I almost skipped these brachot, but I’ve decided to sneak them in. Though they are present in Lev Shalem, the playbook I received says that we skip them and go straight on to Kaddish d’Rabbanan which we will cover next week. Though this at first struck me as odd, I soon discovered that many Siddurim, including the earlier Conservative Sim Shalom, omit them entirely. This allows us to focus on the messengers and not the message as we move on to praising teachers for teaching us Torah but avoid the Torah itself.

The Torah and I have a complicated relationship. It is the foundation on which all of our Jewish insights, culture, wisdom, laws, customs, and Civilization are built; and it’s an absolute trainwreck. Sure, it’s full of contradictions, seemingly immoral yet spared heroes and moral but punished heroes and villains alike but it also painfully uninteresting in places, including this week’s parshah about a mythical robe for a mythical character prescribed at a mythical time and place that have no bearing on the foundations just highlighted. As I read these blessings, I couldn’t help but think: is it a gift to have something so messy? Sure we can focus on the biblical etymology of Israel, and embrace the struggle, but we require rhetorical fences within fences around the Torah to protect it from itself and a

need layers of commentary to provide a roadmap between the landmines on the path to holiness. More than once I’ve found myself wanting to come up with something if not better, at least something that causes less cognitive dissonance when it’s paraded around the synagogue. No wonder we ask for a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down.

Perhaps if I hadn’t found a home in Judaism precisely because it didn’t ask me to enthusiastically read of barely avoided (or not depending on the Sage) filicide and pledge my loyalty to ideas that just required humility and defence to the point of faith alone, I would not find the communal pledge of love of the divine, regal, Torah so discomforting. And yet, I’m here, we’re here. The road to humanism, atheism, apathy and nihilism and their overlaps is not nearly so treacherous in this era as it once was and any of us could choice to just disengage. Disconnect; grab the sweet words, toss them on a bumper sticker and let Jesus take the wheel. But we don’t.

As I sat writing these words, I felt a mental itch telling me that I knew the answer, I just didn’t like it. We can all point to a partner, family member, friend, or other loved one who seems to be as much or more of a mess than the Torah, certainly on their worst days. And yet, we love them. Not because of their flaws, maybe not in spite of them either, but just as someone and something to love and invest our shishim shishim shavuot (60 60s =3600 weeks =~70 years), as the blessing says, for their own sake and ours. We’re a speck on a speck on a speck in a speck of time but we have the unique ability, as far as we know in the meaningfully reachable universe, and opportunity to turn our morsels of sunlight into acts of loving kindness and agree to disagree with each other, ourselves, and the texts to find a way to fix a bit of this broken world.

[Absent from Siddur]

[Absent in Siddur]

Siddur Tov leHodot (2022)
Ramah in the Rockies
Digitization: The-Merkaz.org
License: Fair Use

Blessed are You, our Living G-d, Sovereign of the universe, whose commandments make us holy, and who commands us to devote ourselves to the study of Torah.

Our Living G-d, make the words of Your Torah sweet in our mouths, and in the mouths of your people, the family of Israel, then we and our descendants, and the descendants of Your people the family of Israel, shall all know Your name and study Your Torah for its own sake.

Blessed are You G-d, You teach Torah to Your people Israel.

Seder Ha-T’fillot, Forms of Prayer
The Movement for Reform Judaism and Authors 2008
Source: The Sternberg Center for Judaism
Digitization: The-Merkaz.org
License: Fair Use

Blessed are you, Adonai our G-d, Sovereign of the universe, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to engage with the words of Torah.

O Adonai, our G-d, let the words of Torah be sweet in our mouths and the mouths of your people Israel, so that we, our descendants and the descendants of all Your people Israel may know by You, by studying Your Torah for its own sake.

Blessed are You, Adonai, who teaches Torah to Your people Israel.
Baruch atah, Adonai, ham’lameid chasidim tovim tovim l’amo Yisrael.

