I’m a little bit baffled about the meaning of the word “bless.” Nothing Merriam-Webster says about it strikes me
as particularly Jewish. Same with the
online OED.
On the other hand – and not surprisingly – the explanation
offered by ReformJudaism.org
resonates with me: “Throughout Jewish
history, the deepest feelings and longings of the soul have been given
expression in the form of blessings (brachot)
for nearly every occasion, both ordinary and extraordinary, and a liturgy for
both daily and sacred times.”
With apologies to master liturgist and wordsmith Alden Solovy and to my friend, the spiritual
writer and poet Stacey Zisook
Robinson, I offer this blessing for today:
Dear God, Creator of the Universe –
Yesterday we praised you for creation
and rest. Today, praise
for today.
For jammies and slippers,
Coffee and the New York Times,
Thinking and writing,
Phone calls, catching up,
Unmade beds, unshowered bodies, messy hair.
Space for ideas to wander
around in my head.
To attach like barnacles
To a boat’s belly
To other ideas
To grow, to morph,
To come into being.
Words on the page,
Time
To take them in,
To ponder their meaning,
A page-turner.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God,
Sovereign of all,
who created this day,
and let me make it a lazy Sunday.
Inspired by Ima on (and off)
the Bima, this post is one in a series marking the days of the
Jewish month of Nisan leading up to Passover, which begins at sundown on
Friday, April 3, which corresponds to 15 Nisan. If you want to play along,
check out this year's
#BlogExodus and #ExodusGram prompts. This series of essays
also is priming my heart, mind, and spirit to participate in a six-day summer
writing seminar, Beyond
Walls: Spiritual Writing at Kenyon.
