brachah, “Who
brachah that warrants a change from the present tense to the past tense?
The
Machatzis Hashekel raises this question, and says that although he has no explanation for it, we should nevertheless recite the
brachah as it is written in the
siddur. If I may be so bold, I would like to suggest an answer, based on a story of Rebbe Zusha of Anipoli.
Rebbe Zusha lived in abject poverty. He wore tattered clothes and fasted frequently. He was asked, “How can you recite the
brachah, thanking Hashem,
‘Who has provided me with all my needs’ when you are obviously lacking the basic needs?” Rebbe Zusha, who always had a cheerful disposition, responded, “Hashem knows my needs better than I do. He knows that one of my needs is poverty, so He gives it to me.”