Every morning, a set of 15 blessings are recited to express our thanks to God for all the things that we, as healthy human beings, are capable of doing.

Ba’ruch Ah’tah Ah’doh’nai Eh’lo’hay’nu Melech ha’o’lam sheh’lo ah’sanee goy.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has not made me a heathen.

This blessing addresses a thought that is best articulated by the Yiddish phrase “It’s hard to be a Jew.” Sometimes it is tough being a Jew, and sometimes a Jew might wish that he/she would be just like everyone else. The purpose of this blessing is to make us pause and reflect on why we are proud of our Jewish heritage and would not want to be part of any other people.

–Translation reproduced with permission from The Koren Sacks Siddur,
© Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.