Priestly blessing

Baby & dad at the
blessing

Today is the 3rd day of Sukkoth ... and the annual Priestly Blessing took place at the Wialing Wall with thousands of jews and tourists in attendance. Security was tight ... even a helicopter was circling overhead while the blessing was given. Around me were families, old and young ... seculars and religious. The whole range of israeli society was there ... united not by ideology or politics or even religious denominations ... but all united by the ancient tribe of priests (levitical tribe) who gave the blessing everyday in the Temple 2000 years ago. It's the blessing of Aaron taught by God ... given only by the priestly families. Without the temple, the priests no longer have a job of sacrificing and playing music and lighting the lamps ... so nowadays the only priestly exercise they do is give the blessing. And I make it a point to participate every year. Remembered all of you at the blessing.

Waving the 4 species
of plants

Those who could afford, carried the 4 species of plants dictated by the Torah for this feast. It's the palm frond, the myrtle, the willow and the etrog (citron). It's very expensive nowadays and many families cannot afford it. The jews would hold them together and shake them at the 4 directions of the earth as well as up and down. It's not biblical but a rabbinic tradition. They call it "waving" the 4 species though technically it's shaking them.

Yes ... even though I'm still very sick today, I made it to the Wailing Wall for the blessing. There was a new dad with a very small baby ... like 2 or 3 months ... all wrapped up under the father's prayer shawl. It was a very tender image. And it was the 1st blessing the baby received from the priests.

I went to the doc's after the blessing ... and he insisted on antibiotics which I'm reluctant to take. Anyway I gave in because last night the fever was very high and the pain was terrible ... I couldn't sleep. I've been drinking lots of water and milk to cool my throat. Now I'm on paracetamol to control the fever and pain, and antibiotics to clear my lungs. That means lots of sleep as the medicine make me drowsy.