10. Why _Adon Olam_ Comes First(1)

The transcription discusses the significance of the prayer Adonalom, emphasizing the idea that it starts the day by acknowledging Hashem's eternal presence and rulership before creation. It highlights the importance of recognizing that one does not need to carry the weight of the world alone, as Hashem is already in control. The prayer serves as a reminder to anchor oneself in Hashem's existence and find comfort in knowing that the world is sustained by Him. It encourages taking a moment to reflect on this concept each morning before starting the day. Welcome back to Sifilac today. Today we're learning about Adonalom. At Sifilac it stands at the very gateway of the day. You'll find it immediately after Matzohu. It's familiar, often sung, sometimes said quickly, but the pipet isn't just surfing a poetic preface. He's charging us with a mindful mantra, deliberately placed at the very beginning of the day to anchor us in Hashem's timeless presence before we speak another word. Let's begin by noticing something most people never pause to see. Adonalom doesn't open with emotion. It doesn't begin with our needs or with feelings. It begins with Hashem. And with a foundational truth, Hashem ruled before anything existed. The Sifilo structure tells us its own story. Lines 1-5 ask, Who is Hashem? Lines 6-10 ask, What does that mean for me? This movement from the cosmic to the personal is deliberate. It reflects the oldest rhythm in Torah and Torah. We begin with truth about Hashem and only then move into relationship and self. And it starts with the biggest claim of all. Hashem ruled before the world was ever created. Here's the opening line. Adonalom Hashemolach, B'terim Kol Yitzhanovah, Master of the Universe, who ruled before any creature was formed. This is not just poetic language. It's a direct expression of Torah, drawing on eternal truths. In Bereshith, chapter 1, verse 1, the Torah opens with, In the beginning, Hashem created the heavens and the earth, but it never explains where Hashem came from because Hashem was already there. And then in Shemot, Genesis, in Exodus, chapter 3, verse 14, when Moshe asks Hashem for Hashem's name, the response is, I will be what I will be, a name that doesn't describe a form. It describes existence itself, timeless, uncreated, ever-present. And even before that revelation at the burning bush, the Torah already uses the four-letter name Hashem back in Bereshith, Genesis, chapter 2, verse 4. And this shows us something essential. Hashem's eternal presence wasn't introduced in Sefer Shemot in Exodus. It was already active in creation, already woven into the text, already true. The poet of Adonai is bringing that truth to the surface, not as a lesson to study, but as a foundation to stand on every morning. He's not introducing Hashem. He's helping us recognize the reality that came before us. That's why Adonai also echoes what Zevon HaMelech wrote in Psalms to Hillim, chapter 90, verse 2. A psalm attributed to Moshe himself. Before the mountains were born, Moshe Benu says, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, you are Hashem. This is the theology that Python is handing us. And that is theory as orientation. So what does that mean for you this morning? It means that to feel it doesn't begin with pressure. You don't have to get it right. You don't have to build spiritual strength, ruchnius, from scratch. You're stepping into something that's already real, already held, already ruled by Hashem. Adonai isn't a warm-up. It's a doorway. And that matters because, let's be honest, some mornings feel calm. Others feel heavy. You might wake up carrying a full schedule, emotional weight, mental noise, a quiet fear that you don't hold it together. If you don't hold it together, something will fall apart. But Adonai comes first and it tells you, you are not the one holding the world. Hashem already is. He always was. You are allowed to exhale. And you have to recognize that Hashem runs the world. All you have to do is try. So what does this actually give you? A place to stand. You don't need to begin with certainty. You don't need to feel ready. You just need to arrive and remember that Hashem was already here and is already here. This tesila isn't about asking. It's about anchoring. Here's your invitation for this week. Before moving on and dabbling, pause on this line. Adonalam Hashem alach b'terem kol yitzir nevra. Say it slowly, with presence. And let it remind you, Hashem's kingship didn't begin with your day and it won't end with your overwhelm. The world isn't being held together by your effort. You are waking up into something already sustained by Hashem. Tap into that. In the next episode we'll ask, what does malach really mean? Why is Hashem's kingship the first concept we declare? And how does knowing that Hashem ruled before creation help us feel safe within it? But for now, just remember, you are walking into a world already held by Hashem. Let's keep going, line by line.