In Deuteronomy 10:12, Moses tells the Jewish people: "What (mah) does God ask of you?" The Talmud (Menachot 43b) explains that the word mah can be read as me'ah, meaning 100. In other words, God obligates us to recite (at least) 100 brachot (blessings) every day.
It’s funny to be obligated to make blessings - surely we make blessings when we feel blessed!
The reality is that making blessings over foods and experiences reminds us that we are blessed.
Thinking about where our food comes from and all the other wonders of the world helps us to connect to G-d and just how ‘blessed’ we are by His immeasurable benevolence.
When I set out on creating the Brachot series, my goal was to help students engage with the text of each blessing to gain a greater understanding of what they mean. When we understand the words, the brachot we say fulfill the intention of the obligation, to see blessing and feel blessed.
Sir Moses Montefiore had his own coat of arms, it read 'Think and Thank'. Blessings are there for us think and thank. The more we think about what we have and where it comes from the more appreciation we have and the happier we will be. The interactions in these Ji Tap games make this Brachot series a real gem and a truly fun way to learn about brachot.
