Every Person Is Sacred
The tradition prescribes all manner of blessings. There are the familiar blessings for food. Before we drink wine, we say, “Blessed are You Adonai our God Ruler of the universe creator of the fruit of the vine.” Before we eat an apple, “creator of the fruit of the tree.” And before bread, “hamotzi lechem min haaretz.” There are blessings for seeing mountains, the oceans, a rainbow and even lightning.
The most unusual is the blessing one says when seeing 600,000 or more Jews together. At that moment, we say, “Blessed are You Adonai our God Ruler of the universe, knower of secrets.” Why 600,000 or more? This is the approximate number who stood at Sinai to receive the Torah. It is reported that 603,550 were there. (Numbers 1)
Why would the tradition prescribe a blessing that is nearly impossible to realize? It would take a miracle to bring 600,000 Jews together! It would take a miracle for to gather that many Jews willing to stand as one. It’s only been done one time and that was when it all started at Sinai.
The Talmud anticipates this observation and reports that Ben Zoma once saw such a multitude when standing on the stairs of the Temple Mount and so recited the blessing. Still, how did he so quickly count to 600,000? And how did even a great rabbi such as he determine that all 600,000 were Jews? The tradition leaves these questions unanswered.
Later commentators suggest that it need be only a large gathering of Jews. Perhaps it was skeptical that we would ever again find an occasion where 600,000 Jews gathered like they did at Mount Sinai. Then again, why are the blessing’s words “knower of secrets?” Why not, something more literal like the blessing for the oceans, “who made the great sea” or that for mountains, “maker of the works of creation?”
Why not say, “who gathers the multitudes” when seeing so many Jews standing together in one place? Why do we say, “knower of secrets?” The Talmud responds, “The person sees a whole nation whose minds are unlike each other and whose faces are unlike each other. God knows all secrets; God knows what is in each of their hearts.” (Brachot 58a) In every large gathering there exists a multiplicity of ideas and commitments. Every crowd is comprised of individuals. We must never forget that.
Blessings serve to remind us of some truth. Before we enjoy wine, the kiddush reminds to be thankful to God for the vines that provided such exquisite taste. When we see the ocean, and say the blessing, we are reminded that God provided such awesome beauty for us. And when we see a vast multitude of people, we must remember that every individual holds some truth.
Every person offers a measure of sacredness.
The blessing serves to counteract our human tendency to blur over individuality. We tend to see large groups as monolithic. We begin our arguments with phrases like, “All Democrats believe… All Republicans think…. All Muslims…. All Jews…” God reminds us that every soul is unique. Every individual is a blessing.
On the upcoming holiday of Shavuot, we celebrate the giving of the Torah. We remember we once stood together and as one. Let us also recall that each and every individual holds the secret to realizing blessings.
“Blessed are You Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, knower of secrets.”