Rebbetzin Leah Gans
part three
Awe of Heaven
Abudraham says: “The essence of all blessings is to take upon oneself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven.” Rambam (1:4) says: “Blessings of thanksgiving, which are praise, thanksgiving, and petition, so that we may always remember the Almighty and stand in awe of Him.”
How do blessings lead to awe?
If we accompany an action with the appropriate blessing, each time we remind ourselves that everything we have comes from Him. On our own, we possess nothing.
Rabbi Wolbe liked to illustrate this explanation with an example… from space. When the first cosmonauts flew, everything was new, and every step was a cause for concern. So before taking any action, a cosmonaut had to ask permission from Mission Control. Before eating, before drinking water—ask permission. Why? Because an emergency could occur at any moment when the cosmonaut’s attention shifted away from actually controlling the flight and monitoring the instruments. The cosmonaut’s communication with Mission Control therefore included requests for permission to take any action he wished to take.
Our connection with the Almighty is like this too, says Rabbi Wolbe. We are sent into this world as though into space. Each of our actions can have irreparable consequences. We think we are “merely” reciting a blessing. But we have absolutely no idea what effect our blessing has in the Upper Worlds! And conversely—what destruction our improper action “here” causes in what happens There.
Turn On the "Reminder"
We are accustomed to living in this world, a world in which the Almighty’s Face is concealed. We therefore need to return to this subject again and again, review it, and firmly establish it in our hearts. Otherwise, we begin to think that we have acquired all the good things of this world through our own efforts.
So from time to time, we need a reminder: “Dear sir! You are not here on your own! You cannot do whatever you like! This world has a Master Who directs everything, including you.” These reminders are blessings. Each time we pause before reciting a blessing, giving thanks and acknowledging that everything comes from Him, we restore our direct channel of communication with the Almighty.
It is written (Devarim, 10:12): “And now, Israel, what does the L-rd your G-d ask of you? Only to fear the L-rd your G-d, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul”
Our Sages say: “Do not read ‘what’ (mah), but ‘a hundred’ (me’ah).” Every day, a person needs to recite a hundred blessings. Women are not obligated to recite 100 blessings, but somewhat fewer. What matters for us is to emphasize that the verse continues with “to fear the L-rd,” meaning that blessings lead to awe of G-d.
In this relatively easy way, we can acquire fear of G-d! All it takes is to find a little time before each blessing and think about what we are preparing to say. Women who are busy at home and at work should start small. At least one thoughtfully recited blessing in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening. Let one blessing be said with kavanah, even if you cannot calmly think through the others. Every woman can find a time during the day when she has a few free minutes. By starting small, we will gradually become accustomed to thinking through every blessing we recite.
to be continued
Prepared by Mrs. Zissi Skarzhinskaya