The Three-Plied Blessing

Chassidus explains that a blessing obtained through prayer may not materialize in the most optimum and efficient fashion. Even the powerful and persistent prayer of the saintly Choni, did not yield immediate results. Torah, conversely, has the capacity to make the Divine blessings materialize quickly and efficiently.

Moses’ Unique Blessing

The very last portion in the Torah begins with Moses’ final blessing of his people. The Torah introduces this blessing with the words: “This is the blessing that Moses, the man of G-d blessed the children of Israel.”

The opening word, “This” implies that there is something unique about this blessing. To understand what is unique, the Midrash furnishes the following comment:

Rabbi Shmuel ben Nachman said:

“When Moses was about to bless Israel, the Torah and the Holy One, Blessed is He [also], arrived to bless Israel.”

The Midrash proceeds to show how, in addition to Moses’ role in the blessing, G-d and Torah also participated:

“This is the blessing – This is a reference to Torah as it says, ’This is the Torah that Moses placed before the children of Israel.’”

“That Moses blessed – This refers to Moses.”

“The man [ish] of G-d – This is a reference to the Holy One, blessed is He, as it says, ‘G-d is Master [Ish] of war.’”

The Midrash then asks a rhetorical question, “Why all this?” In other words, why was it necessary for Moses’ blessing to be augmented by G-d and the Torah?

The Midrash replies:

“To fulfill that which is stated, ‘a three-ply cord is not easily severed!’”

The Midrash seems to suggest that Moses’ final blessing was unique. It was more than a one-sided blessing. It consisted of three different strands, spun together, forming a strong rope that cannot easily be unraveled.

What is the significance of these three aspects of the blessing: Moses, G-d and Torah?

We also need to clarify the order of the three sources of blessing enumerated in this verse: Torah, Moses and G-d. Why is Torah listed first, Moses second and G-d third? One would have thought that G-d would come before Torah and Moses!

Obstructions in the Pipeline

In truth, all blessings come from G-d. That is a given. However, blessings that come from G-d can be obstructed from our view because of our inability to accept them in the moment. Chassidus explains that on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur G-d allocates all of the good things we ask for, but we still have to pray for them every day. The reason for this is that while G-d has allocated the blessings, they may get stuck in the pipeline. To ensure that the blessings descend “downward” and enter our realm, our own efforts are needed, particularly prayer.

However, even if a blessing materializes in our physical world, we may still not benefit from it because we have no vessel capable of receiving it. Blessings have been compared to rain which descends on a field. While the rain can be the greatest blessing for the earth it can also go to waste if we haven’t plowed and planted the field in preparation.

To guarantee that Moses’ final blessing would be effective, three conditions were needed.

Smooth Sailing through Torah

First, the blessing must come down to us through Torah.

Chassidus explains that a blessing obtained through prayer may not materialize in the most optimum and efficient fashion. Proof of this is found in the Talmudic story of Choni Hama’agel. He was the sage who drew a circle around himself and stated he would not leave it until G-d brought rain to the drought-stricken land. After three days of prayer the rain finally came down but only in droplets. When Choni “complained” to G-d that rain droplets would not be much use to anyone, it began to come down in torrents. When he pointed out the destructive nature of torrential rain, it finally descended in the proper measure.

From this we see that even the powerful and persistent prayer of a saintly man, such as Choni, does not necessarily yield immediate results. Even when his prayers finally began to work, he needed to tweak the result with additional prayers.

Torah, conversely, has the capacity to make the Divine blessings materialize quickly and efficiently. The Zohar relates that once there was a drought in Israel. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the author of the Zohar, “merely” delivered a Torah discourse on the words “How goodly it is for brothers to dwell together” and the rain descended adequately. Through the medium of Torah, the blessings were able to “sail” through all the lower and higher worlds and successfully produce unimpeded and unambiguous positive results.

Torah Power

Why is Torah capable of doing that which prayer cannot accomplish?

