Abraham: The Source of Blessing
From Bracha to Breicha—Drawing Down Divine Blessings and Bringing Others Near
“And You Shall Be a Blessing”
G-d instructs Abraham to go to “the land that I will show you” and, in doing so, promises him:
“I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great. And you shall become a blessing” (Genesis 12:2).
The Midrash comments on the word bracha (blessing) and states: “Do not read it as bracha (blessing), but rather as breicha (a pool). Just as a pool purifies the impure, so too Abraham drew near those who were far away and purified those who were impure.”
The Midrash’s reinterpretation is based on the fact that the Torah is written without vowels. In effect, many words can be read in different ways, depending on the vowels assigned to them. To be sure, an oral tradition preserves the vowels with which we are to read the Torah, but this does not preclude additional interpretations based on alternative vocalizations. The very fact that the Torah was written without vowels allows for additional readings, and these variations can shed light on the meaning of the authorized reading of the text.
What prompted the Midrash to reinterpret bracha as breicha?
Moreover, there is a well-known principle that whenever the Sages state, “Do not read the word one way, but rather another way,” they are not suggesting that the original reading is incorrect. Rather, the alternative reading offers an additional dimension of meaning to the original.
Here, too, the Torah is teaching us that Abraham was blessed and empowered to become a source of blessing precisely because he drew near those who were far away and purified those who were impure, much like a pool of purifying water.
A Blessing: Drawing from the Divine Reservoir
There are two ways to understand the connection between bracha (blessing) and breicha (pool).
The first is based on a deeper understanding of the meaning of a blessing.
For example, when we recite the words, “Blessed are You, O G-d,” what does it mean to bless G-d? Does the Almighty need our blessings?
One explanation is that the word bracha also conveys the idea of drawing forth and extending blessing from its source. G-d is the ultimate source and reservoir of all blessings. When we recite a blessing, we are not adding anything to G-d. Rather, we are drawing down the blessing from its Divine source, much as pipes channel water from a reservoir or pool.
Thus, when G-d promised Abraham, “And you shall be a blessing,” He was granting him access to the reservoir of Divine blessing and empowering him to draw blessings from their source and transmit them to those whom he blessed.
This understanding is consistent with another meaning associated with the word bracha, beyond its meaning as a blessing or a pool. It is related to the word mavrich, which describes the process of bending a branch downward and planting it in the earth so that it can take root and grow.
A blessing, too, enables something that exists in its source to extend downward and become manifest in the recipient.
Thus, a bracha represents the power to channel (l’havrich) positive energy and blessing from its source—the breicha—into the person being blessed.
The Power of Purifying Others
To understand what it was about Abraham that endowed him with this extraordinary power of blessing, we must consider the words of the foregoing Midrash that Abraham brought near those who were far away and purified those who were impure.
The underlying message is that Abraham was granted the power to receive and transmit blessings because of his dedication to elevating others. His greatness lay not merely in his personal relationship with G-d, but also in his efforts to bring others closer to their Creator.
The Alter Rebbe, in his classic work Torah Or, describes how our minds can become refined and elevated “a thousand-fold” times over when we reach out to help others.
Conventional wisdom suggests that the time and energy we devote to others come at the expense of our own spiritual achievements. Helping someone else, according to this perspective, requires a sacrifice of the time and resources we could otherwise devote to our personal growth.
The message of the Midrash and the Alter Rebbe, however, is precisely the opposite. Helping others does not entail a sacrifice; rather, it can enhance our own spiritual accomplishments and increase the blessings we receive. Indeed, our efforts to purify others can themselves become a source of spiritual purification and refinement.
Abraham’s greatness was therefore expressed in his ability to draw from the Divine reservoir of blessing and, at the same time, to make that blessing accessible to others. His dedication to others was not separate from his spiritual achievements; it was an essential part of what made those achievements possible.
Why Do We Conclude the First Blessing of the Amidah with Abraham Alone?
The above will shed light on Rashi’s interpretation of the Torah’s three promises to Abraham words that preface the words “And you shall be a blessing”:
“I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great.”
Rashi comments that these three promises allude to the mention of the three Patriarchs in our daily prayers, in the Shemoneh Esrei (Amidah): “G-d of Abraham, G-d of Isaac, and G-d of Jacob.”
The words “and you shall be a blessing,” however, allude to the fact that this blessing, which begins by mentioning all three Patriarchs, concludes by mentioning Abraham alone: “Blessed are You, G-d, the Shield of Abraham.”
Why does the blessing conclude with Abraham alone? Why are Isaac and Jacob omitted from its conclusion?
In light of the Midrash’s interpretation of bracha as breicha, we can gain a deeper understanding of this distinction.
When we consider the journey of the Jewish people from the Patriarchs through the Giving of the Torah at Sinai and onward to the coming of Moshiach, we need to draw upon the spiritual strengths of all three Patriarchs.
Abraham personified kindness and love; Isaac, prayer and devotion; and Jacob, Torah study. Each Patriarch represents an indispensable dimension of our relationship with G-d.
As we approach the culmination of history, however, when we are destined to make the final transition from exile to Redemption, Abraham’s particular quality assumes special significance. We need his breicha—his connection to the reservoir of Divine energy—and his power to channel that energy into the world.
We need to follow Abraham’s example by drawing near those who are distant and purifying those who are spiritually impure, thereby preparing the world for the coming of Moshiach.
