TIP OF THE DAY 79: Benedictions part 2

MJ. Smith

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QUESTION: What is the difference between a blessing and a benediction?

ANSWER: from the Logos/Verbum AI all search synopsis:

A blessing and a benediction are closely related concepts, often used interchangeably, but with some subtle differences. A blessing is generally understood as an expression of good wishes or a prayer for happiness upon someone. It can be a solemn pronouncement invoking happiness or divine favor. A benediction, derived from Latin meaning "good speaking," is often translated as "blessing" and is typically used in religious contexts. In Christian worship services, the term "benediction" is commonly used in Protestant churches, while "blessing" is more prevalent in Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican traditions. Both involve the pronouncement of God's favor upon a congregation, usually at the conclusion of a service. Blessings can also refer to thanksgiving for food and drink, or to gifts and advantages that promote happiness and well-being. In religious practice, blessings or benedictions are often delivered by clergy, based on biblical precedent, to assure believers of God's grace and favor.1

From Harford, George, Morley Stevenson, and J. W. Tyrer, eds. The Prayer Book Dictionary. New York: Longman, 1912.

BENEDICTION, OR BLESSING

1. Definition

By a B. in the liturgical sense of the word is meant the invoking of God’s blessing on some person or thing. A distinction is sometimes drawn between B. on the one hand, and Dedication or Consecration on the other, the latter implying a permanent setting apart to the service of God, which is not of necessity implied in the former. In the present art no distinction is drawn between the two.

2. Benediction of Things

The B. of things is a custom of great antiquity in the Christian Church. Basil (c. 370) says: “We bless the water of baptism and the oil of unction” (On the Holy Ghost 27 66—a passage in which he is giving a list of Church customs so old in his days that they were believed to have been of apostolic origin). In the Middle Ages nothing from a church down to the smallest article of clerical dress was used in the service of God until it had received a blessing.

There were, besides, other Bs. recurring periodically on certain fixed days. Of these we may mention, in the East, the Blessing of the Waters on the Epiphany, and of the Holy Chrism on Maundy Thursday.

Among the more important in the West are the Blessing of Holy Water every Sunday before Mass, the Blessing of Candles on the Purification of B.V. Mary, of Ashes on the first day of Lent, of Palms, etc., on Palm Sunday, of the Holy Oils on Maundy Thursday, of the Paschal Taper and the Font on Easter Even, and again of the Font on Whitsun Even.

The only Bs. of things to be found in the PB are the blessing of the bread and wine in the pr. of Consecr. (see Communion, Holy, § 10) and that of the water in the Baptismal Offices. though some others, such as the Consecration of Churches and Churchyards, have always been and are still in use in the Church of England. There is a tendency in the present day to revive the custom of blessing things, and forms, more or less suitable, may be found in The Priest’s Prayer Book and similar compilations.

3. Benediction of Persons

Under the head of B. of Persons we must distinguish between the special benedictive services by which men are dedicated to some office or position (see arts. Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage Service, Ordinal, Institution, Coronation. etc.), and ordinary Benedictions. It is of the latter that we treat here. Many prayers are in their purpose and meaning benedictive. But to constitute a B. proper, three things are necessary.

(a) The person who gives it must possess authority. “Without any dispute the less is blessed of the better” (Heb. 7:7 RV). In liturgical use this is carried out by putting Bs. in the mouth of a bishop, if present, or, in his absence, of a priest (see Clemens Alex., Pædagog. iii. 11 63; Apost. Constit. 8 28). (b) The recipients of the blessing must be addressed directly in the second person, (c) The blessing must be couched in the imperative or optative mood.

Many such Bs. are to be found in the Bible, e.g., in the OT, Gen. 28:3–4, Num. 6:24–26, and, in the NT, 1 Cor. 16:23, 2 Cor. 13:14. The natural liturgical position of a B. of this kind is at the end of a service, or of some special part of a service. That was the case among the Jews (Ecclus. 50:19–20), and in the early Church (see Conclusions of St. Paul’s Epistles).

