רְאֵה בְעָנְיֵֽנוּ וְרִיבָה רִיבֵֽנוּ וּגְאָלֵֽנוּ מְהֵרָה לְמַֽעַן שְׁמֶֽךָ כִּי גּוֹאֵל חָזָק אָֽתָּה: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה גּוֹאֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל:
Look upon our affliction, and defend our cause: and redeem us speedily for the sake of Your Name; because You are a Mighty Redeemer. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Redeemer of Israel.
(ג) הַסֹּלֵ֥חַ לְכׇל־עֲוֺנֵ֑כִי הָ֝רֹפֵ֗א לְכׇל־תַּחֲלוּאָֽיְכִי׃ (ד) הַגּוֹאֵ֣ל מִשַּׁ֣חַת חַיָּ֑יְכִי הַֽ֝מְעַטְּרֵ֗כִי חֶ֣סֶד וְרַחֲמִֽים׃
(3) He forgives all your sins, heals all your diseases. (4) He redeems your life from the Pit, surrounds you with steadfast love and mercy.
Note that selicha comes before refuah which comes before geulah in Tanakh, but not in the amida.
אִי הָכִי — לֵימָא רְפוּאָה בָּתְרַהּ דִּתְשׁוּבָה? לָא סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְיָשׁוֹב אֶל יהוה וִירַחֲמֵהוּ וְאֶל אֱלֹהֵינוּ כִּי יַרְבֶּה לִסְלוֹחַ״. וּמַאי חָזֵית דְּסָמְכַתְּ אַהָא? סְמוֹךְ אַהָא! כְּתַב קְרָא אַחֲרִינָא: ״הַסּוֹלֵחַ לְכׇל עֲוֹנֵיכִי הָרוֹפֵא לְכׇל תַּחֲלוּאָיְכִי הַגּוֹאֵל מִשַּׁחַת חַיָּיְכִי״. לְמֵימְרָא דִּגְאוּלָּה וּרְפוּאָה בָּתַר סְלִיחָה הִיא, וְהָכְתִיב: ״וָשָׁב וְרָפָא לוֹ״! הָהוּא לָאו רְפוּאָה דְתַחְלוּאִים הִיא, אֶלָּא רְפוּאָה דִסְלִיחָה הִיא.
The Gemara asks: If so, that the sequence of blessings is based on this verse, let us say that the blessing of healing should be said after the blessing of repentance. Why, then, is the next blessing in the Amida the blessing of forgiveness and not the blessing of healing? The Gemara explains: This cannot enter your mind, as it is written: “And let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7), which shows that the theme of repentance should be followed by that of forgiveness. The Gemara poses a question: But what did you see to rely on this verse? Rely on the other verse, which juxtaposes repentance to healing. The Gemara answers: Another verse, in which it is written: “Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit” (Psalms 103:3–4), proves that the theme of healing should follow that of forgiveness. The Gemara asks: Is that verse coming to say that the blessings of redemption and healing should be placed following the blessing of forgiveness? But isn’t it written: “Repent, and be healed” (Isaiah 6:10), which suggests that repentance should be followed by healing? The Gemara answers: That verse is referring not to the literal healing from illness, but rather to the figurative healing of forgiveness, and therefore this verse too supports the sequence of forgiveness following repentance.
So, why not follow the order?
The Gemara goes on to give this reason:
וּמָה רָאוּ לוֹמַר גְּאוּלָּה בִּשְׁבִיעִית? אָמַר רָבָא: מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁעֲתִידִין לִיגָּאֵל בִּשְׁבִיעִית — לְפִיכָךְ קְבָעוּהָ בִּשְׁבִיעִית. וְהָאָמַר מָר: בְּשִׁשִּׁית קוֹלוֹת, בִּשְׁבִיעִית מִלְחָמוֹת, בְּמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית בֶּן דָּוִד בָּא! מִלְחָמָה נָמֵי אַתְחַלְתָּא דִגְאוּלָּה הִיא.
