OU TORAH YU TORAH NAALEH.COM Beautiful “Badekin” Blessing By Shira Smiles

Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein After the death of Sara Imeinu, Avraham sets about finding a wife for their son Yitzchak. He sends his servant Eliezer back to his home town to find an appropriate shidduch. With Hashem’s help, Eliezer finds the perfect girl, Rebecca. Rebecca suggests Eliezer come to the family home where there is plenty of food for him and for his animals and even sleeping quarters. Eliezer goes to their home and negotiates with Rebecca’s father Betuel and her brother Lavan to allow Rebecca to return with him to marry his master’s son, Yitzchak. When the negotiations are complete and Rebecca is about to set off for a new life as the wife of Yitzchak, Lavan blesses her saying, “Our sister, may you come to be thousands of myriads, and may your offspring inherit the gate of its foes.” This blessing, along with, “May God make you as Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah,” has become part of the ritual blessing given to a bride before she enters her own wedding canopy.