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Activity: Blessing of the Kohanim
This is the way Kohanim hold their hands when giving the priestly blessing – the fingers form a Shin to represent Shaddai (God’s name.) Can you hold your hands this way? Look up the blessing Bamidbar 6:23–27.
Image from: http://ggorelik.narod.ru/LeHaim_W/LeHaim_W1.htm
Image by Kleuske – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20497346
Download the activity here: Word PDF
Activity: Blessing the Children
This custom is a nice way of bringing gratitude and spirituality into your family on Shabbat and at other special occasions. There are different customs as to when the blessing is recited. Some families bless their children immediately before or after Kiddush. Others prefer to bless just after lighting the Shabbat candles. Usually the person giving the blessing places one or both hands on the child’s head. Some parents bless each child in succession, others bless all of the girls together, and all of the boys together, while other families have developed their own rituals around this practice.
In Pairs, take it in turns to give the blessing one to another – do it with Kavanah (focused intentionality). What did it feel like to give the blessing? What did it feel like to receive the blessing? (Physically, how did you experience it? How did the relationship with the other person feel during this experience?)
The words of the blessing are taken from the priestly blessing (Bamidbar 6:24-26) and traditionally the introduction is constructed differently according to the gender of the person being blessed. Some people like to ‘mix this up’ and include both male and female figures in blessing their child.
For males:
יְשִׂימְךָ אֱלהיִם כְּאֶפְרַיְם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה
May you be like Ephraim and Menashe.
For females:
יְשִׂימֵךְ אֱלהיִם כְּשָׂרָה רִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאָה
May you be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.
For both genders, the rest of the blessing is:
יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ
יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ
יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלום
May God bless you and guard you.
May God show you favor and be gracious to you.
May God show you kindness and grant you peace.
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Intertextual Resource: Divine and Human Blessings
Which of these blessings are asked for and which given without asking? Do you think this makes a difference? Who or what are the blessings directed toward – how does it change the thing being blessed?
Divine Blessings
Does the blessing recognize something (a quality) that is already present or does it create something new? What is the meaning of the blessing? What is intended by the blessing?
| God blesses Avram – Bereshit 24:1 |
וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַיהֹוָה בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל. |
| Yaakov demands a blessing from the man-angel – Bereshit 32:25-27 |
וַיֹּאמֶר שַׁלְּחֵנִי כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּחֲךָ כִּי אִם בֵּרַכְתָּנִי… |
| God blesses the 7th day – Bereshit 2:3 |
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת-יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ … |
Human Blessings
Does the blessing create something new or recognize something (a quality) that is already present? Is the blessing freely offered? What is intended by the blessing?
| Yitzak blessing Yaakov – Bereshit 27:30 |
וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלָּה יִצְחָק לְבָרֵךְ אֶת יַעֲקֹב |
| Yakov blesses Yoseph – Bereshit 48:15 |
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֶת יוֹסֵף וַיֹּאמַר |
| The blessing we recite over food |
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם … |
| Parents bless their children |
יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ |
PDF Activity: Neighborhood Trail
Pick one interesting example of each. Tell us why you chose that object to photograph as an interesting example of growth and upload it with the photograph.
PDF Activity: Neighborhood Trail
Drama Activities
Option 1:
Divide into small groups – half the groups will work with the Exodus text (Shemot 12:13) and half the groups with the in the rainbow text – they should create a skit that shows what they think putting the sign (אות) up is about (putting it on the door, in the sky) in light of their discussion.
Option 2:
Divide into small groups – create a skit that shows how you understand the rainbow text in light of some of the distinctions you explored in your community of inquiry.
Exercise: Circles of Attachment
What in your life are you most attached to? Think of your home – if you were to leave home, what would be most difficult to leave behind? What not as difficult?
Draw three circles.
In the center put the thing it would be most difficult to leave if you were to leave home, then move out in the circles with things that would be less difficult to leave (from hardest to less hard).
Pick a different community you are part of (school? sports team?) – what would be hardest to leave behind if you were leaving that community?
Activity: Ancient and Historic Journeys
On a piece of paper, each person writes down:
N.B. You must take your journey in the past – some time in the last 5,000 years! (when you set the date, make sure the other details – such as transport – are appropriate!).
To Play:
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