We’re up to the last pasuk on the Ben Ish Chai’s list of pesukim to say on the night of Rosh Hashana.
וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֥ם כֹּ֖ה לֶחָ֑י וְאַתָּ֤ה שָׁלוֹם֙ וּבֵיתְךָ֣ שָׁל֔וֹם וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם׃
And you should say the same thing next year
(meaning you should be here again next year)
You should have peace ( Malbim says this refers to internal peace)Peace in your homeAnd all of your personal possessions should have peace. It’s a beautiful blessing.
We can ask the classic Navi question-
מי אמר אל מי?
Who said this to whom?
It shows up in Shemuel א - perek כה
Where it says that after Shemuel died, everyone came to eulogize him. The next pasuk mentions a man named Naval, who was very wealthy, with many goats and sheep. The pasuk goes on to tell us that Naval was sheering his sheep, and David HaMelelch heard about it. He was on the run and needed food, so he planned to ask Naval for help.
Why does the Navi juxtapose the death and eulogies of Shemuel with Naval?
The Midrash explains that the meaning of the word Naval is ingrate, and the opposite of generous. This man’s name described who he was. His first lack of gratitude showed up when Shemuel HaNavi, the leader, the prophet passed away. While everyone else was busy eulogizing him, Naval couldn’t care less. He went and sheered his sheep. Eventually, Naval is described as saying in his heart- “There is no G-d”
What starts off as denial of gratitude that is owed to people, eventually leads to denial of G-d, like Paroah, who initially forgot about Yosef, and then forgot about G-d.
Rav Wolbe says a heart is like a room. Open the doors and windows and you can see outside. You can also see people and G-d. But if you lock the shutters of your heart, you can’t see anyone.
Naval started off with a lack of appreciation for the gains he got from Shemuel HaNavi. Then David HaMelech sent a messenger to Naval, with a blessing and request for help for his men, and some food. Naval responded, “Your going to take my sheep, and my bread? My water and my hard work? To give to strangers that I don’t know?”
The messengers reported back to David HaMelech, and as David was the king at the time, and Naval showed a lack of respect for the king, the Torah tells us that
וַיְהִ֖י כַּעֲשֶׂ֣רֶת הַיָּמִ֑ים וַיִּגֹּ֧ף ה אֶת־נָבָ֖ל וַיָּמֹֽת׃
Ten days later, Naval was struck by G-d and he died.
Rashi says he died of a plague. He quotes Masechet Rosh Hashana ( 18a) that tells us these ten days were the Aseret Yeme Teshuva.
What is the message here?
It started off as a great pasuk-it sounds like a wonderful blessing. But then we see who said it to who- David to Naval. We see that the beracha didn’t work! Naval died ten days later!
It is interesting that we say this on Rosh Hashana- it almost sounds like we say it on the day the blessing was given.
What is going on?
Naval got a beracha from David HaMelech, the author of tehilim. Could there be a better beracha than that?
The answer is that the vessel, with which to receive blessing, is gratitude. Naval was in ingrate, so therefore, there was no room for David’s beracha to land.
If wine is poured into a cup with a hole, the wine won’t stay inside.
וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֥ם כֹּ֖ה לֶחָ֑י
That’s the final pasuk. We bless everyone.
But we are hinting to everyone that we need Hakarat HaTov. We have to appreciate what happened last year. We have to appreciate the past. As we’ve said, this year more than others. We should say “Shehechiyanu, VeHigiyanu, Vekiyemanu l’zman hazeh”
Thank You. You gave us life and sustenance and brought us to this da. Baruch HaShem we survived another year, and we are here.
Unbelievable.
BeEzrat Hashem, tomorrow we will have a nice graphically enhanced print- out of these pesukim, to be said on the night of Rosh Hashana.
ונח מצא חן
Was the first,
Yitzhak planted was the second, Hashem is the source of life is the third, We are planting light was the fourth, and our final pasuk was וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֥ם כֹּ֖ה לֶחָ֑י
Whether you have the custom or not, it’s a nice thing to do. It can’t hurt. If you’re embarrassed to say it publicly, in front of people who might not understand what you’re doing, take the card and say it to yourself.
These are powerful pesukim, with powerful lessons, and we should all reap the benefits and blessings of each of them.
Have a wonderful day.