As compared to the humble formulation of the three previous prayers for knowledge, repentance and forgiveness, this request for redemption appears to be a bold expression of an empowered self. And yet, how can we dare to demand of God, “Behold our affliction, take up our grievance,” when we feel so low and embarrassed by our misdeeds? Because we are asking for God’s own sake, as the prayer continues, “and redeem us quickly for Your name’s sake.” At this point of the Amidah we stand a little straighter. Although we are asking God to restore our lost self-worth, nonetheless we feel worthy enough to ask assertively that God pay attention to us and empathize with us because we are making our request on His behalf. We are asking that God redeem us for His name’s sake. We learned earlier that God has a name only so that others can call to Him. Indeed, God wants a loving relationship with us. He created the world for the sake of His name, so that others can call to Him and enjoy a loving relationship with Him. If we are afflicted souls and feel unworthy to call to God, then His name becomes irrelevant and the purpose of our existence is lost. Therefore, we ask God to help us regain our self-respect and stature, so that we can confidently and comfortably call to Him, stand in His presence and fully return to Him in love. “For Your name’s sake” also implies a responsibility on our part because we have a mission to spread the name of God to the rest of the world and teach others so that they, too, can call to Him. But if we feel like failures, where will we get the confidence to fulfill our destiny? Therefore, we ask God to redeem us for His name’s sake, so that we can not only enjoy a relationship with Him, but also accomplish our mission of promoting His name in the world. We end this request with a reason why God should accede to our request—“because You are a mighty Redeemer.” Essentially, we are saying, “This is an opportunity for You, God, to make known this truth about Yourself—that You are a powerful Redeemer.” It is important to remember that these prayers were written with the intention to inspire us. We are not trying to coax or manipulate God into responding or acting. We express these prayers in this way because this is how we need to hear them. The Amidah is a well-crafted script that is meant to evoke from within us the right feelings about who we are, about who God is and about the loving relationship we share. The Amidah empowers us to stand in God’s presence, to feel love for God and loved by God. We conclude the request with, “Blessed are You, YHVH, who redeems Israel.” Note that it does not say, “who redeems His nation Israel,” as we will see at the end of the next request. This request addresses an essential step in our process of personal teshuvah, the need for personal redemption. The next request, however, begins to express our concern for a national teshuvah.