In the eleventh bracha of the Shemoneh Esrei, we ask Hashem, “Hashiva shofteinu k’varishona – Bring back for us our Judges like it once was.” The Yaros Devash explains that this is a request for the return of the Sanhedrin, the holy Supreme Court of Klal Yisrael, for the Rambam says categorically that the heir of Dovid HaMelech will not come until the Sanhedrin is in place. He elaborates that when Eliyahu HaNavi will come, he will revive the Sanhedrin which will lead to the Redemption. We emphasize in our petition k’varishona, like it was in the beginning. The Siddur HaOruch explains that even though there was a Sanhedrin during the Second Temple together with the holy Anshei K’neses HaGadolah, it didn’t have the same power and clout as did the Sanhedrin of the First Temple.
The complete wording of our request is, “Shofteinu k’varishona, vyo’atzeinu k’vatchila – Our Judges as before and our Advisors like in the beginning.” The Medrash explains the initial Judges were Dovid and Shlomo and the initial Advisors were Moshe and Aron. The Malbim defines Judges as those who govern the laws of jurisprudence between man and his fellow, while the Advisors are those who give us counsel to succeed in our relationship with Hashem. As the Olas Tamid says, the Advisors refer to the Nevi’im, the Prophets who taught us how to succeed in our spiritual endeavors.
The Maggid of Mezeritch, zt”l, zy”a, has another spin on this request. He translates shofteinu as our rulers and he says it refers to our yeitzer hara and yeitzer tov, our evil inclination and our good inclination which rule over our life decisions at any given moment. We ask Hashem that they should return to their position at Har Sinai when we served Hashem even with our evil inclination utilizing also our base desires to further our Divine service. Thus, we ate in order to learn better, we slept to be in a good mood for our spouse and to daven with more vigor, we worked to give our children a Torah education, and so on.
Then we ask, “V’haseir mimenu yagon va’anacha – And remove from us grief and groaning.” Rav Dovid Cohen, shlit”a, observes that the only place in the Shemoneh Esrei where it mentions grief is in this blessing because there is nothing that causes more grief and woe than corrupt courts. The Vilna Gaon, zt”l, zy”a, explains the subtle difference between yagon and anacha. Grief, he explains, is the physical pain of suffering while anacha refers to worry and fear, so often the fate of people who are worried about the impending doom of a serious verdict.
Then we ask, “Um’loch aleinu Attah Hashem l’vadcha b’chesed uv’rachamim – And rule over us Hashem, Yourself, with kindness and mercy.” Rav Avraham, the son of the Gr”a, zt”l, zy”a, explains that we ask for Hashem’s exclusive intervention in our judgment since, when the pamalya shel maalah, the Heavenly tribunal judges us, they only look at our actions. They don’t take into account our failed attempts and good intentions. Hashem, however, takes all of these things into account and therefore we want Him to attend to our fate.
We end the blessing with two words upon which I personally have powerful concentration thrice daily. They are, “V’tzadkeinu bamishpat – And decide for us a charitable judgment,” or, “Deem us righteous in judgment.” Either way, what clued me in to the importance of this stanza are the words of the holy Olas Tamid. He writes, “T’chavein meod b’zeh – Concentrate exceedingly on this stanza.” He explains, the Gemara in Masechtas Rosh Hashana [11] quotes Rav Yossi who says, “Adom nidon b’chol yom – A person is judged every day,” while Rav Nosson says, Adom nidon b’chol sha’ah – A person is judged every hour.” He then quotes the Zohar in Parshas Tzav which is brought down in the Chok in Parshas Shelach that, “Every day judgment hovers over the world and therefore every person needs to preface his foray into the world with a petition for mercy before the Heavenly King to be spared from the strict din, judgment that is present daily.” Thus, concludes the Olas Tamid, when it says v’tzadkeinu bamishpat, we should plead with Hashem that He should judge us daily with tzedakah and chesed, charity and kindness.
In the merit of our perpetual request to Hashem for mercy and kindness, may he bless us with long life, good health, and everything wonderful.
Transcribed and edited by Shelley Zeitlin.
