Blessings are not limited to eating and doing mitzvot. There are also blessings relating to sight, sound and smell. When we see manifestations of God’s power, wisdom or providence in the world, we also say a blessing.
When, for example, one sees lightening and hears thunder, two blessings are recited; one that mentions God’s power and strength filling the universe, and another that reminds us of the fact that God created the world. When we see a beautiful and majestic natural phenomenon such as Niagara Falls or exceptionally beautiful creatures we also bless God that “such is in His world”.
In spring, when the first blossoms appear on fruit trees, we declare that “nothing is lacking in His universe, and He created in it beautiful [good] creatures and beautiful [good] trees, to give humanity pleasure from them. Upon smelling fragrant spices, we praise God for “creating all manner of fragrant spices”. When smelling a rose, we praise God for “creating trees of fragrance”.
Saying blessings on such a variety of experiences helps us appreciate the beauty and grandeur of the world around us. As we recite the blessings with awareness and understanding we can begin to learn, in the words of a contemporary Jewish philosopher, “the art of living in amazement”.
