Parshas Pekudei
By Rabbi Dovid Zauderer
"And Moses blessed them" (Exodus 39:43).
We are told at the end of this week's Torah portion, that when the entire work of fashioning all the components of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) was finally completed, Moses saw that the work was done according to G-d's commands, and he blessed the Jewish people that G-d's Shechinah (Divine Presence) should rest upon their handiwork.
This is definitely not the only time that the blessing of a Tzaddik (righteous person) is recorded in the Torah. The Patriarchs blessed their children. Moses blessed the Jewish people again just before he died. Why even the wicked Laban blessed his sister Rebecca, and the wicked Bilaam was forced to bless the Jewish people against his will. There is also a special mitzvah for a Kohein (priest) to bless the Jewish people on certain occasions.
Do the blessings of a Tzaddik usually come true? You bet they do! There are literally thousands upon thousands of documented stories over the centuries and millennia of Jews (and even non-Jews) who went to great Tzaddikim for blessings for all sorts of things, and their blessings were fulfilled.
Here is a beautiful story about the blessing of a Tzaddik that came true:
Reb Yitzchak was a wealthy Jewish merchant who lived in Volozhin, Lithuania in the 1700's. He was also a noteworthy Talmid Chacham (Torah scholar) who was very meticulous in his mitzvah observance. Because of his business, he would often go on extended trips. Every time he returned from his travels, he would bring home expensive gifts for his wife and children.
One day, as Reb Yitzchak was preparing to set out on a long voyage, his wife asked him to bring home a complete set of the Talmud instead of the gifts he usually bought for the family.
[The Talmud is essentially the repository of the teachings of our Oral Torah that was handed down from G-d to Moses at Mount Sinai, a multi-volume collection of writings that covers the full gamut of Jewish law and tradition.] In those days, an entire set of Talmud was incredibly expensive, but he nevertheless complied with her request. Reb Yitzchak kept his word, and, when he returned home, he brought with him a beautiful, brand-new set of the Talmud.
In order to benefit the public, Reb Yitzchak and his wife decided to lend out various volumes of the Talmud, giving others the opportunity to increase their Torah knowledge. While Reb Yitzchak was away on business, his wife managed the lending of their Talmud.
On one occasion, the famous Torah scholar and Tzaddik, Rabbi Aryeh Leib Gunzberg of Metz (1695-1785) - known to all as the 'Sha'agas Aryeh', the name of an outstanding book of Torah commentary that he authored - came to Volozhin for a visit. When he arrived, he was told that in the home of a certain Reb Yitzchak there was an entire set of Talmud, and that his family gladly lent out volumes of it to Torah scholars. When the Sha'agas Aryeh heard this, he headed straight to Reb Yitzchak's home.
Reb Yitzchak's wife felt very privileged that she could help the great scholar and she made him the following offer: 'You need not trouble yourself to come here each time you need to exchange a volume. Whenever you need a different volume, I will send it with a messenger directly to the Rabbi's place of lodging.' For the duration of the Sha'agas Aryeh's visit in Volozhin, she indeed sent to his lodgings whatever volume of Talmud he needed.
Before leaving Volozhin, the Sha'agas Aryeh stopped by the home of Reb Yitzchak and blessed both him and his wife: 'I bless you,' said the Tzaddik, 'that you should merit having two sons who will illuminate the eyes of the Jewish people with their Torah! May the first son merit teaching the Talmud to many students, and may the second one be so fluent in the entire Torah that he will not even need a set of the Talmud for reference.'
The Sha'agas Aryeh's blessing came true; Reb Yitzchak and his wife were indeed granted two sons. The first was the legendary Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin who founded the great Volozhin Yeshiva and merited teaching Torah to generations of students. The second son was Reb Zalman of Volozhin who mastered the entire Torah until he knew it all by heart.
It is part of our glorious tradition going back thousands of years to seek a blessing from a Tzaddik for a sick relative (see Talmud Bava Basra 116a) or if one is unable to have children, etc. Even when all else fails ' and the doctors have given up hope ' one should not despair, for great is the power of a Tzaddik's blessing to help bring about salvation against all odds
As the Midrash Rabbah comments on the verse in the Book of Ruth (2:20): 'Naomi said to her daughter-in-law [Ruth], 'Blessed be he [Boaz] of G-d ": Says Rabbi Yochanan, 'One should never despair from going to a Tzaddik for a blessing, for Boaz was eighty years old and he was infertile, until the Tzaddeikes [Naomi] blessed him and prayed to G-d on his behalf, and he miraculously became fertile and had a child.'
And on a later verse in the same Book of Ruth (3:10): " [and Boaz said to Ruth],.be blessed of G-d, my daughter ", the Midrash Rabbah comments: 'Says Reish Lakish, 'One should never despair from going to a Tzaddik for a blessing, for Ruth was forty years old and she was infertile, until the Tzaddik [Boaz] blessed her and prayed to G-d on her behalf, and she miraculously became fertile and had a child.'
It is always a good idea to get a blessing from a Tzaddik for good health, a good marriage, good children, a good livelihood, etc. ' it doesn't have to be a crisis.
But in case you are in a difficult situation, Heaven forbid, and you would like to find a Tzaddik near you to get his blessing, speak to your local rabbi and I am sure that he can guide you in the proper direction.
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