יְהוָ֥ה חָנֵּ֖נוּ לְךָ֣ קִוִּ֑ינוּ הֱיֵ֤ה זְרֹעָם֙ לַבְּקָרִ֔ים אַף־יְשׁוּעָתֵ֖נוּ בְּעֵ֥ת צָרָֽה׃
Ya Yang Mahakekal, kasihanilah kami; kepada-Mu kami berharap. Jadilah lengan mereka setiap pagi, juga keselamatan kami pada waktu kesesakan.
Devarim Rabbah
“I pleaded with the Lord” – this is what the verse said: “A poor person speaks with pleas, and a wealthy one responds harshly” (Proverbs 18:23). Rabbi Tanḥuma said: “A poor person speaks with pleas” – this is Moses, who came to his Creator with pleas. “And a wealthy one responds harshly” – the wealthy One of the world, namely the Holy One blessed be He. He answered him harshly, as it is stated: “Do not continue speaking to Me” (Deuteronomy 3:26).
Another matter: Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “A poor person speaks with pleas [taḥanunim]” (Proverbs 18:23) – these are the prophets of Israel. “And a wealthy one responds harshly” (Proverbs 18:23) – these are the prophets of the nations of the world. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: There was no one in the nations of the world more righteous than Job, and he came only with reproaches [tokhaḥot], as it is stated: “I would organize my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments [tokhaḥot]” (Job 23:4). There were none greater among the prophets than Moses and Isaiah, and both of them came only with pleas. Isaiah said: “Lord, be gracious to us [ḥanenu] ; we have longed for You” (Isaiah 33:2), and Moses said: “I pleaded [va’etḥanan] with the Lord.”
Another matter: “I pleaded with the Lord” – to what is the matter comparable? To a noblewoman who bore a child.5Some interpret this to refer to a concubine of the king (see Midrash HaMevo’ar). In any event, the meaning is that because she bore a child to the king or ruler, she could enter the palace whenever she wanted. All the days that her son was alive, she would enter the palace with impunity. When her son died, she began asking to enter with pleas. So, as long as Israel was alive in the wilderness, Moses would enter before the Holy One blessed be He with impunity: “Lord, why will Your wrath be enflamed against Your people” (Exodus 32:11)? “Please pardon the iniquity of this people…” (Numbers 14:19). When Israel died in the wilderness,6This refers to the generation that had experienced the exodus from Egypt. he began asking to enter the Land of Israel with pleas – “I pleaded.”
Another matter: Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “A poor person speaks with pleas [taḥanunim]” (Proverbs 18:23) – these are the prophets of Israel. “And a wealthy one responds harshly” (Proverbs 18:23) – these are the prophets of the nations of the world. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: There was no one in the nations of the world more righteous than Job, and he came only with reproaches [tokhaḥot], as it is stated: “I would organize my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments [tokhaḥot]” (Job 23:4). There were none greater among the prophets than Moses and Isaiah, and both of them came only with pleas. Isaiah said: “Lord, be gracious to us [ḥanenu] ; we have longed for You” (Isaiah 33:2), and Moses said: “I pleaded [va’etḥanan] with the Lord.”
Another matter: “I pleaded with the Lord” – to what is the matter comparable? To a noblewoman who bore a child.5Some interpret this to refer to a concubine of the king (see Midrash HaMevo’ar). In any event, the meaning is that because she bore a child to the king or ruler, she could enter the palace whenever she wanted. All the days that her son was alive, she would enter the palace with impunity. When her son died, she began asking to enter with pleas. So, as long as Israel was alive in the wilderness, Moses would enter before the Holy One blessed be He with impunity: “Lord, why will Your wrath be enflamed against Your people” (Exodus 32:11)? “Please pardon the iniquity of this people…” (Numbers 14:19). When Israel died in the wilderness,6This refers to the generation that had experienced the exodus from Egypt. he began asking to enter the Land of Israel with pleas – “I pleaded.”
Bamidbar Rabbah
“May the Lord shine His countenance to you, and be gracious to you” (Numbers 6:25).
“May the Lord shine [yaer] His countenance to you” – may He grant you brightness [meor] of the eyes. Alternatively, “may the Lord shine…” – may He look upon you with a bright countenance and not with an angered countenance.
