Question:
Someone once told me that the tefila said when taking out the sefer torah is very important and powerful, but he didn’t explain why. Can you please enlighten me what’s so special about it and why is it written in aramaic?
Thank you
Answer:
In the Siddur Sharei Rachamim (by a student of the Vilna Gaon), brings that R’ Shimon ( Bar Yochai) said, “When the sefer torah is taken out to read in public, the gates of mercy are opened, and H-shem’s love for us is awakened, and therefore we should say the following teffila” (Brich Shmei…) It would be a good idea to get a hold of a siddur with English translation so you can appreciate the meaning of all the words of this powerful, heart warnming tefilloh, but in short the teffilah discusses how we are praising H-shem, how H-shem finds favor with his nation (us), we ask H-shem for the geula, the Bais Hamikdash, we ask for life, to be tzadikkim, for protection, for ourselves and our families and our whole nation. We declare that we are his servants, and we pray that he should enlighten our eyes in His torah, that we should have good children, and that he should accept our teffiloh and give us goodness, life and peace.
Like anything else, in order to appreciate it, you have to invest a little bit of time to learn it, and then you will gain and appreciation for it, and value it.
The reason it is in Aramaic is either because, this was the language that was spoken then, or because since it is a powerful tefilloh, we don’t want the malachim to interfere with it.
Best wishes
