Tehillim 119 – Akedat Yitzchak and Bracha Levatala

Tehillim 119 – Akedat Yitzchak and Bracha Levatala

Tehillim 119:12 ברוך אתה ה׳ למדנ׳ חקיך - “Baruch Atah Ad-nai lamdeni chukecha” - (Blessed are You, G-d, teach me Your statutes). In Judaism, there is a strict prohibition against using the Name of the Almighty in vain. This prohibition is called לבטלה – “levatala”. Similarly, it is forbidden to recite a blessing when there is no need for it—ברכה לבטלה – bracha levatala (a blessing recited in vain). An example of a bracha levatala: a person forgets which bracha to recite but has already begun reciting it with the Creator’s Name. Or, in another case, a person recites a bracha, forgets that he has done so because he became distracted, and begins reciting it again. One who has recited a bracha levatala must immediately say: ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד - “Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto le-Olam Va'ed” - (Blessed is the Name of the glory of His Kingdom forever and ever). But Chazal advise another way to rectify a “bracha levatala.” In Tehillim 119:12, we find the following verse: “Baruch Atah Ad-nai lamdeni chukecha” - (Blessed are You, G-d, teach me Your statutes). Thus, one who has begun reciting a bracha with Hashem’s Name—“Baruch Atah Hashem…”—and remembers that it is not necessary may confidently conclude with the words: “lamdeni chukecha” – (teach me Your statutes). In this way, by reciting the complete phrase from Tehillim, the person does not utter G-d’s Name in vain.  

Where the Torah Hints at Bracha Levatala

The events of Abraham’s life foreshadowed what the Jewish people would one day experience: “The deeds of the fathers are a sign for the children.” (Tractate Sotah, 34) The Akedah—the “binding” of Isaac, the tenth and final test of Abraham, parallels the final test that would befall the Jewish people. The key to understanding the Akedah is contained in the following verses: “And Abraham built an altar there, arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar, on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son Isaac. But the angel of Hashem called to him from heaven and said: ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ And he (Abraham) said: ‘Here I am.’ And he (the angel) said: ‘Do not raise your hand against the lad and do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear Hashem…’ (Bereishit 22:9–12) A question arises: why does the angel repeat himself twice: “Do not raise your hand against the lad…” and “…do not do anything to him”? The Sages explain that after the angel first commanded Abraham to stop, Abraham pleaded: “Allow me, at least, to make a small incision or mark on Isaac’s body, so that my coming here will not have been in vain.” To this the angel replied: “…do not do anything to him.” The angel’s additional phrase was a response to Abraham’s request to be allowed to shed at least a drop of blood. Only after this second, clarifying statement did the angel declare: “Now I know that you truly fear Hashem.” Rabbi Yechiel Tauber, head of the “Mechon HaOr” kollel, explains it as follows: “Before offering a sacrifice, the person who is about to slaughter the sacrificial animal must recite a blessing. Clearly, Abraham did the same before offering his son as a sacrifice. Therefore, when the Torah says that ‘he stretched out his hand to slaughter his son,’ it follows that he had already recited the blessing. Suddenly, the angel says to Abraham: ‘Stop! Do not raise your hand against the lad…’ What was Abraham’s first reaction? ‘Have I recited a bracha levatala—a blessing in vain?!’ According to Jewish law, if a person has already recited a blessing preceding a particular action, that action must be carried out. Otherwise, it becomes a bracha levatala—a blessing recited in vain—for which severe punishment is prescribed. Abraham was wholly committed to fulfilling Hashem’s will, but when the angel restrained him after he had recited the blessing, he did not know what to do. That is why Abraham asked the angel for permission to shed at least a little blood. Abraham wanted to perform the sacrificial act symbolically and thereby complete the action for which the blessing had already been recited. However, the angel instructed him to refrain even from symbolic bloodshed. “Do not do anything to him” (that is, do not attempt to shed even a small amount of blood). Then the angel declared: “Now I know that you fear Hashem…”—as if to say: “Instead of rejoicing that your son’s life has been saved, your first thought is about fulfilling Hashem’s word. If you are so deeply concerned with carrying out His will, grieved over a blessing recited in vain, and ready to offer your son as a sacrifice, then you have proven that you fear Hashem.” Why, then, did the angel not allow Abraham to make even the tiniest mark? Why did he compel Abraham to commit a bracha levatala? Was it truly a blessing recited entirely in vain? In truth, it was not in vain at all. Every thought, every preparation, every word of prayer and blessing that came from his holy lips was transferred to his descendants, who would not have the opportunity to do these things themselves. The Jews who were murdered by the Nazis, Europeans, Crusaders, Christians, Romans, and other hordes of “inhuman humans” did not die meaningless deaths. It makes no difference whether they were learned or unlearned, innocent or guilty. Because they were killed for being Jewish, their deaths made them holy. Thus, when Hashem commanded Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice, Abraham did indeed fulfill the command—but a shift in time took place. Abraham completed all the preparations with proper intentions. But the sacrifice was not Isaac; it was his future descendants, upon whom what had been destined for him would fall. They became the successors to Abraham’s preparations. His blessing was by no means in vain. The murder of Jews throughout the generations is connected with the Akedah—with the purity and holiness displayed by Abraham when he bound Isaac.   Segulot and the Secret Meaning of the Prayer of Akedat Yitzchak Segulot and the Hidden Meaning of the Prayer “Akedat Yitzchak” A Special Segula with the Prayer of the Ben Ish Chai in Aramaic The "Akedat Yitzchak" with the Ben Ish Chai's Prayer in Aramaic     (Based on material from istok.ru and an article by Rabbi Ezriel Tauber)