Another matter: “May…shine [yaer]” – this is the light of Torah; He will enlighten your eyes and your heart in the Torah, and grant you sons who are devoted to Torah, just as it says: “For mitzva is a lamp, and Torah is light [or].” (Proverbs 6:23).
“May the Lord shine [yaer] His countenance” – may He produce from you priests who kindle the altar, just as it says: “So you will not kindle [ta’iru] My altar in vain” (Malachi 1:10). And it says: “The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be extinguished” (Leviticus 6:5).
“And be gracious to you” – they are blessed and protected, and the Divine Presence is in their midst, from where is it derived that they are graced with knowledge and understanding? The verse states: “And be gracious to you” – just as we pray: You grace man with knowledge and teach a person understanding.
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – He will instill knowledge in you so that you will be gracious to one another and have mercy upon one another, like the matter that is stated: “And He will give you mercy…” (Deuteronomy 13:18).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – He will grace you with children, just as it says: “The children with whom God has graced your servant” (Genesis 33:5), and it says: “God be gracious to you, my son” (Genesis 43:29).31The second verse from Genesis refers to Benjamin, whereas the first verse from Genesis refers to all the other tribes, as at that point Benjamin had not yet been born.
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – just as it says: “May God be gracious to us and bless us; may He shine His countenance upon us, Selah” (Psalms 67:2).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you [viḥuneka]” – he will grant you [yoḥnekha] your wishes. Likewise it says: “He will show grace to you [yoḥnekha] at the sound of your outcry; upon His hearing, He will answer you” (Isaiah 30:19).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great taught: The Lord will encamp [yaḥaneh] in your midst.
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – He will produce prophets from you, just as it says: “I will pour a spirit of grace and supplication upon the house of David [and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem]” (Zechariah 12:10).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you [viḥuneka]” – He will place His grace upon you everywhere that you go, just as it says: “He placed his favor [ḥino] in the eyes of [the prison warden]” (Genesis 39:21), “Esther found favor [ḥen] [in the eyes of everyone who saw her]” (Esther 2:15), “God granted Daniel kindness32The term in the verse is ḥesed, which the midrash considers synonymous with ḥen. and compassion [before the chief of the chamberlains]” (Daniel 1:9), “and you will find grace and approbation [in the eyes of God and man]” (Proverbs 3:4).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – regarding Torah study. Likewise it says: “It will give your head an adornment of grace…” (Proverbs 4:9), “for they will be a graceful adornment for your head…” (Proverbs 1:9).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – with gratuitous gifts; likewise it says: “Be gracious to us, Lord; be gracious to us…” (Psalms 123:3), “so our eyes are to the Lord our God until He will be gracious to us” (Psalms 123:2).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – to take you from subjugation to the kingdoms, just as it says: “Be gracious to us, Lord; be gracious to us, for we are sated with scorn” (Psalms 123:3).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – to redeem you, just as it says: “Lord, be gracious to us; [we have longed] for You. [Be…our salvation in a time of suffering]” (Isaiah 33:2).
“May the Lord shine [yaer] His countenance to you” – may He grant you brightness [meor] of the eyes. Alternatively, “may the Lord shine…” – may He look upon you with a bright countenance and not with an angered countenance.
Another matter: “May…shine [yaer]” – this is the light of Torah; He will enlighten your eyes and your heart in the Torah, and grant you sons who are devoted to Torah, just as it says: “For mitzva is a lamp, and Torah is light [or].” (Proverbs 6:23).
“May the Lord shine [yaer] His countenance” – may He produce from you priests who kindle the altar, just as it says: “So you will not kindle [ta’iru] My altar in vain” (Malachi 1:10). And it says: “The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be extinguished” (Leviticus 6:5).
“And be gracious to you” – they are blessed and protected, and the Divine Presence is in their midst, from where is it derived that they are graced with knowledge and understanding? The verse states: “And be gracious to you” – just as we pray: You grace man with knowledge and teach a person understanding.
