A "Chechaim" blessing multiplied by a million is worth a million blessings. But it turns out that the blessings can be multiplied and tripled even more.
I saw with my own eyes how Barkan Winery did it in a big way, with the 2014 vintage.
What do I mean? A respectable glass of wine that you receive for tasting and saying hello, contains 100 CC.
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This week, a 'distribution and tithes' ceremony was held at the Barkan Winery and Segal Wines, and because, due to our many sins, the Temple still does not stand, and the priests still cannot receive contributions and tithes, the winery was forced to pour 100,000 liters of wine for contributions and tithes.
That is: an amount that can be distributed to a million priests, and in return, they will receive a proper priestly blessing, which you will say with all your heart, along with a sip of wine.
Because a priest who receives truly fine wine will have his blessing accordingly – truly fine.
Perhaps this is not the strongest reason to pray for the building of the Temple... and in any case, anyone who saw such a legendary quantity of fine wine, spilled in a mighty cascade, flowing and foaming to destruction, immediately thought in their hearts that here was a great missed opportunity.
It's impossible to say that the heart aches over this, since it's a ceremony that was done solemnly, in the light of spotlights, cameras, and dignitaries, but in the end, it really is a large amount.
And let's not forget, we're not talking about water with salt, but about wine.
Although wine that has been aged for two years in oak barrels is not taken for tithing, at the Barkan Winery it is impossible to tithe like you tithe at home.
At home, they cut off the rotten end of the potato into tenths. At the Barkan Winery, there is no "rotten corner," no "choice" that can be allocated for what needs to be poured.
There is only wine made from grapes that, instead of being poured, could have been made into better wine.
Ten for you to get rich
That's what I thought the first moment I saw the huge amount being poured into the sewer, and then I thought that maybe this was the finest part of the winery.
After all, what is considered good?
Delicious wine that costs a lot of money, and that makes the winery owner rich, and after all, donations and tithes make wealth, so I discovered that you can take 100,000 liters of wine, and instead of storing it for 18 months or more in barrels, in order to get rich, they took a shortcut at the winery.
And if this is the reason, of course it is not done with a sour and gloomy face, but with great respect at an extraordinary festive event, to which city rabbis, regional rabbis, various religious leaders, supervisors and kashrut inspectors are invited.
Your faithful servant was also among the invited guests, and I met more and more distinguished people there, who came to rejoice and not to be sad.
As the head of the participants, we were honored by the Rishon LeZion, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, who was honored to open the tap of the tithe tank. The photographers around did not miss the picture, and clicked from every possible side and angle.
Like any place that respects itself, Barkan Winery has a new, dignified and beautiful visitor center, overlooking the barrel rooms, where we were treated to a rich buffet around laid tables, with the owner, Jackie Baer, greeting those who come and explaining the power of tithing, and the joy and happiness of tithing and thus becoming rich.
The experts taste
But exemption for nothing is impossible.
That is, I have to write something about the wines of Barkan and Segal: they have a very wide range of varieties, qualities, and prices, and this is not the time or place to list them all, or even some of them.
Although it is impossible to summarize the entire Torah in one sentence, I will reveal something to you.
Every winery has professional tasters who determine the price of each wine and you can trust them, and in any case the result is simple: "The wine corresponds to the price.".
When you buy wine, whether it costs 30 NIS or 200 NIS, the price should reflect the product, and the product should reflect the price.
Here's the secret: Barkan's wines are usually worth a little more than the price!
• Shraga Gebhard is a consultant in the professional and training field in wine: 972-52-6176201