The First Message: Spiritual Growth Through Reaching Out to Others
There is a twofold message in the connection between Abraham’s power of blessing and the conclusion of the Amidah.
First, Abraham was granted access to the Divine reservoir and the power to transmit its blessings to others. This teaches us that if we wish to draw down the blessings associated with the other Patriarchs—the blessings of Torah study and prayer—we must also cultivate Abraham’s quality of kindness and love. We must reach out to our fellow Jews and bring them closer to G-d, His Torah, and His mitzvot.
This idea echoes the message of the Rebbe’s first Chassidic discourse, Basi LeGani, delivered in 1951 upon his formally accepting the mantle of leadership. The Rebbe emphasized that a person’s spiritual accomplishments must not remain a private experience. If we want our own spiritual lives to have genuine value, we must make our spiritual light accessible to others.
In the words of the Rebbe discussing the parallel between the Previous Rebbe and the Patriarch Abraham:
…he sought nothing for himself not even mesirus nefesh, for he knew that the sole purpose of his existence was to “proclaim there the name of G‑d, eternal L-rd.”
This service resembles that of Avraham our Patriarch:
He arrived in places where the people knew nothing about G‑dliness, nothing about Yiddishkeit, nothing even about the alef-beis.
While there, he set himself completely aside in the spirit of our Sages’ teaching, “Do not read ‘he proclaimed-vayikra,’ but ‘he motivated others to proclaim-vayakri’” It is well known that when expounding concepts by means of the principle “Do not read…,” both interpretations – the simple meaning of the verse and the meaning inferred by our Sages – are valid.
In this instance as well, the Torah specifically states that “he proclaimed.” Nonetheless, one must know that if he desires to succeed in “proclaiming G‑d’s name” himself, he must motivate others to proclaim; he must see to it that others not only know about G‑d, but also proclaim His name. Although until now one’s fellowman was utterly without knowledge, now one is obligated to see to it that he, too, proclaims G‑d’s Presence.
In other words, our personal relationship with G-d becomes complete when it inspires us to strengthen the relationship of others with G-d as well.
The lesson of Abraham’s breicha is that spiritual blessing is not meant to remain confined to its source. It must flow outward, reaching places and people that might otherwise remain distant from its influence.
The Second Message: Abraham as the Seal of Our Accomplishments
There is a second, deeper, message in Rashi’s wording.
Rashi does not merely say that the blessing concludes with Abraham. He uses a term that conveys the idea of sealing with Abraham.
A conclusion marks the end of something. A seal, however, does more: it secures and preserves what has been accomplished.
This distinction is especially meaningful when we consider the spiritual accomplishments of our forebears throughout the generations.
If we wish to seal, secure, and preserve everything our ancestors accomplished—from the beginning of Jewish history until the present—and crown their efforts with success, we must invoke and adopt Abraham’s defining quality: spreading awareness of G-d’s unity and bringing even those who are distant closer to Him.
The Rebbe alludes to this idea in a letter in which he emphasizes the unique significance of our generation, which will merit the distinction of bringing Moshiach.
The Rebbe bases this idea on the Talmudic principle that a mitzvah is credited to the one who completes it. Although many people may participate in a process, the one who brings it to completion receives special recognition for the accomplishment.
Our generation, therefore, has the extraordinary responsibility and privilege of serving as the seal of all the spiritual achievements of the preceding generations. We must bring their work to its intended culmination by preparing the world for the Redemption.
What makes our generation uniquely suited to this task is our responsibility to adopt Abraham’s approach: reaching out to every Jew and serving as a spiritual mikveh, helping to purify the Jewish people by immersing them in the life-giving and purifying waters of Torah.
Just as a pool of water purifies those who immerse themselves in it, the Torah has the power to purify and elevate those who are brought into contact with its teachings and mitzvot.
Our task is to make those waters accessible to every Jew, regardless of how distant that person may initially seem.
Sealing History by Bringing the Redemption
We can now understand why the blessing of the Patriarchs concludes specifically with Abraham.
Abraham embodies both dimensions of blessing. He connects us to the Divine reservoir from which blessings flow, and he teaches us that these blessings must be extended outward to reach others.
The first dimension reminds us that all spiritual blessings originate in G-d. The second teaches us that we become worthy vessels for those blessings by following Abraham’s example of kindness, outreach, and spiritual purification.
As the generations progress toward the ultimate Redemption, this second dimension becomes especially crucial. The final stage of our mission is not simply to preserve the spiritual accomplishments of the past, but to bring them to their intended fulfillment.
We accomplish this by extending the light of Torah to every Jew, including those who have not yet experienced its warmth and transformative power. In doing so, we complete the work begun by Abraham and carried forward by all the generations that followed him.
The final generation of exile is thus charged with the task of becoming the seal that preserves and perfects the accomplishments of all the preceding generations.
This is the deeper meaning of concluding the blessing with Abraham. We invoke his merit, but we also undertake his mission: to draw from the Divine reservoir of blessing and channel that blessing into the world, bringing those who are far near and preparing all of creation for the coming of Moshiach.
Thus, in the language of our Sages, we are taught to “seal with Abraham.”
By adopting Abraham’s qualities and completing the work he began, we can transform the blessings of the past into the reality of the future—the complete and ultimate Redemption, when G-d’s presence will be revealed throughout the world.
