When choosing the section of the Torah to read tomorrow morning during the Bat Mitzvah service, I gravitated towards the beginning of the portion assigned for this week. What follows that passage is a section of blessings that the Israelites would enjoy if they followed God’s commandments, and the many curses that would befall them if they failed God, and, more importantly, failed themselves.
The beginning of the blessings passage is actually one of my favorite sets of verses of the Torah. It is lyrical in it wording, creating images in our minds of a people that would know blessing in a variety of ways. Here is that first section of chapter 28 in the book of Deuteronomy:
“Now, if you obey the Eternal your God, to observe faithfully all the divine commandments which I enjoin upon you this day, the Eternal your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2] All these blessings shall come upon you and take effect, if you will but heed the word of the Eternal your God: 3] Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the country. 4] Blessed shall be your issue from the womb, your produce from the soil, and your offspring from the cattle, your calving from the herd and your lambing from the flock. 5] Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6] Blessed shall you be in your comings and blessed shall you be in your goings.
What strikes me now, perhaps more than ever before, is that the blessings are not about just one moment frozen in time.
First there is the blessing for people wherever they may live, city or country, urban or rural.
Then there is the promise of offspring for the people themselves, for their crops, and for the animals they own. Growth will happen if people live up to the best in themselves.
The third blessing is one of knowledge and skill, noting the human ability to utilize the gifts of creation — in this case, grain gathered in a basket from the harvest — for baking bread and other products. That verse reflects the partnership that we celebrate whenever we say the MOTZI: “Blessed are You, Eternal One, our God, Ruler of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”
And finally, there is a blessing for our comings and goings. If we have learned anything about growth over the last 18 months, it is that we can grow personally, professionally and spiritually wherever we are. Even if we stay in one place physically, we find blessing when we discover ways of gaining new skills. Comings and goings of any type assure that we can maintain a youthful exuberance at any age. The owner of the music shop from where I rented a guitar for my time here told me that his guitar sales - and repairs - increased beginning March 2020. People used their unplanned extra time at home to pursue their interest in music.
So what are the blessings that can rest upon us tonight, and accompany us along our way?
I would say:
Community
Family
Creativity
Ingenuity
Perseverance
Love
Support
Encouragement of and opportunities for healing
Commitment
Learning
Flexibility
Courage
Connection
And
Hope.
May all of these blessings ultimately lead us to peace and unity, here, and for the entire human family. And let us say Amen.
