1 Likro et Hahallel
2 La'asot Ma'akeh
3 Hanoon Hamarbeh L'sloah
4 Al Nitilat Yadayim
5 Melekh Ohev Tzedakah U'mishpat
6 Dayan Ha'emeth
7 Leshev Ba'Sukkah
8 Lasok b'divrei Torah
9 Kiddush levana
10 Asher yatzar
11 Borei Pri Ha'eitz
12 HaMotzi
13 SheHakol Nihiyeh B'dvaro
14 Shehechiyanu
15 Lihitattef Batzitzit
16 Likboah Mezuzah
17 L'hadlik ner shel hannukah
18 She'asah nisim lavoteinu byamim hahem bazman hazeh
19 HaGomel L'Chayavim tovot, shegimalani kol tov
20 Malbish Arumim
21 L'hadlik ner shel Shabbat
22 Borei pri Hagafen
23 Hazan et HaKol
24 L'havchin bein yom u'vein layla
25 lhanot bahem b'nai adam.
26 borei minei mizonot
27 HaMachazir neshamot lifgarim matim
28 l'hachniso b'brito shel avraham avinu
29 al mikra megillah
30 shomeah tephillah
31 noten hatorah
32 sh'asani b'tzalmo
33 al biur hametz
34 al sefirat ha'omer
35 et amo yisrael bashalom.
36 Haham HaRazim
37 haolam Borei Minei Bisamim
38 matir asurim
39 shepratani meansho shel zeh
40 zokeif kifufim
41 HaBocher  b'amo yisrael b'ahava
42 hamavdil bein kodesh lechol
43 borei meorei haeish
44 magen avraham
45 shover oyvim umachnea zaydim
46 Mikadeish HaShabbat
47 boreh pri ha'adamah
48 al ha'aretz v'al hamazon
49 michayei HaMaitim
50 yotzer ha'adam
51 boneh berachamav yerushalayim
52 she'asani kirtzono

Bracha #45

Page 288 of Siddur Sim Shalom

This bracha like #3, 5, 30, 35 and 44 is found in the amidah. (See any of thos brachot for an introduction to the amidah)

This bracha is in all likelihood the most brazen of brachot. It clearly asks for God to intervene in the course of history and to bring forth revenge on our enemies. It is difficult to conceive of this being an acceptable prayer. It seems to me as though prayer should have the noblest of intentions and the highest moral fiber. Seemingly, prayer should be pristine in its motivation. But it is not always that way.

Prayer, and therefore, the bracha is a pause in our day. It is a moment of reflection and our reflections must be honest. All of us feel anger. We cling to the idea, "what goes around comes around." in the hopes it is true. But there are those who suppress those inclinations. There are people who deny what they are feeling and never address them. That anger then gets displaced and those around us experience it.

This bracha asks us first to acknowledge our anger then it reminds us to place that anger squarely on those who are our "enemy." This is not easy. It is often difficult to know with whom we are frustrated, it is hard to recognize who it is who has wronged us. In some way this bracha says, help me to release this anger I have towards the appropriate people. This bracha reminds us there are people who are our enemy, while its subtext is there are people who are not, yet, we have labeled them so.

We must be careful to live in the moment. We must not feel it necessary to smooth over our feelings and make the harsh one's go away. Rather, we must take a moment, realize what we are feeling, why we are feeling that way and ask for God to give us the insight to direct that anger in such a way as to make constructive change in our lives or to do nothing, while we realize the value of simply verbalizing our feelings.

Copyright © 2001 Rabbi Yohanan Stein. All rights reserved.