08 Aug ONE HUNDRED BRACHOS– A GREAT WAY TO GET READY FOR ELUL

Once we pass T’u b’Av,
the next stop is Elul. Elul
is an acronym for, “Ani
l’Dodi v’Dodi li,” I am
to my Beloved (namely
Hashem) and, in that
proportion, Hashem
reciprocates with special attention to
me. I want to share with you a great way
to start practicing how to get close to
Hashem.
The posuk tells us, “Mah Hashem
Elokecha sho’el mei’imach, ki im l’yirah
– What does Hashem ask from you but
that you should fear Him.” Rav Avigdor
Miller, zt”l, zy”a, interprets this to mean
to be aware of Him. The Gemora in
Masechtas Menachos [43] teaches, Al
tikrei mah; ela mei’ah – Do not read it
as ‘what;’ rather as one-hundred.” It
refers to the one-hundred blessings that a
person says every day. For, if a person

blesses Hashem throughout the day one-
hundred times, he will become acutely

aware of Hashem. Tosafos points out that
the word mah using the gematria of a”t
ba”sh (where mem equals yud and hay
equals zadi ) equals 100.

The Otzer Hapla’os wonders why this
teaching was not taught to us in Masechtas
Berachos which is all about the blessings.
Instead, the Chachmei Chazal waited all
the way until Menachos, which is about
korbonos, to teach us this all-important
lesson about blessings. He answers
with a lesson from the Rokei’ach and
the Shach on the Torah that if someone
says one-hundred blessings every day, it
is considered as if he brought a korban, a
sacrifice. Thus, it is taught to us among
the other laws of korbonos. The root of
korban is kareiv, to come close. Thus,
these hundred blessings help us to get
close to Hashem.
It’s really very simple to understand
why this is. Rav Miller explains that
there used to be a clown with a big red
nose called Bozo. If you would say
Bozo one-hundred times a day, by the
night you would be dreaming about
Bozo. In a similar vein, when you bless
Hashem meaningfully one-hundred times
throughout the day, you slowly develop
a close relationship with the One above.
The Tur, when he poskins that one
should say a hundred blessing each

day, cites as a source, that there was
an epidemic during the reign of Dovid
HaMelech. His subjects informed him
that a hundred people each day were
dying for the ravages of the plague.
Dovid MaMelech then instituted saying
a hundred blessings daily and the people
stopped dying.
The Bach, zt”l, zy”a, one of the great
commentaries on the Tur, notes that it is
not the usual custom for the Tur to give
sources for his rulings. He wonders why
the Tur deviates here and gives us the
historical source of Dovid HaMelech. He
answers that it is to teach us that Dovid’s
protections were for all generations, that
if there is a danger like an epidemic such

as a Corona virus, G-d forbid, saying one-
hundred blessings with special attention

can serve as a protection.
Rav Shimshon Pincus, zt”l, zy”a,
elaborates that in a time of danger when
the angel of death is given free reign,
there is no time to get our act together and
repent over our many sins. We need to do
something that causes us to be considered
close friends with Hashem for then, he
instructs the angel of death to stay away
from his inner circle.
We do just this when we make a
hundred blessings daily, providing
that we do so meaningfully. The Pele
Yoetz warns us that if we make our
blessings mechanically and without
thought, “Ein zeh mevoreich, ela
mena’eitz,” this is not considered a
blessing but, on the contrary, angers
Hashem. The Yesod v’Shoresh
haAvodah says even more: A
thoughtless blessing borders on the
negative prohibition of, “Lo sisa
sheim Hashem Elokecha lashav,” to
take Hashem’s Name in vain.
We know that the Magein David, the
shield and emblem of king David is
the six-sided star. The simple idea of
this star is that the six sides represent
Hashem Who is above, below, and in
the four directions. Thus, the emblem
of Dovid was that we do not go to
battle confident in our own might and
strategic prowess; rather, we proceed
with trust in the One above. As Dovid
HaMelech says, “Eileh varechev
v’eileh vasusim, va’anachnu b’Sheim
Hashen Elokeinu nazkir – These
(nations) go with chariots and these
go with horses, but we do battle with
the Name of Hashem.”
I’d like to suggest another
symbolism of the famous Magein

David. The gematria of the word magein
is 93. Together with the six sides, this
makes 99. The body of the star is one
more which makes a total of one-hundred.
Thus, it alludes to the Shield of David,
the one-hundred blessings that cause us
to be considered Hashem’s inner circle
and therefore we become shielded with
the cloak of divine protections.
If you might wonder what the body of
the star represents, Rav Yisroel Salanter
famously said when you are busy
appointing Hashem above, below, and
in the four directions, don’t forget to
appoint him boss over yourself as well.
(The idea of counting the body of the star
is not my own. In Sifrei Kabbalah, the
Star of David is said to symbolize the
seven sefiros, with the body of the star
representing the sefira of yesod.)
So, whether we are saying Baruch Atah
Hashem, Shehakol nihiyeh bidvaro,
Baruch Atah Hashem, Shelo asani aved,
or Baruch Atah Hashem, Mekadeish
haShabbos, let’s give a little extra
attention to these blessings of Hashem.
With this extra kavanah, we will be
greatly increasing our Ani l’Dodi, our
closeness to Hashem our Beloved for this
upcoming Elul season. This will certainly
promise us a better chance for long life,
good health, and everything wonderful.