Q&A: Blessings over Rabbinic Ordinances
Blessings over Rabbinic Ordinances
Question
Why do we say the blessing “who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us” for Hanukkah, or for washing the hands, and other rabbinic enactments, if God did not command them?
Answer
The Talmud itself asks this (Sabbath 23a) and answers that we were commanded through “do not deviate.”
Discussion on Answer
It’s in the Talmud, so it should be correct according to all views. Nachmanides writes about this in his glosses to the first principle, that this is a textual support from that verse, and it is still viewed as a commandment. I explained this here in column 443.
Hello. How does that answer it? The wording still isn’t precise—the phrase “and commanded us” refers to the act of washing, which was not commanded by God.
It was commanded, through “do not deviate.” The concept of textual support is not as it is usually interpreted. See column 443 about this.
And according to Nachmanides? If I remember correctly, he argues that this applies only to interpretation, not legislation.