It all starts with the words, "Happy is the man" (Psalm 1:1). But what makes a person truly happy?
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) 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.
Another interpretation of "Happy is the man" (Psalm 1:1): This refers to the righteous men. The prophets are happy because they give form to the image of God, and to the one who plants the tree. This is what the scripture means by "For the Lord God is a sun and shield" (Psalm 84:12). Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said: "Happy are they who are like the sun, which shines forth, and like a shield, which protects." Another interpretation of "shield": This refers to the Persian Targum for a curtain that surrounds a person, protecting them from the four winds. And how do we know that it includes the fourth wind? It is written, "You crown us with loving-kindness" (Psalm 5:13). Another interpretation of "sun" and "shield": This refers to Abraham, our forefather. "Sun" refers to Abraham, as it is written, "Who raised up righteousness from the east" (Isaiah 41:2) The shield represents Abraham, as it is said, "I am your shield" (Genesis 15:1). The God represents Abraham, as it is said, "You are a prince of God in our midst" (Genesis 23:6). Grace and glory God gives represent Abraham, as it is written, "And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold" (Genesis 13:2). "He does not withhold good from those who walk with integrity" represents Abraham, as it is said, "Walk before me, and be blameless" (Genesis 17:1). If Scripture speaks of Abraham in this way, then when it says, "He does not withhold good from those who walk with integrity," what does it mean to walk with integrity? Rather, just as Abraham, who walked with integrity before the Holy One, Blessed be He, had a shield, so too anyone who walks with integrity before Him has a shield. After him, what is written? "Happy is the man who trusts in You" (Psalms 84:13). Abraham is not written here, but rather "man," meaning all people. David said, "Happy is the man whom You discipline, Lord, and whom You teach from Your law" (Psalms 94:12). Rabbi Yudan opened by saying, "Do not boast before the king, and do not stand in the place of great men" (Proverbs 25:6). Rabbi Yudan read it from the place where this section was closed and from the place where the previous section was opened. Rabbi Pinchas worked an extended passage from Psalms 119:100, "I understand more than the aged." At first, the Holy One, Blessed be He, blessed His world, as it says, "And God blessed them" (Genesis 1:28). Once Noah stood, He blessed him, as it says, "And God blessed Noah and his sons" (Genesis 9:1). Once Abraham stood, He blessed him, as it says, "And God blessed Abraham in everything" (Genesis 24:1). What is the meaning of "it will be a blessing"? Rav Nachman said that He handed the blessings over to him and said, "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." Once Isaac stood, he blessed him, as it says, "And Abraham gave everything he had to Isaac" (Genesis 25:5). What did he give him? Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Nechemia, and the Rabbis (said): Rabbi Yehuda said it was the firstborn. Rabbi Nechemia said it was a blessing. And the Rabbis said it was burial and a deed of inheritance. Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Chama: they only gave him gifts. And why didn't they give him a blessing? It is like a king who had a garden and gave it to a tenant, and in it were all kinds of trees intertwined with each other, one of the Tree of Life and one of the Tree of Death. The tenant said, "If I water the Tree of Life, the Tree of Death will live with it. And if I do not water it, how will the Tree of Life live?" The tenant returned and said, "This year I will complete my tenancy and go, and what do I care about the king's garden?" Abraham said, "I will not bless Isaac now because the children of Ishmael and the children of Keturah are now being blessed." I am flesh and blood today, but tomorrow I will be in the grave, and what needs to be done in his world will be done. When Abraham died, God revealed Himself to Isaac and blessed him, as it says, "After Abraham's death, God blessed Isaac his son" (Genesis 25:11). And so He did to Jacob, as it says, "God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan Aram, and He blessed him" (Genesis 35:9). And Isaac stood and blessed Jacob with giving, as it says, "May God give you of the dew of heaven" (Genesis 27:28), and he sealed it with a call, "And Isaac called Jacob, and he blessed him" (Genesis 28:1). Jacob stood to bless the tribes and began with what Isaac had sealed. This is what is written, "And Jacob called to his sons and said" (Genesis 49:1), and he sealed it with this, as it says, "And this is what their father said to them" (Genesis 49:28). Moses stood to bless Israel, and said, "Jacob is the firstborn of the Holy One, blessed be He," and he began with a call and sealed it with "And this is the blessing" (Deuteronomy 33:1), and he sealed it with "Happy are you" (Deuteronomy 33:29). When David stood, he opened with "God is my Lord," and sealed it with "Blessed are You, God" (Psalms 118:27).
