Blessing Above This World

איתא במד' עקב מה שבני ישראל אוכלין בעוה"ז מברכתו של בלעם אבל שכרן בעקב ע"ש

It is brought in the Midrash on the verse 'Eikev' (as a reward): That which Bnei Yisrael eat in this world comes from the blessing of Bilam, but their true reward is in the 'eikev' (the ultimate end) — see there.

The Midrash teaches that the worldly food Bnei Yisrael enjoy stems from Bilam's blessing, but their genuine, lasting reward lies in the ultimate future hinted at by the word 'eikev.'

דבאמת בנ"י הם למעלה מהברכה של עוה"ז כמו השבת דלא אשתכח בי' מנא משום דכל ברכאין בשביעאה תליא כדאיתא בזוה"ק יתרו

For in truth Bnei Yisrael are above the blessing of this world, just like Shabbos, in which no mahn (manna) was found, because all blessings are dependent upon the seventh day, as it is brought in the Zohar HaKadosh on Parshas Yisro.

Bnei Yisrael intrinsically transcend material blessing, mirroring Shabbos, on which no mahn fell because Shabbos is the source from which all blessing flows.

כמו כן בנ"י כל הברכות באין על ידיהם כמ"ש והי' ברכה שהוא עצם הברכה

So too with Bnei Yisrael, all the blessings come about through them, as it is written, 'and you shall be a blessing' (Bereishis 12:2) — meaning that they are the very essence of the blessing itself.

Just as the verse calls Avraham 'a blessing,' Bnei Yisrael are not merely recipients but the very essence and conduit of all blessing in the world.

וז"ש כי ברוך הוא

And this is the meaning of the verse, 'for he is blessed' (referring to one who blesses Avraham).

The verse 'for he is blessed' underscores that the source of blessing rests with Avraham and his descendants.

ולכן באמת חסר לבנ"י זו הברכה של עוה"ז

Therefore, in truth, Bnei Yisrael lack this blessing of this world.

Precisely because they are the root of blessing and stand above it, Bnei Yisrael themselves lack the ordinary worldly portion.

אך מוכן הי' להיות האומות מבינים מזון לבנ"י וכמו חול מכין לשבת כן האומות מכינים לבנ"י ואז הי' גם להם חלק בברכה הגנוזה

But it was meant to be that the nations of the world would prepare sustenance for Bnei Yisrael — and just as the weekday prepares for Shabbos, so too the nations would prepare for Bnei Yisrael, and then they too would have a share in the hidden blessing.

The ideal arrangement was for the nations to prepare physical sustenance for Bnei Yisrael — like a weekday preparing for Shabbos — which would have granted the nations a share in the hidden blessing.

אבל מאחר שאין האומות מבינים זאת ואין מבטלין עצמם לבנ"י צריכין ליקח מהם ברכת עוה"ז שלא בטובתן

But since the nations do not understand this, and do not subordinate themselves to Bnei Yisrael, Bnei Yisrael must take from them the blessing of this world against the nations' will.

Because the nations refuse to recognize this and will not subordinate themselves, Bnei Yisrael are forced to extract their worldly blessing from the nations unwillingly.

ולכן נהפך פיו של בלעם לברך את ישראל

Therefore the mouth of Bilam was turned around to bless Yisrael.

This is why Bilam's intended curse was transformed into a blessing for Yisrael.

וכמו כן מצינו ביצחק שרצה לברך את עשו הי' הכוונה על זו הברכה שבעוה"ז ולהיות הוא מכין פרנסה ליעקב

And likewise we find with Yitzchak, who wished to bless Eisav — his intent was upon this very blessing of this world, that Eisav should be the one to prepare a livelihood for Yaakov.

Yitzchak's plan to bless Eisav was aimed at this worldly blessing, intending Eisav to serve as the provider of physical livelihood for Yaakov.

ומאחר שגלוי לפני המקום כי עשו שונא ליעקב ניטלו הברכות ממנו ליעקב

But since it was revealed before the Omnipresent that Eisav hates Yaakov, the blessings were taken from him and given to Yaakov.

Once Hashem revealed that Eisav hated Yaakov and would not faithfully serve as provider, the blessings were transferred directly to Yaakov.

ועיקר ברכתן של בנ"י בעוה"ב והוא בחי' שבת דאיתא כנס"י יהי' בן זוגך שהם כלים לקבל שורש הברכות

And the essential blessing of Bnei Yisrael is in the World to Come, which is the aspect of Shabbos, as it is brought: 'Knesses Yisrael shall be your partner' — for they are the vessels to receive the root of all the blessings.

The core blessing of Bnei Yisrael belongs to Olam Haba and the dimension of Shabbos, where Knesses Yisrael is the vessel receiving blessing at its very root.

וזה בחי' מרע"ה שהוריד התורה ולחם מן השמים שכן המן הי' בבחי' זו

And this is the aspect of Moshe Rabbeinu, who brought down the Torah and bread from Heaven, for the mahn (manna) was in this very aspect.

Moshe Rabbeinu embodies this, having brought down both Torah and the heavenly bread of the mahn, both drawn from this elevated source.

אבל בבלעם כתיב פתורה אשר על הנהר הוא לחם הגשמיי כמו עורכין לגד שולחן שהוא הבא דרך המזלות

But regarding Bilam it is written, 'Pesora (Pesor) which is by the river' — this refers to physical bread, like those who 'set a table for the constellation of fortune (Gad),' which comes by way of the mazalos (constellations).

Bilam, by contrast, is tied to 'Pesor by the river' — coarse physical bread channeled through the constellations, like idolaters who set a table to the fortune-god Gad.

וכתיב על הנהר כמו עומד על היאור הרשעים מתקיימים על אלהיהם

And it is written 'by the river,' like 'who stands over the Nile' — the wicked sustain themselves through their own gods.

The phrase 'by the river' evokes Pharaoh standing over the Nile, illustrating how the wicked draw their sustenance from their own false deities.

כמ"ש במד' שם

As it is written in the Midrash there.

This point is grounded in the Midrash cited there.

וכתיב מדרכיו ישבע סוג לב

And it is written, 'From his own ways shall the one of corrupt heart be sated' (Mishlei 14:14).

The verse from Mishlei describes the corrupt-hearted person who is sated only from his own crooked ways.

ומעליו איש טוב זה בחי' לחם מן השמים למעלה מן המזל כמ"ש אין מזל לישראל:

'And from above him, the good man' — this is the aspect of bread from Heaven, which is above the constellation of fortune, as it is written, 'There is no mazal for Yisrael.'

'The good man above him' represents the bread from Heaven that transcends mazal, in keeping with the teaching that 'There is no mazal for Yisrael.'

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that Bnei Yisrael stand above the ordinary blessing of this world, for they are the very essence and source of all blessing, much like Shabbos from which all blessing flows. Ideally the nations would prepare worldly sustenance for Bnei Yisrael as the weekday prepares for Shabbos, thereby sharing in the hidden blessing; but because they refuse to subordinate themselves, Bnei Yisrael must draw that blessing from them unwillingly, which is why Bilam's mouth and even Yitzchak's intended blessing of Eisav were redirected to Yisrael. The true and essential blessing of Bnei Yisrael, however, belongs to Olam Haba and the aspect of Shabbos, embodied by Moshe Rabbeinu who drew down Torah and the heavenly mahn. This stands in sharp contrast to Bilam, whose 'table by the river' represents coarse physical bread channeled through the mazalos, the way the wicked sustain themselves from their own gods. The bread from Heaven transcends all such constellations, fulfilling the principle that 'There is no mazal for Yisrael.'