The Blessing that Comes Around
This morning I walked over to the shuk to stock up on fruit. I picked out some bananas, persimmons, and oranges, but I couldn’t reach the shockingly bright orange tangerines because there was an older woman standing in front of them as she awaited her change.
“Would you mind if I switched places with you?” I asked her.
The woman startled ever so slightly and and looked over at me in surprise. “Oh, excuse me! I was dreaming,” and she moved over to stand by the pears so I could reach the tangerines.
“May Hashem make all of your dreams come true!” I blessed her.
Again, she gave me the slightest look of surprise, and then smiled. “Amen!” she said. “Amen, amen!” like she had really needed that blessing, and hadn’t known just how much until I sent it her way.
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Then I walked over to a corner store to stock up on cottage cheese. I balanced a three-package tower in each hand, and walked slowly and with great care down the stairs towards the cash register, as I thought of what I would say to one of my children if he or she attempted something so precarious and stupid.
I only enter this store several times a year, and I had never seen the cashier before. But as he placed the change into my hand he stated with unusual force and conviction, “May Hashem protect you!”
I was slightly taken aback, and then answered him with an unusually heartfelt “Amen!” Followed by “You too!”
I was surprised by how satisfying it felt to receive that blessing. By just how much I needed it.
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Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.
Send off a blessing to the world and open your heart to receive it back again.
🙂
love it. thank you!
This truly blessed me to read this. May HaShem bless you today!
What a beautiful post. I love this idea – giving blessings to fellow Jews, even when they are strangers!
amen!