Q&A: Yishtabach Shemo — For What Reason?
Yishtabach Shemo — For What Reason?
Question
Aside from a psychological explanation […”in order to refine people through them”]—
why are we instructed in all the prayers to praise the Holy One, blessed be He?
Requests and thanks, fine—that’s a human need.
But praises?
What are we, His PR agents (“You are My firstborn, for in you I glory”)?!
Answer
I don’t see the difference between praises and requests and thanks. On the face of it, all of these are unnecessary.
Usually the explanation is that it is for our sake: so that we learn gratitude and learn to appreciate the Holy One, blessed be He, and also to recognize everything we owe Him. Indeed, to be PR agents—internally (toward ourselves) and externally. Mechanical PR agents are not worth much. Apparently there is a need for PR agents who, out of choice, praise Him. That is far more meaningful PR.
It should be remembered that the text of the prayer was instituted by the Sages and is not from the Torah. He did not demand that we do this; rather, the Sages saw fit to establish it.
Discussion on Answer
I didn’t understand what it is that I didn’t answer.
Who are we to determine that H e needs our praises of Him? It is embarrassing to suppose that God (even when He is only a theoretical construct and the perception of His existence is a psychological need of a person to believe in something larger than life, especially in times of distress)—is the role of the believing person (on what basis? he was raised in faith and performs commandments by rote) to express gratitude (what is this, etiquette and manners?) to his Creator (who said so?) and to improve His wretchedness (as in Kaddish, according to the interpretation that “Yishtabach,” etc., is in the future tense—you caused it; there is a void here before us—you need to be praised and magnified in the future, because here You messed up).
I didn’t understand what is written here. Not even one word.
Why do we praise Him? Does He need it?
Why do we aspire to give Him satisfaction?
I didn’t see anything new here that I haven’t already answered.
“If not for Your sake, then for ours.”
I still haven’t received an answer: why, for example, in the High Holiday prayers do we never stop praising Him? Likewise in the Patriarchs blessing at the beginning of the Amidah.
If He exists—then what does He need this for?
Psychologically, I understand that we, alas, need to know that there is something above us, so that we don’t slide down the slippery slope of “my power and the might of my own hand”—but please, give me your straightforward opinion, as is your way, regarding this question that keeps troubling me.