בס''ד
A
brocho is an incredibly powerful device through which one can bestow tremendous
good upon another. We are told that even
the blessings of a simple person should not be insignificant in one’s eyes
because they carry within them the potential to grant incredible gifts to those
that receive them. A brocho from Yaakov
therefore must necessarily provide even greater rewards, yet some of the brochos
he gives to his children seem less like brochos and more like critiques of the individuals
and their behaviour. What was Yaakov’s
intentions with these ‘blessings’ and how do they fit in with our concept of a
brocho?
The
brocho that a person wants is dependent upon what they consider to be
important, but a real brocho is one that gives a person the ability to
gain what is truly of value. A brocho is
not only expressing a desire for someone to be given something, it is a way of
influencing that person’s life in a positive way. Our
belief is that was is of most worth is whatever perfects us as people and
allows us to complete our task in this world. A large part of this is knowing who we are so
that we know what we individually are meant to achieve. Consequently providing this awareness was one
of the greatest blessings that Yaakov could have given to his sons as it
allowed them to perceive their true nature and the goals that defined their
unique role in creation.
Life
can be very confusing. What our role is
and what we are meant to achieve can at times be unclear and difficult to fully
fathom. The manner in which we are expected
to realize our purpose can seem to alter from time to time depending on what
situation we find ourselves in and even perhaps our frame of mind at that particular
juncture of our life. So how does one determine
what their life’s focus should be and what course their aspirations should take? Perhaps the only place to start is not by
looking outside of oneself and what potential paths lie before you, but by
looking within and recognising who you truly are. The areas of our character that our deficient
in some way are the starting point for our mission of self-improvement and personality
refinement. The strengths that we possess
are the gifts we are given by G-d to utilise and actualise our yet unrealized goals.
What can you do that will make
the world a better place? Ok, now do
it. Without some form of honest
introspection we can not know anything about our place in the ultimate plan for
the world’s completion. Genuinely
knowing oneself is the surest way to ensure we lead the life that we are meant
to.
*May the power of Shabbos guide us*
לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם
לרפואה שלימה: שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר
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