“…Recognizing God’s kindness and bringing blessing into the world – are inter-related.

When God created the world, He put everything in place before creating man… When Adam would finally arrive on the scene, he was to find… a magnificent, finished world.

But the Torah tells us there was one thing that God saved for man to complete. The plant-life would have to wait, concealed under the surface of the ground, until the first rainfall. And why had it not rained? Because, the Midrash says, God wanted man to turn to Him and pray for rain. That way, when the rain fell, man would appreciate each and every drop as God’s gift to the world.

God created the world with the purpose of bringing man close to Him. So He created a system which requires the spiritual efforts of man. When we say a bracha, it is our recognition that we need God, and are indeed utterly dependent upon Him. This forges a meaningful relationship with God, brings us closer to Him – and opens up the gates of blessing.”