TheWholeTorah.aiBeta

Maaser Sheini Chapter 5, Mishnah 13: The Words of Hashkifa

Chavrusa Learning

Maseches Maaser Sheni, Chapter 5, Mishnah 13. Continuing the text of the confession of the tithes that a person recites at the time of the biur, the Mishnah goes on with the words of the verse that the person says: "Hashkifah mimeon kodshecha min hashamayim" - Look down from Your place, from Your holy dwelling, from the heavens.

"Asinu mah shegazarta aleinu, af Atah aseh mah shehivtachtanu":

The Mishnah explains these words: a person says before Hashem - we have done what You commanded us and decreed upon us regarding Terumah and the tithes, and now You too do what You promised us. And what is that promise? It is the continuation of the verse, which contains three requests whose meaning the Mishnah spells out.

The three blessings in the continuation of the verse:

  • "U'varech es amcha Yisrael" - to what does this blessing refer specifically? "Bevanim uvevanos" - the blessing of being fruitful and multiplying, that Hashem should grant us this blessing.

  • "V'es ha'adamah shenasata lanu" - that He should bless it as well: "Betal uvematar uvevaldos behemah," that the animals too should be fruitful and multiply.

  • "Ka'asher nishbata la'avoseinu eretz zavas chalav udvash" - just as You swore to our forefathers that the land You are about to give us is a land flowing with milk and honey. And to what do these words point? "Liten taam bapeiros" - that a special, good taste should be given to the fruits of our land, Eretz Yisrael.

These are the blessings that we request on the basis of what we have done.

In summary: in this Mishnah we learned the verse of "Hashkifah" that concludes the confession of the tithes: after a person declares that he has fulfilled everything that was decreed upon him in matters of Terumah and the tithes, he asks Hashem to fulfill His promise - the blessing of sons and daughters among the Jewish people, the blessing of dew and rain and the offspring of animals for the land, and a special taste in the fruits of Eretz Yisrael, a land flowing with milk and honey.