Helps, Saves, and Protects
During the last sheva brachos of an elderly father’s youngest child (after marrying off ten or fifteen children), he announced, "I married off all my children, and Hashem didn't help me." The family was concerned to hear him say that. "Is he getting old and losing his mind? What does he mean that Hashem didn't help him?" They were thinking of asking him to stop his speech, but he immediately explained himself. "Hashem didn't help me; Hashem did everything!"
In last week's parashah, Eliezer expressed concern that he might encounter difficulties finding a spouse for Yitzchak. Avraham assured him (24:7), מלאכו ישלח הוא ...השמים אלקי 'ה לפניך, "Hashem the G-d of heaven...He will send His malach before you..." Avraham told Eliezer that he didn't need to worry. A malach will go before Eliezer and arrange everything. But when Eliezer repeated Avraham's words to Lavan and Besuel, Eliezer changed the words slightly. He told them that Avraham said (24:40), אתך מלאכו ישלח... 'ה, "Hashem...will send his malach with you." The implication is that Eliezer will do his share, and Hashem will help him.
Lavan and Besuel couldn't understand the concept of לפניו, that Hashem will do everything. Therefore, when Eliezer spoke to them, he told them that Avraham said Hashem would help him arrange the shidduch. However, in truth, Avraham said that Hashem would go before him and take care of the entire shidduch.
We say in Shemonah Esrei ומגן ומושיע עוזר מלך, "A King Who helps, saves, and protects." What is the difference between these three expressions of assistance - ומגן ,מושיע ,עוזר "helps, saves, and protects"? We finish the brachah with אברהם מגן. Why do we specifically use the expression מגן, protection, in reference to Avraham? Why not ומושיע עוזר?
The Torah tells us that Yaakov Avinu prepared tasty food (27:31) לאביו ויבא , "...and brought it to his father." The two words ו"אבי – א"ויב have the same letters, only in the opposite order. This hints that if you honor your parents, your children will honor you back. Your good deeds will be reciprocated to you.
Reb Avraham zt'l, the son of the Vilna Gaon zt'l says that the three words hint at three levels of bitachon. The first level is עוזר, "helps." This is when a person does hishtadlus and believes that Hashem will help him and bring blessings into what he does. A higher level of bitachon is מושיע, saves. This is when one doesn't even do hishtadlus, and he trusts that Hashem will protect and take care of him. Finally, the highest form of bitachon is מגן. This is when one does something that can harm himself, but he trusts that Hashem will save him. מגן was Avraham Avinu's level of bitachon. He went into the fire at Ur Kasdim, he fought a war against four mighty kings, and had bitachon that, although he was doing something dangerous, Hashem would protect him. Therefore, the brachah concludes, אברהם מגן (not אברהם עוזר or אברהם מושיע) because Avraham's level was מגן, completely trusting in Hashem to help him, even when his actions seemed to predict danger.
