This morning I awoke wondering how I could face one more day of snow, rain, ice, sleet and cold. This winter has felt endless and all of the layers and boots and changes of clothing are certainly beginning to wear on me and my family. But in the midst of this internal rant I began to think about how I might turn this burden into a blessing. Could I reframe this situation in a way that reflects some sense of perspective given the insignificance of the complaint?
Jewish tradition encourages the recital of 100 blessings each day. This notion clearly reflects Judaism’s deep commitment to retaining an ongoing sense of gratitude and appreciation. The sheer quantity – even if not taken literally – reflects a useful instinct. We have many specific blessings in our tradition – blessings for waking up, for going to sleep, blessings for sunsets, rainbows, and even hearing bad news. We have blessings that point our attention to appreciate when our bowels function, when our soul is “returned” to us in the morning, and when food is set forth on our table. The multitude of blessings reminds us how many extraordinary moments we all experience each and every day.
As I faced the blustery conditions this morning I asked myself, what blessings might I recite in the midst of this most wintery winter? I certainly believe that we can write our own blessings – we can use the traditional format “blessed are you God for…” and we can invent our own language to express these grateful feelings. But while we can certainly find our own paths to communicate our sense of abundance, I also like to look at our ancient Jewish tradition as it can sometimes unlock new possibilities about what we might take time to notice.
Interestingly, given the multitude of specific blessings in the tradition, there is no blessing for snow. However, there are some fitting traditional blessings that might be worth considering. There is a blessing for when one sees the wonders of nature and we bless “the works of creation.” There is also a blessing for when we see lightening, which acknowledges the power and force that fills the entire world. During these cold days we also might turn our minds to appreciate our clothing, as many are without adequate clothing during this season. And when we safely arrive at a destination, traversing through the slippery, wet streets we might also have the desire to “bench gomel” which is the blessing that one traditionally says for having completed a dangerous journey!
There is an old Chasidic story which speaks glowingly of the prayer of an uneducated Jew who wanted to pray but did not speak Hebrew. The man began to recite the only Hebrew he knew: the alphabet. He recited it over and over again, until a rabbi asked what he was doing. The man told the rabbi, “God knows what is in my heart. I will give God the letters, and God can put the words together.” I believe one message here is that we all face those moments when we don’t know what it is we need to say, or how to properly appreciate. But even in those moments we can begin to speak, to share, to put our elemental pieces together. And sometimes this is enough, and these building blocks will form the words that we need.
I also want to remind you all that we live with people who are experts at finding awe and amazement in our universe – our children! Children are natural wonder-finders. They will see the beauty in the snow, the intrigue in the piles of ice, the potential in the big puddles by the gutters, and the magic in the precipitation. I know that sometimes our instinct is to quell their exuberance, because we are eager to keep their pants dry or to get to our next plan on time. But don’t forget to use the full-time “awe and wonder tutors” we have living in our midst. They may not use formal blessings, they may not even use words, but they know how to appreciate. And they can be great teachers for all of us. And perhaps during one of those moments when our children are splashing in the puddle or climbing that large pile of snow alongside the road we can recite the shehechianu blessing – the blessing which recognizes our deep appreciation for having been sustained to reach this day.
Shabbat Shalom.
Ilana received her B.A. from Harvard College and a Master's Degree in Education from Bank Street College. She was born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and now lives there with her husband and three children.
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