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May God bless you and protect you
May the Divine Presence deal kindly and graciously with you
May the Divine Presence bestow favor upon you and grant you shalom.

Today, these three lines are a beloved part of life cycle ceremonies and a standard in some congregations for  benedictions, such as at Suburban Temple-Kol Ami.

For our rabbinic commentators, too, this was an important blessing. Their interpretations of these three simple lines create a relevant and meaningful world view for today.

For example, about the phrase “May God bless you…”, they teach, “May God bless you according to your needs—blessing the student with intelligence, the merchant with business acumen…” 

And about “May the Divine presence deal kindly…”—what does this mean?  This, I believe, is teaching us about kindness. Kindness is in such short supply! The literal translation of this phrase is, “May God’s face shine upon you…” When we are kind to one another, we experience holiness. This is what it means for God’s “face to shine upon us”.

Shalom—peace—how hard it is to achieve! Our ancient rabbis taught that shalom begins with ourselves, then our home, extends to the community, and then to the world. We must be concerned with all. By reciting this verse, we are reminded of this responsibility. 

This benediction is timeless, and timely, providing for us a structure by which to pursue a more beautiful and perfect world. I’ll continue discussing this blessing at Shabbat services this Friday—please join me at 6pm!

- Rabbi Allison Vann