TEFILA: Our ability to walk upright (hamekhin mis’ade gaber)

כשהוא הולך, הוא אומר: ברוך המכין מצעדי גבר.
This blessing, “Blessed are You, haShem, our God, King of the universe, Who makes firm the steps of man” is based on a verse of Tehilim, the Psalms of King David.
“The steps of a man are made firm by HaShem, when He likes that man’s way” (Psalms 37:23). The pasuq means that when a person has the intention of conducting himself in the right way, going in a path that conforms with the will of God, HaShem will help him, watching that this man will not stumble on his way. As it says in the next verse (37:24): “If that man stumbles, he will not fall down, because HaShem will hold his hand [somekh yado i.e., will support him, preventing his falling] “
The Talmud says that one should say this blessing when he walks (ki masge) in the morning. For Maimonides  (MT Tefila 7:6) it is said when a person is ready to walk out from his house in the morning  to go to Synagogue, to work, etc. (laṣet lederekh). The same idea expressed in the Psalms: once we have chosen the right path, we ask HaShem to prevent us from falling down.
It seems that according to other opinions, this berakha alludes (also) to the first steps we take in the morning, upon getting out of bed.
“Just how do we tall, two-legged creatures manage to stay upright while in motion, or even standing still? How can we possibly keep our balance on those two small platforms we call feet? The answer lies in a remarkable web of coordinated systems-voluntary and reflexive, neural, muscular, and skeletal-that collectively allow us to walk along a sidewalk or run along a forest path, largely without a second thought.” (Nova)
This berakha reminds us of the gratitude we owe God for our capacity to walk.   Recognizing that the Creator has endowed us, the human specie, with the extraordinary ability to walk upright.
 
 
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“My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish.” by  Rabbi Benjamin Blech

 



TEFILA: Standing on solid ground

כשהוא מניח רגליו על הקרקע, הוא אומר: ברוך…רוקע הארץ על המים
The Rabbis of the Talmud said that when we wake up, as we are getting out of bed and we step on the solid ground, we should recite the blessing “Blessed are you, haShem our Lord, King of the universe, Who extends the dry-land over the waters”.
The words of this berakha are borrowed from a verse in Tehilim (Psalms, 136:6) in which King David praises and thanks the Creator of the world for all His favors toward mankind, among them, the creation of dry land (=the continents).
Dry land was not, technically speaking, “created” (=out of nothing) but extended over the waters. According to the Tora God ordered the waters to recede and gather together so dry-land could be seen as it emerged from the oceans and spread over the planet’s surface (1:9).
Contrary to what ancient civilizations believed, but compatible with what modern science affirms, our Rabbis asserted that upon its creation planet earth’s surface was covered by water.   The Tora refers to this in the second pasuq of Genesis. The earth’s surface is defined as “tehom”, i.e., the oceans in their primitive state, before they were organized into yammim (= our oceans), see Gen. 1:10. As this blessing states, on the surface of our planet water was there first, before land, and not the other way around.
In a different Psalm (Tehilim 104:9) but referring to the same event our blessing describes, Kind David also remind us that the Creator has established a “border” (gebul) to the waters –an invisible miraculous fence which we call “gravity”– by which He rules the dynamics between the oceans and the continental land, allowing life to continue.
מה רבו מעשיך ה’

 

Intelligent (and astoundingly beautiful) design underwater.  By David Gallo, from TED.com
                   

 



TEFILA: noten laya’ef koah. Renewal of our strength.

