<html><head><title>[Aspaqlaria] Ana Hashem</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/wp-content/themes/twentyeleven/style.css" type="text/css" media="screen" /></head><body>Aspaqlaria has posted a new item, '<a href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem">Ana Hashem</a>'<br />
<br />
<font size=+1><br />
<p>(This post comes with background music. If you listen to a capella singing during the omer, press play below now. “Ana Hashem”, sung by Nachum Stark, from “A Sefirah Kumzitz”.)</p>
<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');</script><![endif]-->
<audio class="wp-audio-shortcode" id="audio-4289-1" preload="none" style="width: 100%" controls="controls"><source type="audio/mpeg" src="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Stark-Ana-Hashem.mp3?_=1" /><a href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Stark-Ana-Hashem.mp3">http://www.aishdas.org/asp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Stark-Ana-Hashem.mp3</a></audio>
<p>There is a story about an early Gerer <em>chassid</em> who went to the “Chiddushei haRim” (Rav Yitzchaq Meir Alter, the first Gerer Rebbe, 1799-1866) with a heavy problem. His business had been failing for a while, and now he was far behind on a number of bills, and facing the threat of debtor’s prison. The next day happened to be <em>Rosh Chodesh</em>, and the ChR advised the chassid that when he said Hallel the next day, he should say “Ana Hashem” with extra <em>kavanah</em>.</p>
<p>After the <em>rebbe</em> walked away, the man and his friend got into a heated argument about what exactly the advice was: One <em>chassid</em> insisted the rebbe meant “<em>Ana Hashem hoshia na</em> — Please, Hashem, save!” because the man needed to be saved from prison. The other was sure it was <em>Ana Hashem hatzlikha na</em> — Please, Hashem, provide success!” because the fundamental problem was that he needed more success in his business.</p>
<p>As they were debating, the Chiddushei haRim’s grandson, Yehudah Aryeh Leib — the future Sefas Emes, passed by. (The Chiddushei haRim raised his orphaned grandson and successor.) The boy interrupted. “Neither of you understand. The rebbe meant ‘<em>Ana Hashem ki ani avdekha</em> – Please Hashem, because I am Your servant’!”</p>
<blockquote>
<div dir="rtl">אָֽנָּ֣ה ה֮׳ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֪י עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ אֲֽנִי־עַ֭בְדְּךָ בֶּן־אֲמָתֶ֑ךָ פִּ֝תַּ֗חְתָּ לְמוֹסֵרָֽי׃</div>
<p>Please, Hashem, because I am your servant,<br />
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant;<br />
You have opened my bonds.</p>
<div style="padding-left: 150px;">- <a href="http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26116.htm#16">Tehillim 116:16</a> (and Hallel)</div>
</blockquote>
<p>Rav Hirsch understands the root of “עבד” as an intensive form of “אבד”, just as the <em>ayin</em> is pronounced (by traditions that pronounce it at all) as a voiced version of the sound of an <em>alef</em>. “לאבד” is to lose, “לעבד” is for one’s will to be lost to that of another, to do what they desire and the servant’s will remains submerged.</p>
<p>But the term for “maidservant” is from a different root, she is an “אמה”. When the Torah describes Pharaoh’s daughter reaching out to save Moshe from the Nile, the Author writes, “… she saw the ark among the reeds, and sent her <em>ammah</em> to fetch it.” The normal reading is that she sent a handmaiden. But an <em>ammah</em> is also forearm (which is why it’s also a cubit, the length of a forearm). And so the <em>gemara </em>(<a href="http://e-daf.com/index.asp?ID=2377&size=1">Sotah 12b</a>) records a dispute whether indeed a maidservant was sent or that Pharaoh’s daughter’s arm (<em>ammah</em>) stretched many <em>ammos</em> as she reached out to get the baby. (Perhaps the dispute being whether the essence of the story was her refusal to rely on someone else coming by, including a miracle, or whether it’s about our duty to run to the aid of others and let Hashem worry about whether we succeed
.)</p>
<p>We see from this <em>gemara</em> that an <em>ammah</em> is a servant who is an extension of her mistress’s will. (I would contrast to <em>shifchah</em>, another term for a maidservant, but it’s both out of scope and I have no ideas.)</p>
<p>So, in this verse of Hallel we are describing ourselves as servants in terms of ignoring our own desires in favor of Hashem’s, but as children of servants whose own desires are an extension of Hashem’s Will.</p>
<p>Perhaps this is also the difference between the morning berakhos. Men say “<em>shelo asani ishah</em> — Who did not make me a woman” in gratitude for being obligated in more mitzvos than women. Women too can perform nearly all of these <em>mitzvos</em> voluntarily — as an <em>amah</em> whose own desire coincides with the <em>mitzvah</em>. But a man is thankful to be an <em>eved</em>, commanded to act despite our own desires.</p>
