[Avodah] blessings

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 03:13:37PM +0000, Rich, Joel via Avodah wrote:
> Just a thought - the gemara tells us that any bracha given to us should
> be taken seriously. Is that because we might under value it or because
> brachot don't work unless we believe in them? (or something else?)

I think the former, looking at the phrase in context in the gemara.
R Elazar quoting R Chanina continues (Megillah 15a):
    ... For two gedolei hador were blessed by two hedyotos and they
    were fulfilled. And they [the gedolim] are David (Shemu'el 2 24:23)
    and Daniyel (6:17)....

And then he continues about qelelas hedyot, with Avimelekh cursing Sarah
(Bereishis 20:16) causing Yitzchaq's blindness as an example.

Aside from the indications from the examples... Why would R' Chanina
advise us to increase the chance of a qelalah working by believing in it?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Life is a stage and we are the actors,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   but only some of us have the script.
Author: Widen Your Tent                  - Rav Menachem Nissel
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF