Parsha Pearls
Chazal guide us in how one should make a bracha:
ולא יזרוק ברכה מפיו - “And a person should not throw a blessing out of his mouth.” [Brachos 47a] Based on these words of our mesorah, the Mishna Berura (5:1) explains how a Jew should make a bracha:
כמו שאחז"ל [ברכות מ"ז] שלא יזרוק הברכה מפיו אלא יכוין בעת האמירה ויברך בנחת
“...as our sages of blessed memory said that one should not throw a blessing out of his mouth. Rather, he should direct his heart at the time of saying it, and he should say the blessing slowly.”
In this week’s parsha, Yaakov Avinu blesses Naftoli in the following way: נַׁפְתָלִי אַׁיָלָה שְלחָה הַׁנתֵן אִמְרֵי שָפֶר - Naftoli is a deer that was sent to run; he delivers words of beauty. (Bereishis 49:21). What are these “words of beauty”? Targum Onkolos translates this verse in the following way: “Naftali - in a good land his lot fell; and his inheritance will produce fruits; they will thank and bless [HaShem] for them.” Hence, Naftoli’s “words of beauty” are the brachos on fruits that he will say before eating them. What a beautiful lesson the Torah is teaching us here! When we make brachos, they are “words of beauty” in the eyes of HaShem! If so, let’s make sure to say our brachos in a way that they will truly deserve that title.
