הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ אָבִֽינוּ 2 1 לְתוֹרָתֶֽךָ.
וְקָרְ֒בֵֽנוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתֶֽךָ3
וְהַחֲזִירֵֽנוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה לְפָנֶֽיךָ:4
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הָרוֹצֶה בִּתְשׁוּבָה:5
Cause us to return, our Father, to Your Torah
and bring us near, our King, to Your service
and bring us back in whole-hearted repentance before You.
Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who desires penitence.
הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ אָבִֽינוּ לְתוֹרָתֶֽךָ 1
Why do we refer to Hashem with the title of Him being our Father when asking Him to help us return to studying His Torah?
The Tur explains that we are latching on to that name, not as a way to appeal to the mercy like a father would have on his son, but rather to invoke Hashem's responsibility to teach us Torah. Just like ones biological father is responsible to teach him Torah*, we ask Hashem to fulfill His "paternal responsibility" and open our eyes to His Torah!
ומה שתיקנו לומר אבינו בברכת השיבנו [ובסלח לנו] מה שאין כן בשאר הברכות היינו טעמא שאנו מזכירין לפניו שהאב חייב ללמד לבנו ע"כ אנו אומרים השיבנו אבינו לתורתך
The source that a biological father is required to teach his son Torah is from a Gemara in Kiddushin:
תְּנֵינָא לְהָא דְּתָנוּ רַבָּנַן: הָאָב חַיָּיב בִּבְנוֹ ...וּלְלַמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה
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We learn that which the Sages taught, a father is obligated with regard to his son ...and to teach him Torah
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הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ אָבִֽינוּ לְתוֹרָתֶֽךָ 2
Another explanation into the reason we invoke Hashem's relationship to us as our Father is based on a Medrash. The Medrash says:
אֶלָא אָמְרֵי רַבָּנָן, אָנֹכִי וְלֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ, מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה שְׁמָעוּם, וְתרי"א אָמַר לָהֶם משֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: תּוֹרָה צִוָּה לָנוּ משֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה וגו', אַל תִּקְרֵי מוֹרָשָׁה אֶלָא יְרֻשָּׁה, יְרֻשָּׁה הִיא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְעוֹלָם.
מָשָׁל לְבֶן מְלָכִים שֶׁנִּשְׁבָּה כְּשֶׁהוּא קָטָן לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם, אֲפִלּוּ לְאַחַר כַּמָּה שָׁנִים אֵינוֹ בּוֹשׁ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר "לִירֻשַּׁת אֲבוֹתַי אֲנִי חוֹזֵר!"
כָּךְ תַּלְמִיד חָכָם שֶׁהוּא פּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַתּוֹרָה וְהָלַךְ וְהִתְעַסֵּק בִּדְבָרִים אֲחֵרִים, אֲפִלּוּ לְאַחַר כַּמָּה שָׁנִים הוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ לַחֲזֹר אֵינוֹ בּוֹשׁ, מִפְנֵי שֶׁאוֹמֵר לִירוּשַׁת אֲבוֹתַי אֲנִי חוֹזֵר.
[Rather, the Rabbanan say] The first two commandments Hashem told to Klal Yisrael [at Har Sinai] and Moshe told 611 of the commandments to Klal Yisrael, as the passuk says: "Torah Moshe commanded to Yisrael, a betrothal to the multitudes of Yaakov." Do not read "betrothal" rather "inheritance", as it is an eternal inheritance to Klal Yisrael.
It is similar to a parable with the son of a king who is captured as an infant to a faraway land. Even after many years, he will not be embarrassed to return to the royal palace, because he says, "I am returning to my inheritance!"
So too, a Talmid Chacham who distances himself from Torah study and involves himself in other topics, even after many years, if he wants to return to Torah study he should not be embarrassed because he says, :I am returning to the inheritace left to me by my Father.
Were we to refer to Hashem as our King here, we may feel embarrassed and ashamed for having neglected His Torah and now coming returning to our post we neglected in his service. But by referring to Hashem as our Father, it strengthens our resolve to ask Him to help us come back to His Torah, which is compared to an inheritance of ones father in the Medrash above.
וְקָרְ֒בֵֽנוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתֶֽךָ1
Before we get into the explanation of the beracha, we need to understand, what exactly is the "service" we are referring to in this clause? And why do we refer to Hashem here as our King and not as our Father like we did in the earlier clause?
