to those who fear You here below” … my tefillah. I am glad that I brought suggest a different approach. Then he says: “And do what is good in Him back into my consciousness 4. The same phenomenon can be found Your eyes,” that is, whatever it is that I and hope that I will stay in that state in Mishnah 5:1. TheMishnah there pray to You for, attend not to my words of awareness for as long as possible describes the tefillot offered as part of the Temple service. The finalberakhot are or request, to do what my heart desires, after I leave the shul or beit midrash. “Avodah” (Retzei) and “Birkat Kohanim.” or what I ask, for many times I ask and Then I accept that all that I thought Interestingly, this Mishnah seems to indicate pray for something that is bad for me, so important just moments before, that Modim was completely omitted in the thinking it is good. But You know better pales in comparison to the blessings Temple. than I whether the thing is good for me that I received and pray to continue 5. to Bavli Berakhot 11a, s.v Birkat or bad. Therefore, decide You and not I; receiving from my Creator in the form Kohanim, however, disagree. do what You know is good. of peace, goodness, blessing, grace, 6. This comment appears in some versions lovingkindness and mercy. Only of the Vilna Gaon’s commentary to Shulchan Sim Shalom is thus a second chance now do I take three steps backward, Aruch at the end of Hilchot at tefillah. The sources above (siman 428). indicate that the tefillah ended at the reconnected to the Divine and in a peaceful state of mind.10 7. R. Mosheh Lichtenstein, “The Blessing conclusion of Modim. Perhaps so. of Sim Shalom,” available at: https://www. But though we are finished with our etzion.org.il/en/blessing-sim-shalom. tefillah, and even “heard” from G-d Endnotes 8. Rabbi B. Soloveitchik, Worship of the Himself, we are not yet ready to leave 1. Shibbolei Haleket (Siman 28) explains that Heart, p.179. His presence. “One more thing!” although the final berakhot do, obviously, 9. See the many explanations of these berakhot we say. “Of course, I and the Jewish contain requests, they differ from the requests as listed in the Sifri. People need everything I mentioned in the middle section of the Amidah. The before. But if there is one thing I can requests made in Retzei and Sim Shalom are 10. And what about Minchah and Maariv? We switch to Shalom Rav because there is ask for, achat sha’alti, it is true peace. I for communal needs, whereas earlier requests are for individual needs. [Thus we are able to no Birkat Kohanim. Rav Uri Weisblum, in may, even as I request in this perfected add special communal requests during the Sefer He’arat haTefillah (p. 234) explains that tefillah, appear to be asking for a Aseret Yemei Teshuva.] Furthermore, it praises while Shalom Rav is shorter than Sim Shalom, multitude of things. But it all comes the Master when He is needed by the masses. It leaving out the multitude of requests found in down to peace. May it be pleasing in is not completely clear, however, how the needs the latter, it is actually a stronger request. We no longer ask merely for peace, but “abundant Your eyes to bless Your people Israel with expressed in Retzei are more “communal” than many of the needs listed in the latter half of the peace.” Rav Weisblum suggests that when peace.” middle section. Cf. Tosafot to Berakhot 34a, we have Birkat Kohanim, we suffice with the s.v Al. See as well Sefer Or Hachamah by Rav simple request for peace. All of the things we Is our perfect prayer a request? Yes, it ask for, tova uvracha etc., join to create the is. But in a significant way, it is not. We Zundel Krozer to Berakhot 34b who suggests several approaches to this issue. peace we are looking for. In the absence of are once again requesting, but now we Birkat Kohanim, we add a level of urgency — do so on His terms. We have moved 2. The Rambam’s source seems to beBavli “grant abundant peace,” Shalom Rav. Berakhot 34a. The , however, does on from our petty requests and yearn not mention giving thanks. Instead, the last to see the world as He sees it. Through three berakhot are characterized as follows: the process of asking, thanking and “Rabbi Chanina said: In the first three, one receiving, we give him the greatest resembles a servant presenting praise before thanks that any child can give to a his master; in the middle ones, he resembles a servant requesting a bonus from his master; parent: The expression of desire to in the final ones, he resembles a servant who follow in their ways and adopt their received a bonus from his master and now world-view. takes leave.” See Kesef Mishneh and Lechem Mishneh. See also Rabbeinu Manoach who I try to stop for a moment at several suggests a different source from the final perek places in Shemoneh Esreh. One of Masekhet Berakhot. of them is at the end of Modim. I 3. See Shu”t Ridbaz (8:15) who explains take stock for a moment and think that the “ikkar hoda’ah” is Modim. Then, as about how distracted and unaware with Kriyat Shema, Chazal were metakein

25 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Rosh Hashana 5779