07/03/2017 GratefulnessandtheHoleyBagelMorningBlessingsPrayer

GratefulnessandtheHoley Wisdomfromtheholeofabagel:Startwiththe
knowledgethatyouarenothing,andyourbreadwill
Bagel alwayssatisfy.

MorningBlessings
ByTzviFreeman
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BeHole

ConsiderthecommonassociationbetweenJewsandbagelsforbreakfast.

Myself,Imaquinoaandavocadoman.Nevertheless,mentallyconstructingasceneinwhichIinvitemy
Catholic,Protestant,MuslimorDaoistfriendstodropbyforbreakfast,myparanoidJewishsoulhearsthem
translating,Thatmeansbagelsandcreamcheese.

WhatdoeschewybreadwithaholeinthemiddlehavetodowithbeingJewish?AndwithJewishbreakfast
inparticular?

Ittookmeyears,butIthinkIhavetheanswer:

AJewismeanttostartthedaywithaholeinthemiddle.

Thisiscrucial:Whenevereatingabagel,alwaysstartwiththeemptinessatthecenterandworkoutwards.
Thesamewithanybread,foodorotherformofbeneficenceyoureceivefromAbove.Alwaysstartwith
nothing,andonlythenwillthesomethingbetrulychewyandsatisfying.

Yes,sometimesthedeepesttruthsarehiddeninthemostobviousplaces(mywalletdoesthatallthetime):
Whenyoustartwithsomething,nothingisgoodenough.Butwhenyoustartwithnothing,anythingis
fantastic.

Whatdoesittaketostartwithnothing?Alot.Ittakesasenseof
Startwithnothing,and
smallness,awillingnesstoacceptthatyoumaynotbeasnecessary
anythingisfantastic.
asyouwouldliketofeel,arealizationthatwhosaysIshouldeven
exist,anyways?

Andthenthenextstep:NotonlydoIexistIhavefoodtoeatforbreakfast!

Withthatstep,alloflifebecomesacelebration.Everydetailofit.

Thestrategyistestedandproven.TakeAliceHertzSommer,whosurvivedtheTheresienstadt
concentrationcampandisstillhappilyplayingBachat108allbecauseofthatgratefulforanythingattitude.
Hermotto:Lifeisagift.

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Personally,Iplantoliveforever(sofar,sogood).Ifwereonthesamepagehere,thiscouldbeourbest
investment.Wellinvestinnothingthatis,inourownsenseofnothingness.Thereturnsareasendlessas
thecircleofthebagel.

Andthebestplacetostartiswiththemorningblessings.

ThanksforNothing

Themorningblessingsareastrokeofdivinegenius.ItallstartedwithKingDavid,whowasdivinelyinspired
tokickoffthe100BlessingCampaign:EveryJewhastosayaminimumof100blessingsperday.That
sentfolksscramblingforawhile,sotomakethingssimpler,thesagesestablishedalistofsetblessingsfor
whatmightseemthemosttrivialbasicsoflifethateveryonetakesforgranted.

Like,didyounoticethatwhenyougotoutofbedthismorning,theearthwasstillsolidbeneathyourfeet?I
mean,itwasprettysolidwhenyouleftit,crashingontoyourbedthenightbefore,right?Butwhosaysits
stillgottobetherethenextmorning?

Well,ifyoulivedontheSumatrancoastattsunamiseason,the
Thefactthatthereis
muddybanksoftheMississippiinthespring,AmsterdaminWorld anythingsolidbeneath
WarIIorNewOrleanstothisveryday,youwouldnttakethatso yourfeetisaquirkof
muchforgranted. nature

Thetruthis,itsatotallyquirkyfreakofnaturethatplanetEarthhasanydrylandatall.Mineralsareheavier
thanwater,sotheyshouldallbesubmergedbeneathasingle,vastocean.Whichwouldntworktoowellfor
usdrylandcritters.Notabadideatoshowsomeappreciation.Whichwedo,withthisblessing:

BlessedareYou,HashemourGd,MasteroftheUniverse,whospreadstheearthabovethe
waters.

Inaway,themorningblessingsarejustthat:afirmplatformuponwhichtobuildlife.Itmaysoundstrange,
buttobuildasolidstructure,youfirstneedtorecognizethatyoureessentiallygroundless.

Soperhapstheblessingthatsumsthemallupis...

BlessedareYou,HashemourGd,MasteroftheUniverse,whoclothesthenaked.

...becausetoreallyfeelrich,youneedtoknowthatyouareessentiallywithoutanything.Neat,isntit?You
canberichjustbycelebratingwhatyoualreadyhave.Evenneater:Thesagesalreadysummedthatuplong
ago,whentheysaid,Whoisrich?Theguywhocelebrateswhatevercomestohim!1

GoingThroughtheMotionsMindfully

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Originally,peoplesaidtheseblessingsastheywentthroughthemotions.Averymindfulwaytostartthe
day.Butasthegenerationspassed,notlongafterTalmudictimes,thatbecameimpracticalforavarietyof
ritualisticreasons.Itwasdecidedthateveryoneshouldsaythemafterdressingandwashingup.Somehave
thecustomofsayingtheminthesynagogue,others(thisistheChabadcustom)saythemallathomebefore
leavingthehouse.

