Bach yechesu aniyei Ami
In You, the poor of my nation will take refuge.
Bach, in You, the holy city. In You, Hashem, the poor will seek refuge. Poor can have various connotations – economic as well as spiritual. The word, ani, poor, shares its root with anah, to answer. A pauper is always answering, giving excuses, forever explaining why he cannot contribute, why he is not like everyone else. Likewise, the spiritual ani often lives in the sphere of excuses. He claims that he is unworthy: weak in conviction; lacking the strength (physical and emotional) to rise above his (self-conceived) failures. Thus, his life becomes an endless chain of excuses, explanations, and cop-outs. If a person will just turn to Hashem and take refuge in His embrace and support, he will discover that the littlest change makes a difference. He need not despair. The smallest steps one makes create a difference that will ease the poverty. As he grows, his self-image, confidence and pride grow.
On Shabbos, we reflect in Bach, the holy city, our return, not only geographically, but also, emotionally/spiritually. When a person fills with pride at being part of something great, his aniyus, poverty dissipates. Hashem does not expect us to change overnight – only to silence the excuses that reflect our poverty. In other words, if you claim to have a problem, complain less and take action to do something to solve the problem.
