On Shavuos, we remember Dovid Hamelech, who was born and passed away on this day. As believing Jews, the figure of Dovid Hamelech, a"h, is deeply embedded in our memories all year round. He is the one who established the eternal kingdom in Eretz Yisrael, for which we daven three times a day, "Es tzemach Dovid avedecha meheirah satzmiach..." The Melech Hamashiach, whose arrival we await every day, will come from Dovid Hamalech and will resurrect the kingdom.
Dovid Hamelech left us spiritual treasures that accompany us throughout our lives. His name is mentioned countless times in the Nevi’im and Kesuvim. His sefer, Tehillim, has been recited by Am Yisrael since time immemorial. And in addition to all that, I would like, in this segment, to call attention to the well-known takanah of Dovid Hamelech: Instituting a quota of one hundred brachos that each person should recite every day.
On this subject, I was intrigued by a chiddush that I am not sure too many people know about. The takanah of Dovid Hamelech not only institutes the quota for the brachos, but rather, it is what brought Chazal to institute Birchos Hashachar! In other words, as the result of his takanah, and so that we should be able to fulfill it, Chazal instituted Birchos Hashachar, through which each Jew can reach the quota of one hundred brachos with his regular daily schedule.
The Tur writes at the beginning of Hilchos Birchos Hashachar (Orach Chaim 46): "Each day, one hundred people would die in Klal Yisrael and they didn’t know why, until Dovid Hamelech clarified it with Ruach Hakodesh, and instituted for Am Yisrael meah brachos. That is why Chazal instituted these brachos [Birchos Hashachar] on the seder ha’olam and its practices, in order to complete the one hundred brachos each day."
From this it is evident that the point of the Birchos Hashachar was to make it possible to reach the quota of one hundred brachos that Dovid Hamelech instituted. That is the reason that the Gaonim and the Rishonim called the Seder Birchos Hashachar by the name of "Seder Meah Brachos," because they were instituted for the purpose of reaching the quota (see Hamaspik L’Ovdei Hashem, Ch. 30).
This is the place to note: Just like the daily quota of reciting meah brachos is completed by reciting Birchos Hashachar, likewise, the daily quota of answering ninety amens to brachos [aside for the obligation to answer amen to ten Kaddish] is completed by answering amen to Birchos Hashachar of at least three people, as the Mishnah Berurah explains (6 13) that this is the source of the custom of reciting Birchos Hashachar together.
We are in a world that is full of dangers. If we want to merit complete protection from Shamayim, we need to make good use of this opportunity that Chazal gave us to complete the daily quota of the brachos and amens, by reciting Birchos Hashachar each day, together.
Good Shabbos
Yaakov Dov Marmurstein
