The Blessings
Our Sages established1 that during the chuppah (as well as during the Seven Days of Feasting) the bride and groom are blessed with Birchas Chassanim (the “Groom’s Blessings”). These are the Sheva Berachos enumerated below.
Bride and groom are blessed that they build their new lives together in tranquility and joy, peace and harmony, and that their “love and friendship” be absolute on all levels: both with regard to the physical level, the body, as well as with regard to the spiritual level, the soul. For as explained above, not only is physical intimacy established at the time of the wedding, but spiritual intimacy as well.
The Blessing — More Sublime Than the Mitzvah Itself
Kabbalah and Chassidus2 explain the special quality of these blessings.3 They are not mere good wishes but act as significant and momentous empowerment to bride and groom.
In certain aspects, the blessings offered bride and groom are even more powerful and substantial than the chuppah itself!
This is true with regard to all mitzvos: the spiritual consequences and effects accomplished by the blessings of the mitzvos are loftier and more potent than the spiritual effects of the performance of the mitzvos themselves.
To quote the Rebbe Rashab:
“Although the blessings over mitzvos are of Rabbinic origin, they are much loftier than the mitzvos themselves. This is to say, it is the blessings recited prior to the performance of the mitzvos that most effectively accomplishes the unification of HaKadosh Baruch Hu ... and His Shechinah, which is achieved through the performance of the mitzvos. The Divine force vested in the blessing over a mitzvah draws down a supremely lofty spiritual illumination, emanating from the Essence of the Or Ein Sof above.”
The same applies to the marriage blessings: “The marriage blessings draw down the veritable level of the Essence of the Ein Sof and bless groom and bride ... that they bear a son and daughter....”
How Can the Blessings Be More Significant Than the Mitzvos?
Understandably, the above is most peculiar and very much in need of an explanation:
How is it possible that a blessing is more formidable than the mitzvah itself? After all, the blessing contains neither deed nor action; it merely involves words that are uttered as a preparation and introduction to the performance of a mitzvah.
The question becomes even stronger when we consider the origin of blessings:
Blessings over mitzvos are not of Torah origin, they are merely of Rabbinic origin.4 The mitzvos themselves, however, are of Torah origin. How can something established by the Rabbis accomplish something greater than that which is of Torah origin?
Moreover, the above does not accord with the halachic importance of blessings:
“Failure to recite the blessings does not invalidate the performance of the mitzvos.”5 In other words, if someone performed the mitzvah properly but failed to precede it with its proper blessing, he has fulfilled his obligation to perform the mitzvah. What is most important is fulfilling the mitzvah, not reciting its blessing.
Now, since the blessing has even greater spiritual potency than the mitzvah itself, why doesn’t the blessing become an actual part of the mitzvah? How can one fulfill the obligation of the mitzvah without first reciting its proper blessing?
This peculiarity exists in general with regard to the relationship between the words of our Sages and the words of the Torah:
The Gemara states:6 “[G‑d says,] the words of the Sages are sweeter to Me than the words of the Torah.” In other words, the decrees and enactments of the Sages are even sweeter and more beloved to G‑d than His own words in the Torah.
This too needs to be understood. How is this possible?
The Proper Position Regarding The Words of the Sages
We must, however, first clarify the general position regarding the words of the Sages:7
Our Sages state:8 “All that a talmid chocham rules ... was already given to Moshe at Sinai.” This is to say that the words of the Sages are not novel ideas contrived on their own. Rather, they are laws established by G‑d, the Giver of the Torah. Our Sages merely revealed these laws and made them known to the Jewish people.
It is true that some of the words of the Sages weren’t handed down in the form of a tradition (mesorah) dating back to Moshe’s receiving them from G‑d at Sinai. Rather they are matters that they themselves understood through their intellect. Nevertheless, in their supernal source, their words are “words of the Living G‑d”;9 “His wisdom and will.”10 It is only that “His wisdom and will” vested itself in the minds and intellects of the Sages.
Stated slightly differently:
Part of the Torah was given directly by G‑d, either at the time of Matan Torah, or later on, through the prophets, who served as the vehicle to convey and transmit G‑d’s words, as the verse states: “He revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets.”11
Another portion of G‑d’s Torah was transmitted via the Sages. According to the rules and principles of Torah study12 and according to the precise nature of their intellect that was granted to them by G‑d, they understood the Torah’s wisdom. Even their subconscious was, as it were, guided from Above, directing them to formulate their words into concepts that are in reality G‑d’s wisdom and will.
The Magnificence of the Words of the Sages
As impossible and counterintuitive as it may seem, the Divine source of the directives of the Sages are in truth of a higher Divine origin than the words that the prophets received directly from G‑d.13
This is expressed to an even greater extent with regard to holidays and festivals. The holidays that were established by the Sages — e.g., Purim — possess greater perseverance than other Torah festivals. Thus our Sages have stated:14 “In the Time to Come (in the days of Mashiach), all festivals will be annulled, while Purim (and Yom Kippur) will never be annulled.”
The reason for this is as follows:
The most profound and meaningful feature of a holiday is the attribute and aspect of Divine revelation. In the Time to Come, G‑dliness will be revealed constantly, as the verse states, “G‑d’s glory shall be revealed.”15 Kabbalah and Chassidus explain16 that this level of Divine revelation will be of an extremely lofty degree. As such, “all festivals will be annulled”; i.e., the festivals will pale in comparison to the constant and unending superior revelation of G‑dliness that will then be the norm.
The degree of G‑dliness manifest in the festivals established by the Sages, however, will be so potent and lofty that they will endure even during the spiritually superior era of the Time to Come. They are a most singular and unique form of Divine revelation,17 for the source of the words of the Sages derives from an incredibly lofty spiritual level.
The Magnificence of the Sheva Berachos
The same is true with regard to the Sheva Berachos that are recited at a wedding.
At the time of a wedding, the most exalted soul levels of bride and groom are united and the loftiest spiritual powers (i.e., the power of creating a new being, a power that derives from the Infinite Creator) are then revealed to husband and wife as explained earlier.
The Sheva Berachos are recited to enable the manifestation of these lofty spiritual levels, as the Sheva Berachos emanate from a truly exalted spiritual state as well.18
Obligatory and Discretionary
The above does not contradict the law that the mitzvah is fulfilled even when one fails to make these blessings:
Chassidus explains that the “discretionary commandments” are even loftier than the obligatory commandments. This is precisely why they are optional: Since their source is so spiritually high, man’s actions cannot compel the Divine emanations that result from their performance to filter down into this world. They are therefore termed reshus, the Hebrew word for “discretionary,” for these lofty emanations possess the discretion not to reveal themselves within the world.
By contrast, man’s actions and spiritual service can more readily stimulate the manifestation of the Divine illumination that results from the obligatory commandments, whose Divine source is lower (wherein the person obligates the Divine illumination to manifest itself within the world). This is explained at greater length in Volume II, in the section entitled “Be Fruitful and Multiply.”
The same is true with regard to blessings:
The reason one can fulfill certain mitzvos without first reciting a blessing is not because of the diminutive spiritual state of these mitzvos, but on the contrary, because of their extreme loftiness.
* * *
Having explained the wondrous quality of blessings in general, we shall now go on to explain each of the Sheva Berachos. We will then understand how each blessing serves to enhance the lofty spiritual emanations that are granted bride and groom.