麻豆约拍

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rabbi Alex Chapper, Community Rabbi
Borehamwood & Elstree Synagogue

Good morning

I sometimes wonder why they make beds so comfortable and duvets so warm and cosy? Just imagine if they weren鈥檛, how much easier it would be to get up in the morning especially on these cold, dark, winter days.

The very first teaching in the Code of Jewish Law is that we should strengthen ourselves like a lion in the morning to get out of bed. Now this is somewhat surprising because I vividly remember as I child going to safari parks and being very excited to see the lions - the kings of the jungle - only to be invariably disappointed as they didn鈥檛 do anything except to lay around sleeping . But if you鈥檙e there at feeding time, these previously soporose creatures burst into life and display tremendous alacrity in securing their meal just as they would turn on the speed to capture their prey in the wild.

Perhaps that鈥檚 the attitude we鈥檙e meant to channel in the morning, awaken our inner lion to start the day with energy and enthusiasm as if we鈥檙e on a mission of great importance

If that鈥檚 not possible every day, how about imagining that a lion is actually in our bed, then we鈥檇 definitely be quick to jump out of it.

Every morning when I get up I say a short prayer thanking G-d, in His great kindness, for having restored my soul to my body and having faith in me. Because when we appreciate that life is a gift and it鈥檚 entrusted to us so that we can achieve what we鈥檙e capable of then that鈥檚 a tremendous motivation for getting up in the morning

So Let鈥檚 pray we remember that we鈥檙e unique, just as no-one else looks the same as us, so too no-one else can fulfil our unique mission in life.

Let鈥檚 remember that we woke up this morning, we鈥檝e been given another day of life and that must mean that we have something to achieve that only we can

And so let鈥檚 utilise every moment of this day constructively.

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