Liturgy - Blessed is He Who Spoke

בס"ד

The prayer "Baruch Sheh'amar" (בָּרוּךְ שֶׁאָמַר) is recited daily in the morning service. Its name comes from its opening words which mean, "Blessed is He Who Spoke". The sentence continues, "and there was a world. It is a prayer that contains many expressions of thanksgiving for the many kindnesses that God extends to the creation.

The first and most basic kindness is that God created a world from absolute nothing. The word "baruch" expresses appreciation. The first sentence is an affirmation of the belief in a supernatural Creator who is external to the universe. This subtly rejects the classical idea that the universe always existed and the current popular idea that the world created itself, which are implicit in the Big Bang theory. Shortly after it blesses the maker of the beginning. He stands at the beginning of this world, but He Himself is eternal and has no beginning or end. The idea is that Hashem transcends time and sequence. It is difficult if not impossible to be grasped by man because an existence without time is so different from the world that we are living in.

The prayer then describes G-d as speaking and acting. What this means is that G-d communicates with man sometimes in verbal form. Also he performs actions that can influence a person's life. The pairing and emphasizing of them connotes reliability, specifically that the promises in the Tanakh will be kept. This subtle idea is expanded on with the thanksgiving that He gives ample recompense to those that fear him. People will travel in a particular path if they fear the consequences of doing otherwise. Also there is a tendency not to fear the kind and the merciful, and Baruch Sheh'amar characterizes G-d as being merciful including redeeming and rescuing those in need.

Baruch Sheh'amar has 87 words and is basically two sentences. Like this one the liturgical blessings start with descriptions, praises, and thanksgivings. They conclude with a sentence that is in the formal form of a blessing. The text is, "Blessed are You Hashem, our G-d, king of the universe", followed by a simple expression of the theme. Here the expression of the theme is comparatively long. It has a number of appellations. Some of them are restatements of what was said already. The idea is to say that the praiseworthy characteristics are not simply actions but fundamental parts of G-d's being. Others are indirect descriptions of the proper way to praise the holy One blessed be He. They include appeals to beauty, greatness, and sovereignty. Some of the desired mediums are poetry, songs, and the Psalms of King David. Those that follow these paths are called His devoted ones and servants.

לע"נ  האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז ניסן תשנ"ח

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