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – He will instill knowledge in you so that you will be gracious to one another and have mercy upon one another, like the matter that is stated: “And He will give you mercy…” (Deuteronomy 13:18).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – He will grace you with children, just as it says: “The children with whom God has graced your servant” (Genesis 33:5), and it says: “God be gracious to you, my son” (Genesis 43:29).31The second verse from Genesis refers to Benjamin, whereas the first verse from Genesis refers to all the other tribes, as at that point Benjamin had not yet been born.
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – just as it says: “May God be gracious to us and bless us; may He shine His countenance upon us, Selah” (Psalms 67:2).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you [viḥuneka]” – he will grant you [yoḥnekha] your wishes. Likewise it says: “He will show grace to you [yoḥnekha] at the sound of your outcry; upon His hearing, He will answer you” (Isaiah 30:19).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great taught: The Lord will encamp [yaḥaneh] in your midst.
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – He will produce prophets from you, just as it says: “I will pour a spirit of grace and supplication upon the house of David [and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem]” (Zechariah 12:10).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you [viḥuneka]” – He will place His grace upon you everywhere that you go, just as it says: “He placed his favor [ḥino] in the eyes of [the prison warden]” (Genesis 39:21), “Esther found favor [ḥen] [in the eyes of everyone who saw her]” (Esther 2:15), “God granted Daniel kindness32The term in the verse is ḥesed, which the midrash considers synonymous with ḥen. and compassion [before the chief of the chamberlains]” (Daniel 1:9), “and you will find grace and approbation [in the eyes of God and man]” (Proverbs 3:4).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – regarding Torah study. Likewise it says: “It will give your head an adornment of grace…” (Proverbs 4:9), “for they will be a graceful adornment for your head…” (Proverbs 1:9).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – with gratuitous gifts; likewise it says: “Be gracious to us, Lord; be gracious to us…” (Psalms 123:3), “so our eyes are to the Lord our God until He will be gracious to us” (Psalms 123:2).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – to take you from subjugation to the kingdoms, just as it says: “Be gracious to us, Lord; be gracious to us, for we are sated with scorn” (Psalms 123:3).
Another matter: “And be gracious to you” – to redeem you, just as it says: “Lord, be gracious to us; [we have longed] for You. [Be…our salvation in a time of suffering]” (Isaiah 33:2).
Sifrei Bamidbar
(Bamidbar 6:25) "The L-rd cause His countenance to shine upon you": He will give you "light" of the eyes. R. Nathan says: This refers to the light of the Shechinah, as it is written (Isaiah 60:1-2) "Arise, shine, for your Light has come. For the darkness will cover the earth, and a thick mist, the peoples, but upon you the L-rd will shine, and His glory will be seen upon you," (Psalms 67:2) "G-d will favor us and bless us. He will cause His countenance to shine upon us, Selah," (Ibid. 118:27) "… and He shone for us." Variantly: "The L-rd cause His countenance to shine upon you": This refers to the light of Torah, as it is written (Proverbs 6:23) "For a mitzvah is a lamp, and the Torah, light." "and be gracious to you": in (the granting of) your requests, as it is written (Shemot 33:19) "And I shall be gracious to whom I shall be gracious, and I shall be merciful to whom I shall be merciful." Variantly: Let Him grant you grace in the eyes of man, as it is written (Bereshit 39:21) "And He granted him grace in the eyes of the overseer of the prison," and (Esther 2:14) "And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her," and (Daniel 1:9) "And G-d granted Daniel grace and mercy," and (Proverbs 3:4) "You will find favor and goodly wisdom in the eyes of G-d and man." Variantly: "and be gracious to you": with understanding, insight, mussar, and wisdom. Variantly: "and be gracious to you": in Torah study, as it is written (Proverbs 4:9) "It (Torah) will set a chaplet of grace upon your head," and (Ibid. 1:9) "For they (words of Torah) are a chaplet of grace to your head and a necklace to your throat." Variantly: "and be gracious to you": with gifts of "grace," as it is written (Psalms 123:2) "Behold, as the eyes of servants to their masters; as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so are our eyes to the L-rd our G-d, until He grants us grace," and (Ibid. 3) "Grant us grace, O L-rd, grant us grace, for we are fully sated with contempt, and (Isaiah 33:2) "O L-rd, grant us grace, for in You have we hoped."