Blessing · Jewish practice
The Priestly Blessing
May the Lord bless you and protect you; may the Lord’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn toward you and give you peace.
יְבָרֶכְךָ אֲדֹנָי וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ יָאֵר אֲדֹנָי פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ יִשָּׂא אֲדֹנָי פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם
Yevarekhekha Adonai veyishmerekha Ya'er Adonai panav elekha viḥunneka Yissa Adonai panav elekha veyasem lekha shalom
The priestly blessing given in Numbers — three lines, rising from three words to five to seven. Parents say it over children on Friday evening; the synagogue rite in which kohanim pronounce it over the congregation is a separate matter, and reading the verses here is not that rite.
Source: Numbers 6:24–26
The count shown here is Japa's suggestion, not a rule of the tradition. Follow the form and number you were taught.
Not counted on beads
How many times
Japa suggests once a day. Follow the number you were taught.
Japa counts this one without a mala: a plain daily number rather than a ring of beads, with the words kept in view while you say them. Counting is unlimited and free.
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What the words say
Three lines that widen as they go. The first asks for blessing and protection — the material request. The second asks that God's face shine and be gracious, which is relationship rather than provision. The third asks that God's face be lifted toward you and that peace be set upon you; shalom, the last word, means wholeness as much as the absence of war. Adonai stands for the Divine Name, which is not pronounced.
Where it comes from
Numbers 6:24–26. These verses are the oldest passage of the Hebrew Bible yet found on a physical object: two small silver scrolls from Ketef Hinnom in Jerusalem, dated to around the seventh century BCE, carry a version of them.
How it is practised
Said by parents over children on Shabbat eve and at lifecycle moments. The synagogue duchening by kohanim follows rules this app does not attempt to reproduce. The three verses are one blessing, and one count here is one pass through all three — nothing in the sources sets a number of times to repeat it.
References
- Numbers 6:24–26
- Ketef Hinnom silver amulets, Israel Museum, c. 7th c. BCE
Keep it, and count it every day.
Japa keeps this text beside a large, calm counter on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with a haptic for every bead and an optional bell at the end of each round. Counting is unlimited and free.
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