Blessings for Today: A New Day in America

What an inspiring week. Another peaceful transition from one president to another. An affirmation of equality, of hope, of our belief that b'tzelem Elohim, we were all created in the image of God. At times like these, Jews seek words to express the holiness and the hopefulness of the moment. Janethewriter posts Blessings for Today: A New Day in America on RJ.org, the Reform Movement's blog.

We Jews have blessings for all occasions: for bread, for wine, for joyous times, for sad times, upon seeing a rainbow, for flowers and herbs, for social action... the list goes on. Each morning we thank God for returning our souls to our bodies and for a host of other daily miracles: enabling us to distinguish day from night, opening our eyes, freeing the captive, lifting the fallen, and so on. In our

minyan

this morning, we added three more blessings for the day:

Baruch atah Adonai, asher sam chelki b'medinah chofesheet v'democratit.

Praised are You, Adonai, Who has allowed me to live in a free and democratic country.

Baruch atah Adonai, asher tzivanu lirdof acharei ha'tzedek tokh milui chovoteinu ha'ezrahiyyot.

Praised are You, Adonai, Who commands us to pursue justice through the fulfillment of our civic obligations.

Baruch atah Adonai, asher tzivanu la'asok b'ma'asei tikkun ha'olam.

Praised are You, Adonai, Who commands us to engage in acts of repairing the world. I would add a fourth:

Baruch atah Adonai eloheinu melech ha'olam shecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higyanu lazman hazeh

.Praised are You, Adonai, Sovereign of the universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this time of joy. Amen.