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Aug. 20, 2024

The Prayer Baruch She'amar

בָּרוּךְ שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם. בָּרוּךְ הוּא. בָּרוּךְ עוֹשֶׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. בָּרוּךְ אוֹמֵר וְעוֹשֶׂה. בָּרוּךְ גּוֹזֵר וּמְקַיֵּם. בָּרוּךְ מְרַחֵם עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ. בָּרוּךְ מְרַחֵם עַל־הַבְּ֒רִיּוֹת. בָּרוּךְ מְשַׁלֵּם שָׂכָר טוֹב לִירֵאָיו. בָּרוּךְ חַי לָעַד וְקַיָּם לָנֶֽצַח. בָּרוּךְ פּוֹדֶה וּמַצִּיל. בָּרוּךְ שְׁמוֹ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הָאֵל הָאָב הָרַחֲמָן הַמְ֒הֻלָּל בְּפִי עַמּוֹ מְשֻׁבָּח וּמְפֹאָר בִּלְשׁוֹן חֲסִידָיו וַעֲבָדָיו וּבְשִׁירֵי דָוִד עַבְדֶּֽךָ. נְהַלֶּלְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ בִּשְׁבָחוֹת וּבִזְמִירוֹת נְגַדֶּלְךָ וּנְשַׁבֵּחֲךָ וּנְפָאֶרְךָ וְנַזְכִּיר שִׁמְךָ וְנַמְלִיכְ֒ךָ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ. יָחִיד חֵי הָעוֹלָמִים. מֶֽלֶךְ מְשֻׁבָּח וּמְפֹאָר עֲדֵי־עַד שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה מֶֽלֶךְ מְהֻלָּל בַּתִּשְׁבָּחוֹת: 

Blessed is He Who spoke, and the world came into being; blessed is He; blessed is He Who maintains the creation; blessed is He Who says and does; blessed is He Who decrees and fulfills; blessed is He Who has compassion on the earth; blessed is He Who has compassion on the creatures; blessed is He Who rewards well those who fear Him, blessed is He Who lives forever and exists eternally; blessed is He Who redeems and saves blessed is His Name. Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the Universe, the Almighty, the merciful Father, Who is verbally extolled by His people, praised and glorified by the tongue of His pious ones, and His servants, and through the songs of David, Your servant. We will extoll You, Adonoy our God, with praises and psalms; exalt, praise, and glorify You; mention Your Name, and proclaim You—our King, our God. Unique One, Life of the worlds, King, praised and glorified forever is His great Name. Blessed are You, Adonoy, King, Who is extolled with praises.

In the prayer Baruch She'amar, we recite the phrase "ברוך גוזר ומקיים," which translates to thanking Hashem for fulfilling His harsh decrees. 

This might seem puzzling—why would we express gratitude for difficult decrees? 

The key is understanding that although Hashem may sometimes impose harsh decrees, we ultimately thank Him for also being Mekayem—giving us the strength to overcome those challenges. Every trial or test a person faces is paired with the divine support necessary to bear it, even if it seems impossible by natural means.

This concept is exemplified in the story of Yaakov Avinu, who could not be consoled when he believed Yosef had died. The reason he couldn't find comfort was that Yosef hadn't actually passed away, so Hashem hadn't created the capacity for Yaakov to be consoled because there was no actual loss.

The Klausenberger Rebbe, who suffered the unimaginable loss of his wife and eleven children in the Holocaust, expressed a similar idea. He drew from the verse in Tehillim, "כי הוא אמר ויהי הוא צוה ויעמוד"—Hashem, who decrees that a tragedy should occur, also commands "ויעמוד"—that we should rise and overcome.