By Rabbi Yaakov Pollak, Orthodox Union for MyJewishLearning.com
What Is Your Blessing?
Jacob blessed his sons, not only according to each of their characters, but also with a unique piece of himself.
How much importance do we attach to blessings that we receive from others? How seriously do we take them? Our Sages established that "everything depends upon the one who gives the blessing and the one who receives it."
What if God Himself gives the blessing?
You Will Be A Blessing?
A deeper significance to the concept of blessings is found in the Almighty's declaration to Abraham, "Veheyei berachah--You will be a blessing." This gave Abraham the Divine authority to bless anyone else he wanted, according to Rashi.
The Ramban (Nachmanides) explains that Abraham became the model through whom other people blessed each other.
But there is another way to understand "Veheyei berachah." The Torah tells us that Abraham, just before his death, "gave Isaac all that he possessed. And to the children of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts."
But how did he give his many other children gifts, if he bequeathed it all to Isaac?
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