'Shehecheyanu': Who keeps us alive, sustains us and brings us to this day

(JNS) — Here’s a strange paradox of Jewish life: The words we probably recite more often than any other Hebrew prayer are ones we sing without thinking about. We rarely explore the deeper meaning of the Shehecheyanu prayer, although we say it at almost every Jewish celebration, gala and lifecycle event.

So let’s slow down and ponder the ancient words our sages designated to show our thankfulness.

In this prayer are three clusters of words we use to articulate the nuances of our gratitude. We say Shehecheyanu, “who enlivens us,” then Ve-kiyamanu, “who helps us to stand upright and to endure.” T...