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100 blessings

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Rabbi Elchanan Lewis

Nisan 20, 5769
Question
I am not Jewish, but I have heard of the tradition of 100 Blessings a day and think it is quite beautiful. I have searched on the internet, but have not found a detailed description of the "procedure." Can you please tell me a few things? Are there specific blessings that have already been written down to say, or do I simply find what is good at the moment and thank God for those things? (For example, when I wake up to be thankful for life, being free able to get out of bed, etc.; looking at a family photo to be thankful for them; seeing a bird out the window to be thankful for God’s beautiful creatures?) Is there a formula for posing the blessing, or can I "wing it"? I calculated that to say 100 blessings, assuming you sleep 8 hours, would require one blessing every 9 minutes or so. Is it acceptable to say several together, or is part of the point to keep you aware of the blessings by saying one every few minutes? Is this something that people successfully practice every day, or is it a goal to strive for, knowing that we might not always achieve it? Is it OK for a lapsed Presbyterian to do this? I would not wish to be disrespectful. That is not how my Mother raised me.
Answer
For a practicing Jew 100 blessings are built-in into his daily routine, three prayers a day, blessings before and after meals and blessings after visiting the bathroom already give you more than 100 blessings a day. Being a non-Jew as you say you are, I think your system is beautiful and I am sure G-d appreciates your effort to get close to him via blessings.
את המידע הדפסתי באמצעות אתר yeshiva.org.il