“May G-d bless you and keep you” is a sentimental phrase. My high school sang it at the choir concert last week, where seniors cried as they were blessed onto their next journey—college. The phrase then followed me further, written on the confirmation card my bubbie gave me. While this is a well-known saying, it means so much to different people, and comes from the Torah portion of Naso, in the book of Numbers.

I, like many other high school sophomores, just got confirmed on Shavuot two weeks ago. Overall, the experience connected me closer to my Judaism than I have ever been, as I spent time with my class discussing what confirmation meant to us as a whole and individually. I learned Haftorah, prayers, and wrote a speech about what prayer meant to me. 

When the service finally happened, my rabbi blessed us, talking to each of my classmates for around a minute with insights on who we were becoming as Jewish adults. Just as G-d told Moses to have Aaron bless the sons of Israel by saying, “May G-d bless you and keep you,” it felt like two weeks ago, G-d told rabbis to bless their confirmands.

As I sat on the bimah and listened to my rabbi, she gave us advice for the future, listing off the top five things the Torah taught the Jewish people. I listened to her say an interpreted version of what Aaron said to the sons of Israel—“May G-d … favor you. May G-d … establish peace for you.” This advice will stick with me, as I know it will have the same effect on my classmates as we all listened intently to my rabbi giving us her wisdom. We all cried a little, feeling a true connection to who we have grown into as Jews, and I can’t help but think if this is how the Israelites felt when Aaron blessed them. To know we went through the same process as our ancestors created an invisible string, one made from traditions that are passed down, l’dor v’ador.

Just as confirmation is an event of young Jewish adults promising to continue their journey in Judaism, Naso discusses that if one wants, they can take the vow of a Nazir to elevate themselves to the position of a priest. This similarity of confirming one’s faith by either becoming a confirmand or priest, and being written in the Torah within the same time frame of two weeks seems like more than a coincidence. To me, this idea of confirming your Judaism in the way that works for you means that no matter where you are in your Jewish timeline, there is something for every person to connect to Judaism. 

The portion of Naso explores G-d having Moses communicate guidelines to the Israelites, whether that being committing sins causes guilt or that cheating on your partner will trigger becoming an outcast of society. Comparatively, confirmation let me discover the guidelines I want for myself as a Jewish adult. I concluded it is crucial for me to continue to be a proud Jew; and that no matter the world we live in, I can stand with my people and represent our wonderful religion. Slowing down and reading the commentary of Naso felt like a second confirmation to my Judaism, as I found joy reading the Torah and realizing that what I just went through is more similar to the Israelites than I ever thought possible. 

Shabbat Shalom,
Aliyah Gutman
South Jersey