Birchos hashachar k'halachah: Aloud, with kavanah, bechavrusa
Acquiring a Chazakah Through the Brachah
“והתחזקתם ולקחתם מפרי הארץ והימים ימי בכורי ענבים” (כ יג)
The Chelkas Yehoshua explained: In Maseches Brachos (35a) Chazal ask about the two seemingly contradictory pesukim in Tehillim. One passuk says (24:1): “L’Hashem ha’aretz umeloah” and the other (115:16) says “Veha’aretz nasan livnei adam.” And they answer: Before the brachah – L’Hashem ha’aretz umeloah, and after the brachah, “veha’aretz nasan livnei adam.”
This is what this passuk alludes to: “Vehischazaktem,” first you need to make brachos on the fruits, and then they will be acquired by you and you will have a chazakah on them, and only then, “velakachtem mipri ha’aretz.”
Otzar Michtavei Kodesh Chelkas Yehoshua Letter 42
Value of the Deed Depends on the Investment
“ועבדי כלב עקב היתה רוח אחרת עמו וימלא אחרי והביאתיו אל הארץ אשר בא שמה וזרעו יורשנה” (יד כד)
And is it only Kalev who “had a ruach acheres with him”? Didn’t Yehoshua also refrain from participating in the idea of the Meraglim?!
Harav Yehuda Kahana, author of Terumas Hakri explained: As we know, the reward of a person is given based on the effort and the difficulty he invests in fulfilling the mitzvah. As Chazal say (Avos 5:26) “Lefum tza’ara – agra.” Yehoshua was saved from the plan of the Meraglim without effort, because Moshe’s tefillah for this was effective in that his yetzer hara didn’t tempt him to participate. But Kalev, who did not merit to have Moshe daven for him, had to go and pray at the kevarim of the Avos in Chevron for help from Above in overcoming his yetzer that was inciting him to participate with his friends. Therefore, only Kalev, who invested special effort in separating himself form the Meraglim, merited special reward for this.
This concept is alluded to in the passuk itself: “And My servant Kalev because he had a ruach acheres imo,” at first, in Kalev’s heart there was a “ruach acheres” that leaned towards his yetzer hara to participate, and only after he battled his yetzer, and went to daven at kivrei avos, did he change his mind, “Vayimalei Acharei.” That is why he was promised: “And I will bring him to the Land to which he came” – and it will be given to him as a nachalah, referring to the city of Chevron, where he went to pray.
Terumas Hakri, Introduction
Harav Yisrael of Stolin was once walking to shul, accompanied by an entourage of chassidim. Suddenly, a merchant approached him, looking very self-important, and offered him to buy the painting that he was holding for a large sum of money. “This is a very artistic painting,” the merchant praised the painting, which had a goose in the center. “The goose looks real,” he continued enthusiastically.
The Rebbe listened attentively to the merchant, and looked at him in surprise, as if not understanding, and asked: “Can’t I buy a real goose for a relatively small sum? Why are you offering me to pay a huge sum of money for a painting of a goose?” The merchant was taken aback at the question and quickly responded: “A tremendous amount of effort was invested in the painting, and that’s how its price was set.” Upon hearing this, the Rebbe nodded and continued on his way.
When they arrived at the shul, the Stoliner Rebbe said to his chassidim: “We are now going to prepare for tefillah, let’s remember the words of the merchant that the price is determined based on the investment of effort...”
Yeinah Shel Torah, Avos p. 749
Eat in Order to Bentch
“והיה באכלכם מלחם הארץ תרימו תרומה לה'” (טו יט)
From time to time, when there was a question of brachos at one of the guests in the home of the Bais Yisrael of Ger, and he needed to eat another item of food to be able to make a brachah and resolve the doubt, the Rebbe would say, “You are fortunate, that instead of making a brachah in order to eat, you merit to eat in order to bless your Creator. Now it is considered as if you are like the ovdei Hashem that Am Yisrael used to have, who ate only in order to make the brachah.”
He would then add this passuk: “Vehayah b’achalchem milechem ha’aretz” – even when you need to eat in order to sustain your physical body, “tarimu terumah l’Hashem” – have in mind to do it l’Shem Hashem, in order to merit to bless Him and thank Him.
Pe’er Yisrael, p. 405
