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The Blessing of Scent
THE BLESSING OF SCENT
UPON SMELLING FRAGRANT TREES AND PLANTS
UPON SMELLING FRAGRANT HERBS, GRASSES, AND FLOWERS
THINK
The Torah teaches in the book of Genesis that God breathes life into the first human being through its nostrils, reinforcing the idea that our olfactory sense is tied to our nature as spiritual beings. Our sense of smell connects us to our past in ways other senses don’t, even allowing us to access memories long forgotten.
REFLECT
What scents trigger memories for you? What are some of your favorite scents? Consider the ritual of Havdalah that marks the end of Shabbat by inviting us to smell something pleasant. How might you make some of your favorite scents a part of this ritual?
CONNECT
“It is my experience that smell kindles the flame of memory. For there is in odors a power to excite emotions of pain or of pleasure. A breath of lilac or trailing arbutus or a whiff of new-mown hay awakens happy memories of long ago. I never smell daisies without living over again the joyous morning when my teacher and I wandered in the fields, and I learned new words and the names of things. All of us know how often the fragrance of a flower suggests not so much its own beauty as a loved one. Oh, the blessedness of smell that thus delicately draws us into the Gardens of the Spirit!” —Helen Keller, “A Neglected Treasure,” Home Magazine, June 1934
PERSONAL PRAYER
Blessed are You who created scent, which evokes memory as well as joy and sorrow. Blessed are You who enables me to experience scent and enjoy it. Blessed are You, the Almighty, who created this moment, who gave me the opportunity to live it and to learn something new from it.
Благословен Ты Всевышний, сотворивший запах, вызвавший силу памяти, силу радости и печали. Благословен Ты Всевышний, давший мне почувствовать этот запах, насладится им. Благословен Ты, Всевышний, создавший этот момент, давший мне возможность прожить его и научиться чему-то новому.
— Dina Gritz,
Jerusalem, Israel
