My daughter, Dahlia, was born on a Friday morning. That Shabbat, my husband and I had the privilege of blessing her for the very first time using words inspired by this week’s Torah portion, Vayechi (and he lived). She hadn’t yet received her name, so we held her close and said “May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah” – a blessing recognizing her role as the next link in the chain of Jewish tradition, and expressing hope that she grow into a strong woman.  

Parashat Vayechi chronicles the last moments of Jacob’s life and the blessings he leaves behind for his children and grandchildren. Each son of Jacob receives a unique blessing, except for Joseph, as Jacob requests to bless his grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe, instead. He blesses Joseph through them, recognizing their role in continuing the legacy of Abraham, and offers an instruction for all future Israelites. He says, “By you shall Israel invoke blessings, saying: God make you like Ephraim and Menashe.” To this day, there is a custom for parents to bless their children on Friday night with these words.  

The next time that we blessed Dahlia, we added to the traditional blessing, “May God make you like Dahlia Meira.” While each of us acts as a link in the chain of Abraham and Sarah’s legacy, we also have our own unique role to play in this life. By blessing Dahlia with these words, we hope that she will aspire to become the fullest version of herself, inspired by the legacy of those who came before her.  

May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe. May God make you like you.