It is our duty to praise the Master of all.
Yehoshua authored Tefillas Aleinu l’shabei’ach, a tefillah of faith and dedication, as he was about to enter Eretz Yisrael. He recited it seven times, forward and backwards, and the walls of Yericho crumbled to the ground. We thank Hashem for making us Jews, as opposed to others, whom He has made pagans. This tefillah became accepted throughout the Jewish People and was included as part of the liturgy by Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, following the churban, destruction, of the Bais HaMikdash. The distinguished Amora, Rav, added stanzas to the tefillah. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai enjoined his and forthcoming generations to recite Aleinu as a catalyst to strengthen one’s emunah, faith, in Hashem.
Aleinu is followed by the tefillah, V’al kein mekaveh, which is a plea for the eradication of idol worship and a return of Hashem’s Glory.
Why is Aleinu recited at the conclusion of the tefillos: Shacharis, Minchah, Maariv? The Bach (133:1) explains that, prior to leaving shul, we should enroot in our hearts the significance of emunah, faith, in Hashem, and to pray that we – and the world – be expunged of the idols that have proliferated mankind. It is only after these abominations are eradicated that we have some sort of a safety net when, during the course of our daily endeavours, we are compelled to interact with idol worshippers.
