ברכת המזון  - רחם נא

 

 

Birchat Rachem

- Steve Gordon

  

                This Berachah is a plea to Hashem to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. This is not the only place in our prayers that we mention Jerusalem. We pray to G-d three times a day to rebuild it, and at every gathering of Jews we remember its destruction. An example of this is at a wedding, where the groom breaks a glass to represent the destruction of Jerusalem. Also near the end of the Seder and at the end of Yom Kippur, we express our great yearning to rebuild and return to Jerusalem by saying, “Next year in Jerusalem.” We always do these rituals and say these phrases, but have we ever asked ourselves, “What is so great about Jerusalem? What makes this city so special that we have to mention it so often?”

            The answer to this question is that sometimes in our lives we are confused about what everything is about and what the purpose of life is. In days of old, someone could go to see Jerusalem and the Temple, and they would be spiritually recharged.  Their faith would be renewed completely and this confusion would disappear.  In the Temple there were ten miracles that occurred constantly, such as the pillar of smoke coming off of the altar, which would always go directly toward heaven. Also the Temple was “heaven on earth” and the spiritual levels there are much higher than in the rest of the world.  Inside the Temple, miraculously, certain laws of physics were suspended. During Yom Kippur while the Cohen Gadol did the service, the courtyard was packed with many Jews. When it came time for everyone to prostrate himself flat on the ground, there was enough space for everyone. Whoever would see these miracles and feel the spirituality of the place would automatically believe firmly in HaShem.

In a world without our Temple, we often find ourselves in confusion regarding the presence of HaShem and the place of spirituality in our lives.  This is why we pray that this clarity in life is returned to us.