What’s so special about blessings?  Why do we have to make so many of them? Why do we have to bless before eating or drinking anything?

The Talmud (Menachos 43b) teaches us that we’re supposed to make 100 blessings each day! If you assume the average person is awake 14-16 hours a day, that’s averages out to about once every ten minutes!

Clearly blessings are a fundamental part of a Jew’s life.

Join me as we discuss a fundamental principle of Jewish philosophy regarding how we interact with the physical world, and stay tuned until the end to hear a mind-blowing novelty from the great Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Ba’al Ha’Tanya, about the words muttar (permitted) and assur (forbidden).

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

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Sources:

Deuteronomy 12:10 – https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.10.12?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Tur in the Name of Rav Natrunai Gaon (King David enacted 100 blessings) – https://www.sefaria.org/Tur%2C_Orach_Chaim.46.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Menachos 43b – https://www.sefaria.org/Menachot.43b.15?lang=bi&with=Rashi&lang2=en

Berachos 35a – https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.35a.21?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Nefesh HaChaim (etymology of ‘baruch’) – https://www.sefaria.org/Nefesh_HaChayim%2C_Gate_II.2.3?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Pirkei Avos (Ethics of our Fathers) 5:1 – https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.5.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Tanya (etymology of ‘mutar‘ and ‘assur‘)- https://www.sefaria.org/Tanya%2C_Part_One%2C_The_Book_of_the_Average_Men.7.1?lang=he&with=all&lang2=he