This Ritual Life Archive

Welcome to This Ritual Life.

Here you will find out about ways to enhance your holiday experience, to celebrate or mark a meaningful life cycle event, and to deepen your experience of the everyday. Our authors are especially interested in hearing your responses to what they have written. So after reading, visit the Ritual Life discussion forum where you can join in conversation with CLAL faculty and other readers.

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Upon Awakening

As soon as I sit up in bed and see the light through the windows, I am suddenly aware I'm alive and a new day has begun. Then I say to myself something like this: "Thank you, God. I know You're still out there doing Your thing, because here I am again doing my thing, thanks to You. I appreciate that!" That's my version of the Modeh Ani prayer which appears in my siddur as: "I render thanks unto Thee, everlasting King, Who has mercifully restored my soul within me; Thy faithfulness is beyond measure." As I continue my morning ritual, I do my own riffs on the traditional morning prayers. As I put on my glasses: "Whoa! I can see again! That's good," for "Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the universe, who openest the eyes of the blind." As I pull my body up and out of bed, onto the floor: "OK, I'm standing on my feet. Thank you!" for "Blessed art Thou…Who raisest up those who are bowed down." As I dress: "Clean, fresh clothes! This is so nice," for "Blessed art Thou…Who clothest the naked."

MEDITATION

Modeh ani lefanekha.

Thank you, God, for waking me up and giving me another day.

RITUAL

After waking and saying your own version of Modeh Ani, pause, even if it's only for a few seconds to register: it really is a miracle to be alive for this new day! It doesn't really matter what language you use, and whether you say it out loud or to yourself. Just stop and notice: I'm awake, I can see again, I'm getting up, I'm washing, I'm dressing. Be aware of the feelings that come as you make these observations. It is these feelings that generated the traditional prayers in the first place.

BLESSING

(As you dress for the day)

Borchi Nafshi: With every part of my being I praise the One who is clothed in splendor and majesty, wrapped in light as in a garment, unfolding the heavens like a curtain.

TEACHING

How long will you lie there, lazybones? When will you wake from your sleep? A bit more sleep, a bit more slumber, A bit more hugging yourself in bed….

(Proverbs 6:9-10)

This assignment originated from the Baal Shem Tov's advice that every Jew should make 100 blessings a day….Did they have to be in Hebrew? Did they have to be only for Jewish things?...I explained to the class that the idea of the homework was to notice all the ways in which their lives were blessed and that making 100 blessings would be so challenging that they would not have any energy to notice anything but blessing. (Johanna J. Singer, 100 Blessings a Day)

Kumi!

Arise!

(CLAL faculty)

CLAL's National Jewish Resource Center develops and publishes rituals that help to bridge the gap between our contemporary lives and the ancient wisdom of the Jewish tradition.