Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

The purpose of Brachot

In Jewish Studies students have been thinking about the purpose of brachot, when we say them and why we say them.

We are continuing now to look in detail at the Hebrew words that comprise a bracha, with many interesting questions and discussions arising. For example, when we looked at the second word of the bracha formula אתה – we realised this was a masculine word for ‘you’. This raised many questions for us, including:

• Does this mean God is male or masculine?
• Does God have a gender at all?
• Why was the masculine form of you – אתה, chosen for the blessing? 
• Why do people sometimes imagine God as ‘the old man with a beard’? 

Students were invited to write their bracha of gratitude. Here is a sample of their beautiful, creative blessings: