Why Do We Bless the Creator?
It is written in The Zohar (Ki Tissa, Item 2): “Come and see: It was established that there is no blessing above on that which is counted. And if you say, ‘How were Israel counted?’ He took from them ransom for their souls, and they established that they did not calculate until all the ransom was collected and reached the number. It follows that in the beginning, Israel are blessed when receiving the ransom. Afterward, they count the ransom and bless Israel once more. It turns out that Israel were blessed in the beginning and in the end, and there was no plague in them. He asks, ‘Why does a plague appear because of the count?’ He answers, ‘It is because there is no blessing in that which is counted. And since the blessing has departed, the Sitra Achra [other side] is on it and can do harm.’” (Rabash, “What Is, ‘There Is No Blessing in That Which Is Counted,’ in the Work?“).
Question: What does the author call a blessing at the beginning and at the end, and how does this relate to the structure of the prayer?
Answer: We bless the Creator for gradually revealing all our mistakes and shortcomings and then thank Him for correcting these mistakes. That is how we go through all our desires and all the corrections.
We thank the Creator for the shortcomings He initially created in us and for the steps we take to correct these shortcomings. And so we move forward.
When we bless the Creator, we raise Him above ourselves more and more and thus can call upon ourselves even greater light.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/29/23, Writings of Rabash “What Is, ‘There Is No Blessing in That Which Is Counted,’ in the Work?“
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