Welcome to Temple Beth Ami
Welcome To Temple Beth Ami
  • Home Page
  • About Us
    • Clergy and Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • Membership
    • Policies and Inclusion
    • Contact Us
    • Rentals
    • History
    • Czech Scrolls at Temple Beth Ami
    • Events
    • Judaica Shop
  • Jewish Life
    • Shabbat
      • Shabbat Sermons
    • Holidays and Festivals
    • Lifecycle
      • Bereavement
      • Birth
      • B’nei Mitzvah
      • Confirmation and Graduation
      • Marriage
      • TBA Cares
    • Israel
      • Israel Resources and Facts
    • Torah Blog
  • Education
    • Gan Ami (Early Childhood)
    • Machane TBA (Religious School)
    • Summer Programs
      • Gan Ami Summer Program (Age 2 – Pre-K)
      • Kayitz (K – 7th Grade)
    • Adult Education
    • Resources for Having Difficult Conversations with Children
  • Get Involved
    • TBA Tribune
    • Monthly Calendar of Events
      • April 2025
      • May 2025
    • Social Action
      • Tikkun Olam (Community Service)
      • Community of Action (Social Justice)
    • Social Groups
    • Jewish Book Council and Book Events
    • TBA TV
    • Member Support
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
  • Members
    • ShulCloud
    • Financial Assistance
    • B’nei Mitzvah Preparation
    • Judaica Shop
    • Events

Events Calendar

« May 2025 » loading...
S M T W T F S
27
28
29
30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

Toledot - 5780

Genesis 25:19 – 28:9

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, Americans will gather around our tables to give thanks for the blessings which surround and infuse our lives, but what exactly is a blessing?

According to the dictionary, there are four distinct types of blessing:

  1. A prayer asking for God’s favor and protection
  2. A grace said before or after a meal
  3. A beneficial thing for which one is grateful; something that brings well-being
  4. A person’s sanction or support

In Judaism, we have a fifth category: a prayer before performing an act which brings us closer to God or which focuses our gratitude in a particular way (such as the blessing before lighting Shabbat candles or upon seeing a rainbow).

We might think that with five different categories now defined, we would fully understand our “blessings.” However, how could we really know what a blessing is without first checking with the Torah? In this week’s parasha, Isaac is recognized by the Philistines as being blessed by God:

“We have clearly seen that the Lord is with you, and we thought – Let there be an oath between our two sides, between you and us, and let us seal a pact with you, that you will do no harm to us just as we have not touched you, and just as we have done towards you only good, sending you away in peace. You are now blessed of the Lord.” [Gen. 26:28-30]

Rabbi David Greenstein asks if Isaac’s status of being blessed is merely acknowledged here, or is it activated because of the conclusion of a peace treaty? In other words, does the blessing flow from heaven or from us?

The same ambiguity clings to the blessing which Isaac gives (or tries to give) to Esau. Rebecca overhears Isaac command Esau to hunt venison for him “so that my soul shall bless you before I die.” [Gen. 27:4] Isaac makes no mention of God to Esau, but when Rebecca tells Jacob (and plots with Jacob to steal the blessing) she adds God language to the description. Is the blessing from Isaac or is Isaac an instrument of God for the transmission of the blessing?

The answer to all these questions is yes. Blessings come from heaven and they come from us. We are surrounded every day by countless blessings, some from God and some from each other.

According to Jewish tradition, we recite a series of blessings each morning to offer thanks in recognition that each new day, no matter what happens in it, is actually a gift. We recognize that our bodies are incredibly complex and delicate, and we are given an opportunity to sense the wonder and amazement of our existence. We offer thanks for our minds and our souls, and for the miracles which surround us each day – all gifts from Heaven.

Similarly, the rabbis teach us to be mindful if the blessings we receive from each other.

“Ben Zoma … used to say: How many labors did Adam have to engage in before he obtained bread to eat! He plowed, he sowed, he reaped; he stacked the sheaves, threshed the grain winnowed the chaff, selected the good ears, ground [them], sifted [flour], kneaded the dough, and baked.  And only then did he eat.  Whereas I get up and find all these things done for me.  How many labors did Adam have to engage in before he obtained a garment to wear!  He sheared the sheep, washed [the wool], combed it, spun it, wove it, dyed the cloth, and sewed it.  And only then did he have a garment to wear.  Whereas I get up and find all these things done for me.  All kinds of craftsmen come early to the door of my house, and when I rise in the morning I find all these things ready for me.”  [Talmud Balvi, Berachot 58a]

Judaism does not distinguish different kinds of blessings in the same way as the dictionary, but our definition is encompassing and wide, and more than anything, we are taught that Thanksgiving does not come just once a year, but for us, is a daily celebration of the miracle of life.

