Category Archives: Blessing

Sea of Memories

Posted on September 22, 2022 by Sicha, Continuing the Conversation

(A conversation submitted by Ariele Sager Rosen, daughter of Rabbi Steve Sager. Ariele is a Jewish Studies teacher in Israel, where she lives with her family) The world is filled with remembering and forgettingAs it is with sea and dry … Continue reading →

Posted in Blessing, Days of Awe, Memory, Midrash, Poetry, Talmud, Torah | 2 Comments

Now is the Time

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Sicha, Continuing the Conversation

(A conversation submitted by Sabina W. Sager) A man doesn’t have time in his lifeto have time for everything.He doesn’t have seasons enough to havea season for every purpose. Ecclesiastesas wrong about that. A man needs to love and to … Continue reading →

Posted in Blessing, Life cycle, Poetry | 9 Comments

Hesed Is The Prayer And The Answer

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Sicha, Continuing the Conversation

When Sarah died at the age of 127, Abraham’s family lost its hesed, the caring, steadfast acts that connect people and sustain the world. Sarah’s hesed was unfailing, even in difficult times. Let this be your hesed to me, Abraham … Continue reading →

Posted in Blessing, Parshat HaShavuah, Poetry, Torah | 2 Comments

Heroes Who Limp

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Sicha, Continuing the Conversation

Jacob’s midnight assailant was surprised at his adversary’s great strength. He wondered if Jacob might be an angel like himself. Angels have no leg joints, the midrash teaches, so he touched Jacob at the hip to determine whether his opponent’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Angels, Blessing, Midrash, Poetry, Torah | 4 Comments

Before and Within

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Sicha, Continuing the Conversation

A strange Yom Kippur story was told by Rabbi Ishmael, a High Priest of the 2nd Temple: Once, I entered before and within (the Holy of Holies) to offer the incense and I saw Akatriel Yah, the Lord of Hosts, sitting on … Continue reading →

Posted in Blessing, Days of Awe, Holidays, Poetry, Talmud | Leave a comment

Guarding Ourselves: A Seatbelt Beracha

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Sicha, Continuing the Conversation

Years ago I created a beracha, a blessing, for putting on my car seatbelt:  Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, king of the universe, who has made us unique by giving us commandments and has commanded us to guard … Continue reading →

Posted in Blessing, Talmud | 1 Comment

The Art of Blessing

Posted on October 4, 2010 by Sicha, Continuing the Conversation

I am not sentimental about old men mumbling the Hebrew by rote with no more feeling than one says gesundheit. Poet, Marge Piercy, is impatient with the ancient formula of beracha/blessing.  Certainly, formulas fall short of the evocative blessings that … Continue reading →

Posted in Blessing, Poetry | Leave a comment