It all starts with the words, "Happy is the man" (Psalm 1:1). But what makes a person truly happy?
The Midrash offers several beautiful interpretations. One view suggests the prophets are happy because they give form to the image of God. Another compares happy people to the sun, shining brightly, and to a shield, providing protection. As Rabbi Chiya bar Abba put it, "Happy are they who are like the sun, which shines forth, and like a shield, which protects."
This idea of a "shield" is further explored. The Persian Targum, an Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Bible, describes it as a curtain surrounding a person, guarding them from all directions – even, as Psalm 5:13 says, crowning us with loving-kindness. But where does this protection come from?
Here’s where it gets really interesting. The Midrash connects the "sun and shield" to our forefather, Abraham. "Sun" represents Abraham, as Isaiah 41:2 says, "Who raised up righteousness from the east." And the shield? That’s also Abraham, as God Himself declares in Genesis 15:1, "I am your shield." Even the concept of God being a "prince" among us, as described in Genesis 23:6, is linked back to Abraham.
But what does it mean to walk with integrity before God? It means living a life like Abraham, who, as Genesis 17:1 says, was told to "Walk before me, and be blameless." The Midrash teaches that just as Abraham had a shield because of his integrity, so too does anyone who walks with integrity before God. It's not just about Abraham; it's about all of us.
The Midrash then shifts gears, pondering the nature of blessing itself. We read in Genesis 1:28 that God blessed the world and then blessed Noah (Genesis 9:1). But with Abraham, something changed. Genesis 24:1 states, "And God blessed Abraham in everything." Rav Nachman explains this to mean that God handed the blessings over to Abraham, saying, "Until now, I have been required to bless the world, but from now on, the blessings are in your hands, and whomever you bless will be blessed."
This idea of passing on blessings continues with Isaac and Jacob. There's a fascinating debate about what Abraham actually gave to Isaac. Rabbi Yehuda says it was the birthright, Rabbi Nechemia says it was a blessing, and the Rabbis say it was the burial plot and inheritance deed. Rabbi Levi, quoting Rabbi Chama, suggests they only gave him gifts. Why no blessing at that time?
The Midrash offers a compelling analogy: a king gives a garden with intertwined Trees of Life and Death to a tenant. Watering the Tree of Life would also nourish the Tree of Death. So, the tenant decides to leave the problem for the king. Abraham felt similarly. He wouldn't bless Isaac yet, because the children of Ishmael and Keturah were also being blessed. He felt he couldn’t properly discern who deserved the blessing, so he left it to God. After Abraham's death, God revealed Himself to Isaac and blessed him (Genesis 25:11), and similarly to Jacob (Genesis 35:9).
The blessings continued through generations. Isaac blessed Jacob, sealing it with a call (Genesis 28:1), and Jacob blessed the tribes (Genesis 49:1). Even Moses blessed Israel, calling Jacob the "firstborn of the Holy One" and sealing it with "Happy are you" (Deuteronomy 33:29). David, too, opened with "God is my Lord" and sealed it with "Blessed are You, God" (Psalms 118:27).
So, what's the takeaway from all this? Perhaps the shield we seek isn't a physical object, but the integrity with which we live our lives. Perhaps the blessings we crave are already within our reach, waiting to be unlocked through righteous actions and a connection to something greater than ourselves. Maybe, just maybe, the key to true happiness lies in walking with integrity, just like Abraham, and trusting in the blessings that follow.