Some meforshim say that the "avoda" (service) here is referring to the performance of the mitzvos which are an expression of serving Hashem the same way a servant serves his master, like the passuk says in Parshas Nitzavim*:
(מז) תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־עָבַ֙דְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּשִׂמְחָ֖ה וּבְט֣וּב לֵבָ֑ב מֵרֹ֖ב כֹּֽל׃
(47) Because you would not serve your God יהוה in joy and gladness over the abundance of everything,
*Several meforshim say that this passuk is referring specifically to the performance mitzvos:
(טו) הַשִּׂמְחָה שֶׁיִּשְׂמַח אָדָם בַּעֲשִׂיַּת הַמִּצְוָה וּבְאַהֲבַת הָאֵל שֶׁצִּוָּה בָּהֶן. עֲבוֹדָה גְּדוֹלָה הִיא. וְכָל הַמּוֹנֵעַ עַצְמוֹ מִשִּׂמְחָה זוֹ רָאוּי לְהִפָּרַע מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כח מז) "תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָבַדְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְטוּב לֵבָב".
(15) The happiness with which a person should rejoice in the fulfillment of the mitzvot and the love of God who commanded them is a great service and whoever holds himself back from this rejoicing is worthy of retribution, as [Deuteronomy 28:47] states: "...because you did not serve God, your Lord, with happiness and a glad heart."
See also the Rabbeinu Bachya to the passuk there:
(א) תחת אשר לא עבדת את ה' אלהיך בשמחה. יאשימנו הכתוב בעבדו השי"ת ולא היתה העבודה בשמחה, לפי שחייב האדם על השמחה בהתעסקו במצות, והשמחה במעשה המצוה מצוה בפני עצמו, מלבד השכר שיש לו על המצוה יש לו שכר על השמחה, ועל כן יעניש בכאן למי שעובד עבודת המצוה כשלא עשאה בשמחה, ולכך צריך שיעשה אדם המצות בשמחה ובכוונה שלמה
(1) תחת אשר לא עבדת את ה' אלוקיך בשמחה, “because you did not serve the Lord your G-d joyfully. The Torah accuses people who do serve G-d not to have done so joyfully. A person is obligated not merely to carry out G-d’s mitzvos but to do so gladly, in a happy frame of mind. Joy when performing any of G-d’s mitzvos is considered as fulfillment of a commandment by itself, meriting additional reward. This is why one may be punished for failing to perform the commandments with a joyful heart. This is why the Torah requires that its commandments be performed with full intent and joyfully.
Another mekor:
(נב) אמנם צריך לעשות המצוה בשמחה, שאם אינו עובד בשמחה נענש, כמו שנאמר (דברים כח, מז) תחת אשר לא עבדת את ה' אלהיך בשמחה ובטוב לבב.
According to this explanation that "avoda" is referring to the performance of mitzvos, some meforshim link this clause to be an extension to the earlier supplication to Hashem to help us return to His Torah.
These meforshim link the involvement in the study of Torah to being able to serve Hashem through mitzvos based on a Chazal which says:
(ה) רַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא בֶּן הַקָּנָה אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַמְקַבֵּל עָלָיו עֹל תּוֹרָה, מַעֲבִירִין מִמֶּנּוּ עֹל מַלְכוּת וְעֹל דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ.
וְכָל הַפּוֹרֵק מִמֶּנּוּ עֹל תּוֹרָה, נוֹתְנִין עָלָיו עֹל מַלְכוּת וְעֹל דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ:
(5) Rabbi Nehunia ben Hakkanah said: whoever takes upon himself the yoke of the Torah, they remove from him the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly concerns.
And whoever breaks off from himself the yoke of the Torah, they place upon him the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly concerns.
We see from here that staying involved in Torah allows us to be active in serving the Kingdom of Hashem by performing his mitzvos, (as we explained, mitzvos are an expression of our service to the King) but by neglecting the Torah, Hashem makes it more difficult for us to serve in His Kingdom, and instead subjects us to the edicts of a king of flesh and blood.
Therefore by asking Hashem to help us return to His Torah, we are indirectly also asking Him to help us become better servants to Him.
וְקָרְ֒בֵֽנוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתֶֽךָ 2
Other meforshim say that the "service" mentioned here is referring to davening (prayer) which is referred to by Chazal in Maseches Taanis as the service of the heart:
דְּתַנְיָא: ״לְאַהֲבָה אֶת ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וּלְעׇבְדוֹ בְּכׇל לְבַבְכֶם״, אֵיזוֹ הִיא עֲבוֹדָה שֶׁהִיא בַּלֵּב — הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר: זוֹ תְּפִלָּה
As it was taught in a baraita with regard to the verse: “To love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 11:13). Which is the service of God that is performed in the heart? You must say that this is referring to prayer.
