יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יְהֹוָ֖ה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ
May God bless you and protect you!
יָאֵ֨ר יְהֹוָ֧ה ׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ
May God deal kindly and tenderly with you!
יִשָּׂ֨א יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ פָּנָיו֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם
May God turn to you and grant you peace and wholeness
וְשָׂמ֥וּ אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י עַל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַאֲנִ֖י אֲבָרְכֵֽם
Thus they shall link My name with the people of Israel, and I will bless them.
Tucked away in this week’s parsha, Naso, amongst the rather heinous description of the ritual of jealousy, a terrible ordeal for women whose husbands suspected adultery and who couldn’t pass the test – if guilty, you lived and were punished; if innocent, you died. Then it’s followed by the rules of the Nazirite, women and men who lived devoted to God and who avoided wine and haircuts: think Samson. Within this, is this tiny fragment of blessing that has become the blessing for us, for ourselves, our children and each other – the voice and gift of love, kindness and hope. We offer it every Friday night. Dean wrote a melody for it as Eamon, his son, turned thirteen. Dean will be with us quite a bit over the next couple of months as Natasha recuperates so we will get to hear this again and again.
Today, post-Shavuot and standing again at Sinai, after hosting wonderful Israeli rabbis representing RHR, after learning of the injury to our colleague Rabbi Marc Soloway on Sunday night in Boulder, Colorado, as he and his synagogue community stood at a Peace Rally, I am content to let these beautiful words do the talking. In their simplicity, they offer grace, peace and protection – all things we need so desperately.
June marks pride month and I’m happy and proud to flag this up as the inclusive, loving community we are. This blessing is so powerful. I hope all our LGBT+ members feel safe and very much at home.
I wish you all this and Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca
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