The Gemara continues: And why did they see fit to institute to say the blessing of redemption as the seventh blessing? Rava said: Since there is a tradition that the Jewish people are destined to be redeemed in the seventh year of the Sabbatical cycle, consequently, they fixed redemption as the seventh blessing. But didn’t the Master say in a baraita: In the sixth year of the Sabbatical cycle in the days of the arrival of the Messiah, heavenly sounds will be heard; in the seventh year there will be wars; and upon the conclusion of the seventh year, in the eighth year, the son of David, the Messiah, will come? The redemption will take place not during the seventh year but after it. The Gemara answers: Nevertheless, the war that takes place during the seventh year is also the beginning of the redemption process, and it is therefore correct to say that Israel will be redeemed in the seventh year.
Rashi points out that that the theme of this beracha is not national redemption, but personal redemption. The gemara refers to the general context of redemption.
This beracha must refer to personal redemption. Note the location. Daat, Teshuva, Selicha ... Refuah, Birkat HaShanim are all personal requests. Once we get to Kibbut HaGaluyot, the requests become collective. (Note that although the berachot are in the plural - Grant us, Bring us back, Draw us near, Forgive us, Pardon us - the berachot refer to individual problems that we all have. That is different than a national/collective need.)
But, what is redemption? When I am given knowledge, am I not redeemed from ignorance? What am I asking HaShem for?
1. Look upon our affliction -רְאֵה בְעָנְיֵֽנוּ
We open with a very strange request - look upon our affliction. Why? We don't do this with any other beracha. (Do I say "look upon our ignorance"?) If nothing is hidden from HaShem, why do I need to ask HaShem to look upon our affliction?
Let's look at where else we see this idea - yetziat Mitzrayim.
(כג) וַיְהִי֩ בַיָּמִ֨ים הָֽרַבִּ֜ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיָּ֙מׇת֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מִן־הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּ וַתַּ֧עַל שַׁוְעָתָ֛ם אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים מִן־הָעֲבֹדָֽה׃ (כד) וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־נַאֲקָתָ֑ם וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־בְּרִית֔וֹ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶת־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽת־יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (כה) וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּ֖דַע אֱלֹהִֽים׃ {ס}
(23) A long time after that, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites were groaning under the bondage and cried out; and their cry for help from the bondage rose up to God. (24) God heard their moaning, and God remembered the covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. (25) God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.
According to a shiur from Rabbi David Forhman: "Four verbs are used in conjunction to God: He heard, He remembered, He looked (saw), and He knew.
What did God hear? What did God remember? What did God see? What did God know? It's as if God is collecting the data with His "senses" and then knows.
What does He know? He knows everything that He hears, He knows everything He remembers, He knows everything that He sees. And what happens when you know in that way?
This is really the moment of God being empathetic with us. The sense is that when I really know, I get it. I come to understand or identify with what's going on. It's in the forefront of my mind, I get it, I know.
(א) וּמֹשֶׁ֗ה הָיָ֥ה רֹעֶ֛ה אֶת־צֹ֛אן יִתְר֥וֹ חֹתְנ֖וֹ כֹּהֵ֣ן מִדְיָ֑ן וַיִּנְהַ֤ג אֶת־הַצֹּאן֙ אַחַ֣ר הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר וַיָּבֹ֛א אֶל־הַ֥ר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים חֹרֵֽבָה׃ (ב) וַ֠יֵּרָ֠א מַלְאַ֨ךְ יהוה אֵלָ֛יו בְּלַבַּת־אֵ֖שׁ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַסְּנֶ֑ה וַיַּ֗רְא וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַסְּנֶה֙ בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֔שׁ וְהַסְּנֶ֖ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אֻכָּֽל׃
(1) Now Moses, tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, drove the flock into the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. (2) A messenger of יהוה appeared to him in a blazing fire out of a bush. He gazed, and there was a bush all aflame, yet the bush was not consumed.
Moshe's attention is grabbed by the vision of the burning bush. HaShem introduces Himself, and then what does HaShem say?
