I want to give you a gift that will last you for the rest and your life and beyond. I’m hoping you take it seriously because I believe it can change the way you and your children see the world. I want to give you the tools to bless your children every Friday night.
Loving your children makes them part of your family. Blessing your children makes them part of a people. For thousands of years, Jews have blessed their children at the start of Shabbat. It usually takes place after the candles have been lit and before the meal.
Both of my children have been born on a Friday and outside of the rarest of instances where they have been away at Jewish overnight camp, I have blessed them every week of their lives. I’d like to believe it is the best part of any inheritance I will eventually leave them; the knowledge that they are not only loved, but blessed.
The full blessings, including an audio link so you can hear the blessings are below and were taken from the website http://www.aish.com/shabbathowto/fridaynight/blessing_the_children.asp
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Steve, I work with The PJ Library in Cleveland, and saw the link to your blog on your community's PJL newsletter.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful custom, and I know several families who took on this ritual, even though the parents hadn't heard of it when they were growing up. It clearly makes an impact--I have friends who called their parents from college on Friday nights to get their blessings.