Dear Friends:
Waking up in the morning, my partner walks through his garden and I go onto the lawn to face the sun (East) and recite the Dawn Blessings. (These days it’s already 70 degrees by 7 AM!) Each in his own way, we spiritually center ourselves before delving into the day’s agenda.
The fifteen Dawn Blessings correspond to the successive stages of waking up. “Blessed are You, Eternal God, Ruler of the universe, who opens the eyes of the blind”—when opening one’s eyes; “…who clothes the naked”—when changing out of one’s nightclothes (in ancient times, they used to do that under the covers out of modesty!); “…who frees the bound”—when stretching in bed; “…who raises the bent”—when sitting up in bed; “…who establishes dry ground upon the waters”—when setting one’s feet upon the floor; “…who has provided for all my needs”—when putting on one’s shoes; “…who sets out the heroic path”—when taking the first steps of the day; etc. Amazing! The liturgy imbues every natural human act with social, ethical, even cosmic significance from the very first moment of consciousness.
How will my own human actions today further the divine process?
Don’t wake up and immediately plunge into your day. Do you have time to take a shower or brush your teeth? Then you have time to count your blessings and remind yourself that you are a human being.
Rabbi Brian
rabbi.brian.besser@gmail.com
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