Shacharis > Pesukei D’zimra > Y’hi Chavod
One thing that jumps out at you when saying ‘Y’hi Chavod,’ is how frequently Hashem’s name appears. Hashem’s name is written 18 times in this 18 verse tefillah! What is so special about this tefillah, and why the focus on the number 18?
Hashem operates the world with ‘middah k’negged middah,’ using His Divine attributes (‘middos’) to sustain our world and provide for us, taking into consideration our ‘middos,’ i.e. our behaviors. Hashem uses messengers in the form of angels to carry out His Will, and the primary role of administering His Will falls onto an angel named Mittatron (מטטרו”ן) who is called the “Sar Ha’olam,” or ‘Minister of the World.’
The Gemarah (Chulin 60a) teaches us that Y’hi Chavod is recited by this angel, the Sar Ha’olam. Y’hi chavod, may the honor of Hashem be, la’olam, throughout the world. This is the praise and song of the Divine attributes, who desire that the name of Hashem be revealed in the lower world, so that every creation knows and understands that it is Hashem alone who orchestrates every single thing that happens in our world (via His middos).
An abbreviated version of Mittatron’s name is ט”ט, which has the numerical value of 18, hence the references to the number 18 in the number of verses, and times Hashem’s name is mentioned, in this tefillah.
(The exception to this ‘system’ is Shabbos Kodesh. On Shabbos, Hashem guides the word from a place that is above the ‘regular’ middos, and this is called Chochma and Binah. Therefore, a Yid’s connection to Hashem on Shabbos is not guided by middah k’negged middah, his actions and behavior. On Shabbos Hashem expresses His desire to give us infinite abundance and goodness solely because of our deep, intrinsic, relationship with Him. Nevertheless, the Shaar Hakavanos writes that we should still recite Y’hi Chavod on Shabbos and not change from the custom of saying it as part of our daily Pesukei D’zimra.)
When we say this tefillah, the Divine attributes are infused with a renewed desire to pour down an abundance of goodness onto the creations. When we declare the honor of Hashem, and acknowledge that He is the source of everything, these channels of shefa receive life and energy, and unleash their bounty upon us.
The 18 times we mention Hashem’s name also remind us of the 18 components of the spinal cord (see Talmud Brachos 28a), teaching us that just as the vertebrae and other parts of our body extend from our spinal cord to support and hold up our entire body, so to saying Y’hi Chavod gives life to the systems of creation that Hashem uses to support and sustain His creations.
In Y’hi Chavod we reveal the honor of Hashem, but in a world full of physicality, where evil is more common than good, איה כבוד השם, where is the honor of Hashem? The answer is that Hashem’s name is sanctified and revealed when his children, the holy Jewish nation, are able to be repulsed by evil and choose only the good. From this comes Hashem’s greatest honor.
Moment of Mindfulness:
When you say Y’hi Chavod, think about the honor that is brought to Hashem when we recognize that every occurrence in the world is orchestrated by Him through His holy messengers. When we choose good over evil, we ourselves become messengers of G-dliness.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 26.