Musar sobre Gênesis 14:19

Although all the patriarchs have been described as the מרכבה, they are all included when Abraham is mentioned; he, being the "father" of them all, represents them also. This is the reason that the first benediction in the daily עמידה prayer concludes with the signature מגן אברהם, "shield of Abraham." The term "shield" is used to describe those who support the מרכבה, namely חסד, גבורה, תפארת. This too is the deeper meaning of the words (15, 1) אנכי מגן לך שכרך הרבה מאד, "I am your shield, your reward is very great." Malki Tzedek, king of Shalem, alludes to something similar in Bereshit (14, 19-20): ויברכהו, ויאמר: ברוך אברם לא-ל עליון קונה שמים וארץ וברוך א-ל עליון אשר מגן צריך בידך. "He blessed him saying: Blessed be Abraham of G–d Most High, Owner of Heaven and Earth. And blessed be G–d Most High, who has delivered your foes into your hand." The Zohar on that verse understands this as a reference to the daily עמידה prayer when we say very similar sounding words in the first benediction. If one examines the composition of that benediction closely one can view the words אלוקי אברהם, אלוקי יצחק, אלוקי יעקב as corresponding to the words ברוך אברהם. The words א-ל עליון גומל חסדים טובים correspond to the words וברוך א-ל עליון. The words קונה הכל corresponds to Malki Tzedek's words קונה שמים וארץ. We find similar wording in the repetition of the Friday night עמידה. Finally, the signature of that first benediction of the daily עמידה is מגן אברהם, corresponding to the last words in Malki Tzedek's blessing אשר מגן צריך בידך. It is true that we also encounter the formula in מגן דוד, "shield of David." The difference is that whereas מגן אברהם includes the other carriers of the מרכבה as we have explained, David is the recipient of the foregoing including the parts of the מרכבה that Abraham comprises, seeing that he, David, personifies מלכות. As such David provides the "fourth leg" of that four- cornered מרכבה that we have described as the מרכבה ארג"מן. At any rate, the significance of the promise to Abraham in 12,2 והיה ברכה, "be a blessing," is that בך חותמים, "they will conclude the benediction using your name," is clear. We shall come back later to the meaning of מגן דוד.