After redemption comes prayer – Ask the Rabbi
Q. In the morning service it seems to be customary to fade the blessing Ga’al Yisra’el (“God who redeemed Israel”) into the Amidah. I was told that there is a rule, “Straight after redemption comes prayer”. What does this mean?
A. The passage you quote is kol hasomech g’ulah lit’fillah eino nizok kol hayom (Ber. 9b): “Whoever links redemption to prayer will never be harmed”. At least three lessons arise out of this statement:
1. A boon must never be taken for granted. God has redeemed us; we must immediately turn to Him in prayer and thanksgiving.
2. Precisely because God redeemed our people we can approach Him confidently with the petitions in the Amidah.
3. The assurance that if we pray we will be protected tells us that if we bind ourselves firmly to God nothing that happens to us can upset our spiritual stability.
