Blessings over Study

Unknown

10th to 13th Century

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has chosen the sages and the righteous ones, delivering to them the secrets of the Torah and giving the Torah to them. In His great mercy He should grant us every good measure to learn and to teach, to listen and perform. Blessed are You, Lord, Giver of the Torah.

Blessed be our God who gave us a good portion, a beautiful portion, a beautiful inheritance, and a pleasant destiny, for there is no portion like our portion and no inheritance like our inheritance and no destiny like our destiny. For this reason, we are obligated to thank the One who chose our lot, as it is said: The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; yea, in the night seasons my reins instruct me (Psalms 16:6-7). R. Eleazar said that R. Hanina said: Torah scholars increase peace in the world, as it is said: And all your children [banayikh] shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children (Isaiah 54:13), and live to see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel! (Psalms 128:6).

Source: Gaster 93; London British Library MS Or. 5557, fol. 18b.

Translated by Shalom Berger.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 3: Encountering Christianity and Islam.

Engage with this Source

These blessings, preserved in the Cairo Geniza, are liturgical formulations of a central belief of talmudic Judaism, namely, that the rabbis are transmitters of the divine word. This claim had particular resonance in the face of Karaite rejection of rabbinic authority, and it is likely that these blessings were formulated in that context. The texts incorporate midrashic terminology and phrases familiar from other parts of the liturgy.

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