One explanation is that G-d screened His own light when He created the world. For we mortals, who live in a world of darkness, particularly in this extended period of exile, even prayer has its limits. Even our souls, which are a part of G-d, must go through a screening process so that they can “fit” into our physical bodies. Therefore, our best and most fervent prayers, the ones that stem from the depths of our souls, may not be able to channel G-d’s blessings into our lives without tremendous exertion.

Conversely, Torah, as Divine wisdom, does not undergo a fundamental change as it is transmitted to us. The Torah that we study is unmitigated and unadulterated G-dly wisdom. Therefore, a blessing connected to Torah has no impediments along the way to us.

This explains why it is customary for a chosson-groom to be called up to the Torah on the Shabbos before his wedding. Since Torah is the prime source of unobstructed energy, any blessing that travels with it is likewise unhindered, and results in the ultimate blessing for the newlyweds.

Source of Peace

Another characteristic of Torah is that it is the source of peace. The Talmud states that G-d gave us Torah to bring peace to the world. Our Sages teach us that there is no greater vessel for receiving blessings than peace. Thus, the Torah of peace is the ultimate vehicle and vessel to make us receptive to the Divine blessings.

This explains why the first aspect of Moses’ blessing is Torah, because it represents the most ideal source of blessing.

A “Moses” Blessing

After the Torah alludes to itself as the medium of Divine blessing, the Torah lists the second component of the ideal blessing as coming from Moses.

While it is true that blessings which come from and through Torah are more efficiently channeled to and absorbed by us, it makes a difference who bestows the blessing.

The Talmud states that no one should underestimate the blessing of even a simple person. How much more so a blessing from the greatest person that ever lived: Moses?

Moreover, if the Torah is the greatest source of blessing, who better than Moses, who personified Torah, to bless us? Indeed. In this parsha, the very last one of the Torah, Moses is identified with Torah: “Torah was commanded to us by Moses as an inheritance to the Assembly of Jacob.” Torah and Moses were inseparable. So, if the ideal blessing is through Torah, who better to channel Torah’s blessings than Moses?

Moses the Lover of Israel

Moreover, the Talmud states that Moses was blessed with a “good eye;” always eager to share whatever he had with the Jewish people. Moses was the ultimate “lover of Israel” and was willing to give up everything, even his connection to Torah, for Israel.

Indeed, his desire to sacrifice all that was precious to him is expressed in the very last verse of the Torah, in which Moses is extolled for what he did “in the presence of all Israel.” Rashi comments that this refers to the shattering of the Tablets, which saved the Jewish people from destruction when they worshipped the Golden Calf. Moses’ passion for the Jewish people was even greater than his love for Torah.

Hence, Moses’ blessing to the Jewish people was even more formidable than a blessing that comes through the medium of Torah alone. Moses was inseparable from Torah and even more inseparable from the Jewish people, the recipients of his blessing.

Lover of G-d

The Torah then describes the third unique characteristic of Moses’ final blessing – his relationship with G-d.

It is well known that Moses personified Torah and identified totally with the Jewish people to the point of total self-sacrifice for them.

But Moses was also the most G-dly person ever to have lived. No prophet like Moses ever arose. Moses was “on call” to receive G-d’s communication to him 24/7. Maimonides describes Moses as the most exalted human being. There were no barriers between him and G-d other than that he was G-d’s creation. No other barriers existed.

This threefold connection is expressed by the Zohar in another way: “There are three things that are knotted together, Israel, Torah and the Holy One, blessed is He.”

Moses’ final blessing incorporated these three entities and their intertwined unity in the most formidable fashion.

We will be privileged to see the fruition of this threestranded blessing with the imminent coming of Moshiach, when all three entities will fully be revealed. G-d’s essence, the Torah’s essence, the essence of the Jewish people and their fundamental interconnection, will be revealed in full view of the entire world.

From the book Light from the Future: Simchas Torah by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.