A heartfelt prayer is directed toward God, calling upon Him as the ultimate leader and provider for the nation. By addressing God as the Shepherd of Israel, the plea highlights His enduring role in guiding and sustaining His people [רש״י, מאירי]. In this context, the entire nation is uniquely referred to by the name of Joseph. Commentators offer several complementary reasons for this specific choice. From a historical perspective, Joseph was the one who sustained the tribes during the severe famine in Egypt, earning the right to have the entire nation associated with his name [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Additionally, when Jacob blessed Joseph's sons, he declared that his name would live on through them, firmly establishing their identity as the namesake of the people [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מאירי]. Rachel's children—Joseph and Benjamin—were also viewed as the central foundation and core of the family [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מאירי].
There is also a deep spiritual connection at play. Jacob himself was known as a shepherd. When Joseph faced the severe moral test involving Potiphar's wife, he drew strength from a vision of his father's face. Through this victory, he earned the right to share his father's title of shepherd [תורה תמימה]. Later in history, following the division of the monarchy, the entire northern Kingdom of Israel was frequently called Joseph or Ephraim. This occurred because Jeroboam, the first king to rule over the ten northern tribes, came from the tribe of Ephraim, Joseph's son [רד״ק, מאירי].
Beyond historical events, the connection to Joseph emphasizes God's ongoing protection during times of exile. God guided the Israelites fearlessly, like a flock of sheep surrounded by wolves [מלבי״ם]. Just as His Divine Presence went down into the Egyptian exile alongside Joseph, God continued to guide the people as a faithful and devoted shepherd during the Babylonian exile [אלשיך].
The prayer also invokes God as the One who dwells upon the cherubim, referring to His presence resting above the Ark of the Covenant in both the Tabernacle and the Temple [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. This sacred space was the designated meeting point for prophecy, where humanity could connect with the glory of the Divine Presence [רד״ק, מאירי]. This detail further ties back to Joseph and his brother Benjamin. The Ark of the Covenant was initially placed in Joseph's territory at the Tabernacle of Shiloh, and it later rested permanently in Benjamin's territory within the Temple in Jerusalem [אבן עזרא].
The appeal reaches its peak with a desperate call for God to shine forth and reveal His presence [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם]. It is a powerful request: just as God shepherded the people in the past and dwelled among the cherubim during the eras of the First and Second Temples, He should once again awaken His strength [רש״י, מאירי]. The prayer asks Him to shine the light of salvation upon the nation [מצודת דוד] and appear in His full glory to rebuild the Third Temple [רד״ק, אלשיך, מלבי״ם].