Praying With Passion

ELOKAI, NESHAMA The Pure Soul Within

Translation: My God, the soul You placed within me is pure. You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me, and You guard it while it is within me. One day You will take it from me, and restore it to me in the time to come. As long as the soul is within me, I will thank You, HaShem my God and God of my ancestors, Master of all works, Lord of all souls. Blessed are You, HaShem, who restores souls to lifeless bodies.

Theme: The essence of the prayer
We express gratitude to Hashem for restoring our life in the morning with a pure soul. (This bracha is the “full version” of MODEH ANI, which is in “short form” because it is said before we have ritually washed our hands and “tending to our physical needs”.)

Insight: Deeper meaning…
The soul that gives each of us our spiritual identity derives from the primary source of purity - G-d Himself. The Torah relates: “And Hashem, G-d formed the man of dust from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living being.” The soul which Hashem blew into man conveys holiness and G-dliness into our physical being. It infuses every Jew with the ability to reach unlimited spiritual heights in Torah, T’fila and fear of G-d.

Before a person is born, the Gemara relates, he swears an oath to protect the purity of the soul he is given. When we say “Elokai, neshama” each day, we remind ourselves of the purity within us, and our obligation to guard it as we make the choices that comprise our daily lives.

One of the lesser-known mitzvot, V’HALACHTA BIDRACHAV, teaches that as G-d is merciful, we are required to be merciful; as He is compassionate, righteous, and holy, so must we be. Our potential to act in G-dly ways arises, according to the Nefesh HaChayim, from our status as a Tzelem Elokim - a being created in G-d’s image. Because our neshamot are invested with this spark of G-dliness, Man possesses what no other living being possesses - a capacity for giving and compassion. Because this capacity for giving is embedded in Man’s soul, giving should come naturally. However, until we apply that capacity, it remains nothing more than potential. V’HALACHTA BIDRACHAV goes far beyond a spontaneous impetus to do someone a favor. It is the policy that governs all one’s interpersonal relationships, even when one feels overwhelmed, slighted or wronged.

The mitzva is all-embracing because that is the only way one can truly emulate G-d’s attributes. According to the Sefer Tomer Devora, the 13 Attributes of Divine Mercy set the template for fulfilling V’HALACHTA BIDRACHAV. In this vein, Tomer Devora points out that even when a person sins, G-d still sustains him. For instance, if he were eating non-kosher food, G-d could cause him to lose the power to swallow. Instead, He allows him to act in a manner than runs contrary to His will until he arrives at teshuva. In emulating G-d, therefore, we are called upon to benefit even those with whom we are not friendly.

Halacha: One recites ELOKAI, NESHAMA - thanking G-d for restoring one’s soul - immediately after reciting ASHER YATZAR (Mishneh Berurah 6:12; 46:29) - which offers thanks for restoring one’s body, because both are restored to us each day (Be’ur HaGRA 4:1, s.v. “Vyaish omrim”).

A further reason for linking these two brachot is that ELOKAI, NESHAMA on its own does not have the full SHEIM & MALCHUT that brachot must have. In lieu of its own “MELECH HA’OLAM”, ELOKAI, NESHAMA becomes a B’racha S’mucha L’Chaveirta, a bracha linked to its fellow bracha, and the SHEIM & MAL- CHUT of ASHER YATZAR applies to both brachot.

Also note, that some are of the opinion that ELOKAI, NESHAMA is to be linked with Birchot HaTorah, rather than Asher Yatzar. The preferred opinion seems to be as we’ve stated earlier - Acknowledge and thank G-d for physical and spiritual well-being.

Personal T’fila Trainer: Exercising mind, memory and imagination to carry kavana into your davening
Vividly imagine an object or scene that represents purity to you: a crystal stream, a brilliant diamond, the eyes of a small child, a clear blue sky. Picture it in detail, and let the image sink into your heart and arouse your emotions. Whenever you say the words HANESHAMA SHENATATA BI T’HORA HI, in your morning brachot, visualize that image.               

More next week…

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• Other Praying With Passion
• Birchot HaShachar (part Six)
• Birchot HaShachar (part five)
• Birchot HaShachar (part four)