OU TORAH ONE+ONE Peninah By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz

Many have the practice to recite, in the prayer following Shemoneh Esrei, a verse that starts and ends with the same letter as their name, or that contains their name, or both. This is considered a source of merit. In this series, we will briefly analyze these verses. פִּתְחוּ לִי שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק אָבֹא בָם אוֹדֶה קהּ Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter through them, I will give thanks to G-d. – Psalms 118:19 What are these gates of righteousness? The Metzudas Dovid explains that David – the author of Psalms – is asking G-d to permit him to enter the gates of the Temple so that he might enter in order to thank G-d for his salvation. (Many of David’s Psalms express a longing for the Temple, which he was denied permission to build.)