<p>Instead of that <em>berakhah</em>, the geonim instituted that women say “<em>she’asani kiRtzono — </em>Who made me according to His Will.” Because the typical woman (and who is ever really fully typical?) is more “according to His Will”, an <em>ammah</em>.</p>
<p>But it is submission to duty despite my own Will and my own desire that does the most to hone my soul. To perform a <em>mitzvah </em> I feel already deepens that feeling, but to perform one I don’t feel yet has the power to create an inculcate it. And so we conclude the <em>pasuq</em>, “<em>pitachta lemoseirai </em>– you opened my bonds”. David haMelekh, “David avdi — David My servant” as Hashem calls him (Tehillim 89:21), thanks G-d for being freed from his bonds. Being an <em>eved</em> itself brings one to becoming a “<em>ben amasekha</em>“.</p>
<p> </p>
<div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Share on Facebook" id="sharing-facebook-4289"><span></span></a></li><li class="share-google-plus-1"><a rel="nofollow" class="share-google-plus-1 sd-button share-icon no-text" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem?share=google-plus-1" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Google+" id="sharing-google-4289"><span></span></a></li><li class="share-linkedin"><a rel="nofollow" class="share-linkedin sd-button share-icon no-text" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem?share=linkedin" target="_blank" title="Click to share on LinkedIn" id="sharing-linkedin-4289"><span></span></a></li><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofo
llow" class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" id="sharing-twitter-4289"><span></span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow" class="share-email sd-button share-icon no-text" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem?share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email this to a friend"><span></span></a></li><li class="share-print"><a rel="nofollow" class="share-print sd-button share-icon no-text" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem" target="_blank" title="Click to print"><span></span></a></li><li><a href="#" class="sharing-anchor sd-button share-more"><span>More</span></a></li><li class="share-end"></li></ul><div class="sharing-hidden"><div class="inner" style="display: none;"><ul><li class="share-digg"><a rel="nofollow" class="share-digg sd-button share-icon no-text" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem?share=digg" target="_blank"
title="Click to Digg this post"><span></span></a></li><li class="share-pocket"><a rel="nofollow" class="share-pocket sd-button share-icon no-text" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem?share=pocket" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Pocket"><span></span></a></li><li class="share-end"></li><li class="share-pinterest"><a rel="nofollow" class="share-pinterest sd-button share-icon no-text" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem?share=pinterest" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Pinterest"><span></span></a></li><li class="share-reddit"><a rel="nofollow" class="share-reddit sd-button share-icon no-text" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem?share=reddit" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Reddit"><span></span></a></li><li class="share-end"></li><li class="share-stumbleupon"><a rel="nofollow" class="share-stumbleupon sd-button share-icon no-text" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem?share=stumbleupon" target="_blank" title="Click to shar
e on StumbleUpon"><span></span></a></li><li class="share-tumblr"><a rel="nofollow" class="share-tumblr sd-button share-icon no-text" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem?share=tumblr" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Tumblr"><span></span></a></li><li class="share-end"></li><li class="share-end"></li></ul></div></div></div></div></div><a href="http://api.addthis.com/oexchange/0.8/forward/facebook/offer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aishdas.org%2Fasp%2Fana-hashem" target="_blank" ><img src="http://cache.addthiscdn.com/icons/v1/thumbs/facebook.gif" border="0" style="margin: 1px;" alt="Like" /></a><a href="http://api.addthis.com/oexchange/0.8/forward/twitter/offer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aishdas.org%2Fasp%2Fana-hashem&title=Ana+Hashem" target="_blank" ><img src="http://cache.addthiscdn.com/icons/v1/thumbs/twitter.gif" border="0" style="margin: 1px;" alt="Tweet" /></a><br />
</font><br />
<br />
You may view the latest post at<br />
<a href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem">http://www.aishdas.org/asp/ana-hashem</a><br />
<br />
You received this e-mail because you asked to be notified when new updates are posted.<br />
Best regards,<br />
micha<br />
micha@aishdas.org</body></html>