(ז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יהוה רָאֹ֥ה רָאִ֛יתִי אֶת־עֳנִ֥י עַמִּ֖י אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וְאֶת־צַעֲקָתָ֤ם שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י נֹֽגְשָׂ֔יו כִּ֥י יָדַ֖עְתִּי אֶת־מַכְאֹבָֽיו׃
(7) And יהוה continued, “I have marked well the plight of My people in Egypt and have heeded their outcry because of their taskmasters; yes, I am mindful of their sufferings.
This is where it all begins, where God says here's what I've seen: I've seen the suffering of My people and I will not stand by any longer. And look at how the verse ends: "I have come to know their pain." Just as in the end of Chapter 2. So, HaShem is essentially saying - I get it - I see it - I will do something.
(ח) וָאֵרֵ֞ד לְהַצִּיל֣וֹ ׀ מִיַּ֣ד מִצְרַ֗יִם וּֽלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ֮ מִן־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִוא֒ אֶל־אֶ֤רֶץ טוֹבָה֙ וּרְחָבָ֔ה אֶל־אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ אֶל־מְק֤וֹם הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַ֣חִתִּ֔י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י וְהַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃
(8) I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the region of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
So to put it all together, the rabbinic sages of the Talmudic era who wrote the Amidah prayer used these two chapters as a template for us if we're ever in difficult straits. In chapter 2 Israel cries out to HaShem. What does HaShem do? We know the end of the story — He hears their suffering, understands their suffering, He empathizes with it, and He puts together a master plan to actually save them from it. He becomes the Redeemer, He follows through, He answers the prayer. So the rabbis say, what a great prayer — HaShem , can You do what You did back in Exodus chapters 2 and 3?
Where do we find this language? In an interesting retelling of that exodus from Egypt - the viduy of the bikkurim ...
(ה) וְעָנִ֨יתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ֜ לִפְנֵ֣י ׀ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אֲרַמִּי֙ אֹבֵ֣ד אָבִ֔י וַיֵּ֣רֶד מִצְרַ֔יְמָה וַיָּ֥גׇר שָׁ֖ם בִּמְתֵ֣י מְעָ֑ט וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֕ם לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל עָצ֥וּם וָרָֽב׃ (ו) וַיָּרֵ֧עוּ אֹתָ֛נוּ הַמִּצְרִ֖ים וַיְעַנּ֑וּנוּ וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עֲבֹדָ֥ה קָשָֽׁה׃ (ז)וַנִּצְעַ֕ק אֶל־יהוה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יהוה אֶת־קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיַּ֧רְא אֶת־עׇנְיֵ֛נוּ וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ וְאֶֽת־לַחֲצֵֽנוּ׃ (ח) וַיּוֹצִאֵ֤נוּ יהוה מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם בְּיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ וּבִזְרֹ֣עַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבְמֹרָ֖א גָּדֹ֑ל וּבְאֹת֖וֹת וּבְמֹפְתִֽים׃ (ט) וַיְבִאֵ֖נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּתֶּן־לָ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ (י) וְעַתָּ֗ה הִנֵּ֤ה הֵבֵ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־רֵאשִׁית֙ פְּרִ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תָּה לִּ֖י יהוה וְהִנַּחְתּ֗וֹ לִפְנֵי֙ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֔יתָ לִפְנֵ֖י יהוה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ (יא) וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֣ בְכׇל־הַטּ֗וֹב אֲשֶׁ֧ר נָֽתַן־לְךָ֛ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּלְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ אַתָּה֙ וְהַלֵּוִ֔י וְהַגֵּ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃ {ס}
(5) You shall then recite as follows before your God יהוה: “My father was a fugitive Aramean. He went down to Egypt with meager numbers and sojourned there; but there he became a great and very populous nation. (6) The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor upon us. (7) We cried to יהוה, the God of our ancestors, and יהוה heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and our oppression. (8)יהוה freed us from Egypt by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm and awesome power, and by signs and portents, (9) bringing us to this place and giving us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. (10) Wherefore I now bring the first fruits of the soil which You, יהוה, have given me.” You shall leave it before your God יהוה and bow low before your God יהוה. (11) And you shall enjoy, together with the [family of the] Levite and the stranger in your midst, all the bounty that your God יהוה has bestowed upon you and your household.
