blessing – Alexander Massey

Burning bush & brachot (blessings) – D’var on Parshat Sh’mot

Jewish concepts & customs, Torah / admin

Exodus 3:1-15 Because my commentary links the Torah reading about Moses and the burning bush to the idea of making a blessing, I have included an English interpretation after the Hebrew Torah blessings. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: “Blessed are You, […]

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Baruch Atah, B’ruchah At (Blessed Shall You Be)

Interfaith, Torah / admin

Music and audio © Alexander Massey 24 August 2021 Download the free sheet music here (voice & guitar) A simple blessing suitable for many occasions. Other than the title, Baruch Atah, B’ruchah At, this song is entirely in English. Hebrew blessings for people have historically always been in the masculine. In more recent times, there

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B’ruchah Haba’ah (Blessed Is She)

Babies & Brit Shalom Ceremonies, Life Cycle / admin

Composition and audio © Alexander Massey 12 Dec 2015. An earlier recording and a version of this article and song were published on Ritual Well (USA), June 2016. Download the free sheet music (for 1, 2, or 3 voices & optional guitar) Blessed is she who comes in the name of Becoming! Who is she

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Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings)

Life Cycle, Wedding / admin

The Sheva Brachot are one of the core ‘set pieces’ of a Jewish wedding. [Scroll to the end of this page to hear 4 different musical versions of the same blessings.] While the wording is very traditional, and the blessings are traditionally sung by the celebrant or a chazan (cantor), there are many ways to reframe the seven

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Mi Adir (blessing the bride and groom)

2 Comments / Life Cycle, Prayer / T'fillah, Wedding / admin

Mi Adir – Composition and audio © Alexander Massey, 13 Nov 2013 Download free sheet music (solo version) Download the free sheet music (solo voice & string quartet) Mi Adir is a text that is traditionally used at a Jewish wedding as the couple processes to the chuppah. Last year, I composed a new musical setting for

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Y’varech’cha Adonai (May You Be Blessed) – the ‘Priestly Blessing’

2 Comments / Liturgy / Siddur, Prayer / T'fillah / admin

Y’varech’cha Adonai – May You Be Blessed – Composition and audio © Alexander Massey, 3 July 2013 Download the free sheet music (solo voice & piano) Download the free sheet music (SATB & piano) The simple meaning I have always loved the sounds of this blessing (sometimes called the ‘Priestly Blessing’), whether in Hebrew or

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The Path of Blessing (Marcia Prager) – notes on the book

1 Comment / Jewish concepts & customs, Notes on books / admin

These are my personal notes that I made when I read: Prager, Rabbi Marcia (1998) Path Of Blessing: Experiencing the Energy and Abundance of the Divine, Jewish Lights. When I make notes, they are just to jog my own memory of the book, so I am aware that they may not always make sense to the general

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