The first Bracha of Shemoneh Esrei is the Bracha of Avos. The Bracha ends with the words ברוך אתה ה ‘מגן אברהם, blessing Hashem who is the “Shield of Avraham”.
This phrase is borrowed from Parshas Lech Lecha, when Hashem says “Do not fear Avraham, I will be your shield” אנכי מגן לך.
Avraham embodied the Divine attribute of Chessed - loving kindness. Chessed was his very nature and was expressed in how he would serve Hashem and relate to his fellow man. Like the Divine attributes, Avraham’s Chessed was unlimited; Everyone was good in his eyes and he would shower them with unbounded love, whether they deserved it or not.
Pure unadulterated kindness without discerning whether it is deserved or not, is not necessarily a good thing. In the absence of discipline and expectations, unlimited kindness only serves to foster negativity and negative behaviours.
The ultimate purpose of Creation is that negativity will be eradicated from the world. A world run with pure Chessed will not allow negativity to be uprooted. For this we need Din - judgement, strictness and discipline.
And so each morning, when the attribute of Avraham - Hashem’s kindness flows into the world, we make the blessing Magen Avraham. Like a shield which covers its bearer, we ask Hashem to shield and limit His Chessed, so that it does not flow in its full intensity to the forces of negativity.
The message for us is that whilst we must have the Middah of Chessed, kindness, love and generosity, our Chessed must be shielded to ensure that it is constructive and does not allow evil and negativity to be accepted and tolerated.
