Beraishis

The passuk states that the nachash got punished with the curse: “על גחונך תלך ועפר תאכל כל ימי חייך, on your stomach you shall move around, and dirt you shall eat all the days of your life.” Rav Schwab is bothered; it seems that now it is actually better off for the nachash than it was before. Now the snake will have food wherever it turns. How then is eating dirt a punishment?

Rav Schwab answers that in Shemoneh Esrei we recite the words, “מודים אנחנו לך שאתה הוא ה’ אלקינו, we thank You, that You are Hashem our G-d. This means that for merely recognizing that Hashem is our G-d we are indebted to praise and thank Him. If so, this too was the punishment for the nachash. Hashem arranged food for the snake to eat wherever he turns in order so that it should not recognize hashgachas Hashem at all. This would cause the snake to always be taken care of without having to turn to Hashem to request sustenance thereby severing any attachment to Him. Now the nachash won’t see the kindness of Hashem and thank Him, although it is something that is generally seen through Hashem’s giving.

Avi u’Mori pointed out that in Yitzchok’s beracha to Yaakov he blessed with the words, “ויתן לך אלקים, and G-d shall give you.” Rashi explains, “ויתן ויחזור ויתן, and He shall give, and He shall return and give again.” Hashem won’t give the good all at once but rather only a little bit at a time. In this way of giving it is recognizable from Whom the beracha comes. This helps a person become aware of Hashem, appreciate His kindness, and cause him to direct his thoughts upon Hashem to assist him since He alone is the source of all berachos.

Hashem provided Bnei Yisrael with the mahn every day throughout the Midbar, but not all at once. There is a mashal with a king who offered to provide his son with allowance for the entire year. The king realized though, that he had only seen his son that one time a year. So, when the son returned the following year to request for a renewal of allowance, instead, the king gave his son just a small amount per day. In this way his son would have to come back to him every day to request more. So too, in the Midbar, by creating the need to have to turn, request, and pray to Hashem the King, it was in order for us to come close to Him.

May we strive to build a closer connection to Hashem the Creator of the world, Who is the source for all the shefa!