The Breslov Center

The Power of Everyday Mitzvot

By Rabbi Ephraim Kenig, shlita

Translated and adapted from a talk given to Breslover women in Tzefat, Israel

In the Book of Numbers, Bilaam blesses the Jewish people when he sees that he has no other choice. Beforehand, he describes the uniqueness of the Jewish people in the following way: "Behold, a people that gets up like a lioness, and lifts itself up like a lion. He does not lay down until he eats the prey and drinks the blood of the slain" (Numbers 23:24). Rashi explains this verse to mean that the Jewish people say the words of Shema ("Hear, O Israel, HaShem our God, HaShem is One") when they get up in the morning, and again when they go to sleep. Through this, they overcome their enemies: the forces of evil, both without and within.

The idea of the Shema - our testimony to God's Oneness - is known even among the nations of the world. And if we fulfill the mitzvah of reciting the Shema morning and night, ultimately even our enemies will bless us for doing so.

The Ari zal states that by reciting the Bedtime Shema before we go to sleep, we have the power to nullify and kill "1125 destroyers," or harmful spiritual forces. Everyone wants to be protected from any sort of mishap, and our holy books clearly tell us how to prevent such things. However, because of our ingrained "commonsense" way of thinking, sometimes we become our own worst enemy. We worry about what practical measures to take in order to be protected from accidents, while overlooking the mitzvot that are vital to our well being.

The education we provide our children must stress the importance of the Bedtime Shema. To recite the entire Shema takes only a few minutes, but we must view this practice seriously, recognizing its power and strength. The Bedtime Shema not only guards us, but it protects the entire world. The Ari zal wants to strengthen our appreciation of what we are doing when we recite the Shema. Imagine what it would mean for the level of good in the world, if every Jew would eliminate 1125 destructive spiritual forces each night through saying the Bedtime Shema!

Rebbe Nachman elaborates on an additional point about the Shema. When a person says the first two verses: "Shema Yisrael…" and "Baruch Shem…" he separates his soul from any admixture of unholiness. In their source, the souls of the Jewish people are "carved out from beneath the Heavenly Throne." There, they enjoy indescribable delight. Thus, it is no simple matter for the soul to agree to descend into this world and become entangled in impurity.

Since our souls were taken from the loftiest heights, the root of pure goodness, no evil is intrinsic to the Jewish people. Every day we say the blessings that give thanks to God for this. It might appear that we should do so only at the age of bar or bas mitzvah, when a child reaches the point of taking personal responsibility for performing the mitzvot. However, in practice, we need to say the same blessings every time we wake up in the morning.

There is another important protective practice, that of netilat yadayim: washing our hands in the morning. Every parent is obligated to supervise his or her children regarding this. From the first moment we open our eyes, before we rub our eyes or nose or mouth, before we do anything, we need to rinse our hands three times alternately with a washing cup.

The Gemara says that when a person sleeps, an impure spirit is drawn over him. Upon awakening, it departs from his body until the fingertips. It is removed from the fingers only through washing the hands according to halacha. This means pouring water on the right hand first, then the left, again the right and back to the left. As each hand is washed, the impure force "jumps" back and forth, until after the third time, it disappears completely. Only in this way can we remove the impure influence. Even for those of us who consider this a simple routine learned in childhood, we must remind ourselves about the power of this practice.

It is written that the destructive forces that cause harm during the course of each day gain their strength only because people get dressed before washing their hands. Again, it is important to realize that through a simple practice like washing the hands in morning, we are actually being saved from harm. It seems inconsequential to some of us only because we have become accustomed to routine.

We must know that in these times, there is a need to arouse ourselves to think about the meaning of what we are doing. We have become used to a certain superficial view of everyday life. It is said that the biggest cruelty in the world is mindless routine. Thank God, we are accustomed to good habits; but sometimes we lose out because of habituation, when we fail to grasp the depth of what we are doing.

It is good to open a holy book from time to time and refresh our knowledge of the laws of everyday life. After all, we have been entrusted with bringing up the next generation. With knowledge and attentiveness to the Torah and mitzvot, we may instill in our children greater strength of character, and a greater desire to fill the directive to "know God in all your ways."