יְשִׂמְךָ אֱלֹהִים כְּאֶפְרַֽיִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה *May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.*This blessing was chosen, rather than any other parental blessing in the Torah because this – given by Jacob to Joseph’s children – is the only case where a grandparent blesses a grandchild. Between parents and children there may be tension. Between grandparents and grandchildren the tension is absent and the blessing is given with a full heart (Lord Jakobovits).

וִיהִי רָצוֹן *May it be the will.*This lovely blessing expresses the hopes of Jewish parents for their children throughout the ages. Note that it does not speak of success, fame, wealth, power, or worldly achievement. It is a simple prayer that our children should grow up to fear and love God, walking in His ways, using their body and strengths to His service. The blessing for livelihood, too, is a modest one: that one’s children should be able to support themselves without dependence on charity and with sufficient time to devote to Torah study and the life of the mitzvot. Children grow to the size of the ideals they see their parents live by, and the greatest gift we can give our children is high ideals: love of God and of humankind, loyalty to one’s people and dedication to the service of God.