Shemoneh Esrei 26: Communal and Personal G'ulah
ראה בענינו, וריבה ריבנו, וגאלנו מהרה למען שמך, כי גואל חזק אתה
Behold our affliction, take up our grievance, and redeem us speedily for Your Name’s sake, for You are a powerful Redeemer
After having requested that Hashem assist us in t’shuvah and forgive our sins, to the point of restoring our father-son relationship, we now ask Hashem to see our suffering and alleviate it.
Rashi in Megilah 17b tells us that this brachah does not refer to our ultimate redemption from galus. The ultimate G’ulah is addressed later, in the brachos of “בונה ירושלים” and “מצמיח קרן ישועה.” Rather, this brachah refers to saving us from our current daily communal and individual persecutions, fears, afflictions, pains, and problems.
For us as a people, there is hate all around us. In Eretz Yisrael, we are surrounded by people who want to wipe us off the face of the Earth. Outside of Eretz Yisrael, “[t]here is no place on earth where Jews are welcome, where the general population desires and would welcome an influx of Jews. Therefore, as long as we are in galus, we ask HaKadosh Baruch Hu to protect us from the danger that lurks all around us, although such danger may be quite unbeknown to us.” So we ask Hashem: “See our misery; we are weak, we have no real power to guarantee our survival…” (Rav Schwab on Prayer, page 452).
For each individual, this is a “fervent plea for personal triumph (and a plea for others, as well, to triumph) over adversity; a petition to be released from the incessant perils and problems of everyday existence...and release from mental anguish and emotional pain.” (ArtScroll’s Shemoneh Esrei, by Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer)
We ask Hashem to save us – not for us, but for the sake of His Name “למען שמך–l’maan Sh’mecha.” What do we mean? When B’nei Yisrael suffers, it is a chilul Hashem. The same is true when people see any individual member of B’nei Yisrael suffering. We ask Hashem to save us communally and individually “למען שמך” – for the sake of Your Name – to remove chilul Hashem and restore kiddush Hashem in the world.