"Here Comes Sunshine" - Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia

            As I watched the sunrise this morning, clear, crisp,  with the sky changing from a dark blue to a magnificent sky blue (or as my mother who grew up in North Carolina would say "Carolina Blue" in reference to her the University of North Carolina Tar Heels), I thought about what had transpired last night and what I was about to do this morning.  Last night, when Shabbat ended, one of our teenagers prepared for the Havdalah service. She poured a cup of wine, took out a special multi wicked candle, and a spice box filled with cloves and cinnamon. I looked outside into the night sky and saw the requisite three stars we began. The final blessing of the that very short yet incredibly spiritual service concludes with the Bracha: Baruh Atah Adoshem Elokeinu Melech Ha'Olam, Hamavdil Bein Kodesh L'Chol, Bein Or L'CHoshech Bein Yisroel L'Amim Bein Yom HaShvii L'Sheshet Yemei HaMaaseh. Baruch Atah Adoshem HaMavdil Bein Kodesh L'Chol- Praise are you Oh Lord our God King of the Universe Who separates between the holy and the mundane, between the light and the darkness, and Israel and the Nations, between the seventh day and the six days of labor. Praised are you Lord who separates between the Holy and the mundane.  Yes, when observing the Shabbat, it is always easy to be aware of Kodesh and Chol, between the holy and the mundane. If for nothing else, for an entire day, our family stepped back from the world and didn't hear any depressing news about new outbreaks, cities shutting down or more deaths. On Shabbat, the day is designed to force us to take pause and reflect on Brachot, blessings. During Havdalah, we acknowledge God who separates the holy from the mundane the light and darkness etc... The first Bracha we say in Birkot HaShachar is Baruch Ata Adoshem Elokeinu Melech Ha'Olam Asher Natan L'Sechvi Vina L'Havchin Bein Yom U'Vein Laila - Blessed are you Lord our God King of the Universe Who gave the heart understanding and to distinguish between day and night. "Distinguishing between light and day" seems to be a shorthand for the last blessing during Havdalah.  We aren't only asking God to give us the ability to distinguish between day and night, we are now in the Shesehe Yemai Ha'Maaseh the Six Days of Labor, we are also asking God to give us the ability to distinguish between the Holy and the Mundane between Light ad Darkness, between our Yetzer Harah and Yetzer HaTov (good inclination and bad inclination), between acting selfishly and acting selflessly between the best version of ourselves and the "not so best" version of ourselves. Yes, the sunrise was magnificent this morning, just like all sunrises are magnificent. As the sun rises and I am filled with the warmth of the possibility of a new day, Unlike Shabbat, a day designed for reflection and sensing the blessings around us; the real work the real labor of this day and each of the Sheshet Yemai HaMaaseh -the Six says of Labor is to look around and have the insight to see our Brachot, see our blessings. In these trying times, that may be difficult, and Brachot may not be where we normally have found or anticipated finding them before. However, we know Brachot are there. Just like we have had to adjust our days and in a sense our lives, we only need to adjust our ability to sense the Brachot and allow them to re-energize our souls.\
Peace,
Rav Yitz

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