“Blessed are You haShem. our God, King of the universe,  Who gives strength to those who are exhausted. “
Following the same idea of birkot hashaḥar, this blessing too describes what we do or experience when we wake up in the morning. In this case, the feeling that last night we were exhausted and, thanks God, in the morning we feel reenergized and ready to start a new day.
Our rabbis were very conscious of the positive effects of sleep for the renewal of our energy. Analyzing the verse “And God saw all He had made and, behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31) R. Shimon bar Yoḥai said: “very good” refers to sleep. As explained by R. Menashe ben Israel in The Conciliator: “Sleep is good for although it suspends the operation of the nobler faculties of the soul, yet the repose obtained by it gives fresh vigor and strength for study and the exercise of the arts and virtues.”
There is a technical issue with this particular blessing: unlike all other blessings we recite today in birkot hashaḥar, this blessing was not mentioned in the Talmud or Maimonides. The bet yosef actually questions its recitation and in some Sephardic Siddurim this berakha is not found.
In his book Keter Shem Tob (p.19) , Rabbi Shem Tob Gaguin (see here) says that in his opinion this berakha must have been formulated “in times of religious persecution, when the Jews were mistreated and tortured to renounce to their faith and convert to a different religion.” The Jews still persisted because God renewed their courage and gave them the strength to endure such suffering. An additional proof for this idea seems to be the context in which the words noten laya’ef koaḥ  appear in the Scripture (Isaiah 40: 29 and 31):  “HaShem gives power to the faint…they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run [escaping from the enemy] and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint”
Le’iluy nishmat Tzibia bat Biniamyn, Mrs. Geyran Hakimi, z”l. 
 
 
WATCH Adam Carolla, change your life from Prager University

 



TEFILA: Malbish Arumim. Clothing vs. Evolution.

כשלובש את בגדיו הוא אומר:  מלביש ערומים
Previously (see here) we have explained that the Birkot haShaḥar  are organized as a careful description of all the steps that we take when we wake up every morning, from the moment we regain consciousness. We praise HaShem for our sight, for our working body, for our erected posture, etc.
Today we will explore the blessing in which we praise (and thank!) God for providing us with clothing. “Blessed are You, HaShem our God, King of the Universe, Who clothes those who are naked”. The rabbis established this blessing to be said when we are getting dressed, upon getting out of bed.
Humans are the only mammals that were created without fur.Every other mammal have a dense covering of fur. Primates included, from the short black pelage of the howler monkey to the flowing copper coat of the orangutan. Anthropologists are at odds over how to explain from an evolutionary point of view that humans have no fur. Because they find it impossible to imagine any benefits provided to naked people by natural selection.  In his “The descent of man and selection in relation to sex” Charles Darwin himself was convinced that no naturally selected advantage could be cited as evidence for the lack of body-fur in humans.
When saying this berakha we remember that unlike other creatures, we have a unique dependency on clothing and that God Himself made for Adam and Eve their first clothes (Gen. 3:21), an act that the Rabbis understood as an expression of compassion and love from our Creator to us (Abuderham, 14th century). Every morning, we acknowledge that–directly or indirectly– it is thanks to Him that we have clothes to cover our bodies and protect ourselves from the inclemencies of the weather.  Incidentally, this berakha also reminds us that we are commanded to imitate HaShem’s actions, providing clothing and other basic needs to those who lack the means to take care of themselves.
Are you interested in the debate (and the politics of) Evolution vs. Intelligent design?   
 
Ben Stein: “Expelled: no intelligence allowed”  
 
Watch the trailer here

 



TEFILA: zoqef kefufim, the Rabbis’ version of Homo Erectus

 

