I know a young couple who bless each other at the Shabbat table: they hold hands, look into each other’s eyes, then give and receive a blessing. This is a great addition to the Jewish custom of blessing our children. This piece appears in my book This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press. I use it for day six of counting the Omer, “Bonding in Lovingkindness.”

Blessing For a Spouse / Partner
Holiness walks with you,
My beloved.
Your face glows,
Your eyes shine,
And beauty surrounds you.
You sparkle with joy and hope.
Your countenance shimmers with the wonder of Creation.
You bless the hours and the days.

Let the glory of heaven light your path.
May you know G-d’s blessing
And G-d’s shelter,
Even as you fill our lives with strength and purpose,
With Torah and Mitzvot,
With Shabbat and holy days,
With your radiance
And with your love.

© 2017 CCAR Press from This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day

Postscript: Here are three Sabbath prayers: “For the Arrival of Shabbat,” “Welcome, Sabbath Queen” and “About Shabbat” Here are two Sabbath stories: “Sarah Rivkah: A Challah Baking Story” and “Mendel Baruch: S’hema on Shabbat.”

Please check out my Meet the Author video and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Credit: Caroline’s Journal

Tags: bless, blessing, blessing a husband, blessing a wife, letting love in, Sabbath blessing for a partner, Sabbath blessing for a spouse, Shabbat, Shabbos, שבת