Give a listen... Say your prayers

A golem has awakened in my bedroom. Rather than clay, this one is made of stone. Like other golems he is unable to speak — for now, that is. Yet, unlike such mythical creatures of the past he was not put here to seek revenge on the oppressors of our people. Nor was he created by a rabbi. Actually, he is the rabbi! So begins another day for a man well past retirement age.

I start to move my fingers. One by one I repeat doing so until my hands no longer feel like hardened cement.

While my body aches, I take a deep breath and then slowly exhale a “primal groan” for as long as possible. When there is no air left to exhale, I am totally relaxed and then take a gentle breath. The pains are gone and I begin to sing my morning prayer, Modeh Ani (I am grateful) to the melody I have composed. After the traditional Hebrew words the same melody is sung in newly written English lyrics:

I wake up in the morning, grateful to see a new day; Alive and refreshed from a night of rest; I’m blessed in so many ways; Thank you. Thank you! Thank you for a night of rest; Thank you. Thank you! In so many ways I am blessed.

As I continue doing a series of stretches in a supine position, I think of a number of reasons to be grateful. The list varies each day — some new ones and some old ones. I’m thankful that my pain level is down to zero! Thankful for hearing the sound of an owl as I fell asleep last night. The heavenly comfort of a new mattress. For a wonderful spouse and a peaceful home. The invention of ceiling fans. The gift of hearing. The human ability to create beautiful melodies and poetry. Reruns of classic television programs such as “Sanford and Son,” “Car 54, Where are You?” and “The Jeffersons.” A myriad of delicious foods. For new friends. Yes, there is much to be grateful for. And when we express gratitude, we are apt to feel better. Our spirits are lifted and we can feel less burdened by our troubles.

Besides gratitude — saying “thanks”— there is another type of prayer summed up in one word — “Please!” For those who believe, it is petitioning God for something. For those who don’t believe in a personal God this is a tapping into one’s self or perhaps universal Intelligence. When my pain level reaches an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 and is worsening, I may plead “God, please help me.” It keeps me hanging on until relief comes or may help me to better size up the situation and not panic.

If struggling with a difficult problem I may ask for help in finding a solution: God, please grant me wisdom. “What should I do if my Facebook friend keeps posting death-wish memes attacking anyone who voted for a different candidate?” Later — “now that I’ve unfriended the person, I’m getting hateful emails.” I ask for wisdom and also for patience. Meanwhile, I’ll ignore the emails.

Do the answers come directly from God? Are we reaching into our own memory banks? Is it something in our DNA? Regardless of what is involved we are engaging a power that is there for us. We may be merely asking for something trivial. My wife and I are trying to recall a name. I’ll quickly go through the alphabet letter by letter and without trying very hard, the answer will come. It’s like going to a filing cabinet. You get to the correct letter and the file is right there. I may come up with the first name and then my wife will quickly get the surname. Or vice versa. “Peter?” “Falk!” The process is amazing. Wow!

And this is the third of three types of prayer: “Awe.” We may feel ecstatic simply by hearing a song that also makes our hair stand on end. That’s been my experience when listening to the aria “Un bel di vedremo” (One fine day, we will see) in the opera “Madama Butterfly.” Even the arrangement of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” as sung by Diana Ross. A beautiful sunset, or a vibrant moonrise over the ocean, can fill us with splendor. The birth of our child or grandchild. A come-from-behind walk-off win in a baseball game. Better yet, your favorite team’s World Series clincher!

Our siddur (prayer book) has many prescribed prayers. Judaism also has formulaic ones known as Berachot (Blessings). They often begin with the Hebrew words “Baruch Atah Adonai….”

There is a different beracha (blessing) for each occasion. Thanks for bread. Different ones for vegetables, for fruit, for cake.

A beracha upon seeing a rainbow. It is suggested for the religiously observant to recite a minimum of a hundred blessings each day.

For my readers, I encourage you to take notice of both the great and small gifts in your life. Reach out or within for help and strength.

Feel and appreciate the gifts that appear. Be blessed with “Wow moments.” If you wish, learn more of the standard berachot.

But always feel free to use your own words. I’ll say no more as my phone is ringing. Please let it be my granddaughter back safely from her graduation trip. Wow! It’s actually a text from her.

She’s returned and is bringing photos. I’m on my way to the airport to pick her up. Thank you, God!