[Absent from Siddur]

Vetaher Libenu (1980)
Source: Congregation Beth El of the Sudbury River Valley
Digitization: The-Merkaz.org
License: Fair Use

Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified our lives through Mitzvot, and enjoined upon us the study of Torah.
May the words of your Torah Lord our God be pleasing to us and to your people the house of Israel. May we, our children, and all future generations of the house of Israel know You and study Your Torah with devotion. Praised are You, O Lord, who teaches Torah to His people Israel.
Praised Are You Lord our God King of the universe who has chosen us of all peoples for His service by giving us His Torah praised are you O Lord Giver of the Torah.
– Talmud, Berakhot 11b

Siddur Ḥadash (1991)
Sidney Greenberg, z”l
Source: Prayer Book Press/Media Judaica
Digitization: The-Merkaz.org
License: Fair Use

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the words of the Torah.
Lord our God make the teachings of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your entire people, the House of Israel; and may we, our children, and the children of Your entire people, the House of Israel, all be knowers of Your Name and the students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Lord, who teaches the Torah to his people Israel.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has chosen us from among the nations and given us His Torah. Blessed are You, Lord, who gives the Torah.

Siddur Tehillat Hashem (2002)
R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, z”l; English translation by R. Nissen Mangel
Source: Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch
Digitization: The-Merkaz.org
License: Fair Use

Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Translation based on the Metsudah linear siddur, by Avrohom Davis, 1981
Source: nli.org.il
 Digitization: Sefaria
License: CC-BY

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us to be involved with words of Torah. And please, Lord, our God, make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of all of Your people, the House of Israel. And may we and our offspring [and the offspring of our offspring] and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel – all of us – be knowing of Your Name and studying Your Torah for its sake. Blessed are You, Lord, Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who has chosen us from all of the nations and given us His Torah. Blessed are You, Lord, Who gives the Torah.

Bendito eres Tú Adonai, Dios nuestro Rey del universo, que nos santificaste con Tus preceptos y nos prescribiste el estudio y la meditación de la Torá. Oh Dios nuestro, haz que el contenido de Tu Torá sea el deleite nuestro y el de todo Tu pueblo Israel y que seamos nosotros y nuestros descendientes y todas las generaciones de Israel, conocedores de Tu nombre y estudiosos abnegados de Tu Torá. Bendito eres Tú Adonai, que revelaste Tu Torá al pueblo de Israel. Bendito eres Tú Adonai, Dios nuestro Rey del universo, que nos elegiste entre los pueblos para entregamos Tu Torá. Bendito eres Tú Adonai, que nos conferiste la Torá.

Berakhot 21a:5
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: We derived that one must recite the blessing over the Torah after it is read from Grace after Meals by means of an a fortiori inference. And we derive the obligation to recite a blessing before partaking of food from the blessing over the Torah by means of an a fortiori inference. The blessing over the Torah after it is read from Grace after Meals by means of an a fortiori inference: Food, which does not require a blessing beforehand by Torah law, requires a blessing afterward; Torah, which requires a blessing beforehand, is it not right that it requires a blessing afterward? And similarly: The blessing before partaking of food from the blessing over the Torah by means of an a fortiori inference: Torah, which requires no blessing afterward by Torah law, requires a blessing beforehand; food, which requires a blessing afterward, is it not right that it requires a blessing beforehand?

Berakhot 11b:16-19
The Gemara clarifies: What formula of blessings does he recite? There is a dispute over the formula of the blessings as well. Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: The formula of this blessing is like the standard formula for blessings recited over other mitzvot: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who sanctified us with his mitzvot and commanded us to engage in matters of Torah. And Rabbi Yoḥanan concludes the blessing by adding the following: Lord our God, make the words of Your Torah sweet in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people, the house of Israel, so that we and our descendants and the descendants of Your people, the house of Israel, may be those who know Your name and engage in Your Torah. Blessed are You, Lord, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. And Rav Hamnuna said an additional formula: Who has chosen us from all the peoples and given us His Torah. Blessed are You, Lord, Giver of the Torah. With regard to this formula, Rav Hamnuna said: This concise blessing is the most outstanding of all the blessings over the Torah, as it combines thanks to God for giving us the Torah as well as acclaim for the Torah and for Israel. Since several formulas for the blessing over Torah were suggested, each with its own distinct advantage, the Gemara concludes: Therefore, let us recite them all as blessings over the Torah.

