What Does Hashem Want?
As we begin this period of 40 days of unique opportunity and closeness to Hashem, we will focus our segments on one of the Request Brachos in Shemoneh Esrei. Out of all the requests we make in our Shemoneh Esrei, there is only one request that clearly and explicitly is what Hashem desires, as opposed to what we desire. This request is, in fact, also the core focus of these 40 days.
When we want to gain closeness to a loved one, we try to understand and satisfy as best as we can that person’s desire. Clearly, that is also the way we gain closeness to Hashem. All the mitzvos are r’tzon Hashem – Hashem’s desire – for the purpose of our gaining greater closeness and connection with Him, by doing His will. That is why it is so crucial to perform mitzvos with mindfulness, joy, and love.
Imagine trying to gain greater connection and closeness to a spouse or dear friend, and after having gone through the effort of understanding their wishes and desires, we perform the actions they desire but without any presence of mind, heart, and emotion, and in a hurried, uninterested manner. How much connection and closeness will that endear?
Spend 30 seconds now to determine which brachos in Shemoneh Esrei receive the most attention and are recited with the most emotion and heart – and then which are said more quickly, without much emphasis.
Next, think about which one brachah in Shemoneh Esrei is the one and only desire expressed openly to be Hashem’s Desire.
Lastly, contemplate which of the Avinu Malkeinus has the loudest and most emotional communal response.
We are all different, but I suspect that many emphasize the brachos of healing and parnasah (Refa’einu and Bareich Aleinu) the most, and the Avinu Malkeinu for r’fuah, healing, has always been by far the loudest in the shuls in which I have davened. This is a perfectly normal practice, considering that health and livelihood are what we perceive we need most, in order to accomplish anything, including serving Hashem.
Perhaps at least for these 40 days, we should consider focusing more on what Hashem desires rather than what we desire. This is actually the time of year specifically designed for fulfilling this desire of Hashem. T’shuvah!! Return!! For all of Hashem’s children!
The brachah of “HaRotzeh Bis’shuvah” is the only brachah that expresses Hashem’s desire. He wants us – ALL of us – back.
The first Avinu Malkeinu we say responsively, repeating after the chazan, is asking Hashem to cause our (ALL of us) complete return to Him. Unfortunately, my experience is that we tend to sleep through that Avinu Malkeinu and wake up with a loud and energized “Sh’lach r’fuah sh’leimah.” While health is crucially important, it is only important in this world. What is even more crucial and urgent is that we and all of our brothers and sisters return to Hashem, because that is for eternity – forever and forever.
Why do we daven so hard for others who are in need of healing and for the return of the captives, which we absolutely should continue to do, and yet be so nonchalant and passive about davening for the eternity of others? Perhaps, eternity is not as real to us as it should be. For if it was, we would be belting out the loudest, most intense and emotional “Avinu Malkeinu hachazireinu…” that would even overshadow the others. We would be emotionally invested in the brachah of “Hashiveinu” in Shemoneh Esrei, knowing it is the one desire expressed by Hashem, and it is by far the most important need of our brothers and sisters who are now distant in their feeling of connection to Hashem. (In truth, they are really not distant, as we are all Hashem’s children, regardless of what we do or don’t do, and can never lose that title of child).
It is also the most important need of every one of us, even those who currently feel connected with Hashem. We all want to deepen our connection and return completely to Hashem. So at least until after Yom Kippur, let us raise the bar high in our tefilos in Shemoneh Esrei and in Avinu Malkeinu specifically for what Hashem desires, and for what we and all of our brothers and sisters need more than anything else in the world: t’shuvah sh’leimah!!
May Hashem return all of us to Him speedily and completely.
To access print versions of previous Tefilah segments, please visit OU Torah’s Search portal, select the Topic of “Tefillah,” and then select “Weekly Tefilah Focus” from the Series list.
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