Page 7 - Mizrachi-RZC Sefer Berachot 5781

Three-part Harmony
Rabbi Dr. Jerold Isenberg
Executive Director, Mizrachi - Religious Zionists of Chicago

In the inspiring piyut ףֶקֹתּ הֶנּ ַתְנוּ, the process of removing any bad
decree, chas v’shalom, for the coming year is condensed into a
ה
ר
three-part formula: זְגַּה ַﬠוֹר ת ֶא ןי ִרי ִבֲﬠַמ הָקָד ְצוּ הָלּ ִפ ְתוּ הָבוּשׁ ְתוּ
ָ
ֵ
Repentance, Prayer, and Charity remove the malevolence of the
decree.
In machzorim, above each of these words is a corresponding term:
above הָבוּשׁ ְתּ is םוֹצ - fasting; above הָלּ ִפ תּ is - לוֹק voice; and above
ְ
הָקָד ְצ is ןוֹמָמ - money. Intriguingly, each of these three expressions,
לוֹק ןוֹמָמ םוֹצ, have a gematria of 136. Combining the three values,
one arrives at 408, the gematria of the word תאז.
ֹ
The Vilna Gaon highlights this word in the pasuk in Vayikra (16:3)
שֶׁדֹקַּה ל ֶא ןֹרֲה ַא אֹבָי תאֹז ְבּ explaining: if Klal Yisrael will fulfill these
(תאז) three things (הָקָד ְצ הָלּ ִפ ְתּ ה בוּשׁ ְתּ) properly (יֵﬠָב ְדִכּ) then when the
ֹ
ָ
Kohen Gadol enters the Holy Sanctuary, he is accompanied by
ֹ
“these” (תאז) and the atonement of the sins of the Nation of Israel
prevails.
ֹ
Now if the lesson revolves around 408, תאז, what is the significance
of each of these terms having the exact same gematria, 136?
I would suggest two thoughts.
It is all too easy to say, I cannot find time to daven appropriately, or
expend the effort to do a real teshuva, so I’ll just write a check to
charity. Or, I do not need to be dropping coins in a pushka, since I
have so much kavana during davening, or am so intently
concentrating on reading mussar. The lesson of 136 is that each
must be considered of equal value. Our focus must be on a constant
tripartite harmonious approach to self-improvement.
A second lesson, I believe is in the focus we have while fulfilling
these three very special and powerful mitzvot. Intending only half-
heartedly to overcoming our bad traits; davening hastily, verbalizing
words without feeling; giving charity begrudgingly, involuntarily or
with a measure of scorn are all ineffective as evil decree busters.
Rather, each of these acts need be done properly (יֵﬠָב ְד ִכּ) with
consciously-focused resolve and harmonious graciousness. Or, if
you will, genuinely from the brain and the heart, בֵלַּהְו ַחֹמַּהֵמ, a
Hebrew phrase whose gematria is also 136.
May all our tefillot be accepted and may Klal Yisrael merit a year of
health, happiness and prosperity, sharing together הָבוֹרְקַה הָלֻּאְג ִבּ םַגְו
(gematria = 408).