Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on July 30, 2021

By Rabbi David Etengoff

Our parasha, Eikev, contains a phrase, familiar to many, that is found in the first blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei: He is the great (hagadol), mighty (hagibor) and awesome (vhanorah) G-d. If this is acceptable, one might think it is permissible to add other descriptions of the Almighty during the recitation of the Shemoneh Esrei.

This approach was undertaken by an anonymous shaliach tzibbur who, to his surprise, was strongly criticized by Rabbi Chanina bar Chama, as recounted in Talmud Bavli, Berachot 33b: A certain [reader] went down in the presence of Rabbi Chanina and said, G-d, the great, mighty, awesome, powerful, mighty, awe-inspiring, strong, fearless, steadfast and honored. When he completed [his prayer] he said to him, Have you concluded all the praise of your Master? Why do we want all this?

Rabbi Chanina summarily rejected the shaliach tzibburs personal additions, asking him the rhetorical question, Have you concluded all the praise of your Master? Why do we want all this?

Moreover, in the continuation of our Talmudic passage, Rabbi Chanina further teaches that even the three praises would not have been included in the Shemoneh Esrei by the Anshei Kenneset HaGadolah had not Moshe Rabbeinu mentioned them in the Torah.

The Rambam codified this position of the Gemara: A person should not be profuse in his mention of adjectives describing G-d, and say: The great, mighty, awesome, powerful, courageous, and strong G-d, for it is impossible for man to express the totality of His praises. Instead, one should mention [only] the praises that were mentioned by Moshe, of blessed memory.

The Rambams reasoning as to why one is proscribed from adding new descriptions of Hashem in the Shemoneh Esrei is clear: For it is impossible for man to express the totality of His praises. Quite simply, finite man is incapable of properly depicting the majesty and greatness of the Almighty. Therefore, our praises must be limited to the Torahs own words, no matter how language-adept we may be.

Both Rabbi Chaninas position and the Rambams halachic conclusion were anticipated by Dovid HaMelech in Tehillim 106:2: Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the L-rd? [Who] can make heard all His praise? As Rabbeinu Ibn Ezra explains in his commentary on Sefer Tehillim: [Dovid HaMelech] provides us with the rationale as to why we laud Hashem, even though no one has the ability to [accurately] praise His mighty deeds and make known His true degree of greatness, but rather, only a portion thereof.

Closer to our own time, the Malbims gloss on this verse echoes this interpretation by emphasizing our inability to apprehend Hashems essence and the magnitude of His grandeur: This means we praise Hashem because He is wholly good and His kindness is forever, and not He, Himself [as His essence eludes us], since it is impossible to speak of His mighty deeds mtzad atzmam (as they are in reality).

With Hashems endless beneficience, may we be zocheh to grow ever closer to Him. May we realize His goodnesss and recognize that His kindness endures, forevermore. Vchane yihi ratzon.

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Hearing words that can define all of His praises - The Jewish Star

Category: Talmud
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