4. Benedictions in PB

There are twelve Bs. proper in the PB: (1) Absol. in HC, (2) first half of Absol. in VS, (3) and (4) first half of Words of Administration of Elements in HC, (5) and (6) in the Marriage Service, (7) and (8) in Offices of Ordering Priests and Consecrating Bishops immediately after questions addressed to Ordinands, (9) and (10) at end of VS, (11) first half of final Blessing in HC, (12) second half of final Blessing in HC, repeated (with slight variations) at end of Confirmation Service. (See further, respective arts.) All of these except (10) occurred in PB of 1549, and have remained the same ever since except for minor changes. (10) was introduced in 1662. (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) and (6) are based on Sarum forms. This is possibly the case with (7) and (8) also. (9), (10) and (11) are taken from Scripture:—(9) from Ps. 61:3, Phil. 2:10 and Acts 4:12; (10) from Num. 6:24–26; (11) from Phil. 4:7. (12) is the mediæval episcopal or abbatial blessing, “Benedictio Dei omnipotentis, Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti, super vos descendat et maneat semper” (Westminster Missal, HBS, 2 572). The Amer. PB contains a thirteenth B. occurring in Office of Institution of Ministers, and taken from Heb. 13:20–21.

Besides these formal Bs. there are in the PB one or two quasi-Benedictions, as at end of MP and EP, and of Commination Office. These differ from Bs. proper in the use of the first person instead of the second, owing to the speaker being likewise included among those who are to receive the blessing.

5. Ritual of Benediction

It is natural for the priest who pronounces a blessing to stand in token of authority with his face towards the recipients, and for them to kneel. And this is usually ordered, explicitly or implicitly, in the rubrics of the PB. Two other acts of ritual are often associated with Benediction:

(a) The lifting up of the hand. This has Scriptural sanction (Lev. 9:22, Luke 24:50). (b) The sign of the cross. This was constantly used in mediæval Bs., and is of considerable antiquity, as we see from James of Edessa’s letter to Thomas the presbyter (c. 700—Bright man’s Eastern Liturgies, p. 493). In the PB of 1549 it was retained in the Blessings of the Marriage Service, but was omitted in 1552. According to the Lincoln Judgment it is not now lawful, at any rate in the Bs. of the Communion Office.

6. Literature

DCA, art. Benedictions; Cabrol, DAC, arts. Bénédiction’s Bénédictions Episcopales, Bénir (Manière de); Martene, De Antiq. Eccles. Rit., Bk. 2, De Sacris Benedictionibus; mediæval Benedictionals, e.g., Benedictional of Abp. Robert (HBS).—b2. J. W. Tyrer.

1 Merriam-Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Thesaurus (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1996). and Noah Webster, Noah Webster’s First Edition of An American Dictionary of the English Language. (Anaheim, CA: Foundation for American Christian Education, 2006). and Michelle Anthony and Megan Marshman, 7 Family Ministry Essentials: A Strategy for Culture Change in Children’s and Student Ministries (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2015), 46. and Walter A. Elwell and Philip Wesley Comfort, Tyndale Bible Dictionary, Tyndale Reference Library (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), 226.

MJ. Smith

From Perplexity:

Blessings and benedictions, while related, differ in several key aspects:

1. Purpose:

Blessings are broader invocations of divine favor or goodwill.

Benedictions are specifically closing blessings, usually at the end of a worship service.

2. Context:

Blessings can occur in various settings, both religious and secular.

Benedictions are primarily used in religious contexts, especially in formal worship services.

3. Structure:

Blessings can be informal and spontaneous.

Benedictions often have a more formal structure and may use specific scriptural phrases.

4. Authority:

Blessings can be given by anyone.

Benedictions are typically pronounced by ordained clergy or those in religious authority.

5. Theological significance:

Blessings are seen as general invocations of divine favor.

Benedictions are considered more than just wishes; they are viewed as actual bestowments of divine grace.

6. Timing:

Blessings can occur at any time.

Benedictions specifically mark the conclusion of a religious service or gathering.

While both blessings and benedictions invoke divine favor, benedictions serve a more specific liturgical function in formally concluding worship and sending the congregation forth with God's blessing1.

QUESTION: What are the 18 Benedictions of the Amidah?

SOFTWARE: The all Search provides solid answers depending upon your library for relevant results.

