Three Interpretations of “V’heeseegucha” From Three Chassidic Masters

Parshas Ki Savo

Rabbi Yissocher Frand

One of the classic ideas the meforshim (commentaries) focus on in Parshas Ki Savo are the words of the pasuk "And all these blessings will come upon you, v'heeseegucha (and will reach you) when you listen to the voice of Hashem your G-d.” (Devorim 28:2). The meforshim all want to know the meaning of the word "v'heeseegucha." What does this word add to the earlier statement of the pasuk, that the bracha (blessing) will come upon you? There are a variety of interpretations. I will not share all of them but merely go through a smattering of different meforshim: The sefer Degel Machane Ephraim (Moshe Chaim Ephraim of Sudilkov (1748-1800), grandson of the Baal Shem Tov) explains it based on a very famous pasuk (Tehillim 23:6) from Dovid Hamelech, which we say in Mizmor I'Dovid Hashem ro'ee lo echsor: "Ach tov v'chessed yirdefooni kol yemei chayai..." (Only good and kindness will chase after me all the days of my life). The question is that kindness and goodness do not necessarily need to “chase after" someone. A person readily accepts kindness and goodness. He doesn't flee from them, such that they need to pursue him. The explanation that is given is that many times, a person runs away from something that he does not think is good for him – but ultimately it is very good for him. We often don't know what is good for us and what is not good for us. There are certain situations in life – whether it is shiduchim, whether it is partnerships, whether it is business deals, whatever it may be – when we don't think something is good for us. As a result, we run away. This is what Dovid Hamelech is asking: If I am not wise enough to understand that something is good for me, let it chase after me. A famous story is told about Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. He once saw a person running down the street and asked him, "Where are you running?” The person answered, “I am running to make parnassa (a livelihood).” Reb Levi Yitzchak then asked, “How do you know that your parnassa is in this direction? Maybe your parnassa is in the opposite direction, and you should be running there!” The point is that we don't necessarily know when something is good and when it is not good. That could, in fact, be the meaning of this pasuk: All the bracha will come upon you and reach you. Even when you run away from something that is a bracha, the bracha will chase after you and catch up with you! This is why we say in Rosh Chodesh benching: May Hashem fulfill the desires of our heart for the good. So often, we don't know what “tova” is. The Ribono shel Olam knows what "tova" is. We pray that Hashem gives us the “tova,” regardless of whether or not that is what we have been hoping for.

I saw a second interpretation of this pasuk in the name of Rav Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin (1823-1900), who in turn quotes it in the name of Reb Simcha Bunim of P'shischa (1765-1827). "V'heeseegucha" means that the brachos (blessings) should reach you in the place where you are right now. So many times, wild financial or political success changes a person. He becomes a different person and moves away from the place where he was and the person who he was. The nisayon (test) of wealth, power, prestige, and fame sometimes has a deleterious effect on a person. The bracha of “V”heeseegucha" is that the brachos should reach you in the place where you are and that you should remain in that place. By Yitzchak Avinu the pasuk says, “Vayigdal ha'ish" (and the man grew (wealthy)). I once saw it explained that the pasuk does not say "Vayigdal Yitzchak” (and Yitzchak grew (wealthy)). Why not? This hints at the idea that Yitzchak remained the same person. He didn't change because he now became wealthy. The third interpretation of this pasuk is an observation from Rav Yisrael (Taub) of Modzitz (1849-1920, the first Modzitzer Rebbe) that is brought in the sefer Imrei Baruch. The Modzitzer Rebbe understands the word “v'heeseegucha" to mean that you should have the ha’sagos (understanding) of what to do with your successes. Many times, people achieve great financial or other types of success, and they don't know how to handle it. They don't know what to do with their newly acquired power. They don't know what to do with all that money. This is common among athletes and movie stars. They have all this money, and they don't know what to do with it. They buy a car, a boat, jewelry, and furs. They don't know what to do with all of it. They get to be 35 years old, and they are bankrupt. A person needs to have the right ha'sagos, the right concepts, and the right outlook on how to use their brachos. The bracha of v'heeseegucha is that you have the perspective and hasagos it takes to handle the tremendous brachos that you are given.