A Blessing or a Prayer?
Rabbi Adam Allenberg led another great Torah Study Class in a discussion that looked a bit closer at what a blessing really is and how different blessings in Torah are compared.
The blessings of their ‘children’ by Jacob, Moses and David just before each of them died were mentioned – and I still wonder if the blessings by Isaac should also be included in the comparison. Were they truly blessings? Were they prophesies? Were they prayers? Or were they hopes for the future? (all of the above?)
Additionally there was an interesting reflection on the differences between a Prayer and a Blessing. Is a request for God to act with favor a petition prayer or a blessing? Does it depend, in part, on if you are making the request for yourself or another? In most blessings we refer to the fact that God gives us the ‘opportunity’ to fulfill a mitzvah. (ie we are not blessing the candles, we are blessing the opportunity to light the candles that God gave us) In the Priestly Blessing it may be that God gives us the opportunity to bless each other.
There was a joke mentioned about JEPD and authors of the Torah – but my search didn’t find the actual joke... Sorry – if you have it written out please send it.
But wikipedia has an interesting entry about ‘documentary hypothesis’
We all look forward to the return of Rabbi Marder to lead our class next week.
The blessings of their ‘children’ by Jacob, Moses and David just before each of them died were mentioned – and I still wonder if the blessings by Isaac should also be included in the comparison. Were they truly blessings? Were they prophesies? Were they prayers? Or were they hopes for the future? (all of the above?)
Additionally there was an interesting reflection on the differences between a Prayer and a Blessing. Is a request for God to act with favor a petition prayer or a blessing? Does it depend, in part, on if you are making the request for yourself or another? In most blessings we refer to the fact that God gives us the ‘opportunity’ to fulfill a mitzvah. (ie we are not blessing the candles, we are blessing the opportunity to light the candles that God gave us) In the Priestly Blessing it may be that God gives us the opportunity to bless each other.
There was a joke mentioned about JEPD and authors of the Torah – but my search didn’t find the actual joke... Sorry – if you have it written out please send it.
But wikipedia has an interesting entry about ‘documentary hypothesis’
We all look forward to the return of Rabbi Marder to lead our class next week.
posted by Chavarah @ 10:34 PM
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