Ironically, although tefilla is referred to as service of the heart, the Halacha is that a person needs to daven in an audible way, and not just by meditating on the words on ones heart. Mishna Berura says this in Hilchos Tefilla that davening inaudibly is not optimal, and it is only a probability that one fulfills his obligation without actually uttering the words.
(ו) חולה מתפלל אפי' שוכב על צדו והוא שיכול לכוין דעתו (ואם א"א לו להתפלל מ"מ יהרהר בלבו שנאמר אמרו בלבבכם על משכבכם) (ב"י בשם א"ח ופסיקתא):
(6) One who is sick [may] pray even lying down on one's side, as long as he is able to concentrate (And if it is not possible from him to pray, nevertheless, one should meditate in one's heart, as it says "Ponder [it] on your bed" [(Psalms 4:5)] (Beit Yosef in the name of Orchot Chaim and Pesikta).
(כא) יהרהר בלבו - ואפשר דיוצא בזה בדיעבד וא"צ לחזור ולהתפלל אפילו אם הבריא בזמן תפלה מאחר שאנוס הוא...
One should meditate in ones heart - And perhaps by doing so he will fulfill his obligation in a sub-optimal way. And he will not need to repeat the tefilla even if he gets better during the time when he is able to daven being that he was an oness.
The Magen Avraham (brought in Shu"t Maharam Shik O.C. #42) addresses this phenomenon of Tefilla needing to be audible despite its very name being "the service of the heart."
(ב) צ"ע אם התפלל בלבו אם יצא.
דלכאורה משמע דיצא אף על גב דקי"ל דהרהור לאו כד"ד כמ"ש סי' ס"ב וסי' קפ"ה, שאני תפלה דגמרי' מדכתיב ולעבדו בכל לבבכם איזו עבודה שבלב זו תפלה א"כ עיקר תלי בכוונת הלב והקב"ה יודע מחשבות.
אלא דבגמר' משמע דלא יצא דאל"כ ה"ל לתקן שבעל קרי יהרהר בלבו התפלה דהא רשאי להרהר כיון דקי"ל הרהור לאו כד"ד אלא ע"כ דלא יצא בהרהור דבעי' שיחתוך בשפתיו כי הקול מעורר למעלה כידוע והא דכ' בסי' צ"ד דחולה יהרהר בלבו היינו לרווחא דמלתא אבל אינו יוצא ידי תפלה בזה וכ"מ בפוסקים...
The matter of whether a person who davens inaudibly fulfills his obligation of tefilla, needs study.
On one hand, we paskin that thinking is not considered as though one said something.
On the other hand, perhaps Tefilla is different because its very essence is a service of the heart, as the Gemara in Taanis learns out from the passuk, which would lend veracity to the claim that the main consideration by tefilla is concentration of the heart, and Hashem knows ones thoughts...
The Magen Avraham concludes that although from the Gemara in Taanis there is a place to suggest that inaudible tefilla works, from the majority of the Poskim and Gemaros, this is not the accepted Halacha, and even by Tefilla, one must utter the words out loud.
(End comment)
וְקָרְ֒בֵֽנוּ
The term "bring us closer" is specifically appropriate to a supplication regarding tefilla, as the passuk uses this term in the context of Tefilla.*
(ה) אַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀ תִּ֥בְחַ֣ר וּתְקָרֵב֮ יִשְׁכֹּ֢ן חֲצֵ֫רֶ֥יךָ נִ֭שְׂבְּעָה בְּט֣וּב בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ קְ֝דֹ֗שׁ הֵיכָלֶֽךָ׃
(5) Happy is the man You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts; may we be sated with the blessings of Your house, Your holy temple.
The passuk itself is found in a perek of Tehillim which was written in reference to the times when the Beis HaMikdash was still standing. Thus, it would seem to me that the "Tefilla" aspect of the passuk is really referring to the Avodas Beis HaMikdash which is what Tefilla nowadays is mirrored after.
See for example Ibn Ezra on the passuk:
(א)... אשרי, אשר תבחר בו ותקרב שישכן חצריך. (ב) וטעם נשבעה – תענוג הנשמה בעבודת השם בבית המקדש וישרת בטוב גם אחרים עמו, בטוב קדוש היכלך.
Praiseworthy is he who Hashem has chosen and brought close to dwell in His courtyard. May our neshama be sated with the enjoyment of doing the service in the Beis HaMikdash, and others can also partake in this goodness in the holiness of your Sanctuary.
Another haara about this passuk being brought in this context. In a Shiurim from Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi, he explained that the meaning of the passuk is that a person who strives to become close to Hashem is praiseworthy because that is a testament of Hashem's love towards him. Not everyone has the intellectual honesty and drive to connect with Hashem and become closer to Him, so the fact that a person is coming close to Hashem it is because Hashem is proud of him and is "choosing" him and coming close to hm.
