Communal
Searching for a way to mark a special moment in your community's life? Here you will find articles about rituals, teachings, and blessings to help you enhance these significant moments.
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Honoring A Teacher At The End Of The Year…
It has been said that teachers think they’re teaching us what they know, they hope they’re teaching us what they believe, but all they can every really teach us is who they are. At the end of a year of learning with a teacher, we may feel we have learned what we came to learn, we may feel frustrated that we did not master more of the information we sought, we may feel awed by how much there is yet to learn, we may feel that we have been deeply changed by the experience.
Blessing
Y’varech’cha: May God bless you and strengthen you as you teach your students. In each part of your teaching may you uniqueness shine through, and bring out the uniqueness in each of your students.
May God’s blessings be granted to our teachers and al who engage in the study of Torah in this land and in all other lands.
May they enjoy abundant peace, grace, kindness, mercy, long life and ample sustenance. Deliver them from all danger and distress.
(from Kaddish d’rabanan)
Teaching:
When the Torah study had been completed in Rabbi Ammi’s school, they would say to each other:
May you see your world in your lifetime…
May your eyes sparkle with the light of the Torah,
And your face shine like the brilliance of the heavens.
May you speak words of wisdom,
and may the deeds of righteousness you do fill you body with joy.
And may your feet hurry to hear the words of the Ancient One, who sets the cycles in motion.
(TB Berakhot 17a)
"Why are the words of Torah like fire? A fire is built by many logs and the words of Torah survive only through many minds."
(TB Taanit 7a)
"A new word of Torah which comes from the mouth of a teacher ascends to the heavens and adds glory to God’s crown."
(Zohar – Introduction 1b)
(CLAL Faculty)
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