Pikudei: Moshe’s Blessing II

“Moses saw the entire work, and behold! They had done it as God had commanded, so had they done! And Moses blessed them.” The Talmud (Menachot 65a) describes Moshe as an, “Ohev Yisrael,” one who passionately loved the people of Israel. How interesting then to find that he so rarely blesses them! There was something in this moment that led him to bless them:

“They had done it as God had commanded, so had they done!” Moshe blessed them only when he saw that they acted as, “God had commanded.”

Blessings are only effective when they begin with an acknowledgement of the potential of the person being blessed. The blessing expands the Divine Influence and Blessing that the person is already receiving. When Moshe saw how powerfully connected the people were at that moment to God, he took advantage of the moment to bless them with an Eternal connection of such pulsating power.