Thepreciseorderandwordingoftheseblessingsdependsontheversionoftheprayerbookyoufollow,but
alltheblessingsbegin,BlessedareYou,HashemourGd,MasteroftheUniverse...,andcontinue...

TRANSLATION COMMENTARY

...whohassanctifieduswith
Hismitzvahsandinstructed
1 LittledustspeckmegetstosayalltheseblessingstotheMasteroftheEntireUniverse!
usconcerningwashingofthe
hands.

...whohasformedthe
2 MysoulthanksGdforgivingitabodycustomdesignedwithawesomewisdom.
humanbeingwithwisdom...

MyGd,thesoulYouhave
3 MybodythanksGdforgivingitasoulthatalwaysremainspureandholy.
placedwithinme...

...whohasgiventherooster
BothofthemthankGdforthecircadianrhythm.(Thatstheinternalbioclockthatkeeps
4 understandingtodiscern
betweendayandnight. yourbodyproducingtherighthormonesattherighttime.)

...whoopenstheeyesofthe
5 Iopenedmyeyes.Icanseeanentireworldoutthere!Wow.
blind.

6 ...whountiesthebound. Isatupinbed.Mylimbsaremoving.Imalive!

...whostandserectthose
7 Notonlythat,Ievenstoodup!
whoarebent.

8 ...whodressesthenaked. Essentially,Ihavenothing.ButheyImup,Imdressed!

...whogivesstrengthtothe Ihandedinmysoullastnight,wearyanddiscombobulated...andtheMasterofAll
9
weary. Soulsreturnsittomefreshandclean,withpowertogo!

...whospreadstheearth
10 ...byrubbingtectonicplatesagainstoneanother.
overthewater.
...whopreparesthestepsof
11 Imwalkingforward.ImwhereIamsupposedtobe,guidedbyHishand.
humanbeings.

Thefollowingblessingsumsupalltheprecedingones:EverythingIneedformymissiontodayhasbeen
providedforme.But,interestingly,weretoldthatthisblessingislinkedtotheactoftyingyourshoelaces
(orstickingtogethertheVelcro).Asfortheotherneedsthatyouwillhavefulfilledovertheday,theyhave
otherblessingsattachedtothemsuchastheblessingswemakebeforeandaftereatingfood.

ThatiswhywedontsaythisblessingonYomKippur,whenwearingleathershoesisprohibited(except
whenothershoesarenotavailableandyouneedtowalkoutside).

Theresamessagehere,asexplainedbyRabbiDonYitzchakAbarbanel:

...whohasprovidedforme
12 EverythingIneedawaitsme.Ijusthavetoputonmyshoestogooutthereandgetit.
allmyneeds.

Thenexttwoblessingsareformybeltandmyhat(orwhateverIvegotontopofmyheadthatday).We
dontmakeaspecificblessingonshirts,skirtsorthermalunderwear.Butwedomakeablessingon

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these.Yousee,thesetwoitemshavespecialsignificanceforJewsinparticular:

Ibuckledmybelt.Ifnot,well,theresgottabesomeelastictherearoundmywaist
...whogirdsIsraelwith somewhere.Inordertopray,therehastobesomethingdistinguishingbetweenthetop
13
strength. halfofmybodyandthelowerhalf.(Womenarenotobligatedinthis,butstillsaythe
blessing.)

Beforecarsmadetheminconvenient,peopleworehats.Jewsstilldowell,atleast
...whocrownsIsraelwith somethingtocovertheheadatleastforthetimeofprayer.Notjusttokeepitdry,or
14
beauty. blockthesunlight,buttokeepevermindfuloftheOneAbove.(Singlewomenarenot
obligated.)

Afewtechnicaldetails:

Makesureyouwashyourhandsbeforesayingtheseblessings.Evenifyouwashedwhenyoufirst
awoke(wewentthroughthatinHowToGetOutofBed),washagainaftergettingdressed.
Theblessingsshouldbesaidstanding,inacleanplace,notinthelavatoryoraplacewherepeople
getdressed.
Evenifyoudontwearabelt,ahat,wearshoes,orforwhateverreasonaremissinganyoftheabove,
youcanstillsayalltheblessings.Othermembersofyourpeoplearebenefitingfromthesethings,and
alltheJewishpeopleareone.

EternalChildishness

Everwatchaninfantplaywithhistoes?Atoddlerdelightinginhisnewfoundabilitytowalk?Ayoungster
whohasjustdiscoveredthebutterfly?Thatsthesenseofperpetualwonderweretryingtoachieveevery
morning.

Wehavefoundtheelixirofeternalyouth,awisemanoncesaid,anditisimmaturity.

Alldaylong,strivetobeanadult.Atthetimeofprayer,returntothatessentialchildwithin.Startwiththe
emptyholeofthebagelandworkoutwards.

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HowtoGetOutofBed IsMeditationKosher?

FOOTNOTES

1. Avot4:1.

BYTZVIFREEMAN

RabbiTzviFreeman,asenioreditoratChabad.org,alsoheadsourAskThe
Rabbiteam.HeistheauthorofBringingHeavenDowntoEarth.Tosubscribeto
regularupdatesofRabbiFreeman'swriting,visitFreemanFilessubscription.
FaceBook@RabbiTzviFreemanPeriscope@Tzvi_Freeman.

Copyright,allrightsreserved.Ifyouenjoyedthisarticle,weencourageyoutodistributeit
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