Menachem Mirski
Thoughts on Parashat Ki Tavo
Blessings… What are they? Every blessing, at its core, is a form of prayer, since it typically asks God to help accomplish what we ourselves cannot. Yet the blessing is more than prayer because it assigns a decisive role to the one who pronounces it. Let us consider, for example, the blessings of children made by their parents: placing hands on them in the solemn act in which the parents see themselves as God’s co-workers and as essential links between the generations. We cannot take God’s place; but neither can God take the place of parents and grandparents in the shaping of the children’s future. This example shows clearly that blessings may be expressions of human/Divine partnership in influencing the world and its unfolding events.
Historically, blessings, as well as curses, were closely bound to a belief in the power of speech, and both were frequently amplified by precisely circumscribed acts. In cases where such formulas and actions were deemed to have an independent and inevitable efficacy, forcing extra-human agencies to conform to the will of the invoker, the participants were operating in the realm of magic. On the other hand, when acts of that kind were considered submissions to the Divine, who was called upon to ratify them, blessings and curses acquired religious legitimacy. They were and are, then, forms of prayer, and thus the biblical prescriptions regarding them should be understood. Nevertheless, the dividing line between magic and religion cannot always be clearly drawn.
Our parasha for this week speaks mostly about blessings that are consequences of faithful acts and curses that are consequences of unfaithful acts; this leads us to the conclusion that blessings and curses can be also seen as rewards or punishments for certain kinds of acts and behaviors. On yet another side our tradition abounds in countless numbers of ‘fixed blessings’ – blessings that have crystallized form and have become essential parts of our everyday liturgy – like those that start and end our daily prayers – or a variety of blessings aimed to be pronounced at different occasions. The second group also includes very rare blessings like, for example, 1) blessing on thunder: Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, shekocho ooh g’vuratoh mahlay olam – Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the Universe, whose strength and glory fills the universe, 2) blessing on seeing something or someone beautiful: Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, she kacha loh b’olamoh. – Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the Universe, who has such things in his world, or 3) Blessing on Seeing (more than) 600,000 People: Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, chacham harazeem – Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the Universe, knower of secrets. The talmudic source of this blessing explains that it is meant to acknowledge the diversity of humanity and assert God’s all-knowingness of what is contained in their hearts.
So what are these blessings? Everything listed above and possibly more. They are an inseparable part of our tradition and perform many different functions, e.g. they ground us more firmly in our tradition, they teach us gratitude, they teach us how to appreciate what surrounds us and what we experience, and they ‘program us’ in such a way that it is easier for us to achieve our goals. Our tradition requires us to recite at least 100 blessings each day. In this way, it teaches us that our human life is good, meaningful, heading in the right direction, and that it is a blessing in itself.
Shabbat shalom!
Rabbi Menachem Mirski
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