Michtav Sofer: 100 Blessings
The 17th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shimon (ben Moshe) Sofer, Rav and Av Beis Din of Cracow (1821-1883). Born in Pressburg, the second son of the Chasam Sofer. Author of Michtav Sofer.
It was taught: R. Meir used to say, A man is bound to say one hundred blessings daily, as it is written, And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee? Deuteronomy 10:12, The word “Mah” ‘what’ is interpreted as though it were “Meiah ‘a hundred.’ (Menachot 43b)
It is inevitable that a person, overwhelmed by the countless kindnesses he constantly receives from God will ask, “What are 613 Mitzvot compared to the infinite blessings I receive from God? I can’t even perform all 613, because many no longer apply, and many only apply at certain times.”
Rabbi Meir is teaching us that the only proper response to our question of “What”: “What can we do,” is to live a life in which we are constantly reciting blessings to acknowledge God’s kindnesses.
We should recite each blessing with extra intention beyond the specific blessing that it is part of a process of constant thanking for God’s infinite blessings to us.