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Why is the beracha of Shehechiyanu phrased in the plural?
The Bracha of Shehechiyanu reads as follows:
ברוך...×©×”×—×™×™× ×• ×•×§×™×™×ž× ×• ×•×”×’×™×¢× ×• לזמן ×”×–×”
...that He kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to this time.
Why is Shehechiyanu phrased in the plural, particularly in light of the rule that's mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch, OC 222:1:
על שמועות שהן טובות לו לבדו מברך ×©×”×—×™×™× ×• ו×× ×”×Ÿ טובות לו ול××—×¨×™× ×ž×‘×¨×š הטוב והמטיב
On news which is good for him alone, he makes a Shehechiyanu, and if they're good for him and for others, he makes a Hatov v'Hameitiv.
If anything, shouldn't it be just the opposite: that he makes a Hatov v'Hameitiv on news that's good for him alone, and he makes a Shehechiyanu, which is phrased in the plural, on news that's good for himself and others?
1 answer
The Sefer Chassidim (composed during 1185 - 1215 by Judah HeHasid) says that the reason Shehechiyanu is phrased in the plural is because had it been phrased in a singular language, there are times when it could be viewed as if it were a blessing in vain.
The Sefer Chassidim (siman 839) writes:
כל התפלות והברכות ×ª×§× ×• בלשון ×¨×‘×™× ×©×ילו × ×ª×§× ×• בלשון יחיד × ×¨××™× ×›×לו ×œ×©×•× ×›×™ ×יך יתכן שהעבד ×™×מר ×שר בחר בי מכל ×”×¢×ž×™× ×•×¨×•×ž×ž× ×™ מכל לשון ×•×§×“×©× ×™ במצותיו לכך כשהברכה ×ž×ª×•×§× ×ª בלשון ×¨×‘×™× ××– ×ין קשה וכן ×× ×”×™×• ×ž×‘×¨×›×™× ×©×”×—×™×™×ª× ×• ×•×§×™×™×ž×ª× ×• ×•×”×’×¢×ª× ×• לזמן ×”×–×” ×יך יתכן למרי × ×¤×© שמת לו מת בו ×‘×™×•× ×œ×‘×¨×š כן ו×יוב ×מר למה יתן לעמל ×ור ×•×—×™×™× ×œ×ž×¨×™ × ×¤×© ו×יך ×™×מר מי ×©×”×•× ×ž×¨ × ×¤×© ברוך ×©×”×—×™×™× ×™ ×•×§×™×™×ž× ×™ ×•×”×’×™×¢× ×™ לזמן ×”×–×” ×בל כשי×מר ×©×”×—×™×™× ×• ×•×§×™×™×ž× ×• ×•×”×’×™×¢× ×• לזמן ×”×–×” ×œ× ×‘×©×‘×™×œ×• לבד ×ומר ××œ× ×‘×©×‘×™×œ ×חרי×
All the prayers and blessings were instituted in the plural language, because if they had been instituted in the singular, it would seem in vain. For example: how could a slave say "that He chose me from all the nations and from every language and holiness in His mitzvot." Therefore by having the blessings instituted in the plural language there's no problem. Similarly if (the words for Shehechiyanu were) "that we would have been blessed, that we have lived, and existed and come to this time" how would it be possible for someone feeling depressed- ex: someone close to him passed away- to make this blessing. And Iyov said (Job 3:20): "Why does He give light to the sufferer and life to the bitter in spirit" how could one bitter in soul "blessed that I have lived, I have survived, I have reached this time." Therefore when Shehechiyanu is said in a plural language he's not just saying it for himself, he's also saying it for others.
Thus by Shehechiyanu being in a plural language even if a person isn't in the right frame of mind for it at that particular moment, he's still saying the Shehechiyanu on behalf of other people.
R' Ben Tzion Mutzafi on doresh-tzion.co.il posits a similar reasoning.
.×©×”×—×™×™× ×• ×”×•× ×¢×œ×™×š ועל ×‘× ×™ משפחתך ומכריך Shehecheyanu is about you and your family and your friends.
This post was sourced from https://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/101986. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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