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Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Gevurot



From an unedited transcript of a shiur: Ata Gibor le’olam Hashem – You are mighty forever my Master. Mechayei maitim Ata – You are One who gives life to the dead and rav l’hoishia – You abundantly save. How many phrases do you have there in that one sentence?

Three

Three. Look at the rest of the beracha and guess what you’ll have? A pattern of three. For example, mechalkel chaim b’chesed – You sustain life with kindness. That falls under Ata Gibor le’olam Hashem, because the key ingredient into sustaining life is hashgacha pratit. And if you recall before we defined hashgacha pratit as Gevura – G-d’s power to respond to each one of us as an individual, with exactly what we need.

The next phrase is mechayei maitim b’rachamim rabim, so that’s referring to giving life to the dead, which corresponds to the second part of that phrase which was mechayei maitim Ata. Do you see? So you can divide this beracha too into three, this beracha also, sorry, into three, which is Ata Gibor le’olam Hashem – 1 column. Mechayei maisim Ata – 2nd column, Rav l’hoishia – 3rd column. All of Shemoneh Esrei fits into a mathematical pattern like this and it’s incredible. And as you daven, if you can discover how these patterns work and what the structure is, it will give you insight not only into the patterns but it will give insight into the phrases that you are davening, so it’s worthwhile.

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