Torah Insights
Prayer During Aseret Yemai Teshuvah - The Insertions
During Aseret Yemai Teshuvah (The Ten Days of Penitence or Return), from Ros HaShanah until Yom Kippur, we insert several phrases in our Amidah prayers. These phrases are זכרנו לחיים - Remember us, מי כמוך - Who is like Thee, וכתוב לחיים - Inscribe us, and בספר חיים - May we be inscribed. In these additions we are beseeching God to grant us "life" during the coming year. It has become customary that the entire congregation recites these phrases out loud when the shaliach tzibur or cantor repeats the Amidah - the Silent Meditation.
This practice, however, is not universal. Rabbi Hershel Shachter in his book, Nefesh HaRav, The Soul of the Rav [Soloveitchik]), cites the custom of his rebbe, that he did not say the first two phrase out loud based upon the custom he had observed in Europe. He only recited וכתוב and בספר with the congregation. His reasoning was based on the Fact that when we pray to God, we are not permitted to make bakashot – "requests" during the first three and last three blessings of the Amidah. The custom to repeat these "requests" is based on the supposition that they are words of praise and no requests. This explanation can be deduced from the commentary of the Bnei Yissachor. But, Rav Soloveitchik was of the opinion that the first two phrases are not praise of God, but rather requests. And, the last two phrases of וכתוב לחיים and בספר חיים are words of thanksgiving, requiring the public to respond.
Rabbi Pinchas Teitz offered another reason. The first phrase contains the name of God ("elohim") and should not be said to avoid unnecessary use of God's name. And, the second phrase does not follow the format of request, rather praise.
Rabbi David Rackman, my zaidy, offered another approach. In the first two phrases, we ask God to grant us חיים - life, in the year ahead. In the latter two phrases we have "upped the anye." We now are asking God to grant us חיים טובים - a good life. How can we now lower our request in the repetition of the Amidah and only ask for חיים - life. We want a good life and a long life!
Indeed, it is my opinion that it is not just חיים טובים that we are requesting. In the latter two phrases we also ask for a good life for כל בני בריתך and וכל עמך בית ישראל. We are asking God to grant the good life to all of His people. How can we possibly lessen our request to ask only for "life" for the petitioner? Therefore, it is not appropriate to repeat the first two insertions when the Amidah is repeated because now we expect חיים טובים for everybody.
from UPDATE, September 2008
revised October, 2010
by Rabbi Bennett M. Rackman