Hasha Musha Perman, Author at Congregation Beth Shalom

ONE HUNDRED BLESSINGS A DAY & COVID 19

Hasha Musha Perman — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 01:33:07 +0000

ONE HUNDRED BLESSINGS A DAY!? Is this some sort of prescription, Rx for COVID 19? When I listen to the news, hear 18-month predictions and spin about the international economic implications, I am immobilized. Is there a supplemental news source available? I look to our tradition and liturgy as my guide to ‘Activities of Daily Living (a yardstick for support)’. You will not find these offerings in the aisle at Jewel or Walgreens. Rather, these affirmations and blessings are thousands of years old. They are part of our morning liturgy (worship), originally davened (prayed at home) and later included in our siddur (prayerbook).

The source of the Hebrew word BLESSING, B’RACHA ברכה, is BEIrach, knee. Blessing is bending the knee, movement and action, into awareness. How can we energize ourselves to recognize the spiritual gifts we have, each day?

“Rabbi Meir said, ‘A person is obligated to bless 100 blessing every day, as the Torah says: ‘Now Israel, what does God ask from you, but only to fear Hashem your God, to go in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Hashem your God, with all of your heart and with all of your soul. To guard the commands of Hashem and His statutes which I command you today, for your good.” (Deut. 10:12,13)

The Talmud (Ta’anit 8b) teaches: “A blessing is found only in an object that is hidden [samui] from the eye.” Blessings may not always be readily apparent to us. Where should we direct our attention?

In the morning, before my feet hit the floor, I say the SH’MA שמע.
This is my first blessing of the day. “Pay attention: Know that G-d (Everything) is One!”

Birchot HaShakhar, ברכות השחר, The Morning Blessings* are a daily reminder of personal, physical, universal, and cosmic realities. Each blessing is both a request and an affirmation that we are awake, free, humble, kind, and strong. These blessings can help us gather our spiritual energy.

We are made in the image of the Divine. Each of us is special. Each of us is unique.

Our sages wrote (Brachot 35a) that it is forbidden to benefit from the world without making a blessing. How can we bless each other during these times of stress and uncertainty? Consciousness and connections help us articulate gratitude. Covid 19 has closed our doors, but our hearts are open to family, friends, our community, and the world.

What are the blessings in your life? Big or small, practicing gratitude each day can help us savor these moments of enforced spiritual wisdom and calm. Listening and affirming each person’s intrinsic value brings blessings into the world and to each other.

*Bir’chot HaShakhar

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who removes sleep from my eyes and slumber from my eyelids.

Praised are You, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who gives our hearts understanding to distinguish day from night.[1]

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who has created me as a descendant of Israel.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who has created me as a free human being.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who opens the eyes of the blind.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who provides clothing for the naked.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who frees the captive.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who raises up the fallen.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who spread out the earth above the waters.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who has supplied my every want.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who strengthens our steps.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who girds Israel with strength.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who crowns Israel with splendor.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Soverign of the Universe,
Who gives strength to the weary.

Shalom uv’racha,
שלום וברכה
Peace & Blessings,
Cantor Perman

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Music For This Moment

Hasha Musha Perman — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 16:00:26 +0000

My friend and Colleague Rabbi Jill Zimmerman compiled this 90 minute playlist. All you have to do is click and listen. There’s tremendous variety and it’s lovely.

Music For This Moment – COVID-19 Playlist

– Cantor Hasha Perman

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Handwashing is Holiness

Hasha Musha Perman — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 20:58:07 +0000

Dear Friends,
What can we do when we are faced with health concerns at home, at school, at work and in the world? A blessing practice can support our anxious hearts. A traditional blessing, a mitz’vah, can set a spiritual intention, a reminder, for us, throughout the day. This blessing, in Hebrew, English, and transliteration, is below.

I have also included a poem by Lynn Ungar, Pandemic, which ironically speaks to the essence of “Shabbat, the most sacred of times.”

Hand Washing is Holiness. Here’s our traditional blessing for hand washing before meals. Ritually, one pours water from a vessel two times over each hand and concludes with the blessing. I think can use this mitzvah/commandment in a new way, throughout the day. As we scrub our hands with soap and warm water before and after all events (as it says in our Friday night liturgy, Shalom Aleichem: bo’a’chem l’shalom/ come in peace, tzeit’chem l’shalom/depart in peace) we can say this simple blessing (20 seconds), affirming our awareness of the blessings of holiness, health and healing in ourselves and in the world.

“Blessed are you, Sovereign of the Universe,
who has sanctified us through your commandments
and has commanded us concerning the washing of hands.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה הָ׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדַיִם
Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech HaOlam,
asher kid’sha’nu b’mitz’vo’tav v’tzi’va’nu ahl n’tilat ya’dayim.

The following poem, by Lynn Ungar, speaks to “The Sabbath, the most sacred of times.”

Pandemic, by Lynn Ungar

What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.
And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.
Promise this world your love—
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.

Shabbat Shalom,
Cantor

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