Let us bless the Source of our Lives, Spirit of the Cosmos, whose world lacks nothing and who made wondrous creatures and beautiful trees for human beings to enjoy.
This Talmudic blessing of blossoming fruit trees in Nisan – Birkat Ha'Ilanot – is a special blessing for us to recite now that the fruit trees are in bloom and Nisan has begun (chodesh tov!). What does this blessing come to teach us?
First, we are invited to try on the perspective that this world lacks nothing. That creation is abundant. That everything we need is already here. It might bring to mind, then, the ways we humans need to distribute creation to ensure that everyone’s experience is that of not lacking. As the Blessing for Peace in Kadima’s siddur states: “We cannot merely hope to end starvation. We already have the resources with which to feed the entire world, if we would only use them wisely.”
Second, trees are good (the Hebrew is literally “tov” to describe them in the blessing). They are worth our time and attention. They are to marvel at. The blessing's existence at all tells us that this should be noted at least annually and that while we savor the New Year of the Trees in mid-winter, their splendor happens in the spring.
And third, humans are to derive pleasure, enjoyment, and benefit from them. Not in “The Giving Tree” sort of way, but in a sacred way of mutuality and holiness, as any recitation of blessing invites us into. The invitation here is to be reminded and uphold the sacred relationship between humans and fruit trees.
This Nisan, as you go on your way, may the blossoming trees revitalize our hope in the resilience of nature and remind us that we too have this resilience in us, individually and collectively. And as we begin the Book of Leviticus, let us feel called to our relationship with the natural world, our responsibility of mutual relationship with it, and renew in its majesty.
Shabbat shalom,
R’ David
This Talmudic blessing of blossoming fruit trees in Nisan – Birkat Ha'Ilanot – is a special blessing for us to recite now that the fruit trees are in bloom and Nisan has begun (chodesh tov!). What does this blessing come to teach us?
First, we are invited to try on the perspective that this world lacks nothing. That creation is abundant. That everything we need is already here. It might bring to mind, then, the ways we humans need to distribute creation to ensure that everyone’s experience is that of not lacking. As the Blessing for Peace in Kadima’s siddur states: “We cannot merely hope to end starvation. We already have the resources with which to feed the entire world, if we would only use them wisely.”
Second, trees are good (the Hebrew is literally “tov” to describe them in the blessing). They are worth our time and attention. They are to marvel at. The blessing's existence at all tells us that this should be noted at least annually and that while we savor the New Year of the Trees in mid-winter, their splendor happens in the spring.
And third, humans are to derive pleasure, enjoyment, and benefit from them. Not in “The Giving Tree” sort of way, but in a sacred way of mutuality and holiness, as any recitation of blessing invites us into. The invitation here is to be reminded and uphold the sacred relationship between humans and fruit trees.
This Nisan, as you go on your way, may the blossoming trees revitalize our hope in the resilience of nature and remind us that we too have this resilience in us, individually and collectively. And as we begin the Book of Leviticus, let us feel called to our relationship with the natural world, our responsibility of mutual relationship with it, and renew in its majesty.
Shabbat shalom,
R’ David
RSS Feed