Parshat Emor
May 7, 2004

Ashrei XIII

The next verse in the Ashrei that we will examine is, “Yoducha Hashem Kol Maasecha Vachasidecha Yevarchucha – All Your works praise You Hashem, and your devoted/pious ones bless You.”

What exactly are G-d’s works? And how do people (pious as they may be) have the capacity to bless G-d?

There are two answers advanced in the commentaries defining G-d’s works.

1. One answer is that Your works –Maasecha refers to unlettered Jews devoid of Torah knowledge. In contrast Chasidecha- Your pious ones are the students of Torah and Mitzvoth who understand piety and righteousness as it is defined in the Torah. There are many who pursue righteousness, justice, and truth but are misguided by the relative morality that is purported in society. As the Rabbis of the Talmud taught –“Lo Am Haaretz Chassid- an ignorant person can simply not achieve piety”.

2. The second answer is that Maassecha – Your works means all the creations of the Creator – from plants to animals, to elements, and planets. Jewish thought and liturgy is replete with examples of how all of nature – from the animal kingdom (the roar of the lion or the croaking of the frog) to vegetation (“and then all the trees of the forest will praise You). All of G-d’s creation sings to/about the Creator.

The second part of the verse does imply that a finite person can bless G-d. Of what benefit is it to G-d to receive a blessing from one of us? It’s the other way around- we need His blessings-and lots of them. It is explained that when it says the pious will bless you – it means that the divine blessings, protection, and reward G-d showers upon the Tzaddikim benefits not only the awardee but the world around him/her as well. This is the blessing that is launched by the pious.

May the all of us come to recognize and feel gratitude to G-d and because of it achieve righteousness and the strength to share blessing with the all those around us.

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Ephraim Epstein
rabbiepstein@sonsisrael.com

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