Shehecheyanu Moments

The Shehecheyanu is a Jewish blessing that is usually recited the first time we do something in the Jewish Calendar year, such as the first night of Hanukkah, Sukkot, Passover, and on joyous occasions. It can be translated as “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.” Friends of mine who have young children have a lovely tradition of saying the Shehecheyanu the first time they do many things for the first time, even those unrelated to a Jewish holiday or Jewish practice. For example, before their first swim in a pool for the season, the first bite of watermelon in summer, or a first trip to Disneyland.

When the Adventure Bus Outreach program was planning their first outing since the Covid pandemic, I was reminded of this tradition, and we all thought that this could be a great Shehecheyanu moment, a perfect time to say this blessing. And as the Adventure Bus participants gathered in front of the bus to recite the blessing together before their first outing, there was definitely a sense of joy and gratitude about being able to take a trip together again after such a long hiatus.

While most people are familiar with the recitation of this blessing for Jewish Holidays and some special occasions, it is also somewhat common to say this blessing before eating a new fruit for the first time since Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), seeing a friend who you have not seen in 30 days, buying a home, upon the arrival to Israel, and other special occasions.

These are all great things to celebrate, but there is something to be said for celebrating some of the smaller occasions in life, especially these days. Saying this blessing marks something as special and new, and it’s a way of expressing our gratitude.

So why not say the Shehecheyanu for some of the seemingly smaller events, for which we are still very grateful. Perhaps the first time you eat out in a new restaurant, or the first time going to the movies in a long while. Maybe the first time you are back inside your congregation for an in-person service or your first live concert, plane ride or in-person class. There are going to be a lot of “first-in-a-long-time” events for everyone these days. A lot of Shehecheyanu moments. Let’s celebrate and express gratitude for every one of them!