Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel, and the ground which you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey."
The Ohr Hachaim asks why the Torah repeats itself. We daven that Hashem should gaze upon His nation from His holy habitation מעון and from שמים – Heaven. What is the significance of the double mention? If the possuk’s intention was to emphasize the holiness of the Heavens, why did it not merely tell us ממעון קדשך השמים? The repetition of the word מן – from – denotes that these are two separate things.
The Ohr Hachaim explains that Hashem prepared two sources of Divine influence and energy for the world. One, that of the pure souls that exist in this world. Second, the positive influences to ensure that the Creation of Hashem survives and flourishes. This is a source of sustenance for everything.
These two sources are to be considered a matrimonial connection between the one that gives and the one that takes. The holy souls provide a source of positive energy, and the existence of the Creation provide a receptacle that can receive it in this world.
Since the Beis Hamikdash has been destroyed, the influence of the holy souls has been diminished and cut off. Only that which is necessary for the world to exist can still provide a source of holiness and positive energy.
We daven to Hashem, asking Him to gaze upon us from His Heavenly abode, which is the repository of the holy souls. This is on high, in a location that is called ‘holy’ קדוש.
The word שמים – Heaven – is referring to the positive energy that Hashem gives to the world through the Creation. We are asking Hashem to grant us both types of Heavenly influences.
The Mishna writes that the meaning of this possuk וברך את עמך – and bless Your nation - is that we are asking Hashem to grant us children. This is based on the idea that the two kinds of influences symbolize matrimony, from which children can be born. We then ask for ואת האדמה – and the land – wherein we are asking for food and sustenance, which is a product of מן השמים.
