Bless and Be Blessed

Give and Receive

I recently read a piece by Rabbi Avigdor Miller on the power of blessing others. He discusses the extraordinary responsibility that Hashem conferred upon Kohanim.  Because of their pronouncement of blessings upon the people of Israel, Hashem would confer blessings upon the nation.  In Gemara Chulin 49a the following question is asked: The people of Israel are blessed by the Kohanim, but who blesses the priests?

The Gemara answers that Hashem promised Abraham that He will bless those who bless Abraham. That promise to Abraham was a promise to all future generations. Anybody who blesses you, Hashem says I will bless him. This is how the Kohanim are blessed. They pronounce blessings upon the children of Abraham and in turn Hashem blesses them.

Rabbi Miller says the Gemara is teaching us a remarkable lesson. Hashem loves the people of Israel with a love that we can’t even begin to fathom. And He says I love my people so much that whoever wishes them well, I love them for that and I will bestow blessings upon them just because of that. 

Rabbi Miller says many people make long journeys to try to obtain a blessing from a tzaddik and that is indeed wonderful. However, we are being told how to get a blessing directly from Hashem himself! The secret to receive blessings from Hashem is to bless as many Jews as you can.

Say It and Mean It

Merely wishing a fellow Jew a good morning or a good night or a good Shabbat or anything similar will cause you to be blessed. And that is even for a person who said it without too much thought. How much more so for the blessing of Hashem on the one who blesses his fellow Jew wholeheartedly. Rabbi Miller says that we should offer more than just a pro-forma greeting. We should say at least one detailed blessing for the other person. This is effective even if the person doesn’t hear it.

Rabbi Miller says the word hello should be banned because it is meaningless. It doesn’t mean anything. We should say have a good day to our neighbor and include in our thoughts all the detailed blessings we can think of. Most often we greet people out of habit and when we say good morning or good night or good Shabbat we’re not even thinking. It’s almost the same as saying hello. So after you say Good Shabbat and you’ve already walked away say it quietly again. Say, Hashem give him a wonderful Shabbat. He should rest well and enjoy his cholent. He should get along with his wife and enjoy spending time with his children. These are just a few examples but the opportunity for blessings are endless.

A Streak of Divine Light

In the book Praying With Fire, Rabbi Heshy Kleinman says we need to consider the meaning of personal greetings and transform them from a rote formula to a real blessing. Our personal blessings are imbued with potential power enough to open the floodgates of blessing. When you greet a person with a sincere good morning or good night in effect, you are reciting a prayer: “I pray that you should have a good morning or night.”  You are asking Hashem to bless a person’s endeavors and keep him safe.

Blessing another person brings Hashem’s blessing to you in return. Think about how you as a parent feel when one of your children blesses his brother or sister. How much more so does Hashem feel compassion for those who bless His children, as He is the most compassionate parent of all! Given the frequency with which a person says good morning or good evening, if one were to say this each time with sincerity, it could have a powerful impact on the quality of one’s life and the lives of others. Rabbi Kleinman says we should visualize the spiritual power of each blessing as a streak of Divine Light.

A Light Unto the Nations

It is important that we bless Gentiles as well as Jews. Hashem said to Abraham that through him and his descendants all the nations of the world would be blessed. Moreover, we read in Pirke Avos 4:20 that we must be the first to greet people and in 1:1 to greet every person with a cheerful face. This promotes the ways of peace and constitutes an act of pure kindness. In Rabbi Lazer Brody’s emuna CD A Kind Word he says that a smile and pleasant ways are a sanctification of Hashem’s name. Therefore, as Hashem’s ambassadors, by blessing others we are fulfilling our role of being a light unto the nations and inspiring people to recognize Hashem’s kingship.

The Power of a Smile

When you smile at a person you are validating and affirming him or her in a most meaningful way.  You are showing that you view the person as important and valuable. This can revive someone who is downcast and depressed. It may even save the life of someone who is desperate and crestfallen. 

Rebbe Nachman says in Sichot Haran #43: When you come to such a person with a smiling face, you can literally give that person life. To give a person life is not an empty gesture. It is something very great. 

Additionally, smiling produces health benefits for the one doing the smiling. It reduces stress, helps the body relax and creates a feeling of enhanced well-being. 

A Wellspring of Blessing

In conclusion, when we bless others we feel more love for them. We feel closer to Hashem. Moreover we radiate positive energy and feel better about ourselves.

In the merit of giving sincere blessings, may we feel a sense of happiness and purpose and evoke the compassion of Hashem on ourselves and others.