Blessing Our Children
This custom is a nice way of bringing gratitude and spirituality into your family. On Shabbat and at other special occasions, it can contribute to a special feeling of closeness between you and your children.
The words of the blessing are taken from the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:24-26) and the introduction is altered depending on whether the child being blessed is a boy or girl.
For boys, the introductory line is:
May you be like Ephraim and Menashe.
יְשִׂימְךָ אֱלהיִם כְּאֶפְרַיְם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה.
Yisimkha Elohim ke-Efrayim Ve-kheminashe
For girls, the introductory line is:
May you be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.
יְשִׂימֵךְ אֱלהיִם כְּשָׂרָה רִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאָה.
Yisimekh Elohim ke-Sara, Rivka, Rakhel, ve-Leah
For both boys and girls, the rest of the blessing is:
May God bless you and guard you.
יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ
Yivarechekha adonai ve-yishmerekha
May God show you favor and be gracious to you.
יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ
Ya-er adonai panav elecha vichunekha.
May God show you kindness and grant you peace.
יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלום
Yisa Adonai panav Elekha veyasem lekha shalom.
The blessing is performed differently in every family. In some traditional homes, only the father blesses the children. In other families, both parents give blessings--either together and in unison, or first one parent, followed by the other. In some homes the mother blesses the girls and the father blesses the boys.
The words of the blessing are taken from the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:24-26) and the introduction is altered depending on whether the child being blessed is a boy or girl.
For boys, the introductory line is:
May you be like Ephraim and Menashe.
יְשִׂימְךָ אֱלהיִם כְּאֶפְרַיְם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה.
Yisimkha Elohim ke-Efrayim Ve-kheminashe
For girls, the introductory line is:
May you be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.
יְשִׂימֵךְ אֱלהיִם כְּשָׂרָה רִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאָה.
Yisimekh Elohim ke-Sara, Rivka, Rakhel, ve-Leah
For both boys and girls, the rest of the blessing is:
May God bless you and guard you.
יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ
Yivarechekha adonai ve-yishmerekha
May God show you favor and be gracious to you.
יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ
Ya-er adonai panav elecha vichunekha.
May God show you kindness and grant you peace.
יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלום
Yisa Adonai panav Elekha veyasem lekha shalom.
The blessing is performed differently in every family. In some traditional homes, only the father blesses the children. In other families, both parents give blessings--either together and in unison, or first one parent, followed by the other. In some homes the mother blesses the girls and the father blesses the boys.