Gut ShabbosDivrei Torah of Baruch Davidoff
Eikevעקב

THANK YOU HASHEM!

2023 / 5783
Sent Thursday, 3 August 2023 · for Shabbos 5 Aug 2023 · י״ח אב תשפ״ג

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well and enjoying the Summer (or Winter) holidays.

The dominant theme during this week was about BLESSINGS.

We have been learning the Laws of Blessings in this week's Rambam (Hilchos Brachos), and there was also a connection to Blessings in this week's Parshah Eikev.

Rambam

There is one main Mitzvah from Torah with regard to blessings, and that is that we must bless Hashem after eating bread and a meal to satiation (Birkat Hamazon)

Our Sages however have instructed us to also make

  • Blessing over benefit - food, drink, and pleasant fragrances. Blessings are made before and after foods and drinks, and before pleasant fragrances.
  • Blessings before a mitzvah
  • Blessings of praise and thanks

In this way, we will constantly remember Hashem.

In Chap 10, Rambam discusses the blessings of praise, which are interesting and unusual.

The important ones that I wanted to share from this chapter, were the blessings for good tidings, and also 'bad' tidings. And Rambam says 'A person is obligated to recite a blessing over undesirable occurrences with a positive spirit, in the same way as he joyfully recites a blessing over desirable occurrences - derived from "And you shall love Hashem with all your might."! See the text for the exact wording of the blessings.

Sedra

The Baal HaTurim interprets the verse (10:12) ".what does Hashem request of you? Only to fear. and love Him..with your whole heart ......"

He points out that if you take the numerical value of the Hebrew words 'what' and 'from you' in the above verse they each come to the value of 100 (without going into detail)

This refers to the 100 Blessings we are supposed to say each day. (which I think is brought down in the Laws of Shabbat)

There are also 100 letters in this verse.

"And if you constantly heed My Commandments...I will bring rain for your land at its appropriate time - the drenching rains and the later rains, and you will gather in your grains, your wine and your oil. I will provide grass in your field for your animals. You will eat and be satisfied." (11:14 and 15)

Gut Shabbos to all