Our Torah portion this week, Toldot, is one of the most relatable for me, having taught Hebrew school for years of my life. It has even more meaning now as a parent. Children have the unique ability to push caregivers’ (and teachers’) buttons, especially in that wide age range between 2 and 18. I’ll admit that there were some moments in those early classroom days when I wondered why I ever thought I wanted to be a teacher. And I’m sure fellow parents can identify with the parenting moments that seem like test after test of our patience. It’s in these moments when I’m grateful to have a prayer I use for a reset. 

In Parshat Toldot Rebekah finds herself finally pregnant after wanting a child. It turns out she’s pregnant with twins who, even before they are fully formed human beings, test her nerves. She asks the question, as they quarrel inside her, “If this is so, why do I exist?” The answer is “Because they each have a purpose in our world.”

I take this response deeply to heart. Each human being has a purpose for which they were created. We learned a few chapters earlier in the story of creation that we humans were fashioned in God’s image, which means that each of us has a divine spark and purpose. The words used are “betzelem elohim,” fashioned in God’s image. 

In our morning prayers, we read the blessing “Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haOlam she’asani b’tzalmo.” Blessed are You, Adonai our God, ruler of the universe, who made me in God’s image.

Many read this blessing as gratitude to God for creating us in the first place. I read this as an opportunity to remember that I was created in God’s image, but so was every other human. It is only when we see the humanity in all human beings that we’re able to open our hearts and minds to meaningful relationships. Even with the ones who push our buttons. 

– Rabbi Eve Posen

Source: For Making Me, Me