Everything Is Already Set In Stone

“All these blessings will come after you and catch up to you, if you listen to Hashem”

 Rabbenu the Hida, ’a’h, asks why the word הִשִּׂיגֻךָ (catch you) was used. He states that there is no such thing as a person in the world, righteous or evil, who has every blessing there is. If he is blessed in one area, he is lacking in something else. For example, if he has wealth, he may not have children. If he has children, he might be following the wrong path. Or perhaps he will have certain Yissurim (punishments), Heaven forbid.

This parable tells us that we will be surrounded by blessings, in every area. And not only that, but they will chase after us, as it says in the very next verse:

 בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה בָּעִיר וּבָרוּךְ אַתָּה בַּשָּׂדֶֽה:

In our homes and in our fields, we will be surrounded by blessings, without having to work hard for it. This is on condition that we listen to the word of G-d and do the right thing:

כִּי תִשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל ה’:

In ‘Od Yosef Hai, Hakham Yosef Hayyim, ’a”h, says along the same lines that, וּבָאוּ עָלֶיךָmeans that these blessings come by themselves, even if you don’t chase after them. If so, what is the meaning of וְהִשִּׂיגֻךָ?

There is a story about a simple man who was very honest, not wealthy but not poor, in other words, average in all respects. His wife heard that that day there was a particularly big catch by the fisherman of the town and that a lot of fish were brought to the market. In fact, the type of fish they caught was of a more expensive type, but because of the quantity they caught, the prices were substantially lower than usual.

She pressed him to go to the market to buy a fish. He resisted, because he didn’t want to go, partly out of laziness and partly for other reasons. After continuously begging him, he felt obligated to go.

He went to one of the fish sellers, who had only the high quality fish, except for one large fish, of very poor taste and looks, that somehow got caught in the net with the other fish. The fish seller had been trying all day to unload this fish, even offering it at half its value, all to no avail. Nobody was willing to buy that fish. After all, why should they buy this unfortunate fish when his store is full of a most tasty variety?

When this man came to buy fish, the store owner realized that he was a somewhat simple individual and felt that he might be able to tempt him to buy that fish. He told him, “Buy this big fish and I will sell it to you at half its value”. He refused, because he was worried that his wife would be upset with him, because she specified that she wanted the better type of fish. The store owner did not give up and after much persuasion, the man finally agreed to buy the fish for a quarter of the price.

When he returned home with the fish, he was scared to give it to his wife, because he knew that she would fight with him and force him to return it and bring the better fish instead. So he decided to remove the skin off the fish and cut it up into small pieces so that his wife would, hopefully, not realize what fish it was. And even if she did realize, she would not force him to return it since he had already chopped it up.

But lone and behold, no sooner had he made the first slice, then he found a precious stone inside the fish. He immediately took it to a wealthy merchant in the city to sell it to him. When the wealthy individual saw it he was shocked. “How did you get such a precious stone?” he asked him. The man told him the whole story exactly as it happened. This prompted the rich man to tell him his story of how he became rich, which we will save for another time.

But what was apparent from both these stories is that “אין אדם נוגע במוכן לחברו” (No man may “touch” that which is prepared for another — Yoma 38). Why does it say “touch” and not “take”? Hakham Yoseph Hayyim, ‘a”h, answers that we see from this story that all the customer in the fish shop were so disgusted by the fish that they didn’t even want to touch it. From this we see that all the blessings and wealth that is prepared for a person from Heaven, not only does it come easily and without any effort, but also, even if a person runs away from this blessing, it will chase him and catch him, even against his will.

That’s why it says: “וּבָאוּ עָלֶיךָ” (will come after you), to tell us that they come by themselves without you making any effort. Not only that, but even if you push them away with both your hands, they will catch you, (וְהִשִּׂיגֻךָ), even against your will.

Why will you merit such amazing success? כִּי תִשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל ה’. You listened to the word of G-d for the reason that this is what He commanded, and not in order to get reward in this world or the next.

By Rabbi Ya’aqob Menashe

---

Rabbi Ya’aqob Menashe is a renowned author and lecturer, whose Shiurim continue to inspire thousands around the world. Many can be seen at www.NonstopTorah.com. His daily Torah Minutes are eagerly anticipated by thousands every morning. They can be seen at www.ATorahMinute.com . Rabbi Menashe is the spiritual leader of Midrash BEN ISH HAI. More information is available at the Midrash website, www. Midrash.org.