At the amazing wedding of Shiri Kester and Colton Rogers officiated by Cantor Barbara Ostfeld, the grandfather of the bride was invited up to offer one of the seven blessings. A 96-year-old Holocaust survivor who lives in Los Angeles, he had traveled a long way to get there that day. He walked determinedly up to the Huppah with a firm gait. “When I was thirteen,” he said into the microphone, “I left my home in Germany for the last time. My grandmother offered me a blessing.” As everyone watching eagerly waited to find out which blessing it would be, Shiri’s grandfather began the words of the Priestly Blessing: “May God bless you and guard you: May the light of God shine upon you, and may God be gracious to you, May the presence of God be with you and give you peace:”
This is the blessing that appears in the middle of this week’s Torah portion, Naso, in Numbers 6:23-27.
While the meaning of the words is obscure, we feel their essence as a magical incantation meant to offer comfort to the recipient. Rabbi Jonathan Sachs described the experience as such: “You are in a crowd. In the distance you see someone you recognize. This person is well-known. You met him once, briefly. Did you make an impression on him? Does he remember you? Does he know who you are? Briefly your eyes touch. From the distance, he smiles at you. Yes, he remembers you, he knows who you are, he is pleased you are here, and by his eye contact and his smile he communicates these things to you. You are relieved, lifted. You are at peace with yourself. You are not merely an anonymous face in a crowd.”
What a wonderful blessing. What a wonderful wedding. Mazel Tov to Shiri and Colton! Thank you to Shiri’s grandfather for reminding us how powerful the ancient words of Torah can really be.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex
PS: Click here for all my High Holiday Sermons from the last 10 years.