In last week’s Torah portion, Parshas Chayei Sarah (B’reishis 24:1), it says that Avraham was old, ba ba’yamim, and Hashem blessed him with ba’kol (“VaShem beirach es Avraham ba’kol”). If we look at Avraham Avinu’s life, we see that he had many challenges and was constantly being tested by Hashem. What is this mysterious ba’kol (everything) that Hashem blessed Avraham Avinu with?
Rav Kook explains that being blessed ba’kol means seeing the “painful” as part of the meaning, order, and purpose of the universe. It means seeing the hard and dark moments and experiences as part of kol, the bigger picture. When a person acknowledges that everything in life is a blessing from Hashem – ba’kol – everything – the good and (what seems to be) the bad are all part of Hashem’s blessing, then he’s accepting everything as having been Heavenly decreed. Such a person goes about his day with complete equanimity, with total faith in Hashem. We learn that Avraham Avinu lived his life believing that he had kol (everything). Avraham chose to focus on what he had and not on what he lacked.
Avraham Avinu and David HaMelech experienced many challenges during their lives, but they were both able to maintain a very positive disposition. In T’hilim, Chapter 54, David HaMelech says, “Hashem helps me, and Hashem is with those who support me.” Rabbi Shmuel Silber explains that David HaMelech is teaching us a very important lesson here. David HaMelech says, “I know that Hashem is always here to help me, but how do I feel supported? With those things that support my soul. It is when I take stock of all the things that I have, that I’m finally able to realize and understand how much Hashem loves me.” When we live a life focusing on our brachos, that’s when we begin to appreciate the magnitude of the brachos that we have.
(Material was previously published on Shiratmiriam.com.)
List of People Who Need a r’fuah sh’leimah (a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Michael Rachamim ben Mazal
Yosef Yosi ben Simchah
Chaim Avraham ben Shifrah Zissel
Chaim ben Adinah Eidel
Matan ben Devorah
Noam ben Adi
Moshe Shlomo ben Orah Sarah
Mazal bas Rivkah
Odelya bas Mahbubeh Yocheved
Zhenya bas Zoya
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Mitali Naomi bas Gilah Farcha
Zoya bas Rachel Raya
Rachel bas Leah
Israeli Soldiers (Please recite Psalms 25, 26, 46, 83, 142.)
Avraham Yaakov ben Devorah
Binyamin Shlomo Yitzchak ben Rivkah Avivah
Shmuel ben Rachel
Avraham Yitzchak ben Chayah Sara
Aharon Yehudah ben Rivkah Zlata
Chaim Yair ben Miriam Devorah
Yitzchak ben Chanah Brachah
Levi Yitzchak ben Dinah Miriam
Meir Moshe ben Gittel
Yehoshua Elyakim Getzel ben Devorah
Naftali ben Devorah Sharon
Yisrael Mordechai ben Chanah Gittel
Shmayah ben Chanah Zelda
Avraham ben Ilanah Tovah
Yehudah Chaim ben Mina Chayah
Ohr Moshe ben Alizah
Elya Akiva ben Chavah Leah
Yisrael Yehudah ben Elisheva Rachel
Baruch Tzvi ben Shoshanah Raizel
Meir Simchah ben Adinah
Aharon Mordechai ben Kresel Baila
Avraham Mordechai ben Tiferes
Eliyahu ben Chayah Tamar
Yitzchak Issac ben Freida
Shlomo Zalman ben Tziporah Alitah
Netanel Meir ben Esther
Tuvia Nissim ben Yehudis
Yonah ben Tziporah
Yehudah Aharon ben Tziviah
Yehudah ben Nurit
Daniel ben Nurit
Roy ben Ronit
Amit ben Janet
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah
to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.
