Let's Say One Hundred Blessings
"Anachnu modim loch,” we give thanks to You. We say these words in every Shemone Esrei as a basic expression of our gratitude and gratefulness to Hashem. The word ‘modim’ has the gematria of one hundred. It alludes to the one hundred brachos that a Jew is supposed to say every day. This is a very vital part of leading a successful Jewish life. Moshe Rabbeinu directs us, “Ma Hashem Elokecha shoel mei’imach ki im liyirah” - What does Hashem, your G-d, ask from you but that you should be aware of Him. (Rav Miller, zt”l zy”a, used to say that yirah means ‘to see’ and thus indicates awareness of Hashem). The Gemora in Menachos expounds upon this verse. “Al tikrei mah, ela mei’ah” - Do not read it as ‘what’ but as one hundred. And Moshe was therefore telling us that Hashem asks from us that we say one hundred blessings every day.
Dovid HaMelech was the commander-in-chief of the Jewish army. They informed him that they were suffering a hundred casualties daily at the battlefield. He instituted the tradition of saying a hundred blessings and the casualties stopped. We can understand from this the lifesaving importance of adopting this practice in our daily lives.
On Taanis Esther, when we give machtzis hashekel, the custom is to give three one-half dollar coins in commemoration of the three collections that were made. One collection was made for the korbonos tzibur, the communal offerings. Another was made for the bedek habayis, a building fund. The final collection was made specifically for the one hundred adonim, the one hundred sockets. Why did the sockets earn an exclusive collection? Couldn’t they have been covered by the building fund? The answer is that the sockets were the foundation of the Mishkon, the tabernacle, and as such deserved an exclusive collection. After all, laying foundations are extremely important. The Das Zekeinim M’Balei HaTosefos elaborates that the significance of the one hundred adonim is symbolic of the one hundred times we mention Adona-i (the exact same letters as the Hebrew word socket) in the one hundred blessings that we say daily. The message is clear. The foundation of our Jewish home, which we hope to convert into a Mikdash Me’at, a mini-sanctuary, is these very one hundred blessings. Thus, we see that for both our physical life and our spiritual life, getting into the habit of ensuring that we say one hundred blessings each day is extremely important.
Let’s tabulate the remaining blessings to reach the goal of one hundred. There are two blessings on the tefillin, one upon the tzitzis. There is al natilas yodaiyim, asher yotzar, and Elokai neshama, the three blessings on the Torah and the fifteen morning blessings. Adding Boruch she’Amar and Yishtabach, and the eight blessings that accompany the two times we say Krias Shema daily make thirty-four. When added to the fifty-seven mentioned above, we achieve ninety-one (which happens to be the gematria of the word Amen!). We easily will reach the finish line of one hundred when we add to this number the several asher yotzars that we make during the day, and the shehakols and borei nefashos which we make upon drinking and, of course, all the other various blessings before and after that we make on our food and snacks throughout the day. Bear in mind that if we eat bread even one time, this is an automatic six more blessings - the al natilas yodaiyim, the hamotzi, and the four blessings in the birchas hamozon.
On the Shabbos, the one hundred blessings are more of a challenge, for instead of fifty-seven Shemone Esrei blessings, we have only twenty-eight. It is true that we wash three times and thus are ensured an additional eighteen blessings. Still, these forty-six, as compared to fifty-seven, are a significant drop in the day’s brocha tally. However, it is brought down that the Boruch Elokeinu, Boruch Adoneinu that we say in Ein Keiloheinu in mussaf count towards the one hundred blessings - as do the multiple brachos that we answer to the many aliyos l’Torah, the blessings made by those who bless the Torah in shul on Shabbos. It is customary to take occasional snacks on Shabbos, not only to fulfill the dictum “Koroso l’Shabbos oneg” - To call the Shabbos a delight, but also to add to the number of blessings we say during Shabbos. It is documented that the late Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, zt”l, zy”a, would eat some grapes before leaving the house on Shabbos afternoon to add two more blessings to his Shabbos total.
On Yom Kippur, we don’t have many of these options since we don’t eat. Therefore, it is not possible to reach the coveted goal of one hundred blessings. I remember fondly that I would bring besomim to my Rebbe, Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, zy”a, on Yom Kippur. He would ask me if the besomim were ‘guta.’ In other words, he wanted to know whether they were sweet smelling or smelling salts. When I told him that they were fragrant, he would make a blessing and inform me that, although it wasn’t possible to reach the coveted number of one hundred on Yom Kippur, it is still proper to try to get as close to one hundred as possible. This has significant bearing upon women who, since many don’t say the Shemone Esrei three times a day, and don’t don tefillin and tzitzis, are hard put to make the one hundred blessing goal. Still, they too should strive to make as many blessing daily as they can. They are, after all, busy with other blessings; their children, who are the very future of Klal Yisroel.
In the merit of our increasing awareness of Hashem, may He bless us with long life, good health, and everything wonderful. |
