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A Blessing for SunJuly 2003From the Desk of Rabbi CohonThe dog days of summer are upon us, and July in Tucson, Arizona reminds us that we, like our ancestors in the Sinai, really do live in the desert-and it's flat-out hot. It's no wonder, given the 100 degree days and shimmering intensity of the sun, that Moses saw a burning bush and that the entire people believed that God spoke to them directly. Perhaps we'd have the same experience if we stayed outside in the middle of the day… We are currently "enjoying" the longest days of the year--daylight, daylight, and more daylight, a veritable cornucopia of sunshine. We get up earlier, we stay out later, we soak up the Vitamin D and rejoice in the long summer days. Of course, they are long, hot summer days, but still that blessing of light is a remarkable gift. In Judaism there are blessings for nearly everything, from circumcision to funerals-literally from birth to death. We have brachot, blessings for every kind of food-all of them slightly different-and every kind of event. If you see beautiful sunset, there's a blessing. If you see a rainbow-or even a double rainbow--there's a bracha that thanks God for making the original covenant with Noah. There are blessings on awakening and before going to sleep, blessing for washing, blessings to say when you see a great scholar or when you escape a dangerous situation. There's even a special blessing to say when you see a beautiful tree. And there are several blessings for the moon, including one we chant the week before the new moon arrives and one we say when we first glimpse its crescent in the sky. But for some reason the sun just doesn't get the same kind of treatment in Jewish tradition. It's true that the very first of our morning blessings thanks God for giving roosters the ability to distinguish day from night, but that's more like blessing your alarm clock than it is any particular bracha for the sun. In fact the true blessing for the sun is called birchot hachamah, and it's recited only once every 28 years. The last time it was said was in 1981, and we aren't officially due again until 2009, which may be several presidents from now. Talk about taking something for granted! I believe it's about time we gave the sun some credit. It's true that we desert dwellers would prefer to have a little less of it in July, or even August or September, but on balance we ought to be grateful for the sun, and not resentful of it. We shouldn't have to wait 28 years to give thanks for its light and energy. So next time you feel like kvetching about all the hot sun, here's part of the blessing you might want to recite instead: "The luminaries our God has created are good. He formed them with knowledge, discernment and wisdom. He called forth the sun and it radiated light, and formed the shape of the moon. "The Creator is merciful in the way he introduces major changes. In the transformation from day to night and night to day He does not blind with a sudden strong light or frighten with an abrupt drop into darkness, but rather, slowly, beautifully, makes the transition from one to the other. "In this season of summer, we thank you, God for the gift of the sun and its life-giving light." And it does cool down at night. L'shalom v'reiut, in peace and friendship, Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon |
