At the end of the parsha when Lavan finally lets Yaakov depart, the Torah describes the goodbye of Lavan. וינשק לבניו ולבנותיו ויברך אתהם. Why do we need to know the goodbye blessings of Lavan? The Sforno explains that a beracha given with full intent and feeling has more chance of being fulfilled than just a random beracho. The father of Rachel and Leah, Lavan wholeheartedly wanted his children to be prosperous and successful and was giving them a blessing with all his heart. The Torah records his beracha in order to teach us this lesson. It is a beracho given with great feeling that stands the chance of being fulfilled. It is well known the story of the mother of the Teferes Shmuel on the Rosh that his mother was illiterate but poured her heart out when she lit candles in Russian that her son should be a talmid chacham (the story is cited in Daas Moshe in Teruma.)
Many people travel all over for berachos but maybe we should be maintaining a healthy relationship with those that truly care for out goodness i.e. our parents and obtain blessings from them as well.
I thought that this is the pshat in the גמרה מגילה טו. לעולם אל תהי ברכת הדיוט קלה בעיניך וכו. If a rav/tzadik/important person gives a bracha it is expected and not be fully meant. A הדיוט however is never expected to give a bracha and gives one solely מפני שנשאו לבו.
ReplyDeleteSee Sforno inside who says here it is a greater beracho than that of a regular birchas הדיוט.
ReplyDelete