We see that the passuk our tefillla is stylistically created from is describing Hashem's coming close to us and choosing us, whereas the tefilla itself is us asking to become close to Hashem.
R' Shimshon Pincus in She'arim Batefilla explains that tefilla is also an opportunity to allow Hashem to come close to us. He writes in She'arim Ba'Tefilla (Hachana, p. 21) as follows:
וְהַחֲזִירֵֽנוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה לְפָנֶֽיךָ:4
This clause is mirrored after the passuk at the end of Eicha which says:
(כא) הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָה חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃
(21) Return us, O LORD, to Yourself,
And let us come back;
Renew our days as of old!
The passuk is at first difficult to understand. Why are we asking Hashem to return to us? Isn't it our responsibility to do teshuva and return to Him?
The answer is, that Hashem does returns to us and comes closer to us - as long as we make an effort to return to Him.
This is what we are asking for here: "Hashem, when when we start our journey back towards You, please assist us along the way and help us strategize and overcome our yetzer hara so that we can arrive at a complete teshuva."
I'm not clear if this pursuant explanation of this clause in the tefilla is connected to the passuk's stylistic usage it's based off of or not. I think there is some basis to say the passuk is conveying the idea of "haba litaher" based on the Medrash on that passuk which says:
(כא) הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ ה' אֵלֶיךָ וְנָשׁוּבָה, אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם שֶׁלְךָ הוּא הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ. אָמַר לָהֶם שֶׁלָּכֶם הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג, ז): שׁוּבוּ אֵלַי וְאָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם, נְאֻם ה', אָמְרָה לְפָנָיו רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם שֶׁלְךָ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים פה, ה): שׁוּבֵנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעֵנוּ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ ה' אֵלֶיךָ וְנָשׁוּבָה.
(21) “Return us to You, Lord, and we will return; renew our days as of old” (Lamentations 5:21).
“Return us to You, Lord, and we will return.” The congregation of Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, it is incumbent upon You to return us.’ He said to them: ‘It is incumbent upon you, as it is stated: “Return to Me and I will return to you, said the Lord” (Malachi 3:7).’ It said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, it is incumbent upon you, as it is stated: “Return us, God of our salvation” (Psalms 85:5).’ That is why it is stated: “Return us to You, Lord, and we will return.”
However, see the meforshim on this Medrash (Yefei Anaf), not so clear that this is the "push and pull" between Kneses Yisrael and Hashem as to who the "brunt" of the teshuva is upon.
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This type of supplication, of asking Hashem to help us on our spiritual journey (also found in other places throughout davening) is predicated on a Chazal which says:
דְּאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״אִם לַלֵּצִים הוּא יָלִיץ וְלַעֲנָוִים יִתֶּן חֵן״? בָּא לִיטַמֵּא — פּוֹתְחִין לוֹ, בָּא לִיטָּהֵר — מְסַיְּיעִים אוֹתוֹ.
(As) Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “If it concerns the scorners, He scorns them, and unto the humble He gives grace” (Proverbs 3:34)? One who comes in order to become impure, i.e., to sin, they, in Heaven, provide him with an opening to do so, and he is not prevented from sinning. However, if he comes in order to become purified, not only is he allowed to do so, but they, in Heaven, assist him.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הָרוֹצֶה 5 בִּתְשׁוּבָה:
The idea of Hashem allowing us the grand opportunity to do teshuva is indeed a great gift and a big chessed of Hashem. But where do we see that Hashem desires for us to do teshuva?
(יא) אֱמֹ֨ר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם חַי־אָ֣נִי ׀ נְאֻ֣ם ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֗ה אִם־אֶחְפֹּץ֙ בְּמ֣וֹת הָרָשָׁ֔ע כִּ֣י אִם־בְּשׁ֥וּב רָשָׁ֛ע מִדַּרְכּ֖וֹ וְחָיָ֑ה שׁ֣וּבוּ שׁ֜וּבוּ מִדַּרְכֵיכֶ֧ם הָרָעִ֛ים וְלָ֥מָּה תָמ֖וּתוּ בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}
(11) Say to them: As I live—declares the Sovereign GOD —it is not My desire that the wicked shall die, but that the wicked turn from their [evil] ways and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, that you may not die, O House of Israel!
We see from here that Hashem not only doesn't desire the death of a sinner, but He also desires the path of the penitent! Therefore we end the beracha with this sentiment in mind, to encourage a person that no matter how far one may have gone astray, Hashem is eager for him to return to learning His Torah, doing His mitzvos, and davening heartfelt tefillos before Him.