BLESSING AND PRAISING FELLOW JEWS

BS”D

BLESSING AND PRAISING FELLOW JEWS

Rabbi Yeheskel Lebovic

Tremendous Power

At this time of year it's customary for Jews to bless one another with good wishes to merit a good and sweet year. The deeper reason for this is that such blessings carry lots of power to actually activate the desired results of such blessings. This is reflected in the Torah (Ex. 40:2): "On the first day of the first month, you (Moshe) shall set up the Mishkan of the Ohel Moed”. Thus, on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the eighth day of the Mishkan dedication (Miluim) Moshe erected the Mishkan in a more permanent manner (Rashi Ex. 39:33, Lev. 9:1 and 9:23). Upon completing this final erection and upon Aharon completing his service, both Moshe and Aharon blessed the people (Lev. 9:22-23) and, right after that, "the glory of G-d appeared unto the  whole nation". This implies that blessing fellow Jews has the power to elicit tremendous results, eliciting the ability for them to become so attuned to spirituality as to be able to perceive "the glory of G-d".

Interconnection of Blessing and Elicitation

The word beracha is connected to the word "berech"--knee, the point where the

leg bends. This meaning of bending down is also used in the Mishna (Kilayim

7:1-2) in reference to vine branches being bent downward and planted. Thus, besides meaning "blessing" beracha has also the meaning of causing to bend, draw down, attract, elicit: when we bless G-d, we are also asking Him to bend downwards and reveal His latent Goodness to us. This is also the reason why we daven daily for our sustenance even though "a person's (yearly) sustenance is decreed upon on Rosh Hashana" (Talmud Rosh Hashana p.16) : the heavenly decree generates it in a spiritual form and our daily davening (berachot uttered during Shmonei Esrei prayer) channels it from its spiritual source into concrete physical needs.

Thus, when we say a beracha we are doing 2 things: (a) we praise G-d and thank Him (b) we are eliciting His bounty to be transformed from a spiritual (predetermined since the past Rosh Hashana) state into a tangible form. The two are thus actually interconnected. The praise is not only beseeching and praying that such and such (transition from potential to actuality) occur; it actually generates the transition in a direct cause and effect relationship: the praise itself elicits His bounty.

Of Compliments and Praise

This can be understood through the analogy of a compliment, of which there are several types: (a) the false compliment, which is mere flattery (b) the true compliment, given for an actual accomplishment (c) the compliment given about something not yet actual but possessing a potential able to become a reality down the line. For example, we may praise a child using such words as "smart" and "intelligent", even if the child is at the present not that bright. The praise and       compliment itself elicits and helps develop his intelligence potential. Likewise, the beracha we praise G-d with elicits an actualization of the spiritual potential into tangible reality. There are some types of requests that we ask of G-d which have not reached even a spiritual form (and were not decreed on Rosh Hashana). And, in such cases, we nonetheless ask G-d to generate something totally new when we ask "yehi ratzon" "let there be a (new) Will" that this or that be granted. This phenomenon is discussed in Torah Or of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Lubavitcher Rebbe (p.103c), where the question is raised: why are G-d's Attributes always referred to as His Names? The answer is that G-d's infinite essence transcends all His attributes, as all of them are submerged and nullified within His Essence, in the same way that a name is submerged before it is pronounced. It is only when we, human beings, call unto Him as being Wise, Kind, King etc....only then does He, reacting to our elicitation from below, Will these attributes into “existence". Hence G-d is attentive to our praises and berachot to the point of activating "new” elements and attributes because we call unto Him. Regardless of how little potential there seems to exist, we have to ask from, and praise G-d for all of our needs, even the far-fetched ones. So much for the power of davening and berachot!

Application to Chinuch

In terms of blessing and praising a fellow Jew, this exposition is also very important in Chinuch. Many parents are excessively demanding of their children, expecting ever greater levels of achievement. They often resort to putting the children down, emphasizing how far they still far from their expectations of them. Periodic praise of children for whatever they already have accomplished, on the other hand, not only does wonders for their self- esteem, but actually has the power to prod them and bring forth their potential. And even when any kind of potential seems to be totally absent, we should remember that:

a) our perception is limited, and there may very well be a certain potential in the child that can be tapped into and developed.

(b) praise and compliment can elicit something "new", altogether unexpected, for

man was created in the image of G-d: in the same way, as mentioned, that He generates "new" attributes as a result of our praise of Him, so too with our fellow Jews, and especially our children (see Derech Mitzvoseicho on Hallel, of the Tzemach Tzedek p.298). Certain elements are so hidden as to be considered non-existent. An example for this phenomenon is the flint stone: it has the "potential" to generate a spark upon being struck, although prior to the strike there seems to be absolutely no existential potential of fire. As parents, we have to constantly build our children up, praise and bless them. We do have to point out their faults and deficiencies in a firm but loving       manner, so that they will want to change for the better out of self-motivation rather than being driven by others.

In this current era and its problems, on the threshold of the final Geula, we ought to make a special effort at offering freely blessings to, and praise of our fellow Jews, eliciting thereby Heavenly protection, helping bring out the best in them, and thereby accelerate the final phase of Geula Shleima, the final redemption through Moshiach.

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