We all know the shehecheyanu blessing. We say it at every happy occasion.
What most people don't know is that this blessing can even be made when one meets a
good friend that you haven't seen for 30 days. As long as you are very excited to
see him, the blessing can be recited, because the main purpose for the
Shehecheyanu blessing is when one feels a real heartfelt joy.
The interesting thing about the shehecheyanu is that at the happiest moments in
our personal lives we actually don't say the blessing. At a bris, when a Jewish child
merits to be entered into the eternal covenant with G-d, we don't say it because
the child is hurt in the process. Since the baby is in pain and crying, our joy is not
complete and therefore we can not say the blessing.
At a Bar mitzvah, when a Jewish boy finally gets to put on Tefillin, a true Jewish
milestone, we don't say it because along with the great joy comes a great
responsibility of keeping all the Mitzvos. So the day is more about assuming
responsibilities as a Jewish adult, than just rejoicing and getting gifts.
Even at a Jewish wedding - the happiest moment in the young couple's lives, we
don't say it because along with the ecstasy of joining with one's soul mate in
marriage, comes the responsibility of supporting a family!
Yet we do recite shehecheyanu upon the arrival of every holiday. The women say
it at candle lighting and the men say at Kiddush. Even on Yom Kippur, when there
is no Kiddush, the men recite the shehecheyanu all together right after Kol Nidre.
About a hundred years ago two little girls played in the home of their grandfather
the Rebbe Rashab, the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe. One little girl, Chaya Mushka, asked
her older sister, "What are the last days of Pesach?" Her sister answered that they
were a holiday like all others but little Chaya Mushka did not agree. "That can't be,
because we don't say the shehecheyanu on the last days of Pesach."
The Rebbe, sitting in the adjacent room heard the little girls' conversation and it
reminded him of a similar event from his own childhood. At the holiday meal the
Rebbe related to his family that when he was young someone raised this same
question. Unable to reach a satisfactory answer, they brought the question before
their grandfather the Tzemach Tzedek. The third Lubavitcher Rebbe explained to
his grandchildren that the last days of Pesach are a continuation of the first days.
The first days of Pesach are a celebration of the Exodus from Egypt, our very first
redemption at the hands of Moses. The last days of Pesach are a celebration of our
final redemption that will come speedily at the hands of Moshiach. In order to say
Shehecheyanu, one must actually feel the joy of the moment and since the final
redemption has yet to materialize we cannot recite the shehecheyanu over it.
People never live "in the moment" as they say. No matter what, we are always
busy remembering what happened or worrying about what is going to happen. At
work we dream about vacation. On vacation we worry about how much work is
piling up back at the office! Enter the shehecheyanu. "Bless You G-d… for bringing
me to this moment!" This blessing teaches us to cherish the moment without
worrying about the past or grabbing at the future.
Monday night by the end of maariv a full dressed breslover unloaded a full suitcase of nachman bumper stickers (at least 4/5 styles & sizes) and books and a couple cd's and setup a store like setup in the corner of the bais medrash and was trying to sell these items.
