MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is one of the highest-ranked universities in the world - renowned for the success of its alumni and technological prowess. Imagine the surprise then, when it came up as the top search result for the source of, “Bless you!”.
In their international office’s listing of ‘Americanisms’, they bring two origins for what people say when witnessing a sneeze. The first is that people used to believe that a sneeze caused one’s soul to be expelled from one’s body. “‘Bless you’ was used as a protection against the devil snatching your soul.” Intense. The second origin is connected to the bubonic plague of the Middle Ages. “Because it was usually a fatal disease… ‘Bless You’ offered a benediction to someone who might no longer be living soon.” Moving stuff.
There are, though, few things quite as deeply moving as seeing the Shul turn into a white sea of bracha during Birkat Kohanim. Our Jewish version of, ‘Bless You’, is not born of an ignorant fear of sudden death, but out of love for Hashem’s special nation - a message that He regularly delivers through the holy Kohanim.
In Eretz Yisrael, we merit this beautiful experiential blessing every day. In the Diaspora - only during the Chagim. In modern times, this experience has peaked with the sight of thousands receiving the bracha at the Kotel during Chol Hamoed. The source for Birkat Kohanim is in our Parsha and has even extended as a minhag to our Shabbat tables - where parents bless their children with this uplifting formula (Siddur Ya’avetz).
The Netziv comments beautifully on the first phrase, “‘May G-d bless you (singular form).’ Included in this is whatever is appropriate for each person to be blessed with. As per Devarim 16:16, ‘They shall not appear before Hashem empty...according to the blessing of Hashem, your G-d which He has given you.’ The blessing will be according to the blessing that he was blessed with until then: For one who deals in Torah, in his study. For one who deals in commerce, in his merchandise. Therefore, included in this general blessing ‘May G-d bless you’ is an additional blessing for each person about what he has.”
Our, ‘Bless You’, is very intentional. While, together, we immerse ourselves in the white communal sea of bracha, pay special attention to the ‘kha’ of, ‘Yevarekhekha’, sensing the specific bracha that Hashem is directing specifically to you - based on what you uniquely have and uniquely need to find true fulfilment and purpose, just like the holy Kohanim doing their service, b’ahava’.
‘Bless You!’
Comments