May the Eternal One bless you and keep you.
May the Eternal One look kindly upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Eternal One bestow favor upon you and grant you peace.
These words of the priestly blessing, the BIRKAT KOHANIM, from chapter 6 in the book of Numbers, contained in this week’s Torah portion, are familiar and iconic. They communicate care, compassion, support, warmth and well-being.
Today, rabbis offer this blessing at birth ceremonies and when students become Bar or Bat Mitzvah. They may offer the priestly blessing individually to students at a Confirmation service, and for a wedding couple at the end of the ceremony, just before the breaking of the glass.
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(Rabbi Larry:)
Three years ago, I stood before the ark at Temple Emanuel in New York City and blessed a newly-ordained rabbi whose children are our grandchildren. Two weeks ago, I blessed a rabbinic colleague on his retirement via Zoom. Last year, I uttered these words over a long distance at the naming of our granddaughter Eva during a virtual Shabbat service at Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City. Forty years ago, on Shabbat morning, when this passage was read from
the Torah, I received this blessing as a newly-ordained rabbi.
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We are all part of a long-lasting stream of tradition that has viewed moments of transition as holy and unique. At moments of completion and times of new beginnings, we gain comfort and confidence from receiving this blessing.
So, at this moment of change for all of us, how can we bless each other?
We can ask God to bless us with love of family, warm relationships with special people, and respect towards everyone.
We express a hope that God will keep and preserve us by enabling us to maintain good health, to set aside for ourselves moments of leisure that can renew and refresh our spirits, and to develop the wisdom to make sound decisions based in true partnership.
When the light of the divine face shines on us, we are challenged to perceive the essence of God’s light in ourselves and in other people. That discovery can lead us to act with kindness and compassion.
We experience the grace of God when we realize that the imperfections of our human condition do not prevent us from being good people. In this blessing, we ask God to continue to grant us space to reach our highest potential for menschlikhkeit.
This blessing envisions God lifting the divine face in our presence in a sign of affirmation and approval, perhaps with a parental smile, perhaps with a figurative nod and a pat on the head.
On the Friday evenings when we join Adam, Juli, Josh and Eva for Shabbat blessings via FaceTime, Adam and Juli offer the priestly blessing for their children. They conclude with a spirited declaration of the word SHALOM at the end, with Josh now joining in that pronouncement that embodies the Jewish view of peace, well-being, completeness, and wholeness.
These ancient words are still vibrant and vital today, creating a foundation for family and community. As we are together in these moments, and as we continue on our journeys, may we be partners in fashioning a future that God will reveal to us, in which we will have the opportunity to always be a blessing.
May the Eternal One bless you and keep you.
May the Eternal One look kindly upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Eternal One bestow favor upon you and grant you peace.
So may it be.
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