[Avodah] Machnisei Rachamim

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Micha Berger wrote:
> There is a diference between davening to Hashem knowing that
> mal'akhim bring up the prayer and actually turning to the
> mal'akh and begging him to do so. "Machnisei Rachamim" is
> literally the latter.

Depending on one's perspective, the differences between "davening", "begging", and "asking" might be subtle or glaring. We all agree that if we are going to address the malachim at all, we'd better be very sure that we don't cross the line into assur territory.

So how *do* we describe what we are doing in these situations? Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's response is to describe what we are saying to the malachim with yet another verb.

The remainder of this post is excerpted from Halichos Shlomo, volume Moadim (on RH), Orchos Halacha 1:17. (Note that very similar comments appear in Halichos Shlomo, volume Tefilah, Orchos Halacha 17:4.)

> Regarding the requests which we seem to asking from the mal'achim, such as Machnisei Rachamim and such, Rabeinu [RSZA] said that [the following] is mistaber [logical]: For that thing which this mal'ach has been appointed over, it is shapir mutar [plainly okay] to tell him to do it. ...

> We find a similar thing where we conclude "Oseh Shalom" with the words "V'imru Amen" - as if one is telling others to answer - even when we are alone. See the Magen Avraham 66:7, that he is saying it to the mal'achim. That's what we do on Shabbos Kodesh night, saying to the mal'achim, "Shalom aleichem, barchuni l'shalom...." ... We are not *asking* them, but *saying* to them to do their job. [Ayn anu m'vakshim ela omrim lahem laasos tafkidam.]

> In his handwritten hidushim on Maseches Shabbos 119b, Rabeinu [RSZA] wrote that perhaps this is why the Shabbos night piyut of "Shalom Aleichem" in the siddurim only has "mal'achei hashareis" in the first stanza but no further, to emphasize that in the stanza of "Barchuni", that our request that they bless us for shalom, is *not* because of their status as Mal'achei Hashareis, but because they are Mal'achei HaShalom, and this is their job. ...

Akiva Miller

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