2021/5781
At the beginning of Hallel, which we say at the end of Maggid, we say “Mekimi Mei’Afar Dal Mei’Ashpot Yarim Evyon,” “He raises the needy from the dust and lifts up the poor from the refuse heap” (Tehillim 113:7). When we approach Hashem, we are often afraid, or at least uncomfortable, because we think that God is too holy for us, or that we are not nearly holy enough for Him. In order to communicate with God, we think that we have to make a choice between bringing Hashem down to our level or thinking that we are on His level of greatness.
When we Daven to Hashem we must recognize that although Hashem is much holier than us, we have an incredible opportunity to speak to Him. Hashem accepts our Tefilot no matter who we are.
The Malbim comments that the Pasuk means that not only does Hashem “Mekimi Mei’Afar Dal,” “raise the needy from the dust,” but He also “Mei’Ashpot Yarim Evyon,” “lifts up the poor from the refuse heap”. Malbim understands this on a literal level, saying that the Hashem raises the needy, and the second half of the Pasuk is someone even needier than the first half, and “Lo Levad SheYakim Oto, Ki Gam Mei’Ashpot Yarim Evyon Lehoshivo Berum Olam,” “He not only raises [the poor man], he ‘lifts him up’, meaning he returns to an honorable stature among men”. This can also be understood with our reading. Hashem will not only raise us to His level if we’ve reached some ‘Beinoni’ type status, but He will even raise us up from the lowest of the lows to the highest high. Finally, this type of phrasing is seen used elsewhere, in Shmuel 1, 2:8. We see in context there that Chanah is praising Hashem for blessing her with a child. She speaks of Hashem’s great power, saying that He is “Meimit UMechayeh,” “The killer and the giver of life” (2:6), He is “Morish UMa’ashir,” “the maker of rich and poor people” (2:7), and finally “Meikim Mei’Afar Dal Mei’Ashpot Yarim Evyon” (2:8). If physically poor and rich people are referred to in the preceding Pasuk, what can be the purpose of this one? It must be referring to Hashem’s ability to raise one’s spiritual level purely based on his or her wanting to communicate with Him.
When we say “Mekimi Mei’Afar Dal,” we are saying that we do not need to make the choice between bringing God to our level or thinking that we are on His level. Instead, Hashem sees us trying to connect with Him and immediately brings His heart to us, to listen to our Davening.