B'hukotai: The Blessing

At the end of every Amida comes the prayer for peace.

The conclusion of the Priestly blessing contains the blessing for peace. Numbers 6:26

Me'am Loez reminds us that the can even erase the holy name of God in order to make peace between a wife and husband.

As the congregation ends it service with the Kaddish Shalem the final phrase is a hope of a universe of peace.

The Sages, of blessed memory, went so far as to note that only one face of the moon can ever be seen from the earth. They pondered why the other side did not reveal itself and reasoned that the unseen side of the moon must be defective, somehow wrong. God went on to create the heavens in such a way as to preserve the dignity of the moon! That is why we are never permitted to see it.

A glowing image of a life imagined is presented in the parasha of B’hukotai. First rain and produce are promised by God. Then comes a harvest of unparalleled proportions. The crops will be so abundant that the seasons of growth will run into one another. “You will eat your bread until you are full and dwell securely in the land.” Dangerous beasts will pose not threat. Warfare will not exist. “And I will give you peace.”

The midrash tells that when Aaron died 80,000 mourners attended his funeral. And every one of them was named Aaron! Aaron, the prince of peace, was vigilant for signs of fracture in a family. When he heard a couple quarreling or found out that a woman and man had grown distant Aaron would approach them. He would find the right words and actions to bring the couple back together. When they reconciled and bore a son they named him after the peace-maker. Devarim rabba, Shoftim

What does this story teach? Peace comes only after the act. Aaron was able to reconcile two people who had come to hate one another after effort. Hand-wringing accomplishes nothing. Talking with others about the problem makes no difference except to bring about more frustration. Only Aaron’s engagement in the world made him an instrument of peace.

The same is true of the Amida. Only after the prayers asking God for wisdom and healing, opening the heart to Jerusalem and the voices of our ancestors, does the word “shalom” enter our prayers and mind. In other words what the Amida is subtly trying to communicate is that peace comes as a result of effort; it is not a reward for simply breathing.

The Kaddish Shalem offers the same moral: ask God, pray for welfare, pour energy and action into making a change and peace is the ultimate reward. Just as the midrash indicates that even the moon’s pride is protected (and we perform the same action when we say the blessing over wine on Shabbat. Remember, we cover the Hallah-bread because we are not supposed to make the berakha of the wine superior, ie. first, to the one over bread) so too we extrapolate the idea of protecting the fragile ego of another person a priority. 'Is it not more important to do so between family members?' asks Aaron.

It is vital to note in this parasha that has so many magnificent blessings in it, nowhere does God promise us peace until we choose to act in concert with Him. The Holy One, blessed be He, tells that He will pour unending blessings on us and all we have to do is sit and “eat our bread until full.”

That does not sound difficult, does it? What is so difficult about being full? Being full means being satisfied. It means sharing our gifts. It means an end to jealousy. When we are full we do not feel an insatiable hunger to get what they have or better. It means that we work to eradicate hatred from our hearts because we are content with the numerous gifts we possess. Being “full” means that we try to share with others the message of reconciliation and hope. “You will eat your bread until you are full” teaches us to work for goodness. Peace will then be ours to hold.




Haftarah Insight:
Jeremiah is the voice of hope. He cries out for his people to listen to the words of Torah. "Take it into your heart!" he begs. "Let your soul's light shine through the veil of indifference!"

A Matter of Law:
"Immerse yourself in the study and practice of Torah."
- Rabbi Yehuda Leib of Prague