Recent Posts by Rabbi Pokras

July 30, 2020

Va’Etchanan – 5780

July 24, 2020

Devarim – 5780

July 17, 2020

Mattot/Masei – 5780

July 13, 2020

Pinchas – 5780

1 2 3 4›»
  • Older Posts
    July 1, 2020

    Chukkat/Balak – 5780

    June 26, 2020

    Korach – 5780

    June 19, 2020

    Shelach Lecha – 5780

    June 11, 2020

    BeHa’alotecha – 5780

    June 5, 2020

    Naso – 5780

    May 31, 2020

    Shavuot – 5780

    May 21, 2020

    BeMidbar – 5780

    May 15, 2020

    Behar/B’Chukotai – 5780

    May 8, 2020

    Emor – 5780

    May 1, 2020

    Achare Mot/Kedoshim – 5780

    April 8, 2020

    A Passover Message

    April 3, 2020

    Tzav – 5780

    March 20, 2020

    VaYak’heil/Pekudei – 5780

    March 15, 2020

    Ki Tissa – 5780 (On the COVID-19 Virus Crisis)

    March 4, 2020

    Tetzaveh – 5780

    February 26, 2020

    Terumah – 5780

    February 19, 2020

    Mishpatim – 5780

    February 12, 2020

    Yitro – 5780

    February 5, 2020

    BeShalach – 5780

    January 23, 2020

    Va’Era – 5780

    January 15, 2020

    Shemot – 5780 (I am a Jew)

    January 8, 2020

    VaYechi – 5780

    January 2, 2020

    VaYigash – 5780

    December 26, 2019

    Miketz – 5780

    December 20, 2019

    VaYeshev – 5780

    December 12, 2019

    VaYishlach – 5780

    December 4, 2019

    VaYeitze – 5780

    November 20, 2019

    Chayei Sarah – 5780

    November 13, 2019

    VaYeira – 5780

    October 24, 2019

    Bereshit – 5780

    October 11, 2019

    Erev Yom Kippur Sermon 5780 – How To Build a Community that will Beat the Odds

    October 2, 2019

    Rosh HaShanah I 5780 Sermon – Truth in Teshuvah

    September 12, 2019

    Ki Tetze – 5779

    September 5, 2019

    Shoftim – 5779

    August 29, 2019

    Re’eh – 5779

    August 23, 2019

    Ekev – 5779

    August 15, 2019

    Va’Etchanan – 5779

    August 9, 2019

    Devarim (Shabbat Hazon) – 5779

    August 1, 2019

    Mattot/Masei – 5779

    July 24, 2019

    Pinchas – 5779

    July 19, 2019

    Balak – 5779

    July 5, 2019

    Korach – 5779

    June 26, 2019

    Shelach Lecha – 5779

    June 13, 2019

    Naso – 5779

    June 5, 2019

    BaMidbar – 5779

    May 29, 2019

    B’Chukkotai – 5779

    May 23, 2019

    Behar – 5779

    May 1, 2019

    Kedoshim – 5779

    April 30, 2019

    B’nei Yisrael

    April 24, 2019

    Acharei Mot – 5779

    April 17, 2019

    Pesach I – 5779

    April 9, 2019

    Metzorah – 5779

    April 4, 2019

    Tazria – 5779

    March 29, 2019

    Shemini – 5779

    March 20, 2019

    Tzav – 5779

    March 12, 2019

    VaYikra – 5779

    March 6, 2019

    Pekudei – 5779

    February 28, 2019

    Vayak’heil – 5779

    February 19, 2019

    Ki Tissa – 5779

    February 13, 2019

    Tetzaveh – 5779

    February 6, 2019

    Terumah – 5779

    January 24, 2019

    Yitro – 5779

    January 17, 2019

    BeShalach – 5779

    January 9, 2019

    Bo – 5779

    January 6, 2019

    A Few Words About Israel

    January 2, 2019

    Vaera – 5779

    December 27, 2018

    Shemot – 5779

    December 19, 2018

    VaYechi – 5779

    December 11, 2018

    VaYigash – 5779

    December 5, 2018

    Miketz – 5779

    November 28, 2018

    VaYeishev – 5779

    November 21, 2018

    VaYishlach – 5779

    November 14, 2018

    VaYeitze – 5779

    November 8, 2018

    Toldot – 5779

    October 31, 2018

    Chayei Sara – 5779

    October 25, 2018

    VaYeira – 5779

    October 19, 2018

    Lech Lecha – 5779

    October 10, 2018

    Noach – 5779

    October 3, 2018

    Bereishit – 5779

Shop and support Temple Beth Ami
Amazon Logo
Contact the Webmaster with questions or comments about this site
Temple Beth Ami, 14330 Travilah Road Rockville MD, 20850
301-340-6818