Blessing the Aurora

What Prayer Did You Say?

When I reached the top of Murphy Dome near Fairbanks, the Aurora Borealis dancing in the night sky, the stunning display was beyond what I imagined. I said the traditional blessing for seeing large scale wonders.

.בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, עוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, oseh maasei v’reishit.

We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe, who makes the works of creation.

That was six weeks ago. I confess to being more than a little jealous of all the folks in North America who saw the Northern Lights last night. The photos posted on social media were amazing. More than that, I’m yearning to be back in Fairbanks for the ongoing show.

Did you say a prayer when you saw the Lights? If not, as your Northernmost rabbinical student, let me suggest that it’s not too late. Take out your photos, better still, conjure a memory. Then, find your own words to thank God for witnessing beauty and wonder in the skies. Or use the traditional prayer.

Here’s the point. Express gratitude. Invite the Divine into your experience of God’s creation. Yes, Jewish law and custom calls for us to say blessings of gratitude in the moment. That said, this student rabbi says. If you missed the blessing, make the blessing. It’s never too late for gratitude.

Note: Please share your Aurora prayers of gratitude as a comment on this post. Also, check out my book, “This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day.”