To Life Itself (part 2)--Rabbi Yitzhak Miller, Kol Nidre 5770/2009

(...To Life Itself (continued)--click here for page 1)

The Rabbis give us a head start on this challenge of 100 blessings a day.  I know every one of you will be here promptly at 9:30am tomorrow when we begin morning services.  And since you’ll all be here, I’ll give you a head’s up of something to look for.  Near the beginning of the morning service—not just on Yom Kippur—not just on the High Holy Days—but every single day of the week we recite a prayer called “nisim b’chol yom”.  In this simple title, we are reminded daily of one of the great teachings we can internalize.  What does nisim b’chol yom mean?  It literally means “the miracles of an ordinary day.”  Nisim b’chol yom reminds us that we need not search the heavens for blessings—we need only search the sacred, commonplace moments of our own lives, and remind ourselves what a blessing each one of them is.

In designing the morning prayer service the Rabbis remind us of how many blessings we can overlook if we aren’t paying attention. 

·         Blessed are you, God, who caused the sun to rise again this morning.

·         Blessed are you, God, who gave me feet that can support my body.

·         Blessed are you, God, who gave me eyes that can see.

·         Blessed are you, God, who put clothes on my back.

·         Blessed are you, God, who gave me a conscience.

·         Blessed are you, God, who gives me inspiration for this day.

In fact, just by reciting this one prayer, we offer 15 blessings to start our day…15 blessings that we could so easily overlook.  How easy is it to wake up in the morning, open our eyes, see the sunlight, stand on our feet, get dressed, and think about what we want to do that day without even noticing the blessing inherent in every one of these moments.  This prayer reminds us that we do not need to search for blessings.  Life itself is a blessing, within us, and all around us.

Near the beginning of the book of Exodus, when God sends Moses to lead the people out of Egypt, Moses asks God for God’s name.  God answers “Ehyeh asher Ehyeh”—“I am that which is”.  In this simple phrase, the Torah teaches us one of the great lessons of Judaism:  That God is life itself.  I am that which is.  I, God, am not apart from you.  I am not some Divine parent handing out punishments and rewards.  I am not some heavenly wish machine delivering upon requests based on quantity and quality of prayers.  I am not some celestial abstraction reserved for doctoral dissertations in theology.  I, God, am life itself. 

Ehyeh asher Ehyeh—I am that which is—I am the experiences you have and the choices that you make.  Ehyeh asher Ehyeh—I am that which is—I am the forces that you comprehend, and those that you don’t.  Ehyeh asher Ehyeh—I am that which is—I am the elation and the desolation, the attractive and the repulsive, the revered and the commonplace.

There is one final place that Judaism reminds us of this same lesson—in the very toast we use—L’chaim—to life.  We Jews don’t toast to a good life, an easy life, or a comfortable life.  We don’t toast to a pleasant life, a wealthy life, or a healthy life.  We don’t even toast to a learned life, a blessed life, or a meaningful life.  Our toast in Judaism is L’chaim—to life itself—that life itself is a blessing.

So on this Kol Nidre night—on this most sacred of evenings—at this most blessed of moments, I won’t wish us an easy fast.  Instead I will wish us a meaningful fast—a fast that reminds us every single day of the year what an unbelievable privilege it is simply to be alive—what an unbelievable blessing it is to be part of reality—what an unbelievable opportunity we have every single moment of our lives—to literally be part of God.

L’chaim, my friends—“To Life”.