Shield of Avraham
The description we give to God in the first blessing of Shemonah Essray is that He is the “shield” of Avraham.
This is a reference specifically to a promise God makes to Avraham after the war with the four kings, when Avraham was victorious and drove all four away, freeing the captives of the five kings who had been subjugated to the four. After that first “world war,” God says to Avraham: (Genesis 15:1)
Fear not Avram, I am your shield
Normally the rule according to halacha is that a blessing must include the formula Hashem E-lokainu Melech Haolam - “God our Lord King of the Universe” in order to qualify as a blessing.
And yet the only blessing of the entire prayer service that absolutely requires both for us to understand and intend every word is the first blessing of Shemonah Essray, the “Avos” blessing.
Yet it does not contain this formula!
In fact, this blessing will begin the most significant prayers not only every day, but also at the pinnacle of the holy days, for example the musaf of Rosh HaShanah and Neila on Yom Kippur. Yet we do not use the phrase “King of the Universe” with regard to God anywhere in this blessing.
Or do we?
The answer to this question lies in the concept of the Avot being the merkava l’Shechina, the “Chariot of the Divine Presence.”
The book of Genesis teaches us a wonderful story about a man, generations after the flood, to whom God spoke and to whom many adventures happened.
We see Avraham’s growth over what the Sages identify as his ten trials, climaxing of course with the binding of Yitzchok.
The core message of all the tests and promises being that God will “bring upon Avraham that which He spoke about him,” meaning the gift of the Land as an inheritance for Avraham’s children.
As the book of Genesis progresses, we see the blessing of the Land pass to Yitzchok alone as an inheritance, to the exclusion of Yishmael and the sons of Keturah. And regarding Yitzchok’s two sons, Ya'akov and Esav, the Torah is clear that only the former fulfils the “Covenant Between the Parts” in that he and his children went down to Egypt; while Esav received his inheritance as Mount Seir.
These three patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzchok and Ya'akov, form the roots of the people of Israel, whose descendants are the very Jews who identify themselves as their offspring in this first blessing of the Shemonah Essray.
We describe God as they knew Him, as we hope to know Him, as Great, Mighty, Awesome, Supernal, Giver of good kindness, Creator of All.
We identify Him this way, and mention that He “remembers” the kindness of our Patriarchs and will bring a redeemer to us, their children’s children, for His own sake, (i.e. even if we don’t deserve it) with love.
Blessed are You, God, Shield of Avraham.
Thus we do not use the phrase “King of the Universe” in short, because we have spelled out the same concept in detail, as it was actually lived, by our forefathers, whom we hope to emulate.
Let’s therefore try to understand this blessing phrase by phrase.
Blessed are You, God and God of our Fathers…
God is blessed, meaning God is the Source of All. God is our God and the God of our Forefathers. This is a unique thing that only a small minority of the world’s population can historically document themselves as being. The Jews have a very long history both from the written Torah with the Prophets, as well as the Oral Torah, through which we have kept both our identity and our ideals even as they were taught by our patriarch Avraham.
When we look in the book we find that God made a series of covenants with the Patriarchs, all of them focusing on the issues of returning the world back to a state of blessing, as well as a promise that the Land of Israel would be an inheritance for their children. These are not separate promises. The Jews will be able to return the world back to blessing in a complete way only by living as proper examples of a righteous society in Israel, the crossroads of civilisation.
Later, in the book of Exodus, we find that God also made a series of three covenants through Moshe Rabainu that bound the Jews to the Torah, and through it to our role as the world’s teachers of our Book.
In any event, to be either a Jew by birth or choice, anyone saying this blessing is part of a very select group relative to the rest of the world. This was expected, as the Torah says:2
It was not because you had greater numbers than all the other nations that God embraced you and chose you; you are among the smallest of all the nations.
It was because of God's love for you, and because He was keeping the oath that He made to your fathers. God therefore brought you out with a mighty hand, liberating you from the slave house, [and] from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
God chose us because He loves us and made a deal with our ancestors. We sure are lucky. But I like to think Jews are also pretty good at what we do. We are good at innovation. We’re naturally curious. We doggedly pursue a problem (some say obsess) until we solve it. But most of all, as the offspring of the Patriarchs (and Matriarchs) Jews on the whole share their traits of kindness, humility and mercifulness. Of course there can always be a few stinkers in the group, but in general Jews are good people.
Thus the Gemara says that the Jews are identifiable by three personality traits, they are merciful, modest, and doers of kind deeds. Some Jews aren’t so modest, it’s true. I think a person’s doing ok if they even have one of the three. But if a person is deficient in all three the Talmud implies they might not really be Jewish!
In any event, Jews are a small nation doing a big task. Back when Avraham was still Avram he battled four kings at once and was victorious, and the end result was an enormous sanctification of the “God of Avram.” The verses say:3
[Avram] brought back all the property. He also brought back his kinsman Lot and all his goods, along with the women and the [other] people.
After he returned from his victory over Chedorlaomer and his allied kings, the king of Sodom came out to greet him in Level Valley (now King's Valley).
Malkhi-tzedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. He was a priest to God, the Most High.
He blessed [Avram], and said, 'Blessed be Avram to God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.
And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.' [Avram then] gave him a tenth of everything.
The king of Sodom said to Avram, 'Give me the people. You can keep the goods.'
Avram replied to the king of Sodom, 'I have lifted my hand [in an oath] to God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth!
Not a thread nor a shoelace! I will not take anything that is yours! You should not be able to say, 'It was I who made Avram rich.'
The only exception is what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them take their share.'
After these events, God's word came to Avram in a vision, saying, 'Fear not Avram, I am your shield. Your reward is very great.
There are a number of reasons the Midrash offers as to why Avraham was afraid, but at the simple level the verse obviously can mean that Avram was concerned lest the nations he defeated want a rematch. But God assures him not to worry, “I am a shield for you.” If one is a subject of the King, the King protects him. Can we begin to see why we end this first most important bracha with this reference?
Because as we describe ourselves as being the offspring of Avraham, Isaac and Jacob, and then we describe God as the King of the universe in great detail and precision, and in doing all this we make of ourselves a “chariot” for the Divine Presence, in that we in our minds identify ourselves as servants of the Almighty. But as everyone knows - it ain’t easy being Jewish. This is because there are lots and lots of people who hate what Jews really stand for, which is a Living God who holds every individual to account.
So we have a cure for the fears of antiSemitism. Concentrate more on the blessing of “Magen Avraham.” If you truly believe in God, and you believe that you are either by historical decent or by choice as a convert the child of Avraham, then you can count yourself as one covered by the promise “I am a shield for you.” Because a King protects his servants. As you bow, and subjugate yourself to the King, you praise Him for being your shield. Trust it. Appreciate it. Bless Him for it.
The middle of the blessing described in detail how God is King over the universe. He is:
א HaAle: The Power, which means that the root of all powers in the world is God.
ב HaGadol: The Great, which means that God gives in a big way, gadol, expansive, like Avraham himself, always giving and getting bigger.
ג HaGibor: The Mighty, which means totally self-contained and in control, like Isaac, who maintains his composure on the Alter and who personifies self-mastery.
ד V’HaNorah: And The Awesome, which refers to revelation, as we say in the Pesach Hagadah, v’Norah, refers to revelation of the Divine Presence, just as God was revealed to Jacob Aveinu on top of the ladder in his amazingly prophetic dream.
ה Ale Elyon: Most High God, meaning just as Jacob saw the ladder in his dream, above all the eschelons of the Heavenly Abode, God stands alone, as only He is One, and He is the only One.
ו Gomel Chasadim Tovim: Who gives good kindnesses, as we’ve described, good in the sense of bringing something to fulfilment as it was created to be. God does not necessarily want you to win the lottery, if by doing so you will destroy yourself. This would not be a “good” kindness. All of the kindness God does is good, for really in the end God is always trying to lead us to be our best selves. Just as He said to Avraham: “Lech Lecha”/“Go for yourself.”
ז Zocher Chasdei Avos: Who “remembers” the kindness of the Patriarchs. How do we speak of God remembering when He does not forget? It is obviously metaphorical, and here is what it reveals. The word for memory, Zachor, is the same root as male, zachar. What makes a male unique is that his seed contains all the potential energy for (his part in making) a human being, and it is present right now, only right now it doesn’t look much like a human being. But the fact that it is here means the potential for a human being to be created is present. Similarly, if an event happened in the past and only exists in the memory, then there is a “seed” so to speak of the events in the mind which can recreate the events themselves by bring the past in to the present, and just a human seed, developing it and making it real. God “remembers” the kindness of the Patriarchs, who acted “kindly” toward their Creator by living as He had created people to live, which was rare, and because of the covenants He remembers, as it says:
“And I will remember the covenant with Avraham…and even the Land…..
When He does remember, He brings it into the present and develops it, which of course leads to the Geula, the redemption. So we conclude:
י״ג U’mayvee Goel l’vnei vneihem l’ma’an she’mo b’ahava: Who brings a redeemer to their children’s children for His Name’s sake with love. Those last words “with love” tell us that even though God brings the redeemer for His own sake, for His Name, He still does so out of love for us and for our ancestors. So there is nothing to be ashamed of. And nothing to be afraid of.
To sum up: We end the blessing with “Shield of Avraham” because a King protects His People, and we are His people.
1
2 Deuteronomy 7:7-8
3 Genesis 14:16-24; 15:1
This is a reference specifically to a promise God makes to Avraham after the war with the four kings, when Avraham was victorious and drove all four away, freeing the captives of the five kings who had been subjugated to the four. After that first “world war,” God says to Avraham: (Genesis 15:1)
Fear not Avram, I am your shield
Normally the rule according to halacha is that a blessing must include the formula Hashem E-lokainu Melech Haolam - “God our Lord King of the Universe” in order to qualify as a blessing.
And yet the only blessing of the entire prayer service that absolutely requires both for us to understand and intend every word is the first blessing of Shemonah Essray, the “Avos” blessing.
Yet it does not contain this formula!
In fact, this blessing will begin the most significant prayers not only every day, but also at the pinnacle of the holy days, for example the musaf of Rosh HaShanah and Neila on Yom Kippur. Yet we do not use the phrase “King of the Universe” with regard to God anywhere in this blessing.
Or do we?
The answer to this question lies in the concept of the Avot being the merkava l’Shechina, the “Chariot of the Divine Presence.”
The book of Genesis teaches us a wonderful story about a man, generations after the flood, to whom God spoke and to whom many adventures happened.
We see Avraham’s growth over what the Sages identify as his ten trials, climaxing of course with the binding of Yitzchok.
The core message of all the tests and promises being that God will “bring upon Avraham that which He spoke about him,” meaning the gift of the Land as an inheritance for Avraham’s children.
As the book of Genesis progresses, we see the blessing of the Land pass to Yitzchok alone as an inheritance, to the exclusion of Yishmael and the sons of Keturah. And regarding Yitzchok’s two sons, Ya'akov and Esav, the Torah is clear that only the former fulfils the “Covenant Between the Parts” in that he and his children went down to Egypt; while Esav received his inheritance as Mount Seir.
These three patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzchok and Ya'akov, form the roots of the people of Israel, whose descendants are the very Jews who identify themselves as their offspring in this first blessing of the Shemonah Essray.
We describe God as they knew Him, as we hope to know Him, as Great, Mighty, Awesome, Supernal, Giver of good kindness, Creator of All.
We identify Him this way, and mention that He “remembers” the kindness of our Patriarchs and will bring a redeemer to us, their children’s children, for His own sake, (i.e. even if we don’t deserve it) with love.
Blessed are You, God, Shield of Avraham.
Thus we do not use the phrase “King of the Universe” in short, because we have spelled out the same concept in detail, as it was actually lived, by our forefathers, whom we hope to emulate.
Let’s therefore try to understand this blessing phrase by phrase.
Blessed are You, God and God of our Fathers…
God is blessed, meaning God is the Source of All. God is our God and the God of our Forefathers. This is a unique thing that only a small minority of the world’s population can historically document themselves as being. The Jews have a very long history both from the written Torah with the Prophets, as well as the Oral Torah, through which we have kept both our identity and our ideals even as they were taught by our patriarch Avraham.
When we look in the book we find that God made a series of covenants with the Patriarchs, all of them focusing on the issues of returning the world back to a state of blessing, as well as a promise that the Land of Israel would be an inheritance for their children. These are not separate promises. The Jews will be able to return the world back to blessing in a complete way only by living as proper examples of a righteous society in Israel, the crossroads of civilisation.
Later, in the book of Exodus, we find that God also made a series of three covenants through Moshe Rabainu that bound the Jews to the Torah, and through it to our role as the world’s teachers of our Book.
In any event, to be either a Jew by birth or choice, anyone saying this blessing is part of a very select group relative to the rest of the world. This was expected, as the Torah says:2
It was not because you had greater numbers than all the other nations that God embraced you and chose you; you are among the smallest of all the nations.
It was because of God's love for you, and because He was keeping the oath that He made to your fathers. God therefore brought you out with a mighty hand, liberating you from the slave house, [and] from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
God chose us because He loves us and made a deal with our ancestors. We sure are lucky. But I like to think Jews are also pretty good at what we do. We are good at innovation. We’re naturally curious. We doggedly pursue a problem (some say obsess) until we solve it. But most of all, as the offspring of the Patriarchs (and Matriarchs) Jews on the whole share their traits of kindness, humility and mercifulness. Of course there can always be a few stinkers in the group, but in general Jews are good people.
Thus the Gemara says that the Jews are identifiable by three personality traits, they are merciful, modest, and doers of kind deeds. Some Jews aren’t so modest, it’s true. I think a person’s doing ok if they even have one of the three. But if a person is deficient in all three the Talmud implies they might not really be Jewish!
In any event, Jews are a small nation doing a big task. Back when Avraham was still Avram he battled four kings at once and was victorious, and the end result was an enormous sanctification of the “God of Avram.” The verses say:3
[Avram] brought back all the property. He also brought back his kinsman Lot and all his goods, along with the women and the [other] people.
After he returned from his victory over Chedorlaomer and his allied kings, the king of Sodom came out to greet him in Level Valley (now King's Valley).
Malkhi-tzedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. He was a priest to God, the Most High.
He blessed [Avram], and said, 'Blessed be Avram to God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.
And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.' [Avram then] gave him a tenth of everything.
The king of Sodom said to Avram, 'Give me the people. You can keep the goods.'
Avram replied to the king of Sodom, 'I have lifted my hand [in an oath] to God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth!
Not a thread nor a shoelace! I will not take anything that is yours! You should not be able to say, 'It was I who made Avram rich.'
The only exception is what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them take their share.'
After these events, God's word came to Avram in a vision, saying, 'Fear not Avram, I am your shield. Your reward is very great.
There are a number of reasons the Midrash offers as to why Avraham was afraid, but at the simple level the verse obviously can mean that Avram was concerned lest the nations he defeated want a rematch. But God assures him not to worry, “I am a shield for you.” If one is a subject of the King, the King protects him. Can we begin to see why we end this first most important bracha with this reference?
Because as we describe ourselves as being the offspring of Avraham, Isaac and Jacob, and then we describe God as the King of the universe in great detail and precision, and in doing all this we make of ourselves a “chariot” for the Divine Presence, in that we in our minds identify ourselves as servants of the Almighty. But as everyone knows - it ain’t easy being Jewish. This is because there are lots and lots of people who hate what Jews really stand for, which is a Living God who holds every individual to account.
So we have a cure for the fears of antiSemitism. Concentrate more on the blessing of “Magen Avraham.” If you truly believe in God, and you believe that you are either by historical decent or by choice as a convert the child of Avraham, then you can count yourself as one covered by the promise “I am a shield for you.” Because a King protects his servants. As you bow, and subjugate yourself to the King, you praise Him for being your shield. Trust it. Appreciate it. Bless Him for it.
The middle of the blessing described in detail how God is King over the universe. He is:
א HaAle: The Power, which means that the root of all powers in the world is God.
ב HaGadol: The Great, which means that God gives in a big way, gadol, expansive, like Avraham himself, always giving and getting bigger.
ג HaGibor: The Mighty, which means totally self-contained and in control, like Isaac, who maintains his composure on the Alter and who personifies self-mastery.
ד V’HaNorah: And The Awesome, which refers to revelation, as we say in the Pesach Hagadah, v’Norah, refers to revelation of the Divine Presence, just as God was revealed to Jacob Aveinu on top of the ladder in his amazingly prophetic dream.
ה Ale Elyon: Most High God, meaning just as Jacob saw the ladder in his dream, above all the eschelons of the Heavenly Abode, God stands alone, as only He is One, and He is the only One.
ו Gomel Chasadim Tovim: Who gives good kindnesses, as we’ve described, good in the sense of bringing something to fulfilment as it was created to be. God does not necessarily want you to win the lottery, if by doing so you will destroy yourself. This would not be a “good” kindness. All of the kindness God does is good, for really in the end God is always trying to lead us to be our best selves. Just as He said to Avraham: “Lech Lecha”/“Go for yourself.”
ז Zocher Chasdei Avos: Who “remembers” the kindness of the Patriarchs. How do we speak of God remembering when He does not forget? It is obviously metaphorical, and here is what it reveals. The word for memory, Zachor, is the same root as male, zachar. What makes a male unique is that his seed contains all the potential energy for (his part in making) a human being, and it is present right now, only right now it doesn’t look much like a human being. But the fact that it is here means the potential for a human being to be created is present. Similarly, if an event happened in the past and only exists in the memory, then there is a “seed” so to speak of the events in the mind which can recreate the events themselves by bring the past in to the present, and just a human seed, developing it and making it real. God “remembers” the kindness of the Patriarchs, who acted “kindly” toward their Creator by living as He had created people to live, which was rare, and because of the covenants He remembers, as it says:
“And I will remember the covenant with Avraham…and even the Land…..
When He does remember, He brings it into the present and develops it, which of course leads to the Geula, the redemption. So we conclude:
י״ג U’mayvee Goel l’vnei vneihem l’ma’an she’mo b’ahava: Who brings a redeemer to their children’s children for His Name’s sake with love. Those last words “with love” tell us that even though God brings the redeemer for His own sake, for His Name, He still does so out of love for us and for our ancestors. So there is nothing to be ashamed of. And nothing to be afraid of.
To sum up: We end the blessing with “Shield of Avraham” because a King protects His People, and we are His people.
1
2 Deuteronomy 7:7-8
3 Genesis 14:16-24; 15:1