Taking it With You: Ramak: The Pangs of Childbirth

The 23rd of Tammuz is the Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, the Ramak: When we understand the Amidah as the consummation of our intense love for God and His love for us, we realize that childbirth will follow, for it is impossible for such powerful connection to not produce its fruit and expand.

We recite Psalm 20 as part of this stage of prayer to understand that just as childbirth, a great blessing, entails great pain, so too, do the fruit of our prayers. The challenges of emerging from the world of prayer into this world are the birth pangs, and the tests and challenges of the day, are the pain of child-rearing. We use Psalm 20 to beseech God for His help in overcoming these challenges, and to alleviate the pain.