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    Inside Intermarriage
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    by Jim Keen
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    Union for Reform Judaism

    Blessings for Today: A New Day in America
    January 21, 2009
    Jewish Living | Social Action (4 comments)

    By JanetheWriter
    We Jews have blessings for all occasions:  for bread, for wine, for joyous times, for sad times, upon seeing a rainbow, for flowers and herbs, for social action... the list goes on.

    Each morning we thank God for returning our souls to our bodies and for a host of other daily miracles:  enabling us to distinguish day from night, opening our eyes, freeing the captive, lifting the fallen, and so on.

    In our minyan this morning, we added three more blessings for the day:

    Baruch atah Adonai, asher sam chelki b'medinah chofesheet v'democratit.
    Praised are You, Adonai, Who has allowed me to live in a free and democratic country.

    Baruch atah Adonai, asher tzivanu lirdof acharei ha'tzedek tokh milui chovoteinu ha'ezrahiyyot.
    Praised are You, Adonai, Who commands us to pursue justice through the fulfillment of our civic obligations.

    Baruch atah Adonai, asher tzivanu la'asok b'ma'asei tikkun ha'olam.
    Praised are You, Adonai, Who commands us to engage in acts of repairing the world.

    I would add a fourth:

    Baruch atah Adonai eloheinu melech ha'olam shecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higyanu lazman hazeh.
    Praised are You, Adonai, Sovereign of the universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this time of joy.

    Amen.

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    Comments

    Larry Kaufman said:

    Thanks, Jane, for sharing the new b'rachot.

    Might I suggest that the first three are worthy of being part of our regular prayers, whereas the fourth, shehecheyanu, should be reserved, as it has traditionally been, for special occasions.

    I wonder why the liturgist who created these chiddushim (innovations) chose to omit from their formulation asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav, who has sanctified us with sacred obligations.

    Not having immediate access to a Hebrew dictionary, I also wonder if there is not a better Hebrew translation for democratic than democratit.

    January 21, 2009 1:06 PM
    JanetheWriter said:

    Larry,

    I agree that the first three b'rachot could, indeed, be part of daily worship. At the same time, they seemed particularly appropriate, timely and meaningful on this day, as so many drank in the hopefulness, awe and joy that yesterday's events generated in all corners of this great land. I agree, too, that the Shehecheyanu should be reserved for special occasions. Having said that, I believe that Obama’s inauguration was a special occasion in every way and as such, was worthy of a recitation of the Shehecheyanu.

    I checked with Rabbi Kim Geringer, who led this morning minyan service about the source for the three b’rachot. Unfortunately, she does not have a source for them. We surmised, however, that asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav may have been omitted because the nature of these blessings –- including the Shehecheyanu -- make them appropriate for all; they are inclusionary rather than exclusionary and, instead of setting us and our sacred obligations apart, might serve to draw us together with our fellow Americans, regardless of political affiliation. Lastly, according to Rabbi Geringer, the Hebrew translation for democratic is in fact democratit.
    January 21, 2009 3:55 PM
    Larry Kaufman said:

    I agree that the occasion deserved the shehecheyanu.

    Since two of the three b'rachot refer to our being commanded, then it would seem reasonable for those who accept that they are commanded to feel that they have been sanctified in the process.

    And as for democratit as a Hebrew word, where is Eliezer Ben Yehudah now that we need him?
    January 21, 2009 5:21 PM
    Paul Kipnes said:

    What a beautiful series of b'rachot. Thank you. I have double posted them on my blog, Or Am I?
    January 23, 2009 7:09 PM

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