THE BLESSING OF THE LORD

Exodus 32:29

"For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day." -The blessing of The Lord operates in a life that is totally yielded to a God. 

Isaiah 44:3

"For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty,

and floods upon the dry ground:

I will pour my spirit upon thy seed,

and my blessing upon thine offspring"

Every week as the sun sets on Friday evening the Jewish holiday of Shabbat[SABBATH] begins. This day of rest lasts until havdalah is said as the sun sets on Saturday and is dedicated to family, community and spiritual renewal.

Traditionally Shabbat includes special blessings that are said over the children on Friday night. How these blessings are said varies from home to home. Customarily it is the father who blesses the children by laying his hands on their heads and reciting the blessings below. However, in modern times it is not unusual for mom to help dad bless the children. She can do this by laying her hands on the children’s heads at the same time and reciting the blessings with her husband. Or, if the children are younger, she could hold them on her lap or hug them while their father blesses them. In some homes the mother says the blessings instead of the feather. It all comes down to what the family is comfortable with and what works best for them.

Taking time to bless the children on Shabbat is a great way to reinforce the fact that they are loved, accepted and supported by their families. In many homes the blessings are followed by hugs and kisses or words of praise. Of course, there is no reason you can’t do all four of these things: blessing, hugs, kisses and praise. One of the most beautiful aspects of Judaism is how it emphasized the importance of family and spending time together.

The Shabbat Blessing for a Son

The traditional blessing said for a son asks God to make him like Ephraim and Menashe, who were two of Joseph’s sons in the Bible.

English: May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe

Transliteration: Ye'simcha Elohim ke-Ephraim ve hee-Menashe

Why Ephraim and Menashe?

Ephraim and Menashe were the sons of Joseph. Just before Joseph's father, Jacob, dies he calls his two grandsons to him and blesses them, expressing his hope that they become role models for the Jewish people in years to come.

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)

Many have wondered by Jacob chooses to bless his grandsons before blessing his 12 sons. Traditionally, the answer has been that Jacob chose to bless them because they are the first set of brothers who did not fight with each other. All the brothers who came before them in the Bible – Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers – deal with issues of sibling rivalry. By contrast, Ephraim and Menashe were friends known for their good deeds. And what parent wouldn’t wish for peace among their children? In the words of Psalms 133:1 "How good and pleasant is it for brothers to sit peacefully together."

The Shabbat Blessing for a Daughter

The blessing for daughters asks God to make them like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah. These four women are the matriarchs of the Jewish people.

English: May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.

Transliteration: Ye'simech Elohim ke-Sarah, Rivka, Rachel ve-Leah.

Why Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah?

As matriarchs of the Jewish people Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah each posses qualities that make them worthy role models. According to Jewish tradition they were strong women who kept faith with God during tough times. Between the lot of them, they endured martial troubles, infertility, abduction, envy from other women and the task of raising difficult children. But whatever hardships came their way these women put God and family first, eventually succeeding in building the Jewish people.

The Shabbat Blessing for Children

After the above blessing are recited over sons and daughter, many families recite an additional blessing that is said over both boys and girls. Sometimes called the "Priestly Blessing", it is an ancient blessing that asks God to bless and protect the Jewish people.

English: May God bless you and protect you. May God’s face shine toward you and show you favor. May God look favorably upon you and grant you peace.

1 Samuel 2:7-8

"The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich:

he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,

and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill,

to set them among princes,

and to make them inherit the throne of glory:

for the pillars of the earth are the Lord 's, and he hath set the world upon them."

Having given you background into the blessings of the Jewish people and how they are administered, my emphasis is really on the BLESSING OF THE LORD here as used by the Jewish people as a blessing for their children. "May God bless you and protect you. May God’s face shine toward you and show you favor. May God look favorably upon you and grant you peace." When God blesses us we always assume that God blesses ONLY with material things. If we lack material things we doubt if we are really blessed by God. The bible says in Proverbs 10:22 - "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it." Yet when you look at the blessing of the Lord at large it consists of FAVOR, PEACE, WEALTH AND PROTECTION. 

FAVOR - "Excessive kindness or unfair partiality"

PEACE - "Silence; stillness"

WEALTH - "The state of being rich; prosperity; affluence"

PROTECTION - "To defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss"

The blessing of the God encompasses all of these 4 factors and when God has blessed you there is no way in which FAVOR, PEACE, WEALTH AND PROTECTION will ever not be over your household. I always wondered why Jacob would wrestle with God for a blessing whereas he was already blessed by his father Isaac. GOD showed me what Jacob saw, that it is not enough to be blessed by men but you also need the Blessing of God over your life. The Jacob story goes:

Genesis 32:24-30

Jacob wrestling with God for his Blessing

"And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel:for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."

IN CONCLUSION, THE BLESSING OF THE LORD BREEDS[IT GIVES BIRTH TO] FAVOR, PEACE, WEALTH AND PROTECTION. LOOKING OVER THE LIFE OF JACOB YOU SEE THESE FOUR ELEMENTS AT WORK INTERCHANGEABLY IN HIS LIFE. MAY GOD POUR OUT HIS BLESSING OVER YOU AS YOU SEEK HIS FACE AND MAY FAVOR, PEACE, WEALTH AND PROTECTION BE THE PORTION OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD FOR GENERATIONS TO COME, IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.