Every morning, there are 15 blessings that we say in our prayers.
They are connected to our morning routine. We thank Hashem for every stage in the process, including the ability to wake up, the ability to straighten our backs, the strength to make it through the day, the clothes we can put on etc.
Among these blessings, we say poke’ach ivrim, "who opens the eyes of the blind". In short, thank you Hashem that we can see.
When I taught the cheder children, I asked them to cover their eyes for a moment and imagine they could not see, then we open them together and say the blessing together. It is easier to appreciate a gift when we see life without it.
I recently saw a video of an older man who was given a birthday present from his family. They videoed him opening the present, and it looked like a simple pair of glasses. He put on the glasses and then looked around him.
Tears formed in his eyes, as he saw the real colours of the world. This man was colour blind, and they had bought him a special pair of glasses that corrected his vision and enabled him to see the world in a whole new light. Seeing the delight on his face helped me realise what an incredible gift we have if we are able to see the beautiful colours all around us.
May you be blessed with a beautiful day and the ability to "see" it as one too!
For those who would like to say the blessing this morning, the full text of the bracha is: Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam pokeach ivrim.
Image: Late autumn in Birley with Upper Hill, Herefordshire (Jonathan Billinger/Wikimedia Commons)
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