ANSWER: from the Synopsis:

The 18 Benedictions, also known as the Amidah, are a fundamental component of Jewish prayer, originating from the Second Temple period. According to tradition, these benedictions were authored by the men of the Great Assembly, who were leaders of the Jewish community during that time. The sequence of these prayers was standardized by Rabban Gamaliel II at Yavneh around the end of the first century C.E., though the precise wording was only fixed during the Talmudic period. One of the articles mentions that this prayer was likely recited three times daily by observant Jews throughout the New Testament era. The fifth section of the 18 Benedictions, in both Palestinian and Babylonian traditions, includes a request for God to cause repentance and an affirmation that God desires repentance. It's worth noting that benedictions in Jewish tradition are seen as acts of submission to God, with the word "brachot" (blessings) derived from a verb meaning to "bow" or "bend the knee".2

From Ronald L. Eisenberg, The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions, 1st ed. (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2004).

Brachot (blessings, benedictions) are the fundamental components of prayer. The word “brachot” (singular, bracha) comes from a verb meaning to “bow” or bend the “knee” (berech) and thus indicates an act of submission to God. The men of the Great Assembly—the leaders of the Jews during the Second Temple period—are traditionally considered the authors of the liturgical brachot (Ber. 33a). Under their influence, brachot such as the original 18 benedictions of the Amidah (see p. 421), the blessings before and after the Shema (see p. 419), and the first three blessings of the Birkat ha-Mazon (Grace after Meals; see p. 476) became the norm in most Jewish communities. The sequence of prayers and blessings was standardized under Rabban Gamaliel II at Yavneh at the end of the first century c.e. However, the precise wording of individual brachot and their basic requirements were fixed only during the talmudic period. Rav stated that a benediction must contain the name of God, and Rabbi Yochanan declared that a benediction must proclaim God’s kingship (Ber. 40b).

Types of Blessings and Basic Formulas

Maimonides classified the blessings into three categories: (1) those recited before “experiences of enjoyment,” such as food and drink; (2) those recited for the privilege of performing religious commandments, such as hearing the shofar, wearing the tallit, and kindling the Sabbath lights; and (3) those that “express petition, thanksgiving, or praise” in public or private worship, such as Grace after Meals. Each of these types of blessing has its own formula and structure.

All brachot open with the words “בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה” (Baruch ata Adonai; Praised are You, O Lord). When the blessing occurs at the beginning of a prayer, the words “אֶלֹהֵינוּמֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם” (Eloheinu melekh ha-olam; our God, King of the Universe) are added. There are four basic formulas of brachot. The simplest is the “short” blessing for experiences of enjoyment, which opens “Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha-olam” and concludes with a reference to the experience that called for the blessing. Thus in the blessing over bread one adds “ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz” (Who brings forth bread from the earth); for wine, the blessing concludes “borei peri ha-gafen” (Who creates the fruit of the vine).

Blessings for the privilege of performing religious commandments open with an expanded formula: “Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu” (אֲשֶׁר קִדְשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיווְצִוָנוּ; Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to …). They conclude with the specific mitzvah that is about to be performed. Thus when lighting the candles on Friday night one adds “le-hadlik ner shel Shabbat” (to kindle the Sabbath lights). When a mitzvah is performed for the first time in the year, one adds the Shehecheyanu blessing (“Who has kept us alive and preserved us and enabled us to reach this season”; see p. 479).3

1 and https://thepastorsworkshop.com/liturgy/benedictions and and https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/benedictions and and https://learn.ligonier.org/qas/what-is-a-benediction-why-does-it-appear-in-so-many-worship-services and and https://www.reformedworship.org/article/march-1991/make-me-blessing-benedictions-are-more-pious-wishes

2 Ronald L. Eisenberg, The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions, 1st ed. (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2004), 386 and David S. Morlan, Conversion in Luke and Paul: An Exegetical and Theological Exploration, ed. Mark Goodacre, vol. 464, Library of New Testament Studies (London; New Delhi; New York; Sydney: Bloomsbury, 2013), 62.

3 Ronald L. Eisenberg, The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions, 1st ed. (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2004), 386–387. https://theaquilareport.com/the-benediction-in-corporate-worship/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benediction https://www.ligonier.org/posts/what-benediction https://www.christianstudylibrary.org/article/benediction-worship-service