(I am trying to make a habit of sharing these “Tefillah Thoughts”, thoughts that have become central parts of my own davening. Shorter in format than other posts have been. Not all of them are well-founded. Just sharing ideas that have become important and meaningful to me as I say the words in the Siddur. You can decide for yourself if they add meaning to your own davening, or if you just aren’t as convinced as I am.)

The first berakhah of Shemoneh Esrei, Birkhas Avos, requires kavvanah in ways other Tefillos do not. So, I thought I would start this series there with the last post, and am continuing with another thought I often have while davening…

וְזוֹכֵר חַסְדֵי אָבוֹת,
וּמֵבִיא גוֹאֵל לִבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶם,
לְמַֽעַן שְׁמוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה:

… And who Recalls the lovingkindnesses of the ancestors,
and Who brings the redeemer to their children’s children,
for the sake of His Name, with love.

A lot is hiding in the word “וּמֵבִיא – and brings“. Hashem won’t send the Melekh haMoshiach. He will come with (so to speak), bringing the person who will help us bring His Plan to culmination.

The Jewish People established a relationship with Hashem, even before Sinai, with avos who acted with chessed — i.e. established that relationship by acting across the I-Other barrier. And through that relationship and loving unity, our fate becomes how Hashem is known to others, an aspect of His Name. Thus the redemption isn’t only about compassion on us, or dependent on whether we earned it. Redemption can be לְמַֽעַן שְׁמוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה.

The Ge’ulah is thus the approach of the Beloved, an end of hesteir panim, bringing the Go’el who can help us make His Name manifest in the world.