בְּרָכוֹת שֶׁנִּתָּנִי | Berakhot Shenitani: Dass ich erlebe — haiku adaptions of some of the morning blessings by Rivka Jaussi

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=63554

Date: 2025-09-17

Last Updated: 2025-09-17

Categories: Berakhot sheNitani

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., haiku, interpretive translation, paraliturgical birkhot hashaḥar

Excerpt: My (interpretative) translations of Jewish prayer texts are intended to offer an opportunity to integrate a short pause with just a few words in Hebrew and/or German into daily life. In this example: to appreciate the new morning in a Jewish way (Birchot haShachar). . . .

Content:

My (interpretative) translations of Jewish prayer texts are intended to offer an opportunity to integrate a short pause with just a few words in Hebrew and/or German into daily life. In this example: blessings to appreciate the new morning in a Jewish way (Birchot haShachar).

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Source (Hebrew)	Adaptation (German)	Translation of Adaptation (English)
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לַשֶּׂכְוִי בִינָה לְהַבְחִין בֵּין־יוֹם וּבֵין לָיְלָה׃	Dass ich erlebe, wie die Natur unterscheidet zwischen dem Tag und der Nacht: ein Segen ist‘s.	That I experience how nature distinguishes between day and night: it is a blessing.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם פּוֹקֵחַ עִוְרִים׃	Dass ich erlebe, wie die Welt sich den Blinden auftut: ein Segen ist‘s.	That I experience how the world opens up to the blind: it is a blessing.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם מַלְבִּישׁ עֲרֻמִּים׃	Dass ich erlebe, wie der Tag sich in Stimmung kleidet: ein Segen ist‘s.	That I experience how the day dresses itself in atmosphere: it is a blessing.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים׃	Dass ich erlebe, wie der Mensch sich von Starrem befreit: ein Segen ist‘s.	That I experience how people free themselves from rigidity: it is a blessing.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם זוֹקֵף כְּפוּפִים׃	Dass ich erlebe, wie der Körper sich dem Geist zuneigt: ein Segen ist‘s.	That I experience how the body inclines itself toward the spirit: it is a blessing.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁעָשָׂה לִי כׇּל־צָרְכִּי׃	Dass ich erlebe, wie das Sein sich eine Form erschafft: ein Segen ist‘s.	That I experience how being creates a form for itself: it is a blessing.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמֵּכִין מִצְעֲדֵי־גָבֶר׃	Dass ich erlebe, wie der Schritt sich in Wege wandelt: ein Segen ist‘s.	That I experience how the step transforms into paths: it is a blessing.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אוֹזֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּגְבוּרָה׃	Dass ich erlebe, wie der Anfang sich ins Jetzt einwebt: ein Segen ist‘s.	That I experience how the beginning weaves itself into the present: it is a blessing.

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This abridged adaptation of the birkhot hashaḥr combines two separate works of Rivka Jaussi. The first: a translation of the blessing for distinguishing between day and night. The second: a series of haikus in German for seven out of the dozen or so “berakhot shenitani” (“you [Hashem] gave me”). Introducing the haiku adaptations, Rivka writes:

Source (German)	Translation (English)
Die Serie der Dreizeiler ist eine Anlehnung an die Haiku-Gedichtform (Gedicht mit 5-7-5 Silben), die im Zen eine meditative Komponente hat. Diese Dichtform bietet sich für die morgendlichen Segenssprüche mit ihren immer gleichlautenden Anfängen geradezu an. Bei meiner Version hat sowohl der Anfang als auch das Ende immer den gleichen Wortlaut.	The series of three-line poems is based on the haiku form (poems with 5-7-5 syllables), which has a meditative component in Zen. This poetic form is ideal for morning blessings with their identical beginnings. In my version, both the beginning and the end always have the same wording.
Wofür der einzelne hebräische Segensspruch inhaltlich für morgendliche Handlungen steht? – Hierzu gibt es unterschiedliche Anregungen. Inspirieren lassen habe ich mich besonders von Marcia Pragers „The Path of Blessing“.	What does the content of each individual Hebrew blessing stand for in terms of morning activities? There are various suggestions for this. I was particularly inspired by Marcia Prager’s “The Path of Blessing.”

For a melody, Rivka Jaussi suggests: „Ha-noten la-Sechwi“ (Anshe Emet Synagogue).

Source(s)

Birchot ha-Schachar – Ha-noten laSechwi (Rivka Jaussi 2025)

Birchot ha-Shachar [haikus] (Rivka Jaussi 2025)

 

Contributor: Rivka Jaussi

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Rivka Jaussi
  Bio: As a German-speaking poet, I translate Jewish prayers and Torah passages interpretatively into German. I am inspired by conversations with other Jews who are looking for a contemporary German translation that can be used alongside or in place of the Hebrew. This was my experience with the first egalitarian Minyan group in Berlin between 1995 and 1998. The group initially met in private rooms and later moved to Oranienburger Straße. The basis was an "Open Siddur" that developed over the years. Today, an egalitarian congregation with its own ritual is located in the New Synagogue on Oranienburger Straße.
  Website:
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/rivka-jaussi

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Title: Multiverse_-_Leo_Villareal
Caption: Multiverse, a light sculpture by Leo Villareal featuring 41,000 computer-programmed LED nodes, located between the National Gallery of Art's East and West Buildings, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (photo credit: AgnosticPreachersKid, license: CC BY-SA)