It seems like there’s a blessing for everything in Judaism. When you eat fruit, you can say one blessing. When you smell a fresh flower, there’s another. And when you see a two-headed snake or a spiky pufferfish, there’s yet another blessing you can recite.
Wait. What?
The blessing for seeing exceptionally strange-looking people or animals is found in the “blessings” section of many prayerbooks. It starts out the same way most other Jewish blessings do:
Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu melech ha-olam…
Blessed are you, God, ruler of the world…
and then finishes:
…mishaneh ha-briyot.
…who makes creatures different.
It’s certainly not the sort of thing most of us learned in Hebrew School. But it’s a surprising and pleasant way to remind ourselves that everything has a purpose in this world–even pufferfish.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.