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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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07/03/2017 GratefulnessandtheHoleyBagelMorningBlessingsPrayer
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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07/03/2017 GratefulnessandtheHoleyBagelMorningBlessingsPrayer
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
further,providedthatyoucomplywithChabad.org's copyrightpolicy .
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