Bareich Aleinu

Bareich Aleinu: Abundance

Written by: Machberes Avodas Hashem

The Ropshitzer was told that his master, the Rimanover, blessed a man, and that the man was becoming richer every day. He inquired why this man deserved to receive a blessing of such magnitude. The Rimanover replied, "I merely blessed him that he might enjoy a comfortable living. But the man gives away so much to charity that his fortune must be increased abundantly by Heaven, so that he may have sufficient for his personal comforts." (Ohel Naftali, page 35)

"Bless this year for us, God, our Lord, and all its types of produce for good. Grant blessing on the face of the earth, and from its goodness satisfy us, blessing our year as the best of years." I often wonder how we can recite this prayer on Tisha B’Av, when Jerusalem was destroyed, we were sent into exile, and we had lost everything. Perhaps if we can say that we use the little we have to give to others, which is something that we have witnessed during this pandemic; people did as much chesed that they could despite the difficulty involved, we have the right to ask for abundant blessing even during the most devastating period of the Jewish calendar.