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| Praised are you O' Lord God
who is King of the universe, who blesses the people Israel
with peace. |
Barukh ata adonai eloheinu melekh HaOlam
Hamivarekh et amo yisrael bashalom. |
Found in Siddur Sim Shalom on page 38 as well as
a number of other locations
This bracha is the final bracha of the Amidah. As
such it is recited minimally three times a day and potentially
four times when there is a Musaf service added to the liturgy,
such as on Shabbat and festivals. It is the last statement of
the Amidah when it is recited aloud by the prayer leader, and
is therefore, the statement that remains in our minds as we move
forward from what is arguably the most important prayer in our
entire worship service.
In many ways this prayer is the simplest prayer
we can offer. It is the most basic request we can make as human
beings. We want for ourselves and for those around us a sense
of peace. In this world and at this time we understand the pain
and anguish of war. America fights against terrorism and the Middle
East is embroiled in a cycle of violence with no end in sight.
Lives are lost and life is eternally altered. There are no easy
solutions to nations entangled. Therefore, the relevance of this
prayer is obvious. In a time when war plagues us, there is scarcely
a person who is not affected. We watch the news of blood spilled
ruthlessly the world over; we listen as the gunfire rings out
and bombs fall.
But his prayer also speaks of an internal peace.
The world "Shalom," "peace" comes from the Hebrew word "Shalem"
meaning "whole." This is suggestive of the idea that if we are
not at peace with ourselves we will not feel whole. The insurance
industry uses this word to explain they can make of for losses
incurred. And we understand when we are caught by conflict and
anguish we do not feel whole. This bracha asks God, who is the
Originator of peace, for peace n our lives and in the world.
The same bracha can mean very different things at
different time in our lives depending on the particular circumstances
that surround the recitation. When I was in high school the government
had already done away with the draft but still retained of that
system in the mandatory registration. It was the government's
way of reminding its citizens that at any tie we might go back
to a draft system. The first test of that system was when we invaded
the small island of Grenada. Talk immediately began about the
reinstitution of the draft. At that point there were many people,
who were of age for military service who never knew war in their
lives and were certainly anxious about the prospect of being "called
up." I was one of them. At that time this prayer for peace struck
home.
This bracha reminds us that we hold a delicate balance
in our lives. We often feel anxious about our personal situation
as well as the world around us. This bracha asks God to remain
involved in our lives such that all whom we love never know the
ravages of war.
Copyright © 2001 Rabbi
Yohanan Stein. All rights reserved.
New Jersey Region United Synagogue
of Conservative Judaism
PO Box 390; 1025 St. Georges
Ave
Linden, NJ 07036-0390
Phone: 908-925-USCJ (8725)
/ Fax: 908-486-USCJ (8725)
E-mail: njersey@uscj.org
Copyright © 2000 -
2003 New Jersey USCJ. All rights reserved.
Last Updated: July 2003
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