(The latest in this series about the Birkot HaShachar, the Jewish morning blessings, and the role they might play in helping us – Jews and non-Jews; believers, agnostics, and atheists – live with more gratitude, presence, and even compassion. Part spiritual reportage, part suggested practice.)
Sometimes all it takes to act like a better person is to get in the habit of expressing gratitude to God. That, and having someone with a cane chase you down in the street.
Baruch atah adonay, eloheinu melech ha’olam, malbish arumim
Blessed are You, The Compassionate, who clothes the naked
Most days on my way home from work, I pass a man holding out a cup for change. He’s the kind of person you want to help – older yet innocent, often quick to recount the generosity of others with wonder and wide blue-grey eyes, and usually appreciative of whatever you give him, even if it’s just a “hello, how are you?”
If you’ve got time, he’s usually got a story or a quip.
Once, as I passed by with a slice of pizza and a root beer, he took a look at the can.
“You didn’t get diet?” he asked.
“I don’t really like diet drinks,” I said, then patted my stomach and added, “but maybe I should get in the habit.”
“Nah,” he said, his eyes sparkling as he broke into a mischievous smile. “That’s just baby fat.”
On a different day, not long ago, I dropped some coins in his cup and continued on. Half a minute later, I suddenly heard shouting from behind. I turned to see him hobbling on his cane towards me, as fast as he could manage.
“I don’t think you meant to do this,” he said, reaching into his cup and pulling out some subway tokens I’d given him by accident. Worth about three dollars each, they could have been a windfall, but evidently, at too great a cost to his integrity.
So as I recite the blessing which I’m trying to keep in mind…
Baruch atah adonay, eloheinu melech ha’olam, malbish arumim
Blessed are You, The Compassionate, who clothes the naked
…I remember the delight he’d once taken in the t-shirt of a passerby, with its image of a grizzly bear. And I recall his references to his years living in the north. As far as I can tell, he’s a nature lover. My role is clear. The next time I do laundry, I take a t-shirt I’ve seldom worn from my dresser, and give it an extra washing. I got it in Banff a few years ago, and it has an image of the Rockies. Though I’ve worn it a little more of late, it remains on my clothing B-list. I’m sure it would fit him, and he’s bound to enjoy it more than I have.
When I offer it to him a few days later, he says, “I love it already.” The truth, though, is that he seems to be in a glum place, not taking pleasure in much. Nonetheless, as he stores the shirt in his knapsack for safe keeping and I start to leave, he makes me wait until he pulls out a chocolate drink someone had bought for him, and hands it to me.
As if being able to give him the t-shirt hadn’t been reward enough.
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Let’s Get Mindful
- So about those clothes in the closet that are guaranteed to fit you again after you take off those extra pounds….Can someone else use them? Would there be merit in reciting the blessing
Baruch atah adonay, eloheinu melech ha’olam, malbish arumim
Blessed are You, The Compassionate, who clothes the naked
and parting with them sooner rather than later?
- The next time you find yourself grumbling about the weather, consider your wardrobe. If you’re wearing clothes that make the heat or the cold or the rain more bearable, would this be a good time for the blessing?
- How about that article of clothing you’re wearing that you really, really like? What are the factors in your life that have given you the resources to acquire it? Might a blessing – malbish arumim or one of your own creation – be a good way of expressing gratitude for your good fortune?
- We are now well into the Jewish month of Elul, a period for self-reflection leading to Rosh Hashana and the beginning of the High Holy Days. One tradition is that we be especially generous with tzedakah (roughly translated as “charity”) at this time. Can the blessing help the Jews among us get there? And if you’re not Jewish but are looking for an imperative to be generous, feel free to join in.
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Lorne Meets World 