There is a very old blessing, called Eishet Chayil, generally translated as A Woman of Valor that is recited in many observant Jewish homes on Shabbat before the blessing over the wine. In this blessing, the husband recites the blessing to give honor to his wife. Sweet, right? During the blessing he compares her to rubies and compliments the cleanliness of the house, and how well she sews curtains and bakes bread. While JewBelong is all for blessing or declaring love for one another as much as possible, Eishet Chayil is outdated and doesn’t resonate the way it did back in the shtetl. JewBelong’s modern version is a beautiful way for all couples to show appreciation to one another. Enjoy!

[Partner 1]
To you, my partner, I say: “Thank you.”
Thank you for being you, in all your flawed perfection
Thank you for sharing your heart and your life with me
For your laughter and your tears
Your strength and your struggles
Your certainty and your doubts
Thank you for growing with me and not away from me
For talking and for listening
For arguing and for making up
For seeing and being a light in the darkness
For all these things, I say: “Thank you.”

[Partner 2]
To you, my partner, I ask: “Please.”
Please see me as I am, in all my flawed perfection.
Please show me compassion and understanding
Through my breakdowns and breakthroughs
My triumphs and tribulations
My miracles and meltdowns
Please continue growing with me and not away from me
Seeing the goodness in my soul
The sincerity of my love
And my desire to continue building this life with you
For all these things, I ask: “Please.”

[Both Partners in Unison]
To you, I say: “Thank you.”
To you, I ask: “Please.”
To you, I pledge my love
And with God’s blessing, may we enjoy the best of times together. Amen.
-A JewBelong Original