Resurrection תחיית המתים

(1) You are mighty forever,⁷God’s rule of the world is permanent and perpetual.—Kuzari my Master; You are the Resurrector of the dead⁸This is the emphatic expression of our belief in the immortality of the soul.—Kuzari the Powerful One⁹This passage begins the section of Shemoneh Esrei called “Gevuros” (Might) and its major theme is to praise God as “the Mighty One.” Who alone restores man to life, health, freedom, and well-being.—Vilna Gaon to deliver us.

(2) From the Musaf of the first day of Pesach until the Musaf of Shemini Atzeres one should say:

(3) He causes the dew to descend.

(4) From the Musaf of Shemini Atzeres until the Musaf of the first day of Pesach you should say:

(5) Causer of the wind to blow and of the rain to fall.¹⁰God’s might is as much manifested in causing the rain as it is in reviving the dead. In fact the Talmud (Maseches Taanis 7a) declares in the name of Rabbi Avohu: “The day when rain falls is greater than the day of the resurrection of the dead.” Rabbi Yochanan said, (Ibid, 2a): “There are three ׳keys’ which God retains in His own hands and does not entrust to any emissary: the key to rain, the key to childbirth, and the key to the resurrection of the dead.”

(6) If you neglected to say this, and became aware of your omission before saying the blessing מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים, “the Resurrector of the dead,” you must say it at that time. If you reminded yourself after saying וְנֶאֱמָן אַתָּה “You are faithful,” you must repeat it and then complete the blessing of מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים. If you became aware of your omission after starting the blessing אַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ “You are holy,” even if you only said the word “You,” say the Shemoneh Esrei from the beginning. If during the first thirty days after Shemini Atzeres you are in doubt whether you said it, you must assume that you didnot say it. After thirty days, however, since you have become accustomed to saying it, you may assume that you recited the proper phrase and you need not repeat the Shemoneh Esrei.

(7) Sustainer of the living with kindliness, Resurrector of the dead¹¹The most extraordinary manifestation of God’s might—to our perception—is when He restores the dead to life. Avudraham writes that the three following praises represent various examples of how God restores life to those who arc near death. When a person falls (either physically or morally) he is often near death; thus, when God supports the fallen he restores their lives. When a person is sick, he often faces death, so when God heals the sick He restores their lives. A person who is imprisoned—i.e., confined—is like dead; thus when God releases the imprisoned He restores their lives. with great mercy, Supporter of the fallen, and Healer of the sick, and Releaser of the imprisoned, and Fulfiller of His faithfulness to those who sleep in the dust.¹²Just as God shows His faithfulness to the living, so too will He keep faith with the dead who lie in the dust. Others say that “Those who sleep in the dust” refers to the Patriarchs; God will remember the oath He made to them and keep His promises to them.—Avudraham Who is like You, Master of mighty deeds, and who can be compared to You? King Who causes death and restores life, and causes deliverance to sprout forth.¹³Deliverance will “grow” in stages rather than all at once.

(8) (During the Ten Days of Penitence add: Who is like You merciful Father, Who remembers His creatures for life, in His mercy)

(9) If you forgot to say this, the same law applies as above concerning “Remember us for life.”

(10) And You are faithful¹⁴How remarkable is the Jew’s conviction of God’s faithfulness. When the Chazzan says the blessing of “Resurrector of the dead,” the Jew responds, “Amein” even though he has not seen God restore the dead to life; when the Chazzan says the blessing “Redeemer of Israel,” he responds “Amein”, even though he has not yet been delivered; and when the Chazzan says the blessing “Builder of Jerusalem,” he responds “Amein” even though Jerusalem has not yet been rebuilt.—Midrash Tanchuma to restore the dead to life. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Resurrector of the dead.

(11) (When the Chazzan repeats the Shemoneh Esrei, the Kedushah is said here)

(14) We must all die; we are like water that is poured out on the ground and cannot be gathered up. God will not take away the life of one who makes plans so that no one may be kept banished.

(1) All of the Jewish people, even sinners and those who are liable to be executed with a court-imposed death penalty, have a share in the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “And your people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land forever; the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, for My name to be glorified” (Isaiah 60:21). And these are the exceptions, the people who have no share in the World-to-Come, even when they fulfilled many mitzvot: One who says: There is no resurrection of the dead derived from the Torah, and one who says: The Torah did not originate from Heaven, and an epikoros, who treats Torah scholars and the Torah that they teach with contempt. Rabbi Akiva says: Also included in the exceptions are one who reads external literature, and one who whispers invocations over a wound and says as an invocation for healing: “Every illness that I placed upon Egypt I will not place upon you, for I am the Lord, your Healer” (Exodus 15:26). By doing so, he shows contempt for the sanctity of the name of God and therefore has no share in the World-to-Come. Abba Shaul says: Also included in the exceptions is one who pronounces the ineffable name of God as it is written, with its letters.