According to Rav Bick, when bringing the first fruits, we need not point to the suffering as a cause for the exodus. Rather, we are praising and thanking HaShem who brought us to the land flowing with milk and honey. So, "He saw our affliction", in this context is not the cause of the redemption but a part of it - it is an independent stage in the development of redemption that serves as a independent phrase of praise. The "seeing" includes a dimension for which we thank and praise.
Looking is not about getting information. And, it is not about look at my physical suffering, but at my inner tension and psychological suffering. (Note, this is not objective, but subjective. Everyone is hurt by a broken leg or rock to the head; not everyone is afflicted the same by stress, loneliness, anxiety, etc.) We are not asking HaShem to pay attention to the specific predicament, but that he recognized or anguish and inner suffering. And, in order to do so HaShem would need to identify with our suffering - or, perhaps even partake of the suffering.
Can we really do that? Can a King identify with the affliction of his subject? Actually partake in it?
There is a midrash that emphasizes HaShem's participation in the suffering of Bnai Yisrael .... "It is as if he pokes his finger into his own eye and gouges it out." (Sifrei Zuta)
Maybe that is only our collective, national affliction? No, ....
(ה) אָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָדָם מִצְטַעֵר, שְׁכִינָה מַה הַלָּשׁוֹן אוֹמֶרֶת כִּבְיָכוֹל, קַלַּנִי מֵרֹאשִׁי, קַלַּנִי מִזְּרוֹעִי. אִם כֵּן הַמָּקוֹם מִצְטַעֵר עַל דָּמָם שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים שֶׁנִּשְׁפַּךְ, קַל וָחֹמֶר עַל דָּמָם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים. וְלֹא זוֹ בִלְבַד, אֶלָּא כָּל הַמֵּלִין אֶת מֵתוֹ, עוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. הֱלִינוֹ לִכְבוֹדוֹ לְהָבִיא לוֹ אָרוֹן וְתַכְרִיכִים, אֵינוֹ עוֹבֵר עָלָיו. וְלֹא הָיוּ קוֹבְרִין אוֹתוֹ בְּקִבְרוֹת אֲבוֹתָיו, אֶלָּא שְׁתֵּי בָתֵּי קְבָרוֹת הָיוּ מְתֻקָּנִין לְבֵית דִּין, אַחַת לַנֶּהֱרָגִין וְלַנֶּחֱנָקִין וְאַחַת לַנִּסְקָלִין וְלַנִּשְׂרָפִין:
(5)Rabbi Meir said: The phrase “for he that is hung is a curse [kilelat] of God” should be understood as follows: When a man suffers in the wake of his sin, what expression does the Divine Presence use? I am distressed [kallani] about My head, I am distressed about My arm, meaning, I, too, suffer when the wicked are punished. From here it is derived: If God suffers such distress over the blood of the wicked that is spilled, even though they justly deserved their punishment, it can be inferred a fortiori that He suffers distress over the blood of the righteous.And the Sages said not only this, that an executed transgressor must be buried on the same day that he is killed, but they said that anyone who leaves his deceased relative overnight with-out burying him transgresses a prohibition. But if he left the deceased overnight for the sake of the deceased’s honor, e.g., to bring a coffin or shrouds for his burial, he does not transgress the prohibition against leaving him unburied overnight. After the executed transgressor is taken down he is buried, and they would not bury him in his ancestral burial plot. Rather, two graveyards were established for the burial of those executed by the court: One for those who were killed by decapitation or strangled, and one for those who were stoned or burned.
Note that redemption is not solution - redemption is about returning from being "lost". Geula is used in the Torah for redemption of a slave, or one's land.
