How can a blessing help us stop, notice, and thank God for the uniqueness of what we are seeing (for good or for bad)? In this series, we will look closely at different blessings for seeing something unusual, from the Talmud to medieval and modern sources, to explore where they come from and what their meaning can be in our lives. Should we say a blessing on seeing someone particularly beautiful or particularly strange looking? Or a particularly wise person? Or a loved one we have not seen in a long time? Why? And if so, how do we decide who falls under these categories? What attitudes are these blessings intended to inculcate in us?
Rabbanit Rachael Gelfman Schultz is a teacher and writer. She has taught in a variety of formal and informal Jewish educational frameworks in Israel and in the US, including high school, Hebrew school, adult education, and one-on-one tutoring. She specializes in teaching students in the process of conversion. Rachael writes, edits, and translates for Jewish non-profit organizations and publishers, as well as writing Jewish educational curricula. Rachael has a BA from Harvard University in Religion and an MA from Hebrew University in Jewish Thought. She graduated from Maharat in 2025, and studied in both the Bruriah Scholars program at Midreshet Lindenbaum and the Advanced Kollel at Pardes Institute. Originally from Sharon, MA, Rachael now lives in Mitzpe Netofa in the Galilee with her family.
