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 Mazal tov is the traditional Jewish way of expressing congratulations. It is not used the way we use it in English, which is to wish someone luck in the future. Mazal tov, rather, is an expression of pleasure at the good luck someone has already had. Yasher koach literally means may you have strength, or may your strength be increased. Yasher koach is way of congratulating someone for performing a mitzvah or other good deed. In essence, you are wishing this person will have the strength to continue doing is good things and are recognizing the effort that the person put into doing this good deed. It is often used in synagogue to congratulate someone after he or she has participated in some aspect of the service.
According to Rabbi Fabian Werbin, “the first mention of this form of congratulation is in the Talmud. It is written that when Moses broke the tablets G-d agreed with him and said: “Yasher Koach that you broke them” (Shabbat 87a). It is not very clear the path that this phrase went through until it became the most used form of congratulation after receiving an aliyah. Probably in ancient times, when few people had their own books, the Torah had to be read while it was held upright so the text would be visible to the congregation. People approached to the center of the synagogue surrounding the reader. The reader, therefore, had to physically sustain the scroll by taking hold of its posts. Yasher koach became an encouragement to the reader, “May you have strength not to cause the Torah to fall.” Therefore, yasher koach is a term used to imply both congratulations and thanks.
So, I will continue to acknowledge a published letter to the editor or a mention in the newspaper because I believe that these are worthy accomplishments (but I will not fill everyone’s email inbox).
Of course, I truly like to wish a “yasher koach” for mitzvot done for our synagogue. I am waiting to be able to congratulate volunteers for meeting the BAJC needs I wrote about last month—help to: organize the program to celebrate Israel's Independence Day on Monday, May 9th; plan a consecration service for Rabbi Heyn on June 11; work on the fifth annual BAJC Israeli Film & Food Festival August 21st and 27th; present a fundraiser event around the showing of “Jews and Baseball” in October. And, most importantly, BAJC needs members to join the Board of Trustees! Please don’t wait for someone else to step forward. Contact me so that together we can say “Hazak hazak venit-hazek" "Strong, strong, and let us be strengthened!"
L’shalom,
Marty
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