Parshas נח- A Shining Gem

The Parsha begins with Hashem instructing נח to build the תיבה. After detailing the dimensions of the תיבה, the תורה says:

צוהר תעשה לתיבה

Rashi notes that , according to one opinion, the צוהר was a shining gem hanging in the תיבה to bring light to it. The בעל שם טוב famously expounds on this idea. תיבה, in addition to meaning “ark”, also means “word” in לשון הקודש. Just like their was a צוהר, a shining gem, in Noach’s תיבה, so too, we should take our own תיבה- the words of our תפילה-and turn them into a shining gem, by putting extra effort in ensuring that our Davening and ברכות are said with proper כוונה.

Harav Moshe Shternbuch שליט”א, recalled that when he was learning in Yeshiva in London, in the early years of WW2, the city came under the attack of the Blitzkrieg, Germany’s ongoing bombing campaign, which brought about much death and destruction. While many schools relocated to out of town, The Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Schnieder insisted that the Yeshiva stay put, stating that “every bomb has its target.” Nonetheless, Rav Schneider recommended that anyone who is fearful should try to make sure they are fullfilling the הלכה of

חייב אדם לברך מאה ברכות בכל יום

Separately,  Harav Azriel Auerbach שליט”א related that his illustrious father, Harav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, would recommend to anyone seeking a ישועה, to practice this הלכה every single day as a means towards earning a salvation, as saying the מאה ברכות is a great merit for שמירה and ברכה. 

The תקנה of מאה ברכות was established by דוד המלך, at a time when Klal Yisrael was struck by a plague, רחמנא ליצלן. Saying these one hundred ברכות daily, eventually brought an end to the מגיפה. Harav Shimshon Pinkus explains that this can be compared to a married couple who get into a quarrel. Each side honkers down refusing to talk, leading to a breakdown in their marriage. The first step in fixing things is for the husband and wife to agree to talk. Once that is done, they can begin the healing process. Similarly, when דוד המלך realized that there was חרון אף, anger from Hashem, he established מאה ברכות בכל יום, as if to say, “Let’s sit down and talk” and then, our relationship with Hashem can be restored.

It’s interesting to note that on a regular weekday, we easily reach מאה ברכות by Davening the three daily תפילות and eating our daily meals. On שבת and Yomtov, when the שמונה עשרה is shorter, we can, nonetheless, still reach that count. The פוסקים recommend either snacking throughout the day, such that we will be making numerous ברכות on food and drink, or alternatively, making sure to answer אמן by קריאת התורה to be יוצא with all the ברכות of the עולים לתורה. When doing such, we can count all those ברכות towards the count of מאה ברכות. (The פסק of Harav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and other contemporary פוסקים is that women are exempt from the חיוב of מאה ברכות.)

When practicing מאה ברכות, and attempting to do so with כוונה, we are engaging in speaking with Hashem all throughout the day, thus ensuring us His ברכות and protection. And that surely is an embodiment of צוהר תעשה לתיבה, Lighting up the words of our תפילות and ברכות!