Koren – Steinsaltz
William Davidson Edition – English
Source: korenpub.com
Digitization: Sefaria
License: CC-BY-NC

Berakhot 21a:5
R. Johanan said: We derive the injunction to utter a benediction after reading the Torah from the Grace after meals by a fortiori argument, and the injunction to say Grace before meals from the benediction over the reading of the Torah by a similar method of reasoning. We derive the injunction to utter a benediction after reading the Torah from the Grace after meals by a fortiori argument : If a meal which requires no benediction before it requires one after it, is it not right that the reading of the Torah, which does require a benediction before it, should require one after it ! And we derive the injunction to say Grace after meals from the benediction over the reading of the Torah by a similar method of reasoning : If the reading of the Torah, which requires no benediction after it, requires one before it, is it not right that a meal, which does require a benediction after it, should require one before it !

Berakhot 11b:16-19
What was the benediction ? Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: “[Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe], Who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments and commanded us to occupy ourselves with the words of Torah.” R. Johanan used to conclude thus : “Make pleasant, therefore, we beseech Thee, O Lord our God, the words of Thy Torah in our mouth and in the mouth of Thy people, the house of Israel, so that we with our offspring and the offspring of Thy people, the house of Israel, may all know Thy name and occupy ourselves with Thy Torah. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who teachest Torah to Thy people Israel.” Rab Hamnuna said : “[Blessed]… Who hast chosen us from all nations and given us Thy Torah. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who givest the Torah.” Rab Hamnuna said : This is the choicest of benedictions. Rab Pappa said : Therefore let one say them all.

Berakhot 21a:5
R. Joḥanan sagte: Wir können den Segensspruch nach dem Lesen der Tora vom Tischsegen, und den Segensspruch vor der Mahlzeit vom Segensspruche über die Tora folgern. Den Segensspruch nach [dem Lesen] der Tora vom Tischsegen durch [einen Schluß] vom Leichteren auf das Schwerere: die Mahlzeit erfordert keinen [Segensspruch] vorher, dennoch erfordert sie einen nachher, wie sollte nicht die Tora, die vorher einen erfordert, einen nachher erfordern!? Den Segensspruch vor der Mahlzeit vom Segensspruche über die Tora durch [einen Schluß] vom Leichteren auf das Schwerere: die Tora erfordert keinen Segensspruch nachher, dennoch erfordert sie einen vorher, wie sollte nicht die Mahlzeit, die nachher einen erfordert, einen vorher erfordern!? –

Berakhot 11b:16-19
Wie lautet der Segensspruch? R. Jehuda erwiderte im Namen Šemuéls: ‘Der uns geheiligt hat durch seine Gebote und uns befohlen hat, uns mit den Worten der Tora zu befassen’. R. Joḥanan beendete ihn also: ‘Laß angenehm sein, o Herr, unser Gott, die Worte deiner Tora in unserem Munde, sowie in dem Munde deines Volkes, des Hauses Jisraél. Mögen wir alle, unsere Nachkommen und die Nachkommen deines Volkes, des Hauses Jisraél, deinen Namen erkennen und uns mit deiner Tora befassen. Gepriesen seist du, o Herr, der sein Volk Jisraél die Tora lehrt’. R. Hamnuna sprach also: ‘Der uns von allen Völkern erwählt und uns seine Tora gegeben hat. Gepriesen seist du, o Herr, der du die Tora gegeben’. R. Hamnuna sagte: Dieser ist der beste unter den Segenssprüchen. Daher sage man sie alle.