“In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison
SHAAALLOOMMMM SWEEETEST FRIENDSSSS!!!!!!!
HOW EXCITING!!! PARSHAS VAYEITZEI, THANKSGIVING AND [in Israel] GISHMEI BRACHA!!!
Leah gives birth to number four and calls him Yehuda b/c הפעם אודה את השם. His name means "Thanks". We are called Yehudim - "Thankers"!! The first word out of a Jew's mouth in the morning is "Modeh" - Thank you!! [Why "Modeh Ani" and not "Ani Modeh"? It is not good that the first word out of our mouths every morning should be "I"... Most of our thoughts anyway focus on the "I'. Better we start the day with THANKS!!!].
I once heard a talk from a big neuroscience professor and he was talking about how to maximize your brain capacity. One thing he said was that it is very worthwhile to start your day being thankful that you are alive. It is a huuuuge boon to mental health. I thought, "What an ORIGINAL idea"!!! Brilliant!!
We have sooooooo many things to be thankful for. Every one of the trillions of cells in our body. Our ability to MOVE our limbs.That we have limbs to move. The list is ENDLESSSSSSSSS.
But WAIT!!! It is a MIXED BAG. I have TZAROS as well. So do you! WHO DOESN'T?? I will tell you who doesn't - DEAD PEOPLE [provided that they are in the good place....]. But EVERY living being has their FAIR [and we think at times, unfair] share of problems. From the richest to the poorest. White people, black people, brown people, orange people, purple people - ALL PEOPLE have problems. [Old line - Don't tell people about your problems. 80 percent won't care and 20 percent will be happy you have them
So I say to Hashem. THANKS but also NO THANKS.
AHHHHHHHHH!!! Here is the kicker. הודו לה' כי טוב. I thank Hashem b/c He is good. SO MANY GIFTS he gave me. ALL FOR FREE. Like, my pancreas is worth more than all of Mark Zuckerberg's money can buy and I got it FREE OF CHARGE. I came out in Beis Cholim Har Sinai in Upper Manhattan and it was like a complete package - kidneys, lungs, a heart, two baby blue eyes, two arms two legs, ten fingers, ten toes, two FUNNY SHAPED ears, a QUIRKY sense of humor etc. etc. All a result of Hashem's chesed. [But no teeth!!! Ya know why? B/c if newborns had teeth, imagine how much it would hurt mommy every time she fed him...... Chazon Ish]
But we humanoids tend to focus on what is WRONG, what BOTHERS us. So we have to know - All of what SEEMS to be wrong is but an optical illusion. From the perspective of eternity, from the bird's eye view, it is ALLLLLL GOOOOD. You know why הודו לה' כי טוב? B/c כי לעולם חסדו - His chesed is ETERNAL. [Based on the explanation of the Rav ztz"l in his siddur].
The Gemara says that in this world we make two brachos. For good tidings "הטוב והמיטיב" and for bad tidings "דיין האמת". In the future, there will be only ONE bracha - הטוב והמיטיב. We will then see how all of the "דיין אמת" of this world were really "הטוב והמיטיב". In the meantime - it sometimes hurts - and bad. But we can "sweeten the din" by appreciating our limited perspective and have the forbearance to wait for those days when all is revealed to be rooted in complete chesed.
The pasuk says "אלו תולדות שמים וארץ בהבראם" - This is the story of the world when it was created. בהבראם is the same letters as באברהם. The middah of Avraham was kindness. The whole WORLD was created for kindness. עולם חסד יבנה.
What does this mean הלכה למעשה? LOTTTSSSS!!!
At my Shabbos table I try to instill this by going around and asking my chidren to list three things they are thankful for. It is an AMAZINGLY successful exercise. You can do it too!!
Some people have a "gratitude" journal, where they write down things for which they are thankful.
Since the world was created for chesed, the BEST WAY to be Hashem's partner is to live lives of CHESED ourselves. Use those green pieces of paper to help make the lives of others more pleasant. Use our mouths to compliment, encourage, inspire, express affection, SMILE etc. etc. Use our time to help others - and the list goes on and on.
Tell your spouse [if you have one - if not I bless you that you should!!] EVERY DAY how thankful you are and DETAIL what he/she does for you. Same with your parents and other significant people in your life. Say it - and mean it!!!
May we all merit that EVERY DAY should be FILLED with THANKSGIVING [the Turkey - הודו in Hebrew!!! - is optional] as befitting of Yehudim!!!
A delicious sweet Shabbos beloved friends!!!!!
A recent shiur I especially enjoyed and for which I am THANKFUL.
