Erev Shabbat Blessings

There is a very beautiful Shabbat tradition that takes place in homes around the Shabbat table. It is customary to bless the children in one's home. If you think about it, it provides a wonderful opportunity for parents who may have had a stressful week with their child to take a break and offer the child words of a blessing. For a boy we say, "May G-d make you as Efraim and Menashe," for a girl we say, "May G-d make you like Sarah, Rebekkah, Rachel, and Leah." Each blessing is followed by the priestly three-fold blessing. The words are quietly whispered into the child's ear and followed by a kiss on the head or a warm hug.

Why are the boys blessed that they should be like Ephraim and Menashe? They were the sons of Joseph whom Jacob (Joseph's father) knew would carry on the heritage of his family. Even though they were raised in Egypt, they were tied to living a life of devotion to G-d. The blessing that recalls the matriarchs of Judaism recognizes that they were models for all Jewish women throughout the centuries.

I've seen this act many times and even with grown children of my own, I know how powerful it is for them to still receive a blessing from their father even when they are offering their own blessings to their own children. The beauty of the blessing is that it is very personal, one-on-one, even in the midst of a crowd. And there is no doubt about it, being the focal point of a parent's attention after a busy week is indeed quite healing.

Tonight, Zoe, you received a blessing from your parents at dinner time. In essence, they were taking time from the very busy schedule that they have been keeping driving you back and forth to all of your lessons and activities to let you know how much they cherish you. It is obvious that there is a lot of love between you and your parents, but it is also very special to have rituals that reconfirm those feelings. I hope that each Friday night you will take the time to let them offer you the words of this ancient blessing. I hope that you too will have words of praise for them as well. You know that modern society often makes children feel that it is not "cool" to enjoy being with their parents especially on the weekend! If you keep focused on the idea that Shabbat is something more special than just Friday night or Saturday morning, that it is a time for families to spend together and connect with each other in positive ways....then this tradition of being blessed will become one that you too will look forward to each week.