See this fascinating article by Dr. Yael Ziegler (her book on Ruth is amazing): https://etzion.org.il/en/tanakh/ketuvim/megillat-ruth/ruth%E2%80%99s-redemption
In redemption, the person cannot redeem herself; the land cannot redeem itself. The need that this beracha addresses is the need for help from the other (from HaShem).
As the beracha comes from a place of helplessness, we start with the request for HaShem to look upon our affliction - to identify with our helplessness. To recognize the state of despair of the human condition without HaShem! An admission of our need for HaShem.
2. Atonement - Kappara
As we saw last week, atonement does not appear in the beracha for Selicha, and Rav Bick believes it belongs here. Now we see why. Redemption refers to the mental state. Atonement, counter to forgiveness and pardon, refers to out state of being (as opposed to HaShem's attitude towards us). Atonement, therefore, comes to address our mental state. Atonement is part of the redemptive process.
3. Fight our cause - וְרִיבָה רִיבֵֽנוּ
We ask for process, as well as outcome. We want/need HaShem on our side, fighting our battle. HaShem should take on our fight as his own fight. It isn't enough to simply provide us relief from afar - we need HaShem close to us fighting side by side. Again, our tefilla is about bringing us closer to HaShem.
Let's look at an example ...
(כג) בִּשְׁנַת֙ חֲמֵשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה לַאֲמַצְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־יוֹאָ֖שׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה מָ֠לַ֠ךְ יָרׇבְעָ֨ם בֶּן־יוֹאָ֤שׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וְאַחַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה׃ (כד) וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יהוה לֹ֣א סָ֗ר מִכׇּל־חַטֹּאות֙ יָרׇבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־נְבָ֔ט אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶחֱטִ֖יא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (כה) ה֗וּא הֵשִׁיב֙ אֶת־גְּב֣וּל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִלְּב֥וֹא חֲמָ֖ת עַד־יָ֣ם הָעֲרָבָ֑ה כִּדְבַ֤ר יהוה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֗ר בְּיַד־עַבְדּ֞וֹ יוֹנָ֤ה בֶן־אֲמִתַּי֙ הַנָּבִ֔יא אֲשֶׁ֖ר מִגַּ֥ת הַחֵֽפֶר׃
(23) In the fifteenth year of King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah, King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel became king in Samaria—for forty-one years. (24) He did what was displeasing to GOD; he did not depart from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. (25) It was he who restored the territory of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the promise that the ETERNAL, the God of Israel, had made through God’s servant, the prophet Jonah son of Amittai from Gath-hepher.
Look at that - he did all that was evil, and yet he expanded the borders of the land to their greatest extent. How?
(כו) כִּי־רָאָ֧ה יהוה אֶת־עֳנִ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֹרֶ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וְאֶ֤פֶס עָצוּר֙ וְאֶ֣פֶס עָז֔וּב וְאֵ֥ין עֹזֵ֖ר לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (כז) וְלֹא־דִבֶּ֣ר יהוה לִמְחוֹת֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַיּ֣וֹשִׁיעֵ֔ם בְּיַ֖ד יָרׇבְעָ֥ם בֶּן־יוֹאָֽשׁ׃
(26) For GOD saw the very bitter plight of Israel, with neither bond nor free left, and with none to help Israel. (27) And GOD resolved not to blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; and he delivered them through Jeroboam son of Joash.
The phrase "fight our cause" is based on ...
(כג) כִּֽי־יהוה יָרִ֣יב רִיבָ֑ם וְקָבַ֖ע אֶת־קֹבְעֵיהֶ֣ם נָֽפֶשׁ׃
(23) For the LORD will take up their cause And despoil those who despoil them of life.
(כה) כִּי־כֹ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יהוה גַּם־שְׁבִ֤י גִבּוֹר֙ יֻקָּ֔ח וּמַלְק֥וֹחַ עָרִ֖יץ יִמָּלֵ֑ט וְאֶת־יְרִיבֵךְ֙ אָנֹכִ֣י אָרִ֔יב וְאֶת־בָּנַ֖יִךְ אָנֹכִ֥י אוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃
(25) Yet thus said GOD: Captives shall be taken from a warrior And spoil shall be retrieved from a tyrant; For I will contend with your adversaries, And I will deliver your children.
