The Inner Point1 min read

In this week’s parsha, Yaakov Avinu blesses his sons before his passing. In his glorious beracha to his favorite son, Yosef, Yaakov says, “The blessings of your father surpass the blessings of my ancestors, to the utmost bounds (ta’avas) of the eternal hills.” The Sefas Emes reveals the awesome depth of this beautiful beracha.

The Gemara teaches that one who takes pleasure in Shabbos merits a boundless inheritance, “nachlah b’li meitzarim”. This boundless inheritance is associated with Yaakov Avinu, as the verse brought to support this teaching makes mention of “nachlas Yaakov”. Yaakov Avinu is the man of truth, “titein emes l’Yaakov”. This means that he is constantly plugged into the “nekudah hapnimis”, the innermost kernel of creation which is bound to the Infinite One. This inner point of shining spirituality represents the foundation of truth upon which our alma d’shikra is founded; the ultimate goal served by every particle of physicality. This inner point is related to the day of faith, Shabbos, which embodies our belief in a Creator and thus a positive premise for creation. Just like Shabbos exists in the realm of time, and aspect of Shabbos may also be found in space; the inner point of spirituality found within everything. Just like Shabbos in time enables one to taste a boundless inheritance of the great expanse expressed in time, a sense of ultimate freedom and contentment, so does awareness of and connection with the Shabbos in space fill one with an inner joy founded upon a constant awareness and perception of Hashem’s presence and the purpose of existence.

This, explains the Sefas Emes, was Yaakov’s beracha to Yosef. Yaakov is blessing Yosef with “birchas avicha”, his very own spiritual standing, the ability to discover the inner point of Shabbos, truth within everything. Granting one a connection to the “nachalas Yaakov, b’li meitzarim”, this beracha is “ad ta’avas givos olam”, a blessing that represents the deepest yearning of a world stuck within the boundaries of a physical existence.

All-inclusive, Yosef’s blessing reaches the very core of existence.