From the Siddur
The Fourth Blessing: God’s Goodness
Rather than examine another verse today, I thought it might be helpful to just read the Fourth Blessing found in the Siddur under the category “Grace After Meals.” The blessing deserves plenty of comment, but it is first appropriate to simply listen to its power and reflect on its impact. What would happen in your life if you said just this much of this blessing after every meal?
Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the Universe, the Almighty, our Father, our King, our Sovereign, our Creator, Redeemer, our Maker, our Holy One, Holy One of Jacob, our Shepherd, the Shepherd of Israel, the King Who is good and Who does good for all. For every single day He did good, He does good, and He will do good for us. He was bountiful with us, He is bountiful with us, and He will forever be bountiful with us—with grace and with kindness and with mercy, with relief, salvation, success, blessing, help, consolation, sustenance, support, mercy, life peace, and all good; and of all good things may He never deprive us. (Emphasis added)
The blessing continues with praises for YHVH’s compassion, glory, peace and the Messiah.[1] The rabbinic commentary points out that the key phrase hatov v’hameitiv (“Who is good and Who does good”) is the essence of this blessing, an outpouring of gratitude for God. But this should give us pause. In what sense may we praise God for His goodness when the history of Israel and the Jews exhibits such oppression, violence and death? How is it possible to say He is good and does good when millions have died for this faith, when the land is under constant threat, when all the world turns its back on God’s people? What kind of devotion must be demonstrated in these two simple words in order to overcome the concentration camps, the pogroms and the continuing anti-Semitism? Any reasonable man would be astounded by this claim. And yet this blessing is recited every day in homes where YHVH is honored.
We who eat well at tables in relative safety, who read His word without reprisals, who carry on in our lives without thoughts of those died simply because they were Jacob’s children; we who embrace the egotism of assumptions about God’s grace, who imagine the goodness is a function of our fulfilled desires, need this blessing, a blessing that glorifies His character despite human calculation. The goodness of God is not a category of human ethics. It is a statement of trust in the face of trauma. “Who is good and Who does good” is our declaration of eschatological expectation where we see only splinters of His radiance today. hatov v’hameitiv is counterintuitive hope, repeated every time we are fed.
Topical Index: hatov v’hameitiv, Who is good and Who does good, Siddur
[1] The entire blessing can be found in The Complete Art Scroll Siddur, p. 209, 211, 213.
Expectations. We humans live for tomorrow. A tomorrow that never comes. Spring is a time of both hope and despair revival and sorrow. Over the past four days we have seen one neighbour die, one take his own life, and our next door neighbours’ return north from their snowbird retirement of 26 years here leave, never expecting but hoping to return. Their despair was visceral but they are pragmatic believers who give and take everything they have and get. We cried. Three times.
We too will be leaving in a few days with expectations of a new tomorrow. Meanwhile our lives have been fed by the people we meet here every day who have added to our lives, their lives, by using the bountiful blessings that we have all been given and are able to share with those around us every day. Our grace before meal included them all. We should have included “Who does good and is good” with a grace after meal too. Our expectations are too low. What would, could happen if we were not so human?
Your post has so gripped me.
You will be leaving in a few days, George? Where to, may I ask? Hope you can receive this, my reply to yours. Shalom!
Hi Ester, we are from Moncton New Brunswick in Canada on the world famous Bay of Fundy with its 50 ft tides. We so enjoy our time here in Dade City FL for 5 winter months and reading your (and others) posts to kick start our day. Nothing like getting off on a goodly Godly day with Skip is there! I read a book The Queen You Thought You Knew by R. David Fohman that I think about every time you post. Keep it up. Chairete, Shalom Shabbat.
Shalom, George & Penny! A reader informed me of your encouraging reply.
ABBA’s richest blessings upon your return, with a higher expectation to a new tomorrow. 🙂 Canada is a beautiful place!
I am so habitually “saying grace” before meals; but not the kind to “bless” the food we eat, to turn the unclean to clean!!!
I am also aware of folks who say no grace before nor after meals. That makes me wonder. Then there’s those who simply mutter-Thank You, Lord, for this food, diving right into the meal. Sigh!
YES, we so need “a blessing that glorifies His character” .
La Cuarta Bendición
Del Sidur
En lugar de examinar otro versículo hoy, pensé que sería útil sólo leer la cuarta bendición encontrada en el sidur bajo la categoría “bendición después de alimentos”. La bendición merece mucho comentario, pero es apropiado simplemente primero escuchar su poder y reflexionar en su impacto. ¿Qué ocurriría en tu vida si tú simplemente dijeras esta parte de esta bendición después de cada alimento?
Bendito eres tú, Hashem, nuestro Dios, Rey del universo, el Todopoderoso, nuestro Padre, nuestro Rey, nuestro Soberano, nuestro Santo, El Santo de Jacob, nuestro pastor, el pastor de Israel, el rey Quién es bueno y hace bondad a todos. Por cada día él hizo bondad, él hace bondad y hará bondades para nosotros. Él ha sido generoso con nosotros, él es generoso con nosotros y será por siempre generoso con nosotros – con gracia y con bondad y con misericordia con alivio, salvación, éxito, bendición, ayuda, consolación, sostenimiento, mantenimiento, misericordia, paz, y todo lo bueno; y de todo lo bueno él jamás nos puede privar.
La bendición continúa con alabanzas por la compasión, gloria paz de YHVH, y El Mesías. El comentario rabínico nos muestra que la frase clave, hatov v’hameitiv (Quién es bueno y hace bondad), es la esencia de esta bendición, un derramar de gratitud para Dios. Pero esto no debería dar pausa. ¿En qué sentido podemos nosotros alabar a Dios por su bondad cuando la historia de Israel y los judíos muestra tanta opresión, violencia y muerte? ¿Cómo es posible decir que él es bueno y qué hace bondad cuando millones han muerto por esta fe, cuando la tierra está bajo constante amenaza, cuando el mundo entero le da la espalda al pueblo de Dios? ¿Qué tipo de devoción debe ser demostrada en estas dos simples palabras para poder vencer los campos de concentración los pogromos y el antisemitismo continuo? Cualquier hombre razonable estaría asombrado por esta declaración. Y aun así esta bendición y recitada cada día en los hogares donde YHVH es honrado.
Nosotros que comemos en buenas mesas, en una seguridad relativa, qué leemos Su palabra sin ninguna represalia, que vivimos nuestras vidas sin ningún pensamiento de aquellos que murieron simplemente porque eran los hijos de Jacob; nosotros que abrazamos el egotismo de las presunciones acerca de la gracia de Dios que nos imaginamos la bondad como una función de nuestros deseos complacidos, necesitamos esta bendición, una bendición que glorifique Su carácter a pesar de los cálculos humanos. La bondad de Dios no es una categoría de ética humana. Es una declaración de confianza al encararse al trauma. “Quién es bueno y qué hace bondad” Es nuestra declaración de una expectativa escatológica donde hoy sólo vemos astillas de su resplandor. Hatov v’hameitiv es una esperanza contra intuitiva, repetida cada vez que somos alimentados.
Topical Index: hatov v’hameitiv, Who is good and Who does good, Siddur