Feb 1, 2023
February 2023 Almost two weeks ago, a bit before rosh chodesh Shevat, my brother in Jerusalem sent a photo of a tree abloom. Bracha time (for him)! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱ’לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁלֹּא חִסַּר בְּעוֹלָמוֹ דָבָר וּבָרָא בוֹ בְּרִיוֹת...
Jan 1, 2023
January 2023 Really? We have a bracha, a blessing, about using a toilet?! Well, yes, we have a bracha of appreciation for the workings of our bodies. This bracha, “asher yatzar,” is recited in the early part of every morning service. It serves there as an...
Dec 1, 2022
December 2022 What could be more Jewish than lighting candles to mark the beginning of Shabbat and festivals, and on each night of Hanukkah? Reciting a bracha when lighting those candles! The bracha over lighting candles begins: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱ’לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ...
Nov 1, 2022
November 2022 We have many specific brachot and some that paint with a very broad brush. Specific? Viewing a rainbow, or seeing a head of state. Broad? Wonders of nature, or seeing unusual creatures (hmm … by whose definition?). The month of Cheshvan is almost over,...
Oct 1, 2022
October 2022 We’re focusing on one bracha each month, learning what it means and how to recite it, when it’s appropriate to use, and anything more that it can teach us. Then, of course, it’s up to you to make space for that bracha in the broader scheme of your...
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