THE TEXT: Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us to engross ourselves in the words of Torah. Please, Hashem, our God, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouth and in the mouth of Your people, the family of Israel. May we and our offspring and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel – all of us – know Your Name and study your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel.
ARTSCROLL COMMENTARY: It is forbidden to study or recite Torah passages before reciting the following blessings. Since the commandment to study Torah is in effect all day long, these blessings need not be repeated if one studies at various times of the day. Although many siddurim begin a new paragraph at והערב נה [Please...sweeten], according to the vast majority of commentators the first blessing does not end until לעמו ישראל [to his people Israel].
DWF COMMENTARY: This prayer contains three petitions (bakashot). First, we ask that God “sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouth and in the mouth of Your people, the family of Israel.” Then, we ask that we the family of Israel should know God’s name and study His Torah for its own sake. A few questions. What is the significance of the phrase “our mouth”? Do the Jewish people share a common mouth? The singularity of the word “mouth” indicates that a metaphor is at play here. The mouth is an organ of speech and also an organ of taste. Also, “Your people, the family of Israel” has one mouth. The Hebrew word for taste (ta’am) can also mean “reason” or “explanation.” Maybe sweetening the words of Torah in the mouth of Israel is a metaphor for making the reasons and explanations for difficult-to-understand laws (hukkim) clearer in the collective understanding of Israel.
Jay, this is for you. Once again, I ask, why might we want to know God’s name?
What does it mean to study Torah for its own sake? What is this motivation: for the sake of Torah? Is it for the sake of knowing how to live according to God’s instruction, to love Him?