כשעומד מברך: ברוך אתה ה’ אלוקינו מלך העולם, זוקף כפופים
When a person stands up straight –when he or she wakes up in the morning– recites the blessing, zoqef kefufim,  “Blessed are You, HaShem our God, King of the universe, Who raises up those who are bowed down”.
The words zoqef kefufim are found in Tehilim (146:8). There, King David praised God for helping the suffering righteous, out of His love for them.  HaShem defends them, feeds them, delivers them and among other things, He helps them to stand up (zoqef), when they are so exhausted, humiliated, troubled or oppressed that their bent backs (kefufim) can not stay straight.
Also, in the famous Psalms, Tehila leDavid (145. aka, ashre yoshebe betekha) David haMelekh praises HaShem Who supports all those who are about to fall, and straightens up all those who are bent down, providing them food and sustenance.
In birkot hashachar, the Rabbis used this Biblical expression, zoqef kefufim, and applied it beyond the concept of people who need God’s help to come up from their suffering.  It is all of us who also use HaShem’s help to stand up every morning. Following the idea of seeing God’s intervention in every micro-activity we perform each morning, when we get out of our bed and stand erected on the floor we express our praise to HaShem saying this blessing. When sleeping, most people (see here)  adopt a fetal position, i.e.,  lying curled on one side with legs bent.  Therefore, we praise HaShem for the fact that we can stand in an erected position, which according to rabbi Hayim Palagge (yafe laleb), is one of the features that distinguish us, human beings, from animals.
 Practical advise “How to get out of bed when you really can’t”  from Wikihow.com


TEFILA: matir asurim, appreciating our ability to move

ברוך אתה ה´ אלוקינו מלך העולם מתיר אסורים
The expression matir asurim, “HaShem sets free those who are imprisoned” appears in the book of Psalms (Tehilim, 146) and it is part of the pesuqe dezimra, the Psalms that we read every day in the morning prayer.  In Tehilim its author King David praises HaShem for His compassion with the needy. God defends the cause of those who are oppressed, He gives bread to those who are starving, and He sets free those who are imprisoned.
In the ‘Amida the idea of setting free the prisoners appears in the second berakha (blessing). This blessing, Geburot (God’s powers), describes God’s infinite might asserting that He employs His power to nurture, to support, to cure and to deliver (matir asurim).
In Birkot haShachar the Rabbis used the idea of matir asurim,  applying it to a different context. Almost as a poetic motif. They instructed to say this berakha in the morning, at the time of waking up, when a person stretches his body and sits in his bed. The question is: what is the connection between the idea of setting free the prisoners and the movements of our body?
The simplest explanation is that when we are sleeping we have no control over our body. It moves involuntarily. Our conscious mind, i.e., the seat of our willpower, is asleep. And we are, in a sense, imprisoned inside our bodies.  Not only our bodies but our minds as well are beyond our control. While asleep we have no voluntary thoughts, but involuntary dreams. When we wake up and we start moving our limbs we realize that we have recovered control over our mind and body. Now, our body moves if we just will so. We are in control. We are free.
When saying this blessing we recognize the power and wisdom of HaShem behind the recovery of our ability to move our body.
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TEFILA: Opening the eyes of the blind

ברוך אתה ה´ אלוקינו מלך העולם, פוקח עורים.
As we explained last week, the Birkot haShaḥar are the blessings which we say following the different daily events that we experience as we wake up in the morning. These berakhot help us identifying these occurrences and seeing them as miracles that we witness every day.
Previously (see this), we talked about awakening from sleep, which the rabbis described  as a sort of resuscitation or revival (consciousness),  and listening to the rooster (hearing), appreciating its God-given ability to differentiate between nocturnal and diurnal cycles (see here).
Today we will examine the third blessing, poqeaḥ ivrim, which was originally established to be said when we open our eyes for the first time in the morning (sight). The berakha says: “Blessed are You, HaShem, our God, King of the Universe, Who opens (the eyes of) the blinds”.
When we are asleep our sense of sight does not function. We don’t see not because our eyes are closed. Actually, many people might sleep with their eyes open and they still won’t see. The rabbis understood then that during sleep we are “virtually” blind, and in the morning, we recover our sense of sight. Upon realizing this “miracle” we say the blessing, poqeaḥ ivrim, acknowledging that God has equipped our bodies with these amazing abilities.
This berakha also helps us to value the preciousness of our sense of sight. Normally, we take for granted that we see.  Unless we have a problem with our eyes, we don’t stop every day to think (and thank!) for the privilege of seeing.    This berakha, when said with the proper kavana or understanding, inspires us to value what we have while we have it. Moreover, by acknowledging God (and not just nature) as the One responsible for our sight, this berakha enables us to discover and acknowledge HaShem’s Presence behind this daily routinely events, keeping our minds more focused on Him.

If Good and evil exists, God exists.
 by Peter Kreeft, 
Professor of Philosophy at Boston College 
(from Prager University). 

 



TEFILA: Thanking the Creator for the rooster’s circadian rhythm

בָרוּךְ….. הַנוֹתֵן לַשֶכְוִי בִינָה לְהַבְחִין בֵין יוֹם וּבֵין לָיְלָה
“Blessed are you, HaShem… Who gives the rooster the understanding to distinguish between day and night.”
Birkot haShaḥar is a series of blessings that we say in the morning thanking God for the renewal of the day. As we explained last week, as soon as we wake up we begin by thanking God for being alive (see this). Then, we pronounce the second blessing, acknowledging that the Creator granted the rooster the understanding to distinguish between day and night.
To properly grasp the rational of Birkot haShaḥar we need to bear in mind that these blessings were said as a person was waking up, getting up from bed, walking and getting dressed.
This blessing was pronounced when one would hear the rooster’s crow. The rooster does not crow necessarily when it sees light or when the sun rises, but before dawn. Thanks to a biological process known as circadian rhythm, roosters  can  keep track of time after midnight, which is when they usually start crowing.  Some species of rooster would crow four times during the night with the third cockcrow at around four o’clock in the morning (see a very interest article here).
This berakha emphasizes the fact that the Creator endowed the rooster with this extraordinary skill, which used to help us to wake up and serve our Creator (Time measurement is traditionally regarded as an exclusive human ability. Many Rabbis actually understood the word sekhvi not as rooster, but as “heart” or human cognition).
The Rabbis discussed if this blessing should be said only when we actually hear the rooster’s crow (Maimonides) or even if we did not experience the rooster’s crow directly (haAri).  Yemenites and a few other Jewish communities follow Maimonides, but the majority follows the custom to recite this blessing anyways.
 
 
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TEFILA: Elo-hay! Neshama… the blessing of a new day.

א’ נְשָמָה שֶנָתַתָ בִי טְהוֹרָה, אַתָה בְרָאתָהּ, אַתָה יְצַרְתָהּ, אַתָה נְפַחְתָה בִי, וְאַתָה מְשַמְרָהּ בְקִרְבִי…
“My God! The soul You gave within me is pure. You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me, and You guard it while it is within me. One day You will take it from me, and restore it to me in the time to come. As long as the soul is within me, I will thank You, HaShem my God and God of my ancestors, Master of all works, Lord of all souls. Blessed are You, HaShem, who restores souls to lifeless bodies”.
“Elo-hay! Neshama...” is the first blessing of Birkot haShaḥar, the morning benedictions that we say upon waking up in the morning. The Talmud  (Berakhot 60b) explains that when we wake up–before we even open our eyes– upon realizing that we are alive, we praise God for having restored our souls to our inert bodies.  The Rabbis explain that every morning we witness in our own bodies a virtual act of resurrection (teḥyiat hametim), the beginning of a new life, since when we sleep, the soul–a fraction of it– departs the body.
This berakha also states an extremely important idea that differentiates Judaism from many other religions. We do not posses an unclean soul. Our God-given souls are originally pure. The task ahead of us is not reparation but preservation: each new day we must apply ourselves to keep our souls pure. We are beginning each morning anew, clean and pure as a newborn individual.
In this blessing we also acknowledge that our soul does not really belong to us.  God insufflated it within us; He did not give it to us. We know (and we say) that in the same way God gave us (= lentus) our soul, one day He will take it back… In the meantime, while the divine soul is within us, we will praise Him and thank Him for the most generous gift of all: life.
“A Cantor’s tears” Dudu Fisher sings  Elokay! Neshama… at a Synagogue in Krakow.