Thursday, October 08, 2020

hoshana lmaancha Elokeinu

 The gemara (San 97a) writes that Mashiach ben David will not come עד שתכלה פרוטה מן הכיס

In Divrei Yechezkel the Shiniver quotes his FIL the Yismach Moshe who explained pshat in the gemara as revealed by Eliyahu haNavi: Mashich will not come until our pratiyus, our obsession with out own individual needs, our own wants and desires (see this post on mitzvas peret), is removed from covering (kis = kisuy, covering) over our hearts.  

This is what Hoshana Rabbah is all about.  "Hoshana l'maancha Elokeinu" -- the Shiniver explains we are not asking Hashem on this day of the chasima to give us a yeshuah because we need it, we are not asking for parnasa, refulah, bracha etc, because we need it, we are not talking at all about our needs and our wants, even though each one of us has much to ask for.  Instead, we put aside all that pratiyus and we ask for a yeshuvah "lmaancha Elokeinu," for your sake alone, Hashem, not ours.  It's not about us -- it's just about you, about kvod shamayim.  

How can Hashem say no to a tefilah like that? 

1 comment:

  1. this must fool Hashem into thinking us selfless-- do what it just so happens we need, for Your sake [rather than: do Absolutely whatever You would, for Your sake]

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