Praying With Passion

Birchot HaShachar (part Six)

BARUCH ATA HASHEM ELOKEINU MELECH HAOLAM ...OZER YISRAEL BIGVURAH…OTER YISRAEL BTIFARAH.

Translation: Blessed are You, HaShem our God, King of the Universe, ...who girds Israel with strength.
...who crowns Israel with glory.
Theme:  An essential concept of the prayer
G-d’s Holy Nation
The people of Israel hold a place of honor and glory as G-d’s holy nation.
Insight: Deeper meanings…
Standing Apart from the World
Originally, the blessing OZEIR YISRA’EL BIGVURA was intended to be said when we put on our belts (or close the top button of our pants), and the blessing OTEIR YISRA’EL B’TIF-ARA referred to covering the head when dressing (B’rachot 60b).
Head coverings of all sorts, and belts of all descriptions are worn by people in many nations of the world. Why do these two blessings of Birchot HaShachar relate the donning of these items to such exalted terms as “might” and “splendor?”
The Torah states, DABEIR EL KOL ADAT B’NEI YISRA’EL V’AMARTA ALEIHEM - K’DOSHIM TIHYU (Vayikra 19:2) “Speak to the whole congregation of the children of Israel and say to them: you shall be holy.”
What does it mean to live a life of holiness? As we learn from Vayikra Rabbah, the root meaning of the word KADOSH, holy, is “separate.” Rashi explains that this means separation from the forbidden.
Rav Isaac Sher offers another under- standing of holiness: CHASHIVUT, importance. Hashem emphasized to Moshe that His message of holiness was to be given to the entire congregation. Every one of us is part of the holy nation, meant to stand apart from baseness, coarseness and cruelty. Our status must influence our actions whether we are alone, with our families or at school or work.
As we prepare to meet a new day, we may not feel all that regal. Yet these two blessings remind us that we are indeed part of G-d’s royal family. When a Jewish man covers his head, he is not seeking to protect himself from wind, rain, cold or sun. He is seeking to identify himself with G-d’s holy nation. Similarly, when he “girds himself” with a belt, he is not just putting the last touch on his outfit. He is girding himself with strength - the strength a Jew exercises in maintaining the self-control to turn away from the base temptations all around him and within him. In doing so, he brings honor to the nation whose “uniform” he wears, as well as to G-d and the Torah.
Visualize: Images that bring the prayer to life
Proving Our Pedigree
There was a king who was overthrown and banished from his land. His usurper offered one means by which the king could redeem his throne: if he could convince the people among whom he wandered that he was indeed a king, he could return and resume his rule. However, he was not permitted to bring any of his royal clothing or signs of power along with him on his journey.
At first, he tried to convince the people among whom he wandered that he was a deposed king by simply telling them so. He regaled them with stories about royal life and his great military victories. They all thought he was delusional.
Realizing that words would never suffice to support his contention, he stopped telling his story. Instead, he conducted himself with the utmost dignity, charity and courage. Little by little, people began to gravitate toward him, to rely on his judgment and follow his lead. Ultimately, they realized that he was indeed a king, for his manner was unmistakably that of a regal person. He not only regained the throne in his own kingdom, but was crowned by his adopted land as well.
Might and honor are royal attributes. The people of Israel are girded like warriors and crowned like princes. When a person identifies himself as a Jew by his manner of dress, he declares his royal status to himself, and thereby commits himself to upholding it as he makes his way through the encounters and events that comprise his day.
Try this: Imagine the feeling a king or queen has upon being coronated. Try to vividly feel the transforming moment at which the weight of the crown settles upon the regent’s head, conferring unlimited honor, power and responsibility. Think of this feeling as your say the words OZEIR YISRA’EL BIGVURA and OTEIR YISRA’EL B’TIF-ARA.

• Other Praying With Passion
• P'sukei d'Zimra: Hal'luya Ki Tov Building Jerusalem
• P'sukei d'Zimra: Hal'luya Ki Tov - Building Jerusalem
• P'sukei d'Zimra: Hodu The Power of Holiness