Yotzer ohr

Yotzer ohr, Creator of light, also known as Birkat yotzer, Blessing of creation, is the first of the two blessings recited before the Shema during Shacharit, the morning religious services of Judaism.

Translation: Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of the universe, who forms light and creates darkness, who makes peace and creates all things. Blessed are you LORD, who forms light.

According to a Midrash, Adam and Eve were the first people to recite this blessing when they were in the Garden of Eden.

Judaism recognizes that the sun is central to life. It is the sun that provides light that is needed for all life on earth, and Birkat Yotzer Or is a blessing for the sun.

Themes

The first blessing is known as Birkat Yotzer Or (Blessing of creation). The first verse comes from the Book of Isaiah 45:7. It is said to correspond with the first paragraph of the Shema.

The blessing of yotzer ohr has two themes. The first is the spiritual one, in which God's Divine Wisdom expressing itself in a cosmic order. The second is that of the angels, in which the praises of the angels are expressed. It is during the part that kedusha is included. Unlike the kedusha during the Amidah, which is only recited in the presence of a minyan, this kedusha is recited even when praying in private.