Prayerful Thoughts

The haiku of the previous post was adapted from a comment of Rabbi Nosson Scherman on Yishtabach. I think the commentary in the Artscroll Siddur is eclectic, meaningful and helpful:

"Rabbi Bunim of Pshisca interpreted homiletically that the word shirei (songs) can be translated as remnants (from shiyarim)."

Rabbi Scherman says based on this, that "G-d wishes to see how much of the lofty sentiments of our prayers remain with us after we close our siddur. Thus, He chooses what is left over after the Songs of praise have been uttered.

I read this comment yesterday and what I took from it was something different than what Rabbi Scherman suggests. I was thinking that G-d, in his kindness, picks the gems from amongst the shards of our broken prayers.

Davening attendance doesn't start till next week, which means that rather than spending pesukei dezimra taking attendance I've been able to pay more attention to the prayers themselves.

At the end of Ashrei (Psalm 145) it says that G-d guards certain people and destroys others. Dovid HaMelech states that G-d kills the wicked - resha'im - and protects those who love Him - ohavav. It seems asymmetrical. The way to make sense of it is to conclude that more than anything thing else, the essence of being a tzadik - the opposite of a rashah - is loving G-d.