Pekudei 5771

The name of this week's parsha, Pekudei, means accounts. It is an accounting of the materials, labor and finished product that comprise the Mishkan (Tabernacle), its furnishings and the priestly garments. "The silver census money from the community was 100 kikar…used for casting the sockets of the Holy [Tabernacle]… One hundred sockets were made from one hundred kikar, one kikar for each socket."

What is the significance of the number one hundred, the amount of sockets supporting the planks of the Mishkan's walls? 

Our Sages tell us that from the hundred sockets, we learn that we must say 100 blessings a day. They note that the Hebrew word for socket is adon, which also means "master." Traditional blessings begin with the phrase Baruch Atah Adonai, in which we address G-d as Adonai, "my Master." When we say a blessing, we affirm that G-d is Master of our lives – He runs our lives and the rest of the universe. Just as the sockets form the foundation of the Mishkan, acknowledging that G-d is our Master creates a foundation for our lives. 

We must teach our children to appreciate that everything we have comes from G-d; we can take nothing for granted. The best way to do this is to encourage them to recite blessings. You would be surprised by how many opportunities a day there are to make a blessing – before and after three meals, several snacks and several drinks a day; after using the restroom. When eating a fruit, for example, parents and children should think of Who created the fruit and the tree it comes from. You can find a comprehensive list of blessings for food and special occasions on www.brochos.com. And of course, consult your prayer book for the blessings found in the daily prayers.
 
Rabbi Moshe Goldberger writes in his book, One Hundred Brachos, "Imagine the benefits we would gain if every day, 100 times a day, we recited all our blessings with feeling and authentically focused on Hashem's (G-d's) kindness! We could not help but feel exuberant and enjoy life more by being conscious and appreciative of all that we are blessed with."
 
As the psalmist writes, "Give thanks to Him, bless His name, for Adonai is good; His kindness endures forever." (Psalm 100)