Blessing Our Walk
We are so grateful for the blessings that were offered by all the faith communities along our way. We will not forget them. At the start of Day Two, Rabbi Jesse Epstein from Temple Beth Am moved us to tears with this blessing he crafted with such care, and which we have since shared with many others.
Blessing for the Journey
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמּוֹתֵינוּ
שֶׁתּוֹלִיכֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם,
וְתַצְעִידֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם,
וְתַדְרִיכֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם.
Yehi ratzon milfanecha, Adonai Eloheinu v’Elohei avoteinu v’imoteinu,
shetolicheinu l’shalom,
v’tatz’ideinu l’shalom,
v’tadricheinu l’shalom.
May it be Your will, Eternal One,
that You lead us toward peace,
that You direct our footsteps toward peace,
and that You guide us toward peace.
May the road ahead be safe beneath your feet.
May your bodies feel strength for the miles ahead,
and may you know when to rest, when to continue, and when to help one another get through any obstacles in your way.
May every step take you not only farther down the road,
but a little closer toward one another.
May you meet strangers with curiosity,
difference with humility,
weariness with patience,
and every person along your path with the recognition of their sacred human dignity.
May you speak words of kindness,
and may you have the courage to turn those words into deeds.
May you not only do acts of chesed, lovingkindness
but learn, more and more, to love chesed —
to become people who instinctively seek opportunities
to care, to accompany, to listen, and to help.
May you listen deeply to the stories you encounter along the way.
May you carry some of those stories with you,
and may you leave something of your own hearts behind.
May the Holy One send blessing upon the work of your hands —
and, for these days, upon the work of your feet.
וְתִתְּנֵנוּ לְחֵן וּלְחֶסֶד וּלְרַחֲמִים
בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּבְעֵינֵי כָל רוֹאֵינוּ.
V’titneinu l’chein, ul’chesed, ul’rachamim,
b’einecha uv’einei chol ro’einu.
May you find grace, kindness, and compassion —
in the eyes of the Holy One
and in the eyes of every person you encounter.
May you be kind.
May you do good.
May you walk humbly.
And may you discover, mile after mile,
that peace is not only the destination toward which we walk.
It is also a way of walking.
Baruch Atah Adonai, shome’a tefilah.
Blessed is the One who hears prayer.
And let us say: Amen.
