Parshat Chayei Sarah 5782
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha (Chapter 24, Pasuk 1), V’Hashem Berach es Avraham Bakol; Hashem blessed Avraham with everything. Rashi teaches that the word Bakol in the pasuk is refering to his son, since the word Bakol has a numerical value of 52, like the word Ben. But the connection is more than a numerical one. Now that Avraham had a son, all of his blessings were ready to be complete, and all he needed to do was find his son a wife.
Chazal teach in the Gemara in Baba Basra 17A that this bracha given to Avraham Avinu was part of a special blessing given to all of the Avos. Just as our pasuk teaches by Avraham, we read regarding Yitzchak (Chapter 27, Pasuk 33), Va’Ochal Mikol and by Yaakov (Chapter 33, Pasuk 11), Yesh Li Kol. Hashem blessed all of the forefathers with the same bracha, a form of the word Kol. What is the meaning of this blessing the Avos received?
The Gemara explains that this bracha of the Avos indicates that they didn’t have a yetzer hara. The Maharal explains that the concept of “ra” expresses the notion of lacking and being incomplete. The midah of Kol of the Avos is the exact opposite; it indicates a sense of completion and totality. Once Avraham was blessed with a son and the brachos of Hashem now had a means to be fulfilled, Avraham was complete. Hence, V’Hashem Berach es Avraham Bakol.
The Sfas Emes teaches that the word Kol can also be understood to mean longing and desire. The pasuk states (Shmuel Beit, Chapter 13, Pasuk 39), Va’Techal Dovid; Dovid was longing. The commentaries on the pasuk explain that the pasuk should be understood as if the word Nefesh was included, i.e. Va’Techal Nefesh Dovid. The soul of Dovid was longing. There is a similar usage in Tehillim (Chapter 84, Pasuk 3), Nichsafa Ve’Gam Kalsah Nafshi L’Chatzros Hashem. My soul longs and desires for the courtyard of Hashem.
The bracha given to the Avos was the ability to be focused and longing in Avodas Hashem. Since man has a Divine soul, he has the ability to long and desire a spiritual connection to Hashem. And this was the bracha given to the Avos. First that they should be complete and not lacking in their Avodas Hashem. They should each be one unit with all their parts focused on Avodas Hashem. And their souls should long and desire for this special connection.
And Hashem responds in kind. The pasuk in Shir HaShirim states (Chapter 7, Pasuk), Ani Le’Dodi, Ve’Alai Teshukaso. Just as I am to my beloved, His desire is for me. As the Medrash Rabbah says (20,7), Eiyn Teshukaso Ela al Yisrael; the desire of Hashem is only for Clal Yisrael. And certainly, His desire and longing is for the most complete of Clal Yisrael, the Avos.
The pasuk says at the end of creation (Chapter 1, Pasuk 31), Vayar Elokim es Kol Asher Asa V’Hineh Tov Meod. The Medrash Rabbah (8,5) teaches on the word Meod (Mem, Aleph, Daled) that it this a reference to man, Adam (Aleph, Daled, Mem). Man is the totality of creation. And the bracha of Kol, as in Kol Asher Asa, was given to the Avos. And this bracha is for our souls to long for a connection to Hashem and focus our energies as one unit towards this goal. This is the legacy the Avos bequeathed us through Bakol, Mikol, Kol.
Good Shabbos
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