Birkas Hamazon A Nation Rising

The fourth bracha of Birkas Hamazon was introduced by Rabban Gamliel in Yavneh. The occasion was the permission granted by the Romans to bury the dead of Beitar.

When Beitar was destroyed, Klal Yisrael was at its lowest, and its full glory will not rise again until the days of Mashiach. Therefore, we connect this bracha with the previous one of Bonei Yerushalayim, in which we pray for his coming. This connection reminds us that our future as a nation ultimately depends on G-d alone.

Adapted from World of Prayer by Rabbi Elie Munk