Blessings are a very important part of Judaism. Each week during our Shabbat service, several blessings are spoken, and I'll share these over the coming weeks.
In the photo above, the children are receiving their blessing. This is one of my favorite parts of the service. The children stand under tallit, and the congregation raise their right hands to make the Hebrew letter "SHIN" and bless them. (Click on the link to see how to make the sign of the shin.)
For the boys:
(spoken in Hebrew) Ye'simcha Elohim ke-Ephraim ve hee-Menashe
(and then in English) May God make you as Ephraim and Menassah
For the girls:
(spoken in Hebrew)Ye'simech Elohim ke-Sarah, Rivka, Rachel ve-Leah.
(spoken in English) May G-d make you as Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah
On that day Jacob blessed them, he said, "In time to come, the people of Israel will use you as a blessing. They will say, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe'." (Genesis 48:20)
Ephraim and Menashe were Jacob's grandsons, the two sons of Joseph. He blessed them even before he blessed his own sons. I read a commentary that said he did this because they didn't fight with each other like his sons. He was expressing a desire that they be role models for future generations because of their love for one another.
Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah are called "mothers of Israel" and are highly regarded in Judaism as role models because of their strong faith and honor of G-d during great difficulties. They endured marriage problems, infertility, difficult children, and problems with other women to name a few. But, these women put their G-d and families first, as should we.
These blessings can be done at home, during your personal Shabbat service with your family. I encourage you to place your hand on the heads of your children and bless them each week. Imagine how this will affect their future. I would have loved to have received a weekly blessing when I was growing up.
We also sing a special blessing song for the children. You can hear it HERE.
We also sing a special blessing song for the children. You can hear it HERE.
Next week, I will share the blessing for the wife. I love and treasure these words every time my husband speaks them over me.
Until then, Shalom
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