RABBI SHIMON GRUEN
Before sending Avraham Avinu to Eretz Yisrael, Hashem not only gave him blessings, but also added that those who bless him will in turn be blessed: “And I will bless those who bless you; and the one who curses you I will curse...” Ma’ayanah Shel Torah quotes R’ Manish Halevi who notes that it would seem to be more appropriate for the passuk to read, “If someone blesses you, I will bless them...” mentioning the cause before the effect.
R’ Manish then explains that while it may appear to us that the cause is a person’s blessing and the effect is Hashem’s blessing, the truth is that all blessing originates with Hashem. It is Hashem Who desires to bestow goodness upon us at all times, and therefore, when someone blesses a Yid, they become a conduit for Hashem’s blessing, not the source of it.
With regard to curses, however, the source of evil in the world is man’s bechirah to choose badly. This is why the passuk continues “...and the one who curses you, I will curse.” In this case, the person cursing is the source of evil, not Hashem.
We ask Hashem for only good things to happen, but when things don’t go as we would like them to, we need to examine ourselves rather than doubt Hashem. And when they do go as we wish, and we are able to surmount difficulties and find solutions to problems in our lives and our relationships, we need to remember that Hashem is the source of all blessing, whether the conduit is a Torah class, a mentor or consultant, the zechus of a mitzvah, or anything else.