This is a picture of a sculpture created by the artist Phillip Ratner
One of the most poignant moments in the Torah is found in Genesis 27:38. Jacob has received Isaac’s blessing. Bereft, Isaac’s other son the elder Esau, implores Isaac to find room in his heart for a blessing for him.
“And Esau said to his father: ‘Do you have only one blessing? Father, bless me too, my father. Esau lifted his voice and he wept.”
The pain Esau feels is palpable even in text renowned for its economy of words. Doesn’t Esau’s experience hit close to home for many of us? Each of us wants to be recognized and loved, to be seen and heard by our parents, and how deeply painful it is when we do not receive this love.
Leaving a blessing, final words and thoughts for our children that let them know we do love them, see them, and hear them as individuals, seals the bond between parent and child. Long after we are gone, our children will carry our message in their hearts and this more than anything else is our most precious gift to them. This is the story of our life that will endure, the legacy we bequeath.
