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Encounter the Wonders of Nature with Gratitude
ENCOUNTER THE WONDERS OF NATURE WITH GRATITUDE
UPON SEEING A RAINBOW
הוהי הָּתאַ ךוּרָּב תיִרְּבַה רֵכוֹז םָלוֹעָה ךֶלֶמ וּניֵהֹלֱא וֹתיִרְבִּב ןָמֱאֶנְו .וֹרָמֲאַמְּב םָיַקְו Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Majesty of the world, who remembers the covenant, is faithful to the covenant, and fulfills His word.
UPON SEEING LIGHTNING
UPON HEARING THUNDER OR AN INTENSE STORM
הוהי הָּתאַ ךוּרָּב ,םָלוֹעָה ךֶלֶמ וּניֵהֹלֱא .םָלוֹע אֵלָמ וֹתָרוּבְגוּ וֹחֹּכֶׁש Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Majesty of the world, whose power and might fill the world.
THINK
A rainbow is the result of light refracting through droplets of water in the air. But it is also a sign, a symbol of the covenant that God established with Noah after the flood. The potential for a rainbow is always there, but not always seen. So too is God’s love for us always there, but not always felt. When we find opportunities to express our gratitude through blessing we refract the light of God in the world, bringing a fuller spectrum of color into our lives and the lives of those around us.
REFLECT
The crash of thunder or a barrage of intense storms can be scary, but the power and immensity of nature can also have a positive impact. By reminding us that we are not fully in control, weather can heighten our awareness of the ultimate Source of Creation, allowing us to take a moment to feel our own vulnerability. What are some of the other thunderous moments in your life that this blessing can help you honor?
CONNECT
As Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, a 19th-century leader of the Germany Jewish community, neared the end of his life, he asked his students to take him to Switzerland. Perplexed, his students asked him why such a journey was so important to him. He explained, “When I stand before the Almighty, what will I say when God asks, ‘Shimshon, did you see My Alps?’”10 This blessing reminds us to prioritize taking pleasure in the beauty of nature, and to be grateful for the glorious world we live in.
PERSONAL PRAYER
Blessed are You, our God, who helps us to see the wonders of nature and to look at those wonders with gratitude, who allows me to entrust my soul to You and who returns it to my body in the morning, who allows me to make both myself and the world that belongs to You better. The world is filled with Your creations, and I ask You to let me be involved in this.
Благословен ты, Бог наш, который помогает встречать чудеса природы и помогает видеть эти чудеса с благодарностью, который позволяет мне доверять свою душу и возвращать по утрам в тело, исправлять этим себя и мир, который тебе принадлежит. Мир наполнен твоими творениями и я прошу быть к этому причастной.
—Galina Zlotnik, Samara, Russia
