As we continue to enjoy more normalcy after a challenging and unconventional year, the blessings of our life unfold renewed before us. This week, I will share some of the brachot (blessing) formulas that come from our tradition for special and eye-opening moments.
Both wisdom and mysticism are embedded in the highly organized, ancient grammatical system of biblical Hebrew that also crafts our blessings. Hebrew, as you might already know, is formed on a system of three root letters attached to every word, creating organic connections between words with the same root. The Hebrew word for blessing, bracha, which comes from the Hebrew root bet reish chaf, is linked to the word to both breicha, or wellspring, and berech, meaning knee. I love these associations because, of course, we often bend our knees in the ritual of prayer, and it seems only fitting that our blessings are identified with a great wellspring, ever-flowing if only we open our eyes to life’s generous offerings.
In addition to adhering to a brilliant set of grammatical laws, Hebrew letters also hold numerical values. The letters for blessing—bet, reish, and chaf—are assigned the values 2, 20, and 200 respectively. The word bracha (blessing) is made up of a series of twos, signifying the multiplicity of our blessings and insinuating the power of reciting a bracha to bring even more goodness into the world.
When I think of one of the most special blessings in life (albeit mundane or overlooked because we ideally have access to it every single day), I think of food. Enjoying food is an opportunity to nourish our bodies, but also a time to share with others and to create new memories around meals, multiplying the blessings of our health and our joy. While we often recite HaMotzi, our prayer for bread, there are many Hebrew blessings for specific types of cuisine and one prayer that can be recited over almost any type of food. This week, take an extra ten seconds at meals to express gratitude for the wellspring of sustenance available to you.
.בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam shehakol niyah bidvaro.
Blessed are You, God, at whose word all that is offered to us came to be.
— Cantor Emma Lutz