Dear TEE community,
This week’s Torah portion recounts Jacob’s farewell to his family on his deathbed. He blesses his grandsons, Ephraim and Menasheh, with the following words:
The Messenger who has redeemed me from all harm—
Bless the lads.
In them may my name be recalled,
And the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac.
So may they be teeming multitudes upon the earth.
For generations of Jews, these words were familiar from the Bedtime Sh’ma (sh’ma al ha-mita), a ritual omitted from American Reform prayerbooks.* I first encountered this practice while studying at rabbinical school in London, where the Reform prayerbook follows Sephardic traditions and includes prayers for both morning and evening.
Upon reading the Bedtime Sh’ma, I was deeply moved by its closing invocation of divine protection:
“In the name of Adonai, the God of Israel,
May Michael, the protection of God, be at my right hand;
Gabriel, the power of God, at my left;
Before me, Uriel, the light of God;
Behind me, Raphael, the healing of God;
And above my head, Shechinat El, the Presence of God.”
These words provide me with a profound sense of comfort and assurance that I am never alone. Reciting them each night evokes the sense of wellbeing I felt as a child when my parents tucked me in.
The practice of saying the Sh’ma at both morning and night is rooted in the V’ahavta, which instructs us to recite it “when we lie down and when we arise.” I had this in mind when I wrote our Recognizing the Good / Hakarat HaTov prayer: “May we wake up in gratitude and go to sleep in appreciation…”
Whether you wish to use traditional forms, or just take a moment or two for reflection, I encourage you to begin and end your day with the sense of purpose and protection offered in this tradition.
Rabbi Drorah Setel
*I can claim some part in extending knowledge of this prayer among American Reform Jews. I taught it to Debbie Friedman who, in turn, composed “The Angel’s Blessing.” Here’s a version on YouTube. Debbie’s version is available through Spotify and other streaming services.