The Fall Feasts are behind us, and after the joy of Simchat Torah — this year, it was indeed full of joy, as you all know — we begin a new cycle of reading the Torah. This past Shabbat, we read Bereshit, the opening portion of Genesis. Today’s insight reflects on the first blessing God gave to humanity: “Peru u’Revu” — “Be fruitful and multiply.”
Genesis 1:28 says: “God blessed them and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.’”
These words are often called the very first commandment in the Torah. Yet if we listen closely, we may hear not a commandment but a blessing. Right from the beginning, God blesses the man and woman He created. And ever since, we too have been longing for His blessing.
In Hebrew, we read: “VaYivarech otam Elohim” — “God blessed them.The word for blessing, bracha (ברכה), comes from the root berech (ברך), meaning “knee.” ” At first this connection may seem strange. Does one have to kneel in order to receive a blessing? But this is exactly the point — yes, we must humble ourselves, recognizing that we are not self-sufficient, that we need God’s help, that we need His blessing.
Undoubtedly, this was true for the first couple: before the Fall they knew very well that they were not self-sufficient, that they depended completely on God — and that is why He blessed them. I believe this message is still just as relevant for us today: once we acknowledge that we cannot stand on our own but depend entirely on Him, He is ready to bless us! Remember: the word for blessing, bracha, comes from the root berech, meaning “knee”!
Thank you for walking this journey with me and uncovering together the treasures hidden in the Hebrew text.
May this new Torah cycle bring His abundant blessing! to you and your loved ones!
With warm blessings from Israel,
Julia