Rosh Hashanah Prayers: U’Vchein

U’vchein appears one time in Tanach, and that is when Esther and Mordechai have debated how she should go in to Achashveirosh.  Esther finally says, “u’vchein” – you will fast three days and three nights for me and so will my handmaidens and I, “u’vchein” – and so I will go into the King and risk everything. That’s u’vchein.

U’vchein means we say to Hashem, we may not be worthy of You. We may not even be worthy of another year of life, we may not be worthy of making these requests but this is something I want so desperately that despite the fact that I am unprepared – u’vchein, as I am, with this in mind I am coming to you because I so desperately want a relationship with you, and so the u’vchein’s in the davening take up on Esther’s approach, I want something, it has to be done. I will do what has to be done whether I am prepared or not.

In the same way, the Zohar says, Ya’akov wears the clothes of Eisav. The Jew goes into Hashem wearing his sins and says to Hashem, I want a relationship with You so badly that I am willing to risk it all to have it and when Hashem sees that, Hashem is moved, because what Hashem wants is the relationship more than anything else and Hashem rises from the throne of justice and sits on the throne of mercy. Those are the u’vcheins.