The Greatest Blessing of All2 min read

Yitzchak Avinu begins his blessing to Yaakov with the words וְיִתֶּן־לְךָ הָאֱלֹהִים מִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ – “May God give you of the dew of the heavens and of the fatness of the earth.” Commenting on the word “וְיִתֶּן”, Rashi writes וְיַחֲזֹר וְיִתֵּן – “(He will give), return, and give again.”

There appear to be two difficulties here. First, why does the verse say וְיִתֶּן־לְךָ הָאֱלֹהִים – May the God give you”, and not simply וְיִתֶּן־לְךָ אֱלֹהִים – May God give you”? Second, how are we to understand Rashi’s comment? If Hashem gives Yaakov Avinu and his offspring the fat of the heavens and the dew of the land once, why does He need to return and give it a second time?

The Degel Machaneh Ephraim says the most amazing thing.

On a deeper level, the words “וְיִתֶּן־לְךָ הָאֱלֹהִים” don’t merely mean, “May God give you”, and Yitzchak wasn’t simply blessing Yaakov with physical plenty. Instead, these words may be read “וְיִתֶּן־לְך” – “May God give you”, “הָאֱלֹהִים” – Himself . With this understanding, it emerges that Yitzchok is blessing Yaakov not merely with the transient, tangible gifts of heaven and earth, but rather with the greatest blessing of existence- a vibrant, conscious, and communicative relationship with the Author of all.

As much as we enjoy pizza, eating a pie a day for a week or two will cause us to become completely disgusted by it. However, this is not the case with spiritual pleasures. Unlike physical delights, the sweetness of a relationship with Hashem is a gift that never stops giving. Throughout life’s various joys and challenges, the relationship constantly widens, deepens, and broadens. Expressing ourselves to Hashem in various prayers which change with the terrain as time marches on and hearing Him whisper back through His holy Torah and the revelation of His presence in the world around us, a portal of light is opened. This portal carries us directly to Hashem’s supportive, nurturing, and loving embrace and grants us the strength to dance through the various rains of the human experience. The Chofetz Chaim once said: “Even the most lasting things in my life won’t last a very long time. Money comes and goes, relationships are confined to those still living, and when it comes time to leave this world, I will leave everything else of value behind. But there is one thing I have now that I will have forever. Now, I am in Hashem’s embrace. In fifty years from now, I will be in Hashem’s embrace. In two hundred years from now, Hashem will yet be supporting me. And even in a thousand years from now, I will still be with Him.”

This, says the tzaddik, is what Rashi is hinting to us. וְיִתֶּן־לךָ הָאֱלֹהִים – When Hashem gives us His greatest gift: Himself, וְיַחֲזֹר וְיִתֵּן – it is a gift that is never-ending, granting us wings of faith which carry us beyond the dull, shallow mask of nature and into a world of brilliant light, wonder, purpose, and endless meaning for all eternity.