Dr. Emily AronoffBlessings for Everyone!
Blessings are a special kind of prayer and a very common part of Jewish life. We are called to recite scripted blessings over particular foods, occasions, and experiences. In America, the word blessings is also used more generally, using the word to describe the things in our life that we appreciate.
According to Talmudic tradition, each Jew is invited to recite a hundred blessings every day. Menachot 43b instructs that each one of us is obligated to recite 100 blessings each day. Nurturing this gratitude practice is a central tenet of my happiness. I clearly remember learning this text as a teen at Kutz camp, and immediately taking that advice very seriously. My gratitude practice has grown much stronger as the decades have passed, and it is an enormous source of strength.
Practice Identifying and Articulating 100 Blessings
When my kids can’t fall asleep, I tell them to come up with list of 100 blessings in the place where folks may have classically counted sheep. Sometimes they will be reluctant, so I’ll offer 10 and they’ll offer 10…but it is a practice that reliably concludes in a calmer, happier, sleepier child.
Anticipatory Set
One fun way to introduce this song is to gather 100 post-it notes and then distribute them amongst your students so they can each write a single blessing in their lives on each note, and then stick the whole collection of 100 as a prominent display and inspiration.
Song Lyrics
Lyrics:
CHORUS:
100 blessings Every Day
In 24 hours 100 reasons to say
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech HaOlam
We’ll say blessings upon waking, eyes open, getting dressed
Going to the bathroom, giving me my breath
We’ll say blessings saying thank you for giving us everything we need
Make 100 blessings each day, a blessed life you will lead
CHORUS
We’ll say blessings when we do mitzvot God commands
For wisdom that God grants us to deal with life’s demands
We’ll say blessings learning Torah, the lessons make us strong
Say thanks to God for giving us the words that make this song
CHORUS
When we’ve said 100 blessings, it has been a blessed day
I’ll say the Sh’ma, its time for bed, gratefully I lay
We’ll make more blessings tomorrow, open my eyes and start again
And when you make a blessing I like then I’ll say “Amen!”
CHORUS
Want more songs and strategies to connect with kiddos through song? Check out my self-paced course, Songleading For Kiddos.
