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Beit Midrash

Beit Midrash

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Additional Halacha Lessons

קטגוריה משנית

What Is The Power Of A Bracha?

A Lesson for the Road Shorts Area Female Lesson Parashat Hashavua Series Library Piskei Din (Hebrew)Test Yourself

In our Sedra, there is an intense competition between Yakov & Esav to be granted the "better" bracha of their father Yitzchak. But what is so crucial about receiving a bracha? The root of the word, B-R-CH connects to 2 other words: berech, & b’reycha. "Berech" means "knee." By figuratively bending our knee to Hashem, we acknowledge that He is the source of all blessing, & so we are appealing to Him to grant it. Similarly, "b’reycha" means "pool," implying that the blessings "drip down" to us from G-d’s heavenly pool of brachot. While no individual has a "lock" on G-d, we are all beloved in the eyes of Hashem & we believe that G-d hears our prayers, & so our pleas on behalf of others do have influence & power. That is why the Gemara says we should never dismiss the blessing of any person; King David was blessed by a simple farmer that a plague should stop, while Daniel was blessed by a non-Jew that he should be protected in the lions’ den, & both wishes were granted.

Additional Halacha Lessons

Rabbi Stewart Weiss

Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.

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