You might be surprised by how much I’m asked about the meaning of numerical values in Judaism. Whatever power you might or might not ascribe to them, there are certain numbers whose repetition bears noting. The number 7, for example. There are 7 days of creation, 7 colors of the rainbow, 7 days of the week, 7 patriarchs and matriarchs. The number 7 is also prominent in the Jewish wedding ceremony. Traditionally, the bride circled the groom 7 times before going under the chuppah (the wedding canopy), or in modern times the couple circles each other 3 times each and then walks once together in a circle. In either case, it’s a nod to that moment of creation, and the creation of a home together.
In addition, our Torah portion this week, Parshat Vayetzi, focuses twice on the number 7: first as the number of years Jacob works for Rachel (which he has to repeat), and the 7 nights of the bridal chamber. This tradition of the “bridal week,” which is the week Jacob spent with Leah as a private time after their marriage, is still in existence today and is symbolized by the Sheva Brachot, the seven blessings. There are 7 blessings recited under the chuppah at a wedding ceremony and added to Birkat Hamazon, the prayer after meals, for the week following a wedding when the bride and groom are present.
You can find the Sheva Brachot with translation, transliteration, and the original Hebrew here:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-sheva-berakhot
Do you notice any themes spanning multiple blessings? Perhaps harkening back to the theme of creation again?
There is one significant milestone not marked by the number 7. As we learned in the Torah portion a few weeks ago, the bris, the covenant of circumcision, takes place not on the 7th day, but the 8th day of life. Why this variation from the magical number? It’s thought that 7 is a number of completion or a number representing a cycle. That would make 8 the next step forward.
– Rabbi Eve Posen
Source: 7 Days, 7 Blessings
