"O King, Helper, Savior, and Shield. Blessed are you, Hashem, Shield of Abraham."

The depictions of Hashem in this blessing appear to be in ascending order. Not only is Hashem our King, but He even provides us with assistance. And not only that--even when we are completely without resources of our own, Hashem steps in and acts as our Savior.

But what of "Shield"? In what sense can we say that this description of Hashem as a Shield is the culmination of all the titles which we confer upon Him?

Rabbi Abraham, son of the famed Gaon of Vilna, writes in his commentary on prayers that this may be compared to a warrior who steps out into battle. The warrior is consciously bringing himself into danger. And so, wherever he goes, he holds his shield before him, and he is thus protected from onslaught by whatever danger confronts him in his path.

Abraham found it necessary at times to boldly step forth, even sometimes entering into dangerous situations in order to uphold the honor of Hashem. But wherever he went, he felt that he was not alone. For before him went the presence of Hashem--protecting him and ensuring that no harm would befall him.

It is in this sense that we speak of Hashem as our Shield in this blessing. Not only is Hashem our helper when danger and difficulty befall us; not only is He our Savior when we are unable to find any succor from our own means; but Hashem is even our Shield. With His presence before us, we can boldly step forth into difficult situations, and confidently trust that we will emerge unscathed.

At the close of this blessing, we speak of Hashem as the Shield of Abraham. By this, we do not mean to speak of Abraham the individual. Abraham is our forefather; he is the progenitor of us all. And so we know that even if at times it takes courage to live as a Jew, we are never alone. For with us, wherever we tread, goes the presence of Hashem.

Copyright (c) 1997 by Rabbi Levi Langer

Courtesy of www.JewishAmerica.com