Yiras Hashem and Prayer 2

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹקינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַּנוֹתֵן לַשֶּֽׂכְוִי בִינָה לְהַבְחִין בֵּין יוֹם וּבֵין לָֽיְלָה

Blessed are You, Hashem our Source of All Powers, King of the Universe,

Who gives the rooster understanding to distinguish between day and night.

 

Q: What are we really saying when we bless Hashem with this morning blessing?

Q: What is this gift of Bina , to distinguish between day and night allow for?

 

One needs Bina to have “Awe of Hashem”.  Therefore we can use this bracha for acquiring this midah of Yiras Hashem.[1]

This  Binah ability to distinguish between day and night so to speak is also depicted by Rabeinu Yona when asking yourself the question of  Akavia Ben Mahalalel [2],

וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ , And to where are you going?

He says that if one uses his thinking faculties, he can then attain clarity, remove confusion from his mind,  leading such a person to have awe of Hashem.  Such a person will  reach the clarity of truth of knowing what Shlomo Hamelech concluded in Koheles, to know the only thing there is, is to have awe of Hashem, His Mitzvos to guard, as this is all a person is.

ס֥וֹף דָּבָ֖ר הַכֹּ֣ל נִשְׁמָ֑ע אֶת־הָאֱלֹקים יְרָא֙ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתָ֣יו שְׁמ֔וֹר כִּי־זֶ֖ה כׇּל־הָאָדָֽם [3]

Yiras Hashem is also one of the constant Mitzvos; so clearly a most essential Mitzvah and Midah one acquires.

Q: Why is this such an essential?

Q: What is it that one is really able to access with this Bracha?

Q: What does it mean Practically?

If we examine the words of Shlomo Hamelech[4], in Mishlei we find that he promises eternal gifts to one who understands Binah – Yiras Hashem.

The  Ibn Ezra explains these components as follows:

1. To be able listen and learn from the one directing him.
2. To acquire Avodas Hashem and וכל מעשה הטוב, all good deeds.
3. Justice between a man and his friends, (seeking the ways of Hashem)
4. The intellect to know how to be righteous .

Yiras Hashem is therefore a prerequisite to:

Listening and learning the proper ways of Hashem.  It is the prerequisite for our Avodas Hashem and all the good we do.  It is only with this midah that we can actually make sure to conduct ourselves justly between man and his fellow human beings.  It provides us with the Sechel, the intellect to know what is righteous.

When we say this bracha, we are acknowledging this gift Hashem bestowed us with , we have the gift of  Binah ” to direct our heart to heaven”.

“Because, for this purpose [only], the entire man was created.” says Rashi on the words of Shlomo Hamelech in Koheles (12:13)

Using one’s Binah, described as:

וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ ,  “And to where are you going”  or

referred to as “Directing our heart to heaven”  is a function of prayer!

May we be Zoche to be such Daveners,  to receive this special gift of Bina:

• So that our ears listen, and learn the ways of Hashem.
• So that we serve Hashem and our actions are all good.
• So that our interactions with our fellow man is beautiful in the eyes of Hashem.
• So that our highest intellect knows what  Tzedek is.

So we fulfill the purpose of creation Biezras הַּנוֹתֵן לַשֶּֽׂכְוִי בִינָה לְהַבְחִין בֵּין יוֹם וּבֵין לָֽיְלָה.

 

 

 

 

 

[1] https://partnersinprayer.com/forums/topic/2585/

[2] Pirkei Avos, 3:1, Rabeinu Yona

[3] Koheles, 12:13

ס֥וֹף דָּבָ֖ר הַכֹּ֣ל נִשְׁמָ֑ע אֶת־הָאֱלֹקים יְרָא֙ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתָ֣יו שְׁמ֔וֹר כִּי־זֶ֖ה כׇּל־הָאָדָֽם

The sum of the matter, when all is said and done: Revere The Source of All Powers and observe His commandments! For this applies to all mankind

[4] לָ֭קַחַת מוּסַ֣ר הַשְׂכֵּ֑ל צֶ֥דֶק וּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט וּמֵשָׁרִֽים

For acquiring מוּסַ֣ר הַשְׂכֵּ֑ל,
Righteousness, justice, and equity;