(קנד)רִיבָ֣ה רִ֭יבִי וּגְאָלֵ֑נִי לְאִמְרָתְךָ֥ חַיֵּֽנִי׃
(154) Champion my cause and redeem me; preserve me according to Your promise.
But, the story of Yerovoam is most similar to our beracha - HaShem saw the people's affliction and hopelessness and brought redemption in spite of the sins that the people committed. HaShem empathized with the mental anguish and fought the battle - not as a reward, but because the people's cause was his cause.
4. Redeem us quickly for your name's sake - גְאָלֵֽנוּ מְהֵרָה לְמַֽעַן שְׁמֶֽךָ
What is the connection between redemption and HaShem's name? HaShem's name is borne by Israel! If we are not helped, the other nations of the world will desecrate HaShem's name.
(י) לָ֤מָּה ׀ יֹאמְר֣וּ הַגּוֹיִם֮ אַיֵּ֢ה אֱֽלֹהֵ֫יהֶ֥ם יִוָּדַ֣ע (בגיים) [בַּגּוֹיִ֣ם] לְעֵינֵ֑ינוּ נִ֝קְמַ֗ת דַּֽם־עֲבָדֶ֥יךָ הַשָּׁפֽוּךְ׃
(10) Let the nations not say, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes let it be known among the nations that You avenge the spilled blood of Your servants.
So, our downfall is a desecration of HaShem's name. Again, from the Yom Kippur machzor... "Act for Your name's sake and sanctify Your name...."
עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן שִׁמְךָ
עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן יְמִינֶךָ
עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן קְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ
עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן תּוֹרָתֶךָ …
We aren't asking for a reward; we are reminding HaShem that the sanctity of His name is incongruous with our suffering.
(ד) גֹּאֲלֵ֕נוּ יהוה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמ֑וֹ קְד֖וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(4) Our Redeemer—whose name is GOD of Hosts— Is the Holy One of Israel.
5. Powerful redeemer - גּוֹאֵל חָזָק
Here is a verse that reflects our beracha ...
(לג) כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יהוה צְבָא֔וֹת עֲשׁוּקִ֛ים בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל וּבְנֵי־יְהוּדָ֖ה יַחְדָּ֑ו וְכׇל־שֹֽׁבֵיהֶם֙ הֶחֱזִ֣יקוּ בָ֔ם מֵאֲנ֖וּ שַׁלְּחָֽם׃ (לד)גֹּאֲלָ֣ם ׀ חָזָ֗ק יהוה צְבָאוֹת֙ שְׁמ֔וֹ רִ֥יב יָרִ֖יב אֶת־רִיבָ֑ם לְמַ֙עַן֙ הִרְגִּ֣יעַ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהִרְגִּ֖יז לְיֹשְׁבֵ֥י בָבֶֽל׃
(33) Thus said GOD of Hosts: The people of Israel are oppressed, And so too the people of Judah; All their captors held them, They refused to let them go. (34) Their mighty Redeemer, Whose name is GOD of Hosts, Will champion their cause— So as to give rest to the earth, And unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.
That was a situation of imprisonment. Captors refused to let them go (it echoes today!!). Redemption results directly from HaShem's name. We need HaShem to fight our fight!
In Yirmiyahu, we add the idea of חָזָ֗ק - might/power. Strength is a characteristic of a King, and the King of kings. Might/power also implies exertion/effort. Theologically, there is nothing easy or hard for HaShem. Strength as an attribute for HaShem is, according to Rav Bick, only associated with redemption. So, let's not look at it from HaShem's perspective, but from our perspective. From our perspective only strength can overcome our helplessness. It take overwhelming strength and power to overcome our mental anguish. It hearkens back to yetziat Mitrayim, when HaShem took us out of Egypt with a powerful hand and outstretched arm. It is for that redemption from our mental anguish to we bless HaShem as the one who redeems Israel.