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This portion is about blessings—the most famous blessing being the one that Yitzchak gave to Yaakov.
The Talmud records a blessing that one great sage gave to another great sage before departing from his presence. Every time I read this blessing it moves me greatly. The Talmud states:
When they were taking leave of one another, Rav Naḥman said to Rabbi Yitzḥak: Master, give me a blessing. Rabbi Yitzḥak said to him: I will tell you a parable. To what is this matter comparable? It is comparable to one who was walking through a desert and who was hungry, tired, and thirsty. And he found a tree whose fruits were sweet and whose shade was pleasant, and a stream of water flowed beneath it. He ate from the fruits of the tree, drank from the water in the stream, and sat in the shade of the tree. And when he wished to leave, he said: Tree, tree, with what shall I bless you? If I say to you that your fruits should be sweet, your fruits are already sweet; if I say that your shade should be pleasant, your shade is already pleasant; if I say that a stream of water should flow beneath you, a stream of water already flows beneath you. Rather, I will bless you as follows: May it be God’s will that all saplings which they plant from you be like you. So it is with you. With what shall I bless you? If I bless you with Torah, you already have Torah; if I bless you with wealth, you already have wealth; if I bless you with children, you already have children. Rather, may it be God’s will that your offspring shall be like you (Taanis, 5b-6a).
I started Tot Shabbat with the Rebbetzman during the pandemic when youth groups were not taking place. My kids and I were having lots of fun doing Tot Shabbat at home and I thought other parents might appreciate ideas that they could do with their kids. It's been fun to write these, but now that we're back in person, I think Tot Shabbat with the Rebbetzman has outlived its usefulness. Please come and experience the real thing every week with Andrea, Mira, Tirza, Rachel, Ben, Matan, Max, myself, and all the other volunteers that help out! Shabbat Shalom.
Yoni.
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