This section is also a bit complicated:
May Your mercies be aroused, L-rd our G‑d, upon the righteous, upon the
pious, upon the elders of Your people, the House of Israel, upon the
remnant of their sages, upon the righteous proselytes and upon us. Grant
ample reward to all who truly trust in Your Name, and place our lot
among them; may we never be disgraced, for we have put our trust in You.
Blessed are You L-rd, the support and security of the righteous.
Who are these "Righteous"?
The prayer identifies six categories of deserving individuals: (1)
Tzaddikim – the righteous, those motivated by justice, who are
meticulous in mitzvos; (2) Chasidim – the pious, those motivated by
love, who go beyond the letter of the law; (3) Ziknei Amcha – the elders
of the nation, the spiritual leaders of the people; (4) Pleitas
Sofreihem – the remnant of the nation’s teachers, those select few who
dedicate their lives to teaching Torah; (5) Geirei HaTzedek – sincere
converts, who left their old lives behind to cling to the Jewish people;
and (6) Aleinu – us, the simple but well-meaning Jews, even if we’re
nothing special. We pray that all of these, including ourselves, enjoy
God’s mercy.
In praying this, I usually focus on the last 2 lines. Trust, support, security that G*d will protect us in our struggles for righteousness.
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