The bracha of Sim Shalom continues, “Bar’cheinu Avinu. kulanu k’echad – Bless us our Father (Hashem), all of us as one.” The Rokei’ach interprets this to mean, ‘Like our forefather Avraham, who is known as the one,” as it says in the verse in Yechezkel [33:24], “Echad hayah Avraham – Avraham was the one and only.” This is an all-encompassing request, for the Torah says about Avraham, “V’Hashem beirach es Avraham b’kol – And Hashem blessed Avraham with everything.”
The wonderful siddur Bi’ur HaTefillah explains the phrase ‘kulanu k’echad’ differently. He interprets it to mean, “Bless us our Father, for we are all behaving nationally as one,” with achdus, unity. This practice is sure to find favor in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. As the pasuk proclaims, “Hinei matov u’mana’im, sheves achim gam yachad – How good and how sweet it is when brothers (and sisters) live together in harmony.”
The great Rav Shamshon Rafael Hirsch, zt”l, zy”a, wrote in his ethical will that the only thing he asks from his righteous children is that if one of them is hurt by another sibling, they should forgive and make up, and that will bring the truest pleasure to their parents in the next world. It is the same way with our Father in Heaven: When we are tolerant and forgiving of our fellow Jews, we are certainly then worthy of Divine blessing.
We then continue that Hashem should bless us, “B’Ohr Panecha – With the Light of His Countenance.” This request includes a lot of blessings, as we say immediately afterwards, “With the light of Your Countenance, You bless us with the Torah of life, love of kindness, charity, blessing, life and peace.” The Noam Megadim in Parshas Nasso gives an interesting reason why we condense our request into the one petition for Hashem’s light. He cites a fundamental Gemara in Taanis [8b] which relates that during the days of Rav Shmuel bar Nachmeini, there was a deathly plague and a famine. The people were in a quandary. To pray to be rid of both was too much. They therefore thought to pray that the plague should end and deal with the famine. Rav Shmuel bar Nachmeini decided otherwise: Pray for sustenance from the famine, since Hashem only gives sustenance to the living. The Noam Megadim says that we see from here that it is preferable to ask Hashem for only one thing at a time. We therefore ask for Hashem’s Light, which bestows upon us many blessings. This is similar to the recommendation that when you go to a Rebbe for a blessing, you should ask simply for menuchas hanefesh, the contentment of your soul, for this embraces all blessings.
Earlier, we said that the Ashkenazim do not ask outright for life. This is where they slip in the request, for as we said, with Hashem’s countenance comes the blessings of life and peace.
We continue, “Ki b’Ohr Panecha nasata lanu – With the Light of Your Countenance, You gave us…” The Olas Tomid identifies when Hashem actually graced us nationally with the light of His face. He clarifies that this happened at Har Sinai when Hashem appeared before our entire nation.
The bracha continues that with this light He grants us Toras chaim, the Torah of life. As the verse testifies, “Ki Hu chayecha v’orech yomecha – The Torah is your life and the length of your days. It is called chaim – in the plural – for we consume its dividends in this world while its principal reward remains for the next world.
The Kolbo says that ahavas chesed goes together with Toras chaim. He explains that Toras chaim refers to Torah shebichsav, the Written Law, while ahavas chesed refers to Torah shebal peh, the Oral Law, as it is referred to in the verse, “Toras chesed al l’shonah – The Torah of kindness on her lips.”
As to the literal definition of ahavas chesed, the Siddur Mefurash explains, in his primary interpretation, that it means that Hashem loves us out of kindness even if we don’t deserve it. As the verse testifies in Hoshea [14:5], “Ohaveim n’davah,” that Hashem loves us freely and generously. The second interpretation of the Siddur Mefurash, which is the more popular understanding and is also the explanation of the Olas Tomid, is Hashem will grant us the love of kindness, that we should not practice chesed just out of duty, rather we should want to do acts of kindness. We find this notion by our mother Rivka who went out with a pitcher braced upon her shoulder. Rav Yonasan Eibshutz explains that this was to advertise that she was available to give drinks to people, thus manifesting ahavas chesed.
The blessing concludes, Baruch Attah Hashem, Hamevoreich es Amo Yisrael BaShalom – Blessed are You, Hashem, Who blesses His Nation Yisrael with Peace.” The Ohr Tzaddikim reveals an ancient powerful segula for zikaron, for one’s memory, in these closing words. He says that the first letters of “Hamevoreich es Amo Yisrael,” hei, alef, ayin, and yud total 86, the gematria of E-l-ohim. He says that when we think of the fusion of Hashem, which is the attribute of mercy mentioned in Baruch Attah Hashem and the allusion to E-l-ohim, the attribute of strict judgment, it is a strong aid for memory.
When we thank Hashem for the blessing of Peace, we should do so with the awareness that tranquility is not simply because we have a good spouse, a nice nature, or even that we are masters of tact. It’s because Hashem is the Oseh Shalom, the Maker of Peace, as we say in the bracha of Yotzeir Ohr, and we therefore thank Him heartily for the blessings of solace, harmony and tranquility.
In the merit of asking Hashem for the lofty package of His divine light, may we be blessed with long live, good health, and everything wonderful.
Transcribed and edited by Shelley Zeitlin.
