Bless You!

This past summer, I attended the dedication ceremony for the cornerstone of the Scotland AME Zion church. Wearing my yarmulke, I participated as a representative of the Jewish community. I was inspired as the bishop of the AME Church delivered a powerful message of unity and hope. After the ceremony, the bishop noticed me and waved me over. His first words were, “I want to bless you, and I want to bless Israel.” This reminded me of a poignant episode in the Torah.

In this episode, Abraham rescues his nephew Lot, who local kings had captured. Upon his victorious return, he is greeted by King Melchizedek. In Genesis Chapter 14, we read, “And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your foes into your hand.” Melchizedek taught us an important lesson about sharing blessings.

Blessings affirm gratitude and express hope. When paired with the core Jewish value of sustaining community, blessings place an imprimatur on the neighborliness that improves our world.

Looking to the holiness code of Torah, we read the instruction of Leviticus 19:18 to love our neighbor as ourselves. There are no limits to the pool of neighbors we should love. Just as God sent Abraham into a challenging environment, where he defended his family against enemies, Abraham also received blessings from his neighbors. I draw inspiration from Abraham, who was strong against his foes and accommodating toward his neighbors.

In tractate Menachot 43b, the sages teach that we should say no fewer than 100 blessings a day. Yet, a single blessing from a Christian faith leader had as profound an impact on me as a daily offering of traditional Hebrew blessings. Like Melchizedek and the bishop, I learned the value of extending blessings to one another, especially to our neighbors.

Jews often feel less comfortable offering blessings to others, a tradition that is more common in many Christian communities. However, blessings serve to deepen the relationships between us and our neighbors. With this intention, I will eagerly offer more blessings to the people I encounter.

Evan J. Krame