15 September, 2009

Point to ponder- Yomim Noraim

During our weekday Shemona Esrah we have one brocha where we daven for the abolishing of the wicked- 'velamalshienim'. And one brocha asking for the welfare of the righteous 'al hatzadikim'. In the shemona esrah of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, both of these tefillos are found in the brocha of 'Ata Kodosh'. We say 'U'vechain Tzadikim'- where we ask that the Tzadikim should live to and enjoy the times of Moshiach. Then we ask 'Vechol haresha kula kason techleh'- the evil in the world should disintegrate.
Why is it that during the year we first ask for the abolishment of evil- sur m'rah and then the asai tov- the longevity of the righteous, while on the Yomim Noraim we switch the order to first aseh tov and then sur m'rah?

3 comments:

karma dude said...

If I may humbly, (only because it's Elul) propose an answer, I imagine it would go something like this:
It says "ki ha'adom rah miniurav" for man is evil from the time of his youth. It seems us mortals have evil tendencies. Our job on this earth is to work on ourselves and develop ourselves, to eradicate these tendencies from our nature and convert them to positive, constructive, and all around good traits. As such, we pray for help to first eradicate the evil, and then reward the good.
In the Rosh Hashana davening, the bracha speaks of the time after the coming of the messiah (and I don't mean comrade Obama). At that time, just as in the next world, we can no longer build, sculpt, and mold ourselves as we can here and now, we can only reap reward and benefit for the work we've done. And in contrast, those who did not work in the here and now, and remained evil (now I do mean comrade Obama) will get their punishment. But at that point, the evil that exists will no longer affect those of us trying to better ourselves. Therefore we first mention the righteous, and then the others (I don't want to turn this in to a political forum so I won't mention his name again, but you know who I'm I talking about).

A kesiva vachasima tova and a happy sweet new year to all. Especially Bracha Masha.

~me~ said...

Karma, I like your answer. however i have a little different twist.
During the year, its before the reshoim did teshuva, and therefore lets abolish them, and let the tzadikim reign. ,make sure the reshoim arent there to ruin what they want to do.
However on Rosh Hashana, when we have a New year, and we assume everyone does teshuva, it is then we are all Tzadikim.
However that one--The rasha-- who distanced himself from the tzadik-who was porish- and doesnt want a part of them, then we ask: 'Vechol haresha kula kason techleh'- the evil in the world should disintegrate.
Have a Kesiva V'Chasima Tova and let all of us be inscribed in the sefer of Chaim, the sefer that we all share in each others simcha, and that we see moshiach

Mr. S said...

The avoida of Rosh Hashana is asai tov, we are looking forward to the new year, making kabolos and building to a better self. That could be why we don't mention tsuvah on R"H and wait only till yom kippur for the sur m'rah.

PS -- There is a theory that 'velamalshienim' and 'al hatzadikim' were once one brocha, it was split and a chasima added to 'velamalshienim'. I forgot the exact line of thought, but it has something to do with the things we say by chazaris hashatz on Purim