Nasso 5780 - Youth Tefillah Blog
Kristin Zappone
This week’s Torah portion is Nasso. In this week’s portion, we learn about a very important blessing. This blessing is called, “the priestly blessing.” God taught Moses’ brother Aaron three blessings to say over the people Israel in the desert. But first, what is a blessing?
What do you think a blessing is?
A blessing is a way we can say thank you. When we eat food, we say a blessing, even broccoli. And every time we say the blessing, we say thank you to God and all of the people who made sure that food ended up on our plate. Blessings can also be ways we say thank you to each other and to God. We can say, “bless you, God, for making nature so beautiful” or “bless you, God, for my friends and family."
What are some blessings you might want to say?
Did you know that the priestly blessing appears every week?! Parents use these words when they bless their children! There are three parts:
- May God bless you and protect you.
- May God be kind and gracious to you.
- May God shine God’s face on to you and give you peace.
Blessings can also be ways that we say, “I love you.” God tells us that God loves us through blessings and we say I love you back with blessings. Blessings can do so much!
How do you show your family and friends that you love them?
In Nasso, we are reminded that we can say “thank you” and “I love you” with blessings. Each week, on Shabbat, parents can use the priestly blessing as a place to start to bless their children.
Read more on our Youth Tefillah page.
